In my last post, I discussed how an “earnings chart” can help children with special needs. This week, I want to tackle our “communication log,” which is directly linked to our son’s earnings chart.

My son marched in his first parade this past weekend. The Montrose/Glendale area in California hosts an annual Holiday/Christmas parade in their “old town” section. It is generally a “local” event that features high school bands, local community service groups, and even a politician or two. Santa flies over the parade in a helicopter (Santa’s a big hit!).

“Appropriate.”This is a big word in the autism community. We learned about this word years ago. We also learned why it is considered an important word. One big reason why the word “appropriate” is so important to us is that it is often applied during conversations with regional centers (in the state of California) and especially during IEPs.Therefore, I’d like to stress the importance of this word, “appropriate.” Why is it so important?

Is it ever possible to thank all of the autism people who have been involved in your child’s life? We had a party on the day of our child’s first birthday. A friend mentioned something to us on that very day. Imagine your child’s very first birthday party, your only child. You’re so excited for that day. You’ve planned and worked hard so everything will be perfect. And, the day ends with you and your spouse pouring over autism-related websites wondering, “Is this my child?” That friend was the first in a long line of friends we’ve had to thank. But, how?