My quirky family and I recently embarked on the great adventure from Alaska to our new home in Washington. We decided to take the Alaska ferry. Having two teens who experience autism that can’t fly it turned out to be a great idea. Special thanks to my mother and father for making it possible, and…
Jordyn Cleveland was born deaf. In 2013 her and her family found out why. At the age of 13, Jordyn was diagnosed with Usher syndrome a genetic condition that worsens over time and will further affect her vision. In an effort to expand their support, Jordyn and her mother Mandy recently attended the Usher Syndrome…
The money: There are many factors that make living in Barrow with special needs unlike anywhere else. Basically, living here and having to seek medical professional help = EXPENSIVE and very nerve racking. We have been very lucky with my sister and her getting the medical help she’s needed. But we have also been…
So here I am pretending I know what I’m doing in writing a “blog”, and to be completely honest, I have no idea what I’m suppose to say. Nor have I ever written “outside-the-box” (well, there was a couple poems for the magazine “Seventeen” many moons ago). People often ask me, how I got in…
Not so long ago, just a few short years , on the first day of school, I sat in the parking lot of my son’s school sobbing my heart out as he started school. He experiences autism, and needs a very high level of support.
Graduation Day. It’s here. After more than 15 years of school. A day filled with pride, excitement, anticipation…and relief. A day we were never sure we would have the opportunity to celebrate. There were no guarantees he would graduate. And, as with most things concerning Connor, he kept us guessing until the very last assignment…
Blond heads tilt together. My 5 year old son’s slender arm wraps affectionately around his 6 month old sister’s shoulders. Gently he grasps and moves her hand to stroke a picture in the book and then continues reading to her. Kaleb’s face beams and eyes shine as he shares one of his favorite activities with…
Susan Tanori is a mother of a daughter with autism and a Stone Soup Group Parent Navigator in Fairbanks, Alaska. Below she describes how a recent training she provided “became a confessional.” Read on to see how she opened up about some of the most difficult aspects of being a caregiver. Recently, I presented a workshop on “Caring for…
We are creating this space to share stories and spark conversation between our families and yours. We want this to be a safe, thoughtful, informative, practical connection for parents raising kids with special needs. As SSG’s Executive Director, I was asked to write the inaugural blog post. And, to be honest, I’ve procrastinated. I’ve started and stopped…
