Category Parenting
How to Read the Wright Book
Even if you are brand new to education advocacy, you have probably already heard of Wrightslaw. Developed by Attorney Peter Wright and his wife, Psychologist Pam Wright, Wrightslaw is an incredible source of information on special education law and advocacy. Their books, website and trainings are renown. Last week I was able finally to attend […]
After the Fall
At the start of the summer, the ceiling came crashing in. Reading that, I realize it is the kind of experience any parent of a special needs child might relate to. But, no, I mean our air conditioner overflowed and literally dumped a ton of water, sheetrock and soggy insulation onto the middle of my […]
REVIEW: The Attachment Therapy Companion
The Attachment Therapy Companion: Key Practices for Treating Children & Families by Arthur Becker-Weidman, Lois Ehrmann and Denise H. LeBow, revised in 2012, and available through the Association for Treatment and Training in the Attachment of Children (ATTACh). I was introduced to Attachment Focused Therapy (AFT) and the work of Art Becker-Weidman, at my first […]
Boomerang*
Our therapist calls them boomerang kids. Teens who were doing pretty well as older kids; when, wham! They’re back in therapy with all the emotional upheaval, distorted thinking and outrageous behaviors of six years before. Well, not quite. There is a level of maturity and complexity that disguises these episodes of classic reactive attachment disorder […]
ATTACh 2014: Connection
I’ve just spent four days bathed in sunshine, immersed in trauma, connected to my memories and heartache, and surrounded by understanding and shared experience. Family vacation? College reunion? Therapy session? ATTACh 2014: “Trauma-Informed Treatment: The Intersection of Attachment, Science and Hope” was all that and more. Situated at the elegant Rosen Center in Orlando, we […]
What Moms Want
Last night I made 22 lists on color coded index cards of all the things I wanted to do on this three day weekend. Yes, a three day weekend, at home, by myself, with just the Fanny (our Springer Spaniel) two guinea pigs, one cockatiel and a turtle. Then I fell asleep and didn’t wake up until 10:00. […]
I Am My Daughter’s Keeper
Some of you know that I am also a poet. Often my two worlds intersect. More often, they collide. I worry sometimes that mothering is too limiting a topic for poetry, that it narrows my reach, marks me in some way inferior or as the dread, “woman writer.” But over and over again I hear […]
Attachment, Support & Community
I find myself preparing a presentation on Reactive Attachment Disorder for a very special audience, members of my church who hope to make a difference for people living with disabilities. We will be meeting to talk about inclusion and accessibility and I will be sharing some of my experience helping my daughter and family build […]
Bouncing
Last week I attended a presentation by the Parent Information Network or PIN, an awesome support group for parents raising children with mental health concerns. The topic was “Bouncing Back.” Afterwards, I realized that for a RAD parent, it’s more just bouncing. Once your child has suffered from early childhood trauma, neglect, loss and/or abuse; and, […]
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