Hearty

CLICK HERE TO ENTER I had the great pleasure of writing two articles for Autism Spectrum Quarterly this fall, one of which was a Holiday Gift Giving Guide that suggests gifts that educate and inspire -- while being 'pocketbook friendly'.  While I was doing the research, and final writing for the piece, I was moved by the generosity of the companies that were included in the Holiday Gift Guide -- they wanted to give away some of their toys!  And who am I to say no to that? We are talking some SERIOUSLY COOL toys -- those that kids actually want! You can win one of  2 GRAND PRIZE PACKS worth over $150 each.  They will include: 3 sets of Citiblocs (52 pieces each) 1 Dressing Vest from Fun and Function 1 Make Your Own Gum Kit from Glee Gum 5 tubs of Aroma Dough 1 science kit from Kits for Kids Yes, two lucky people will get the opportunity to win ALL of those -- tell Santa he can skip your house, because we've got you covered! Here is a portion of the article that I wrote f...

It is a tradition in our family to say what you are thankful for during Thanksgiving Dinner.  We go one by one around the table, each of us with our own special memories from the year before, and recount the blessings we have each received.  I rehearse with the boys, as this is probably the only reason they even sit at the table (and will get up the moment it is over), and they come up with amazing lists of things they are thankful for; from football to having their grandparents visit, I am always astounded by their insightful words. I think about what I am thankful for carefully  each year, so I am prepared for the moment my turn comes.  So much so, that often it chokes me up during dinner.  And yet, every year, I still find myself attempting to fight off the incoming tears, to no avail. This year, like so many others, I have much to be thankful for; my book release and awards, the success of Gabriel's new school, all three kids having great teachers,...

Dr. Lucy Jane Miller PhD, OTR/L signing books.  If you haven't red the first two posts, I encourage you to start there -- they are below this one. 5:30am hit again. This time, I was not so eager to get out of bed. I was plotting in my head how to sneak out of the conference to take a nap. Logistically, that was harder than getting my three kids to three different schools every day, so it didn’t happen. But as I squished my now bruised feet back into my heels for a third day, I did have one plan: Find time to talk with Dr. Miller. I arrived at the hotel once again and was greeted by the now highly anticipated breakfast buffet, which I supplemented with some hot tea and honey. I was tired, my throat was scratchy (from talking too much, I know, you’re shocked) and I was afraid that the lack of sleep was catching up with me by way of a cold. But, this day had some great speakers, and I wasn't going to miss them! Standing room only for Dr. Stobbe's talk -- first time I had hear...

Award Winners with Dr. Miller  (L to R):  Lori Frankhanel, Lucy Miller PhD, OTR/L, Diana Henry OTR/L, and Barry Stein, PhD. Thanks to Brian Mengini for the photo! If you didn't read yesterday's post, start there -- it is below this post and can be found by clicking here . 5:30am Saturday No cooking = AWESOME. I was up and off again! One of the coolest things about the three days away from the house was not having to cook. I know, that seems trivial or even cliché, but walking into that hotel to find a beautiful spread of fresh fruit, pastries and these adorable little yogurt/granola and fruit parfaits had me considering a permanent move. They were amazingly tasty! The conference was at capacity: Over 350 attendees in a packed ballroom. And the coolest part of Saturday morning, was having Dr. Lucy Jane Miller speak. If you haven’t seen her, I highly recommend you do. She is incredibly easy to listen to, a great and exceedingly rare combination of mastery of information and pers...

Marla, Hartley (I hate this photo of me...), Katy and Carrie Special thanks to Brian Mengini for the photo!   Last weekend was an incredible whirlwind of fun, excitement, education, laughter and connection. I cannot do it justice in one blog post, so I am breaking this down into 3 parts. ----------------------- I got up at the crack of dawn on Friday morning, close to 5:00am. For the record, this is too early for me. I am not a morning person. BUT, on this day, I was. I was happily the first out of bed, and showered in near darkness while my husband slept. I had this strange little twinge of working-mommy confidence. The roles were reversed. And I liked it. After dressing in clean and nice clothes (an oddity after being a SAHM for so long), and packing the last of my toiletries for the 30 minute drive to the conference (yes, I stayed in a hotel), I woke my husband. “Jeff” I whispered, “Jeff, can you help me carry these things downstairs?” I asked. I really just wanted him to get up ...

Last month, on the way home from my nephew’s baptism party, my husband said, in a shocked tone, “That was the best family party we have ever been to. The kids were amazing and had so much fun! I wasn’t even stressed out or worried about the kids getting over stimulated. What just happened?” Throughout the rest of our 3-hour car drive home, we discussed what had made this particular party so much fun. We also compared it to other parties that were not nearly so pleasant. Parties that ended in tears and meltdowns, parties that we had to leave because one of our kids was just too over stimulated to handle. Parties that I swore would be the last I attended because things had gone so poorly for Danny and/or Charlotte. We realized this particular party in September had been so successful because we have some family members who are 100% committed to making family gatherings pleasant for my two SPD kids. Though my family has always been supportive, they haven’t always known how to help. ...

It’s that time of year again.  Thanksgiving.  It’s a tradition in my family that we all go to my mother’s house in Vermont for the holiday.  In the past 30 years, there have only been three times when she didn’t host the big turkey dinner.  Usually, there’s about 30-35 people there – my immediate family, aunts, uncles, cousins, second cousins, friends of second cousins…you have a connection to our family and you’re welcome at the house.  Making 250 mile car trip is always somewhat of an adventure for us.  It’s hard for any kid to sit that long, but a four year old with sensory issues can make the car ride incredibly hard.  One year, he asked for a “hug” for an hour straight.  Factor in food breaks, toilet breaks, coffee breaks and sensory breaks and a four hour ride can sometimes turn into six.   Oh yeah, and diaper changing breaks for the two year old too. Leaving the comforts of our house is somewhat of a challenge.  Besides my son’s sensory issues, he has a food intolerance to all p...

The only thing better than FREE is when you get something you absolutely love - that is FREE. Are you ready for the most amazing, hands-down useful, sensory-friendly, OMG you didn't, Squeeeee, giveaway you have ever seen?  I thought you might be. Grab a handful of mistletoe because you're gonna want to kiss me for this one! Soft Clothing and Hartley's Life With 3 Boys bring you our first annual Holiday Giveaway ! 2 Grand Prizes will be given (one for boys, one for girls), and will each include the following sensory friendly items, which focus on fine motor development, dramatic play skills, sensory integration, creative expression, auditory exploration, and of course, fun! Whatever holiday or season your family celebrates, there is something in this stocking for someone you love! Quilted Train Stocking from Pottery Barn Kids (boys prize) Quilted Angel Stocking from Pottery Barn Kids (girls prize) This is Gabriel Making Sense of School, by Hartley Steiner (That's me!!) S...

My name is Michelle, and I'm a web professional.  And one of those Type A OCD overachiever nut jobs.  And a writer.  And mother of Bear, an amazing little boy with SPD. I tell you this because if you put these things together, you get, in a nutshell, how I ended up with the honor of being a guest blogger on Hartley's site. This really started for me in October of 2009, about 5 minutes after the OT evaluator told me my son had Sensory Processing Disorder and that I should start reading about sensory modulation.  Needless to say, I set Google on fire... and was sorely disappointed at the lack of information.  (I'm not saying it's not out there, I'm just saying at the time the SEO for SPD wasn't up to snuff.) I searched for weeks on every imaginable combination of terms and came up with limited data (did I mention I also have a degree in biology, dreamed of being a doctor and have clinical experience? I wanted real. information .).  Then I stumbled across an SPD mo...

Since I never have time to listen to my mp3 player anymore, I decided to pass it along to Simon, especially since I’ve read they can really help kids on the spectrum control their auditory issues. Simon absolutely LOVES it. He dances like he’s competing on Randy Jackson's Dance Crew in our front lawn, showing off for cars that drive by (not too sure I’m really comfy with that particular habit). Right now, his two favourite songs are these: Read more »

Words can't express how incredibly proud I am to say that the Hope & Help Sensory Processing Disorder Awareness Calendar 2011 is NOW AVAILABLE! BUY IT NOW! Proceeds go to support the SPD Foundation and Children's Institute for Learning Differences (CHILD), two amazing non-profits dedicated to chidlren with special needs.

Helen, her husband Stuart, and all of their grandkids! With the holiday season upon us, I can feel the tension and anxiety building all around me.  What is everyone worried about?  They are dreading v isting family .  One of the biggest complaints from those I speak with, is that their extended family doesn't understand the needs of their child.  From sensory issues, to need for routine, predictability, table manners , food choices, and a thousand other things, the holiday season is hard on our kids.  And what do us parents want more than anything?  Understanding and Support .  Here is my amazing mom's advice for all of the grandparents (or aunts, uncles, great-grandparents...) out there who struggle to understand what our special kids (and WE as adult children) need from them: There but for the Grace of Gabe By Helen Nickelson, proud Grandma of Gabriel, Nicholas and Matthew. I often wonder what kind of a grandparent I would be if Gabriel wasn’t in my life. Would I be the “pe...

Approximately 6 years ago, I found myself taking a trip to my local library. Normally, this would have been an enjoyable outing, especially because I had left my son with my husband; I had free time to browse and relish the quiet. But this was not a normal trip to the library. I was on a mission to find some answers. Earlier in the week, after a particularly gruesome play date in which my toddler son, Danny, had ended up screaming uncontrollably, I broke down in my car. I had no idea what had set him off, and I didn’t know why he always acted so differently from other kids his age. I knew something wasn’t right. No one would listen to me, but I knew in my gut that something was wrong. So, I went to the library desperately trying to find a book with some answers in it. I read books on strong-willed children and parenting techniques, but nothing fit. I didn’t know where to turn, but I distinctly remembered thinking, “Oh, if someone could just tell me exactly what is wrong and what...

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When Hartley asked if I would be a regular contributor on her Hartley’s Life with 3 Boys site, I was humbled and honored.  I started writing about my family’s journey with sensory processing disorder because of her, and I have learned so much from all the information she provides here.  I sat up late at night trying to figure out the best way to introduce myself and my family to everyone.  I wanted to tell all her readers that I know what they are going through, that while the details of our adventures might be different, I understand the daily struggles that we all encounter.  I couldn’t figure out a good way to share all that. I could start with “Hi, my name is Alysia and I have a son with sensory processing disorder”.  But that didn’t quite feel right. I could tell you that I’m a stay at home mom with three boys, ages 8, 4 and 2.  My four year old was diagnosed with sensory processing disorder at age 2 ½, and with autism spectrum disorder in December 2009.  Still, that just didn’t t...

I hate eating with my kids. Really, I do. Our meal times usually push me to the edge of sanity. And with Thanksgiving just weeks away, I am reminded that I will be eating with my kids in a formal setting with other people . Perhaps the turkey is less nervous than I am. Why? It isn’t for the reasons you may think. I have long ago gotten past the worries about what food my kids will eat, or whether they can stay seated at the table, or their inability to be hungry at meal time, preferring to ‘graze’ all day. But, what I haven’t gotten over is their utter lack of table manners. Yes, table manners. I hear you – you think I shouldn’t worry about table manners that I perhaps have bigger fish to fry. But let me tell you, bad table manners is a pet peeve of mine that I just can’t let go. Somewhere in my mind I have attributed the presence of good table manners with a gold star on my ‘Mommy Chart’. I try to let it go, really, but the holidays bring it back in full force. Like my own perso...

Here is November's First Things First article . This article comes from Leslie O'Donnell . Although Leslie’s background is in disability activism, psych education & special-ed teaching, Leslie O'Donnell now finds herself in the full-time career of special-needs parenting. The mother of a neurologically disabled toddler, Leslie asks the tough questions and offers the tougher answers.   ------------------- Disabled x2 By Leslie O'Donnell Two weeks ago, I woke up at 5:30am in excruciating and unfamiliar pain. The doctor on-call that night listened to my symptoms and thought it sounded like kidney stones. What I heard was, “You will have to pull a still-exhausted Jamie out of bed, and torture him and everyone else by dragging him through a long visit to just the sort of medical facility that he has really bad memories of and phobias about. This will potentially lead into him getting to leave only by being torn away from you, who will have to stay there getting treated, ...

This is October's First Things First article , but because of the SPD Awarness event, it didn't get posted!  But no worries, here it is!  This article comes from  Diane M. Renna , author of “Meghan’s World: The Story of One Girl’s Triumph over Sensory Processing Disorder,” Child Advocate, Reiki Master Teacher, Co-Founder of the Sensory Enriched Playgroup & Parent Learning Program© ------------------- Finding My Inner-Self By Diane M. Renna I can vaguely remember my Dad telling me to, “just go take a warm bath and relax and read a book.” It was about eight years ago. I could barely sit still myself and I thought, “There is NO WAY I would be able to relax in the tub; let alone read a book in it.” I tried…I think I lasted five minutes tops. I am sure the book was also related to how I could help my children to boot. I would often hide-away in the bathroom with my hands held over my head…praying for patience and help…”that this was not my daughter… please help us find help and ...

Have you seen the photos that Dana Napoleon has done for Soft Clothing?  I know you have -- they are the incredibly cute ones with the kiddos in the old car ?  If you have been under the sensory-free rock this last month, you have to check out the links! I saw them on Facebook (and everywhere else) and wanted to know more about the photographer - a woman I had actually come in contact with once before on a listserv here in Washington.  So, our Facebook conversation via comments went like this: Me:  I love your photos! Dana: Thank you!  I could take your boys' photo! Me:  You don't want to do that. LOL  They will be horrible -- Matt's a runner. Dana:  We could do it here by my house, it is fenced! Me:  Is there any standing water? Dana:  No.  Me:  OK! With that I convinced my husband to accompany me and all three boys on the 1 hour and 15 minute trip to Tacoma.  Yes.  In their 'good' clothes.  What was I thinking? I'll tell you -- I was thinking that if this am...

Matt got his official diagnosis this October. Mild Asperger’s and Very Superior Intelligence. Just what we expected. I am so incredibly hopeful that these labels will help Matthew in school. And so far, his teachers have been great. But during our October conference, it was obvious to me that Matthew requires a great deal of support during class time from his teachers. In a classroom with 6 students and two full time teachers, he is succeeding. But what about Kindergarten? Yes, I am worrying about Kindergarten 10 months ahead of time. That’s how I roll. Why am I worried? I am afraid of Foxes and Pedophiles . Let me explain. When Gabriel started first grade, the first time, at our public elementary school I wasn’t too worried. We had been rezoned into a brand new school, so I joined the PTA Board of Directors as the Vice President of Fundraising, and got a sneak peek into the school before it opened, and more importantly, the opportunity to know the principal and staff. I was comforted...

In case you haven't seen it on Twitter or Facebook, there is an awareness event going on centered around a Communication Shutdown today, November 1st.  The premise is a good one:  In order to illustrate the social and communication challenges that people with Autism face, they are asking everyone to stop using Facebook and Twitter for one day.  Today . Many people with Autism disagree with this idea.  Saying that they have earned the right to communicate, and that since their voices need to be heard, they will not be silenced.  Their movement is SPEAK LOUDLY. I am my children's best advocate.  I personally feel as though my voice and my writing is the best tool I have for sharing their struggles, connecting families, and ultimately raising awareness. So, here on Hartley's Life With 3 Boys, we are doing what we do best:  SPEAKING. It is with great excitement and enthusiasm that on this day I have the honor of introducing the first ever contributors to H...