How I Move From Helpless To Hopeful

As A Special Needs Mom

Life threw us a serious curveball when my 3 years old daughter was diagnosed with global development delay, sensory processing disorder and ADHD.

She could only speak a handful of words and had an attention span of at best a few seconds.

Her teacher complained she often hid in the cupboard and ripped things off the shelves in school.

I dreaded Christmas and birthdays when our family would ask me about suitable gifts for her. Her lack of interest in toys or anything for that matter was disheartening.

What hurt me the most was her tendency to push me away whenever I tried to hug her.

What Doctors Advised Me

I was told by therapists that early intervention was key. The more we did to help her before she turned 6, the better her chance of catching up to her peers.

Some recommendations and reports state that children who undergo at least 40 hours of therapy a week have a better chance of succeeding.

With the clock ticking, I went on a warpath of “fixing” her problems.

My daughter went to kindergarten and was homeschooled too. She spent hours in therapy every week, and I even had her follow a special diet.

Her success became my obsession; it consumed my every waking moment.

Things Got Worse

When she was almost 6, we ran more tests, and this time ….. she was diagnosed severely on the autism spectrum with

severe intellectual disabilities.

I blamed myself for not doing enough and feared I had missed

my window of opportunity to help her.

Despite all the effort, things were not better ….. they were worse.

The Chaotic Homefront

The news of my daughter’s second diagnosis devastated me. For months I could hardly get out of bed.

To top that, taking care of a child that survives on 4 hours of sleep and still has the energy of 100 Energizer Bunnies the next day can test the patience of a saint.

The house was in a perpetual mess.

Our everyday life felt like a constant battlefield, dealing with one problem after another.

The very idea of a calm and peaceful home I desired was an elusive dream.

When faced with many challenges, it was difficult to be hopeful about our daughter's future.

Why couldn’t our family catch a break?

The Unexpected Happened

One day, my son wanted me to take him to see “The Good Dinosaur”. But I didn’t want to exclude my autistic daughter, who would almost certainly act out and have a meltdown at the cinema.

I decided to give it a go. I told her that we’d go to the bathroom if she felt scared. I brought her a blanket and got LOTS of popcorn.

Okay, we went to the bathroom 3 or 4 times, BUT …. She made it through the movie!

The next day I decided to start exploring new things with her. Eating new things, exploring new places – things that I had feared trying in the past because I felt she couldn’t handle it.

The Surprising Discovery That None Of The Doctors Or Therapists Ever Noticed

While experiencing new things and having fun with my daughter, we started a daily routine of writing about her day.

At that point, my minimally verbal daughter did not show any signs that

she could spell. I hoped she could visually see her answers by guiding

her hand to type each word.

After two weeks of doing this continuously, something amazing happened.

My daughter's hand moved instinctively across the keyboard, accurately landing on the correct letters. This was the same girl I believed couldn't even spell "cat," yet she effortlessly typed words like "constitution" and "boulevard."

How was this even possible?

At that moment, I realized that spelling and typing held the key to understanding and communicating with my daughter.

Today, the girl whom medical professionals once labelled as severely mentally challenged astounds us all with her extraordinary mathematical talents.

Instead, when I focus on connecting with her first, instead of correcting her, she shows us that she

is far more capable than I or anyone else imagined.

I used to think that we had to “fix” my daughter to help her integrate with the rest of the world.

I used to think that if my daughter changed, our family life would be easier and better.

But my fixing ways were causing more harm than help. What my daughter truly needs is me

to connect with her.

The Lesson I Learnt Here

When I Took Steps To Connect With Her

This happened!!!!!

• Fewer meltdowns! She calms down faster, even in unfamiliar situations.
• Found a way to communicate with my daughter through spelling.

• My daughter has begun to communicate more verbally.

• Easier to help her with a challenge or a new skill

• Our family can have the family outings and vacations we desire.

Plus, I find that:

• I have less conflict and more peace with myself and my loved ones.

• I stop living a life of reactive chaos and create proactive harmony on the homefront.

• I have more personal time to pursue the things that matter to me.

For once, I am quietly hopeful for our future.

Are You Tired Of Your Current Situation, But See No Way Out To Help Your Child And Family?

Here's what I know: The only way to get a different result in your life is to take a radically different action. And you CAN break the cycle of simply coping or surviving your atypical parenting journey and reclaim your life...

...When you ditch the corrections and learn how to connect with your ASD child.

Click here to take the all-important first step in booking a

Connection-ary session with me.

In this no-obligation session, we'll delve into your unique family situation. You will gain clarity on what you must do now to stop overwhelm and chaos on the homefront.

Ready To Make A Difference For You And Your Family?