In the midst of a lot of BIG decisions about Ryan — things like IEPs, classroom placement for next year, and what to do about meds — it can sometimes feel like we are overlooking our daughter. Just yesterday, we had to engage her in a conversation about spring break plans, the gist of which […]
Read more "Score One for Riley"When you’re in the thick of it with difficult times, it can be helpful to step back, breathe, and appreciate some small — or not so small — success. Sometimes you have to seek out these small triumphs, sometimes they find you. Ryan spent the weekend battling a head cold. The congestion exacerbated his facial […]
Read more "The Stealth Honor Student"When Ryan was perhaps five he developed a sudden, and somewhat debilitating, fear of white vans. Taking walks around our neighborhood was a common activity back then, but all of sudden we had to plan our route to avoid passing any white vans. Ryan would tense up with fear and insist we go a different […]
Read more "White Vans and Shots on Goal"When teaching my kids to appreciate a new sport, I always try to find some small detail of the game that might otherwise go unnoticed and get them to focus on it. I figure that if they can master a few small details, they can use it as a basis from which an interest can […]
Read more "Buckle Up for a Bumpy Ride"We took Ryan to the neurologist this week. It was Veronica’s idea, but I was fully on board. (You were right, honey — it was your idea. Please remember that I admitted it.) We needed a neurological opinion about Ryan’s ongoing facial tics, now frequently augmented by a nasal snorting sound. It’s an issue we […]
Read more "A Three-for-One Deal at the Doctor"
Pucks and Puzzle Pieces 