Happy New Year, “Not Just a Dad” friends! I hope your holidays were happy and healthy, and that 2022 has started on a positive note for you. I’m delighted to share this guest blog from Peder Jenson, M.D., one of NeuroNetworks Fund’s board members and a physician who has specialized in and treated people withContinue reading “People with Epilepsy Need Better Treatments – a guest blog from one of NNF’s board members”
Category Archives: Uncategorized
Making Spirits Bright
It’s that time of year, and it can vacillate between being magical or frantic. For families with an autistic child, there are more sensory challenges and more stress, especially as we prepare for the inevitable family get-togethers AND the added complexity of Omicron hovering over us. For my autistic daughter this can be a bewilderingContinue reading “Making Spirits Bright”
A Special Needs Dad Gives Thanks
A special needs parent fell in a hole. Doctor: “Can you keep a diary of your experience in the hole?” Local authority: “Sorry, we don’t have enough money for a ladder.” Family member: “What hole?” Another special needs parent: “I’m here. I’m on my way down. I know how to get out and I won’tContinue reading “A Special Needs Dad Gives Thanks”
Dentist
“Tooth hurts”. These words send a shiver down my spine. I don’t like going to the dentist – being Scottish and brought up on a diet of candy and a regime lacking fluoride, I have reasons to dislike going. I also have more crowns that the British royal family. My youngest isn’t particularly fond ofContinue reading “Dentist”
Pay It Forward!
My daughter bites her hands when she is anxious, frustrated or excited. I mean she really bites, and bites hard. This behaviour is distressing, and left unchecked and can escalate to other forms of self-injurious behaviour, which can impact her safety. We have worked with school and therapists to try and reduce the instances ofContinue reading “Pay It Forward!”
A grateful dad says thank you to healthcare workers!
The pandemic is still raging. We are in the midst of the impact of the Delta variant….. and Lamba lurks in South America. Along with increased knowledge of the Greek alphabet, it means that we may have to accommodate continued change as we prepare for a new school year. During the early summer, my teenageContinue reading “A grateful dad says thank you to healthcare workers!”
Back to school…..again: a guest blog from our friends at MindNest
It’s back to school time again, and for the second year in a row, the world is far from normal. This can be a challenging transition for any child in any year, but especially more so for those with an autistic child in the family. With that in mind, we reached out to the teamContinue reading “Back to school…..again: a guest blog from our friends at MindNest”
Summer
When I was a kid, summers were magical. We had no school and, as latch key kids, we roamed outside all day with friends until it was time to go home. There was also the obligatory family holiday; some were fun, some less so. Nevertheless, it was a carefree time and strong friendships were forged,Continue reading “Summer”
Sleep
It is 3am. My daughter is awake. How do I know this? Well, she gathered her toys and wandered into the hallway to play with them. Now I am awake. Through experience I have learned that time is of the essence – if I can get her back to bed quickly, then the odds ofContinue reading “Sleep”
Listening
In today’s pandemic-induced, mask wearing world we lose a number of nonverbal cues that guide us in our everyday interactions and that can make it more difficult to ‘read’ people. It could be said that it gives us a fleeting glimpse into parts of the autistic world. The reality is it is incredibly difficult forContinue reading “Listening”
NeuroNetworks Fund 