the blog
My Child is Turning 18 – Now What?!?!
When my son was about 9, I was told by an expert in the disability field that ideally, I needed to start working on his transition to adulthood when he turned 14. WTaF? I was barely holding on trying to figure things out with all of the childhood stuff (therapy,...
The ONE Document That Changed Everything After My Son’s Autism Diagnosis
My son was officially diagnosed with autism in 2007 at the age of 4. Getting the diagnosis was a process of course as we had to wait six month for the appointment and like most other families, it felt like life was going off the rails for many months prior to getting...
You’re Not Failing, You’re Struggling.
I had a friend ask me how to explain to family members that she’s not being lazy or unmotivated. Her family feels that way because it seems like she can’t get “simple” things done around the house while also caring for her child (who has an autism diagnosis). Instantly I knew exactly what she was talking about. But I have been having a hard time putting together words that would allow others to “really get it”.
The Busy Mom’s Guide to Reducing Chemical Exposures
When I first learned of my son’s extremely high toxin load at the age of 5, I took immediate action to remove cleaning chemicals from my home. And then over the course of years, I’ve gradually shifted many other items and products. It can seem VERY overwhelming to...
Endocrine Disruptors – FAKE NEWS for your body!
In Part 1 of this Endocrine System series, I outlined the basics of what the endocrine system is, the organs and glands involved and their functions. The take-away message from Part 1: The endocrine system is the communication system of the body that determines...
The Endocrine System – Gateway to Health
A group of cells forms tissue. A group of tissues makes up an organ. A group of organs makes up a system. A group of systems makes up an animal/human organism. I’ll never forget that lesson from Biology and it’s served me well in helping my child and myself improve...
It’s Time to Re-Think Self Care
Self-Care is bringing nourishing things and activities into your life and removing anti-nourishing things and activities from your life, a sort of Marie Kondo exercise for your mind/body/spirit. And these nourishing things and activities do not have to be huge or expensive. In fact, 90% of the self-care activities I do within a day are things that don’t cost money nor do they require I leave the house or “escape” my life. Because self-care is about taking care of yourself WHILE YOU ARE LIVING YOUR LIFE. It is a discipline, not a singular activity.
May is Hard for Special Needs Families. Six Ways to Make it Easier.
I spend all winter looking forward to Spring and Summer. I thrive in the sun, the warmth and the renewal promise that Spring brings. But I'm a special needs mom and May brings with it some unexpected and unwanted challenges. And those challenges ALWAYS serve as a...
Slow and Steady Wins the Race
Today I gave my son a haircut. And by normal standards, it was uneventful. And the fact that it was uneventful means by Autism standards – IT WAS AMAZING! My son is 15 years old and has always had sensory issues and nervous system challenges with haircuts. I’ve spent...
Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth – SIBO. What it is and how to treat it.
This last week at the AutismOne conference in Chicago, I attended a few really informative workshops. Here is a summary of information from Dr. Logan’s presentation on Small Intestinal Bacterial Overgrowth – aka SIBO. We are dealing with SIBO and honestly, most of...
Why Should I Change My Diet?
Every conversation I have with someone who has a health concern or question leads up to diet. I simply cannot stress enough how foundational gut health is to overall health and expression of life. If you have skin issues, auto-immune issues, mental health issues,...
Your Navigational Tool for Staying the Course – The ATEC
When you have a child whose growth and development progresses on its own timeline, it can be very hard to recognize growth or if things are "getting better". And "better" can be pretty subjective because as some things become resolved, it reveals another issue...
“Amy has been a tremendous resource for me over the last few years. I have come to rely on her wisdom and sage advice for guidance in the world of healing and health. She is one of the most grounded people I know and I trust her fully.“
Thalia Michelle, Co-Founder, Thinking Mom’s Revolution