Wow- I am so honored to be the guest speaker at this month's Rotary Club luncheon meeting! I have a few ideas for possible topics to discuss and would appreciate any feedback. Here's what I have so far:
How to maximize your parole.
Herpes- when do you bring it up?
Why dog ownership is way better than parenthood.
Yoga for amputees
Quick and easy recipes for affordable homemade explosives
Aliens: Myths or architects of the Pyramids?
Thursday, August 4, 2011
Tuesday, June 14, 2011
"Autism and eyes closed"
Just for today, I have changed the privacy setting on my Facebook page to "Everyone" in order to reach as many people as I possibly can.
As everyone knows, my daughter Lizzie has Autism.
Or she is Autistic.
Not really sure of the ettiquette...
Anyhow, almost two years ago Lizzie closed her eyes and since then she hasn't really opened them at all. At first she would walk into things (and people) and hurt herself (and people) but since then she has learned to keep her eyes open just a tiny slit or perhaps take an occasional peek, or perhaps she has miraculously developed sonar. Not really sure about this, either.....
This has caused a great deal of anguish to everyone except Lizzie. School feels that it is a hinderance to her learning. The Groden Center feels that it is a behavior to be addressed. Solutions Cedar has suspended Lizzie's PASS hours until this "safety issue" is resolved. Sadly, Lizzie has not been labelled 'Legally Blind' and thus continues to be discriminated against/harrassed/generally annoyed across all settings.
My dilemma: let Lizzie choose to be voluntarily blind as a way to diminish her sensory overload OR- continue down the diagnostic highway with frequent stops at every eye specialist, neurologist, child psychologist, and behavioral specialist along the way. I asked Lizzie if she could hear better with her eyes closed and she said that she did. She also told me to stop talking about it. When I tell her that it is time to work on reading skills, she opens her eyes (a little) and reads pretty well for a kid who really doesn't love to read!
Right now she is wearing a pajama top with blue penguins and pajama bottoms with pink cupcakes- and she is aware of it- and she doesn't care. I don't care either. Every morning she chooses her own perfectly-appropriate clothes for school.
As a parent, I want my child to be happy and safe.
I used to wish for her to be "normal" but now I know better.
I like the Lizzie I have: she doesn't sass back or text incessantly about boys, (she doesn't even like to talk on the phone), she never asks for slutty clothes or a tattoo, she will never experiment with drugs- she won't even try new foods without a major scene.
I believe that Lizzie has the right to be herself: the somewhat-verbal, always-comical, seldom-polite, petite, beautiful girl who hates dogs and snow days and loves perfume and swimming and techno music.
Is there anyone, ANYONE at all, who knows someone or someone's friend or someone's neighbor's dentist's cousin-in-law who likes to have his or her eyes closed all the time??? If so, I'm just curious. HMU.
As everyone knows, my daughter Lizzie has Autism.
Or she is Autistic.
Not really sure of the ettiquette...
Anyhow, almost two years ago Lizzie closed her eyes and since then she hasn't really opened them at all. At first she would walk into things (and people) and hurt herself (and people) but since then she has learned to keep her eyes open just a tiny slit or perhaps take an occasional peek, or perhaps she has miraculously developed sonar. Not really sure about this, either.....
This has caused a great deal of anguish to everyone except Lizzie. School feels that it is a hinderance to her learning. The Groden Center feels that it is a behavior to be addressed. Solutions Cedar has suspended Lizzie's PASS hours until this "safety issue" is resolved. Sadly, Lizzie has not been labelled 'Legally Blind' and thus continues to be discriminated against/harrassed/generally annoyed across all settings.
My dilemma: let Lizzie choose to be voluntarily blind as a way to diminish her sensory overload OR- continue down the diagnostic highway with frequent stops at every eye specialist, neurologist, child psychologist, and behavioral specialist along the way. I asked Lizzie if she could hear better with her eyes closed and she said that she did. She also told me to stop talking about it. When I tell her that it is time to work on reading skills, she opens her eyes (a little) and reads pretty well for a kid who really doesn't love to read!
Right now she is wearing a pajama top with blue penguins and pajama bottoms with pink cupcakes- and she is aware of it- and she doesn't care. I don't care either. Every morning she chooses her own perfectly-appropriate clothes for school.
As a parent, I want my child to be happy and safe.
I used to wish for her to be "normal" but now I know better.
I like the Lizzie I have: she doesn't sass back or text incessantly about boys, (she doesn't even like to talk on the phone), she never asks for slutty clothes or a tattoo, she will never experiment with drugs- she won't even try new foods without a major scene.
I believe that Lizzie has the right to be herself: the somewhat-verbal, always-comical, seldom-polite, petite, beautiful girl who hates dogs and snow days and loves perfume and swimming and techno music.
Is there anyone, ANYONE at all, who knows someone or someone's friend or someone's neighbor's dentist's cousin-in-law who likes to have his or her eyes closed all the time??? If so, I'm just curious. HMU.
Tuesday, January 11, 2011
Snowstorm Etiquette and FAQ
In case you missed the news (perhaps you have been in a coma or lost at sea in a raft): there's a BIG snowstorm coming.
Here's how you can help:
Stay out of the way. Let the plows get out there and get the roads and parking lots cleared. Tonight while you are snug in your beds, the plows will out there with salt and sand prepping the roads.
The firefighters in your town will be out several times during the height of the storm making sure all the fire hydrants are shoveled out. Help them to help you: stay out of the way! Do not shovel all the snow out of your drivieway onto the nearest fire hydrant and bury it.
It is recommended that all "non-essential" travel is suspended for the next 12 hours or so. So getting to your 7 a.m. Pilates class would be "non-essential", as cruel as that sounds.
Hey- I'm from NH- we drive in any weather! But remember- just because your road is clear does not mean that the girl who opens your workout facility at 6 every morning can get out of her driveway safely. So let's not be a self-absorbed whiner, okay? If you really need to get your workout in, go shovel out your elderly neighbor. Shovel out a hydrant. Or take the day off. Have some liquor.
Here's a handy checklist to help you with any additional questions you may have:
What exactly is "non-essential" travel?
Answer: if you are not Police, Fire or Medical personnel or a snow plow operator; your travel would be non-essential.
If you are actively involved in giving birth, the road is yours.
If you jump in your BMW to grab a latte; well, that's just not essential.
In fact, if you have to pause and wonder "Am I essential?", you are, in fact, not.
Here's how you can help:
Stay out of the way. Let the plows get out there and get the roads and parking lots cleared. Tonight while you are snug in your beds, the plows will out there with salt and sand prepping the roads.
The firefighters in your town will be out several times during the height of the storm making sure all the fire hydrants are shoveled out. Help them to help you: stay out of the way! Do not shovel all the snow out of your drivieway onto the nearest fire hydrant and bury it.
It is recommended that all "non-essential" travel is suspended for the next 12 hours or so. So getting to your 7 a.m. Pilates class would be "non-essential", as cruel as that sounds.
Hey- I'm from NH- we drive in any weather! But remember- just because your road is clear does not mean that the girl who opens your workout facility at 6 every morning can get out of her driveway safely. So let's not be a self-absorbed whiner, okay? If you really need to get your workout in, go shovel out your elderly neighbor. Shovel out a hydrant. Or take the day off. Have some liquor.
Here's a handy checklist to help you with any additional questions you may have:
What exactly is "non-essential" travel?
Answer: if you are not Police, Fire or Medical personnel or a snow plow operator; your travel would be non-essential.
If you are actively involved in giving birth, the road is yours.
If you jump in your BMW to grab a latte; well, that's just not essential.
In fact, if you have to pause and wonder "Am I essential?", you are, in fact, not.
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