Living with Autism

I am not a tattoo kind of person. Firstly, I cannot imagine spending money on something that I can't change, and secondly, while I'm sure they look great on people with plump firm skin, I fear I may turn out to be a saggy old lady with indecipherable wrinkly tattoos. So no "ink' for me.

 But if I did get a tattoo, I would get this:



Because I often forget. And I fear it is often at the root of so much of my children's, my husband's and my own often indecipherable behaviour.

It is hard, because I am a pretty gutsy person. I like change, I like a challenge. I get bored VERY easily and like to flit from one new thing to the other. Hell for me is being stuck in one place, doing one thing.
But my hell is someone else's heaven. Some people like consistency, the familiar, stability.

Anything unpredictable makes them anxious and it is important to be empathetic to this, to understand that very real anxiety about the unknown. 


Because if I remember my high school m…

Well folks, it is only a matter of time before the next stage of Gracie's development as a Lay-dee begins. First, a little music to set the scene:




And we have only just begun..
to see the mood swings, a lot of crying for no reason that we cannot console. We also have the change in body shape and um, please click away if you are easily freaked out but..things are growing.

Luckily for me, I have had the support of the Saplings Educational Director, Supervisor and some very dedicated tutors to get me through this next step.
Grace has actually been following an ABA Task Analysis of a "Pre Menstruation" program for over a year now. There was an unfortunate gap when the Department of Education and Skills.. *coughs* ...took over our school and Gracie's personal care program was literally, sent home..

But I got some good advice and with the backing of EPSEN and the NCSE booklet on my rights regarding the implementation of an existing Individual Education Plan, I got the pro…

28th July 2009. Second Year in Saplings. Sportsday


 Glenroe Farm, 2008
 Dublin Zoo 2008?
 Brisbane 1999
 Ballarat 2010
 Singapore Zoo 2010

Hamleys Dundrum, Irish Autism Action Fundraiser 2008/9
Stephens Green Shopping Centre, Dublin 2009  O2 Grafton Street Samsung Autism Fundraiser 2009 (From when I did promotions and Social Media for Autism Ireland)
 Hamleys Triceritops 2009
 Devils Glen, Wicklow

Mao Dundrum  Army Soldier Facepaint by Hamleys Girls in Dundrum

This week I tried out an alternative to the Otterbox Defender iPhone cover which I have been in love with since I first bought one 2 years ago. After 15 different types of case, and 3 very expensive repairs of 1, Glass screen 2, inner LCD screen and 3, BOTH (Liam was acting out the scene from Phone Booth where Colin Farrell smashes the handset of the phone)

I finally had a case that could be literally thrown down the stairs (and has been)

So I was intrigued to see this the link to this video on the Zismo Facebook Page 





"The folks at G-Form have brought the fury once more with a brand new case for Apple devices with a death-defying test in the hockey arena......blah blah blah...
These slim and lightweight cases act like armor to safeguard your iPhone when you need it most by momentarily stiffening to absorb over 90% of the force from an impact, and then immediately returning to their natural flexible state
This case is being released in two forms, the first being the X Protect…

My beautiful girl has beautiful hair



However, as anyone with a daughter knows, it is pretty high maintenance. Cutting it short would be pointless as she would not tolerate a hairdresser and short hair has to be cut regularly.
I would not do it myself as I think that it would be unfair, I mean just because she has autism, doesn't mean she has to look like her Mum cut her hair.
And it suits her long, as my friend Joanne often says; it gives her a certain Catherine Earnshaw quality. Although if Gracie was crying at the window I am pretty sure that Heathcliffe would have no choice but to let her in.

So Bronte heroine look aside, the hair has to be brushed regularly.Gracie does not like this. It has been a lifelong challenge which used to involve me chasing her around the house. As she got older she has got a lot cuter*, and now tries to style me out of the way by putting on hats or hair bands before she comes downstairs. However, thanks to the power of ABA; we now have her doing this…

So it is World Autism Awareness Day and here I am without a blog post.

I am feeling very autism aware as Grace decided last night that she needed a Letterland phonics Video which has been out of production for about 15 years. So I had a small girl stomping her feet saying "I want AAY, BEE, CEE, PURPLE, VIDEO" and then putting on her hat and coat and demanding to sit in the car until 2am.
Today, when we were all a bit calmer, I helped her to make this sentence using google images:


so we were able to work out exactly what video she wants and where it is - School! 

which doesn't reopen for another 2 weeks. Ebay it is then.


Autism Awareness for me is about making everybody else in the world aware that we exist, we are here to stay and you better get used to us. It's a chance for family, friends and acquaintances to catch up and realise that their sister/brother/son/daughter needs them to be aware of autism and perhaps be a bit more supportive. It is about being accepting…

In the next few days I am going to write a long article about Niamh Cadogan. At the moment it hurts too much to think about it for too long. I have been looking at her emails she sent me, which included a lot of photos and this one just made me smile. I think we were both trying to get Liam to look at the camera and say "cheese" and he just kept on saying "Camembert" in his deep teenage voice and playing with the iPad.



This was the day she came to Dublin with the Munster Lions Club for the judging of the All Ireland Lions Club Youth Ambassador. I brought her 2 props; one was my giant "iFoam" with the Grace App on it and the other was Liam, my 14 year old son who sat and played with the iPad while Niamh and I chatted to William from the Lions club and her mum Jean.

While I adore and cherish both my autistic children; if I ever get a bit of time off I have to confess that the very last thing I want to do is meet other people's autistic children.
(forgi…

22nd June 1994 - 19th March 2012

Guest post from my lovely friend Taz who used to blog at tazzymania about her experience with adopting twice! and how her lovely little boy Button; just happens to also have autism. Taz is the epitome of Love Stretches - her love for her kids goes twice around the world; and I believe she is planning to go again.




Taz and I agree on how us Autism Mammies tend to have a little touch of the bug ourselves. And we think it is a power for good. She kindly agreed to do the Dr Simon Baron Cohen tests online - to assess ones Empathy, Systemizing and Autism potential. Or as I like to call it, "Whether you should choose the furniture in the flat-pack store, or assemble it" I will disclose my scores at the end. Thanks so much Taz. I am so proud to know you. xx





"Before I get started on this blog, I feel you should know something about me. I love tests! Not
exams, but tests. The ones where the results don’t really matter. In my teenage years the first page
I turned to in my Jackie or J…

Dear Sir
I would like to offer to write a detailed response to the Examiner'sFeelgood article of 3rd February which was published with respect to the role of the author as a "parenting expert' and the subsequent editorial response which said that he had a right to an "opinion."
(click on the highlighted words and you will go straight to whatever link I am referring to)
As the first article clearly set out to influence through the authors noted 'expertise' and made reference to a soon to be published book; I think it is only fair to give a right of detailed reply to someone who has spent 14 years studying autism parenting first hand, who has written thousands of words on the topic of day to day life with autism and who has made it their lifes work to give people with autism the ability to communicate independently.
I am talking about myself of course. As the creator of the Grace App for autism- a means by which a person with a speech disability can communi…

So where have I been lately?


Orlando, Florida actually for a Assistive Tech Conference which brought together companies from around the world to discuss and show off all forms of assistive technology for special needs and disabilities.




I took this at the hotel next to mine - on a rare walk around the grounds. I'm told that practically all waterways have 'gators and they are happy enough to leave us alone if we leave them alone. Apparently walking a small dog will get their attention. Which is okay as long as you can run faster than your small dog I guess....


Here I am being a girly swot in the front row of my friend Barbara's presentation at 8 am on Saturday morning. (can you imagine an Irish trade show starting at 8am?!)

Barbara has her own App company called Smarty Ears, and as a professional speech therapist almost all of her Apps hit the spot for us; both for articulation but also for language therapy. They also have built in recording and data can be shared via em…

Growing Up Geek: Steven Troughton-SmithOriginally posted by John Turi on engadget, Dec 23rd 
Welcome to Growing Up Geek, an ongoing feature where we take a look back at our youth and tell stories of growing up to be the nerds that we are. Today, we have a special guest:programmer, app designer, artist and geek, Steven Troughton-Smith. I was born to be an artist. I was always the kind of kid that doodled when bored in class; I used to spend hours creating the most intricate symmetrical robots or plotting maps for world domination. Somewhere along the way I realized that the thing I really wanted to design was software, and I'd really have to learn to start programming to be able to make what I saw in my head exist.

As a child of four I was exposed for the first time to a computer -- a Macintosh IIsi. When I wasn't playing SimCity 2000 or Spelunx, I was dabbling in Photoshop 3.0. I was fascinated by the Mac and would spend hours learning all the intricacies of how it w…

Today I have a rather scientific guest post from my friends at ABA Ireland. ABA Ireland started as a Facebook Group to link and promote the use of Applied Behavioural Analysis across all settings and to support students, therapists and tutors. They have also run a number of "Fun Days" for families of children with autism and are now getting set up with as a charity with a website. The group is INCLUSIVE - in that they want to encourage anyone who wants to increase their understanding of evidence based education to join and learn more about it.  After my recent posts on behaviour which were written from a parental point of view, I asked the group to contribute a slightly more formal explanation of Functional Analysis - which is what you need to do when you have an inappropriate behaviour issue going on. Niall Conlon very kindly agreed to write this. If you have any questions, please post them in the comments and I will get Niall to answer them. Lisa

"First off, thanks to Li…

Today we hear from Clive the Autism Assistance dog and my good friend Fiona.  Fiona's son Murray went to the same state autism school as Grace and Liam from 2004 -2008, when we left to go to Saplings.  Fiona and I have kept in touch sharing lunches and yes, a few boozy dinners with the group of Mums that I met at that little school in South Dublin which did our best to improve.
So it was with my heart in my mouth as I first read this post on Clive's blog and tears in my eyes when I finished reading it. You will see why...

Murray and Clive


"This has been a very special week in the House of Clive. We have had a really 'magical Murray moment'.
Murray is 12 and Clive has worked with him for the past five years as his Assistance Dog.

In that time there have been many wonderful moments between the two of them - lots of new adventures, lots of places travelled and most importantly lots of progress with Murray. He communicates so much better, is far more independent and more…