Living with Autism

This is a review of the HP Photosmart eStation that was loaned to me to try out in my capacity as a "Mom-blogger" - It is my choice to write about it because I like it - if I didn't I would just say nothing! 

So I guess you are wondering, why would someone dedicated to eradicating the printed picture cards that her daughter used to use and replacing them with Apps be asked to test out a printer?
Well the answer is - there is no escaping the needed for printed visual supports in Autism.
Sure an App is super dooper when you are asking someone to tell you what they really like. It is also really handy for helping them to organise a familiar task like getting dressed, even handier when you are giving them token reinforcement, or creating a detailed social story. (These are Grace App,First, Then and the iReward and My Pictures Talk by my fellow moms with apps)

If I can get away with using an App for something I will. But when there is a chance that said schedule is going to be th…

I recently got accepted into the Social Entrepreneurs Social Impact Program  and, as a result I was invited to join the finalists at a Residential Workshop in Louisburgh County Mayo.
I actually wrote: “Good Coffee, Wine and Chocolate” on my "Dietary Requirements" form for the weekend.

And it made me realise why I do what I do.

You see Social Entrepreneurs do not wake up and jump out of bed one day shouting:
“I’m going to be a Social Entrepreneur!” and then start looking for a Social Issue to Entrep about.

Nope, most of them just find themselves noticing or often personally facing a social issue and instead of complaining - they come up with an idea to solve it.
But it is not just an idea - it is usually a niggling itch that just won’t go away until they sit down and come up with a plan and start scratching it.

Well, that was my experience anyway. I’m a fussy person, I like to have what I like in the way I like it - so I particularly identified with my daughter Grace and fr…

Last weekend as you may have read here I was at The Autism Show in London.
It was a big deal; my first trade show as a Snumpreneur (Special needs Mum Entrepreneur) and I paid for it all out of my savings. I also schlepped 2 suitcases of display gear across London from Heathrow to the ExCel Exhibition Centre in Docklands on The Tube and DLR. which meant 3 changes from West to East.

 And when I got to the Exhibition Centre my stand looked like this:



That is the two suitcases that I dragged on and off the tubes and up and down lifts as I changed from the Piccadilly to Jubilee line and then on to the DLR.
BUT OH BOY WAS I EXCITED!!!
Thanks to some wonderful help from my friends on Twitter, like @nmcgivney @GreenClouds4 @ian_kenefick of Millitech Digital - I had a very professional looking "roll up" poster with photo provided by The Ireland Funds photographer Aengus McMahon.
Having spent every spare cent on the Stand hire, accommodation and transport costs it made a huge difference t…

I will be there in all my Smumpreneur glory - (Special Needs Mum-Entreprenuer) on Stand D5 in the "Communication Matters" Zone.
Entry is only £12 (cheaper if you book in advance)
There are a lot of safe, fun activities to do WITH your autistic kids - and the fun starts on the Docklands Light Railway - on the Friday at least.

If you are a member of the National Autistic Society you probably know about this already - So please share it with all your friends in the U.K and tell them to come and meet me. I'd love you to link to me in your blogs, facebooks and tweets as much as possible too. This is a really big deal for me to be showing at a major Trade Show for the first time, and I want to meet as many people as possible to spread the word about Grace App.

Hope to see you there, Love Lisa xx

Mea Culpa

Remember my Steps to being a special needs parent? - recently I had cause to return to the theme and examine the following. As usual they all look kind of the same:

8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.
9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.
10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it.

For years now I would have been in the camp of wanting everyone else to make amends to me. Sorry but when you find out you have not one, but TWO kids with intensive behavioural needs you very quickly find out who you can count on and who will spectacularly and hurtfully let you down.


After 10 years - I have learned to let go of some of that feeling. 
Some of the people have apologised.
Some of the people have made up for it in other ways.
I guess some of them have realised what a selfish mongrel they were when they had their own childre…

At this time of year you might be lucky enough to be planning a holiday. And some of you, thanks to a negative experience in the past might be having trepidations - I have some advice that might make it easier and more enjoyable for everyone.


Firstly, don't feel you have to stay home. Because if it rains for 10 of the 14 days you have booked, you may find yourself cooped up in a holiday house with no broadband, no cable and the prospect of hanging around the local Supermarket for entertainment.

D'amusements do not work for people with high sensory needs, and they are expensive anyway. And Long walks in the Rain followed by an Irish Coffee in a local pub are for romantic weekends away. Not a family of 4 with no clothes dryer.


So take my advice and go somewhere sunny for your holidays. And fly!



1. Two Words: SELF CATER!


You will all be much happier. Where I come from, Full Board is something that you surf on at the beach, so I find it perplexing to hear anyone complaining about tak…

Remember my Steps to being a special needs parent? - recently I had cause to return to the theme and examine the following. As usual they all look kind of the same:
8. Made a list of all persons we had harmed, and became willing to make amends to them all.  9. Made direct amends to such people wherever possible, except when to do so would injure them or others.  10. Continued to take personal inventory and when we were wrong promptly admitted it. 
For years now I would have been in the camp of wanting everyone else to make amends to me. Sorry but when you find out you have not one, but TWO kids with intensive behavioural needs you very quickly find out who you can count on and who will spectacularly and hurtfully let you down.

After 10 years - I have learned to let go of some of that feeling.  Some of the people have apologised.  Some of the people have made up for it in other ways.  I guess some of them have realised what a selfish mongrel they were when they had their own children and reali…