Over Sensitive
I’m not sure if any other special needs parents would call themselves over sensitive, but I definitely would. I think my neurodivergence makes me hyperaware of, and affected by, the words and actions of others. I have made a habit of reading people closely, in order to anticipate their motives, movements, and moods. I think […]
Happy Mother’s Day!
Mother’s Day is a beautiful opportunity to celebrate all the loving moms who give so much of themselves to their families everyday! Around the world, flowers are being bought, cards are being made, and kids are getting up early to make their moms breakfast in bed! It’s a day that brings joy to lots of […]
The Bumbo Chair
I think one of my most exciting milestones was when Aidan weaned from milk formula to solids. We were so keen to begin making homemade purées, that I went out and got a recipe book of them! I flipped through it for hours, popping post-its on all my favourite sweet and savoury recipes. We didn’t […]
Sleepless in Cape Town
Our three-year-old son is diagnosed as moderate to severe on the autism spectrum. Many of his sensitivities, rigidities, and behavioural issues have led me to believe that he is profoundly impacted. Some people would describe their child’s autism as a “different ability”. I describe my son’s autism as a disability. It can hijack his central […]
Absolute Silence
Autumn is gusty in my part of the world. And the strong, Cape south-easter brings weather with it. As clouds rolled in this afternoon and the breeze stiffened, I felt a familiar pang of anxiety. Because wind disturbs Aidan’s sleep. A lot of autistic children struggle with sleep. As of yet, nobody knows why. But […]
The Flexibility Program
I don’t even know how to adequately describe what we’re going through right now. The organisation that manages Aidan’s 1:1 home based ABA therapy has implemented a flexibility program. It’s been suggested by them on and off, but it was never a good time to start it, mainly due to a scourge of seasonal bugs […]
Where Did All My Friends Go?
Life, in this Secret World of Autism, gets lonely. Our daily experiences are unlike anything we’ve read about, or seen in movies, or learned about in documentaries, or seen anyone else we know go through. We only have one child, and no experience of parenthood other than that of being special needs parents. What’s “normal” […]
That Crystal Ball
When I was five, I wondered if I’d be allowed to get a cat. When I was 10, I wondered if I would settle down in one school. When I was 15, I wondered if I would make it through my teenage years unscathed. When I was 20, I wondered if I’d ever find my […]
Am I Strong Enough?
Honestly, I must ask myself this question at least twice a day. Sometimes more! Because some days the challenges feel beyond my capability and I struggle for the capacity to be everything to my child and to my family. Motherhood is humbling y’all. In a way that’s impossible to explain to childless friends. Whatever you […]
Not Another Virus!
All parents fear bugs and viruses. It’s one of the hardest things we manage: Being sick ourselves, and having to look after our sick children. Most moms I’ve spoken to, don’t get the luxury of being sick. If you’re lying in bed, how do all the things get done? Who looks after the kids, the […]