Tuesday, August 30, 2011

What's going on with ADHD?

According to a recent study from the CDC, Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder now occurs in 1 out of every 10 children. I was shocked to read this! One in 10 children have ADHD? Are you kidding me? Does this blow your mind? It should.


Sure, I am accustomed to reading all of the statistics about autism and how the prevalence is skyrocketing out of control and reaching epidemic proportions. It’s sad to think how it becomes mind-numbing after a while. But, in all honestly, I really had no idea that ADHD was so much worse. I knew it to be true in my gut, but somehow had not actually equated that with hard numbers. And, those numbers are huge.
What is going on with this generation of kids? Autism is out of control. ADD and ADHD are out of control. Asthma is out of control. Allergies, particularly life-threatening ones, are out of control. Something is very wrong here, people. Does this not alarm you?

Well, if you are like me, you have done a lot of research and have come to conclusion that most (if not all) of our current health care problems are due in part or whole to environmental causes. This is not necessarily a genetic phenomenon. If we are talking autism, the rates are increasing too fast to attribute causation solely by genetics. And, genetic studies on autism so far have been fairly disappointing. There is no genetic smoking gun.

I’ve explained my theory of autism to you before. In a nutshell, you have many factors at play in the body (genetics, allergies, ear infections, heavy metal exposure, etc.) and at some point there is so much assault on the system that it creates a tipping point for the body and brain to fall into autism. You can take my theory it or leave it, but it helps me think about autism more clearly as a sum of many parts.

When thinking about environmental contributors to conditions like autism, there is a lot to learn. My eyes have been opened over the past several years as my family has dealt with both cancer and autism. There are many things to consider, like: artificial ingredients (colors, flavors, sweeteners), GMO (genetically modified organisms – which currently have no labeling requirements), allergens, heavy metals (like mercury found in high fructose corn syrup – which is in a majority of processed foods), and the list goes on and on.

You can be aware of what you purchase and what you allow your family to be exposed to. Reading labels is a great place to start. If you can’t pronounce an ingredient or it cannot be found in nature, you might consider choosing a different product. One of my favorite health sites is www.mercola.com. Learning more and making better choices will greatly benefit your family’s health.

Now, I am not much for politics. After a certain point of listening to politicians pontificate it just makes my skin crawl. My hubby and dad like to talk about politics whenever they can and I have little patience or interest when they get going. I have a few key things that I look for when I’m voting, but those things don’t necessarily fall neatly into the boundaries of one political party. I vote where the issues take me, not the party.

Recently I learned I could align myself with the issues that matter most to me and a political party that backs those very issues. I joined the Canary Party because it is issue-centric and not what you would typically expect from a political party. The Canary Party is “a group of citizens who are disturbed by the increasingly failing health of those in our society,” focusing on various issues related to the failing mainstream medical system, environmental concerns like pollution, and parental rights.

Here is a quote from their site:

“If anything was to be done about the epidemic levels of childhood chronic illness in the US, it would have to be a result of real political pressure to clean up the corruption in the medical establishment that was allowing bad pharmaceuticals, bad medical practices and bad public health policy to assault human health on such a wide scale. It was time to stop asking the medical establishment to pay attention to the epidemic of illness, and demand that they do, or replace them with their betters who would.”

The whole world is going to hell in a hand basket in so many different ways, but I can try to effect change for something that will directly impact my family. This was reaffirmed for me when I read the article about ADHD occurring in 1 in 10 children. Those rates are appalling. Autism rates of 1 in 91 are absolutely unacceptable. We need to do something to stop the trend of failing health and increasing disability and disease. We need to regain some control for the sake of the next generation.        

Friday, August 26, 2011

Shotgun Mama

I had a moment when I was out with my kids that I thought to myself, “Man, my boys are gorgeous!” I know it’s expected that moms think their kids are the cutest in the world, but holy cow, how did I get such beautiful boys? Every so often it just strikes me and I have to take a moment to admire them.   

We were standing near a window as I was talking with a friend, and the sun was streaming in and glinting off of their hair and casting a shadow onto their cheeks from their long eyelashes. You could see their healthy summer glow, and the way the light was accentuating their features was breath taking.

Prince Charming had a sprinkling of freckles across the bridge of his nose from our recent vacation to the beach. As we were talking and laughing his dimple was clearly visible. It is so endearing when he’s happy enough to share his dimple with the world. His eyes also have a way of changing color in the light.  

Monkey has shiny and slightly wavy dark hair that catches the light, and don’t even get me started on his amazing dark eyelashes. His skin easily becomes tan and it makes him look so handsome. He is going to be the epitome of the adage, “tall dark and handsome.”

This made me recall growing up with my dad, who was a police officer when I was younger. He always threatened that when I started dating he would run a background check on each boy, and if they dared to show up at the house he would be happy to pull out his service weapon and start cleaning it. By the time I was old enough to actually start dating, my dad was no longer on the force and he had lightened up a bit. He liked to threateningly tease me about giving boys a hard time, but thankfully he was mostly full of hot air.

Those memories came into sharp focus as I stood there admiring my boys while chatting with a friend. I have to tell you that it really gets to me when people come up to me and tell me that my boys are so handsome that they will grow up to be lady killers someday (the charming kind, not the jail kind!). It makes me cringe every time I hear that! Imagine a grown woman wanting to put her fingers in her ears, closing her eyes, and scrunching up her face while singing, “La la la la, I can’t hear you!” Well, I don’t quite do that for real, but I do it in my head.

I don’t like to think about my boys growing up and going through all of those experiences. Those are difficult waters to navigate for a neurotypical person. Thinking about adolescence and adulthood and their additional social and communication challenges makes me worry. I know my boys have made tons of progress, but comments like those make me think about all of the work we are still trying to do. It’s hard to not know what to expect as they get older because they are changing so much.  So, I always nod my head in agreement with a slight chuckle, thank the person for their compliment, and then try to quickly put their comment out of my mind. Otherwise, it will drive me insane as I start thinking about everything. I have to remind myself to think in the moment and that we’ll get there when we get there.

You know, I think my dad may have had it right after all! I happen to know several people who are very knowledgeable about weapons. Thinking about my boys dating girls in the future makes me realize that maybe I need to start taking lessons from them. Cleaning a gun is a skill most any person can use, right? I have a feeling that the only time I would actually want to clean the gun is when some young lady comes over to my house with one of my boys. Hmmm… I think I could wear the title, “Shotgun Mama” fairly well. It has a sort of ring to it, don’t you think?     

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

Young boy with autism is handcuffed

I read this article and I couldn’t get it out of my head. It struck me how easily something like this could happen to my son or many other kids I know.

An 8-year old boy with autism had a meltdown on a school bus and was then handcuffed and taken to the local children’s hospital for a mental health hold. They kept the boy in handcuffs long after he had calmed down. The mother was not allowed to escort her son to the hospital and instead the boy was transported by the police.

So many things run through my head when I think once again about this story.  
First, this whole thing is so very sad. For the mom. For the dad. For the child. For autism parents like me. For everyone. It also makes me angry. Very angry.   
Second, can you say lawsuit? There are so many things that could have legal remedy here. Most importantly is the lack of proper IEP implementation.
Third, the meltdown trigger could be so simple that it’s tragic to see how the whole thing unfolded. The article mentioned that the boy required a special seat belt for his bus transportation. Have any of you, like me, ever seen the calming effect of a seat belt (like a 5-point harness) on a child in full-tilt meltdown? Could it be all about the sensory for this boy?
There were times when Grumpy Badger would be flipping out in public, and all I could do was remove him from the situation and go sit with him in the car (belted into his car seat) until he calmed down. Sometimes getting him belted in, despite his physical struggle, was the only way to stop the escalation of his meltdown.
Along the same lines, isn’t it also safe to conjecture that something as insignificant as a change in routine (like this boy not having his special seat belt on the bus that day) could cause a meltdown, particularly if there is a sensory component to it? I think it is very possible.
The idea that it all could have come down to a change in routine and an easily-identifiable sensory issue really gets me. Could it have really been that simple?
The parents concerns over this incident should be pondered very carefully by the school district. The mother questioned why the police “didn’t take the handcuffs off once he had calmed down.” Very good question, mom! I don’t think there will be any sort of acceptable answer to that one. The father said, “It’s humiliating and it’s inhumane. If you’re going to tell me that ten adults can’t handle a 40 or 50 pound child, then there is something wrong. He didn’t need to be in handcuffs.” Dad, your words ring very true to me!
I could go on and on about this, but I don’t think you need or want me to hammer the point home in extremely minute detail. I think it’s fairly obvious that I don’t like what happened to this 8-year old boy one bit. This child was improperly served by his school and the situation was dealt with in the wrong way. Plain and simple. I can only pray that I never have to experience something like this with my own children.  
What are your thoughts about this incident? Please share your comments below.  

Friday, August 19, 2011

Run! Mother Nature is calling!

Want to know what I learned when we went on a mini-vacation to the Oregon Coast? Mother Nature beckons at the most inopportune times. It’s almost like a cruel joke. It happened time and time again while doing various fun activities on our trip. For instance, when we walked down the beach so far that we could no longer see our hotel…THAT was the moment. Or, when we finally got the kids comfortable in the swimming pool and ready to try to swim…THAT was the moment.

What is this moment? It is precisely when the boys realize that I-have-to-go-poop-right-now-or-we-are-going-to-have-a-big-problem. Often times they are completely unaware that their body is telling them it’s time to head toward the bathroom and by some stroke of luck I might pick up on the signs before they do. If I ask the question, there is almost always an immediate response akin to, “NO, I don’t have to go right now. That would cut into my fun. Duh.” They get so distracted when they are busy doing things they enjoy that it somehow renders them incapable of listening to the little voice inside their body that has an early warning system for such issues. They wait until they are about 5 seconds shy of an eminent waste explosion and then the look on their face turns to sheer panic and we find ourselves in a real pickle of a situation.

I thought I would share 2 of my favorite the most memorable “Mother Nature moments” from our trip.
First, did you happen to watch a CBS series called, “Undercover Boss?” In case you never saw the show, they take the top executive of a company and put them undercover as an entry-level employee at their own company. They go around and do various menial jobs and get a very clear view of how their company is working, discover things they never knew, and also learn ways to make their company function better, both for the customers and also for the employees. It’s a great show, particularly if you are like me and have a business background. I would watch the show and literally craft a case study in my brain as it went along. Yes, I know I’m a total nerd. I’m cool like that.

Anyway, one of the episodes featured a top executive from Great Wolf Lodge. I have never been to my local Great Wolf Lodge, but lots of people I know have been and enjoyed their stay there. And, if you have no idea what a Great Wolf Lodge is, it’s a huge water park inside a hotel. So, in the show this lady is doing some of the low-on-the-totem-pole jobs, including helping to watch the pool areas. At one point, there is an AFR code. A what? AFR stands for Accidental Fecal Release. I started simultaneously cringing and chuckling as I watch this big cheese exec get into the pool and pick up a pile of kid poo. I bet at that moment she wished she had never signed up for the undercover assignment!
Well, we nearly had our own AFR while we were swimming on the second day of our vacation. It didn’t matter that we had the boys go to the bathroom before we got suited up and walked over to the pool, or that I would occasionally ask them if they needed to go while we were at the pool. It was always an emphatic, “No” when the question was asked. It takes the boys a while to get into the pool (due to their sensory issues with temperature) and then get comfortable enough to want to move away from the side of the pool. We hardly ever get a chance to get them in a pool, so it’s like they have to start over each time, no matter how much progress we made with them in the past.

The boys were finally able to stop clinging to the wall (or me) and actually started to play in the water. I turned my attention to Prince Charming because Monkey was walking along in the 3 foot deep section and Prince Charming wanted to use the kickboard. I helped get Prince Charming positioned with the kickboard and Titan began to help him kick his legs properly when I turned back around and saw Monkey posturing. Even with a good portion of his body submerged, I could see that he had his behind sticking out like he was impersonating the walk of a duck. I asked him if he had to go and he said no. I watched him for another few seconds and asked him again, more insistently. He stopped moving and then the light bulb switched on. Ding! He was done.
I could see he only had mere seconds, so I urgently instructed him to get out of the pool and go into the bathroom (about 15 feet away). I yelled over at Titan to get out of the water and run after him while I swam over to Prince Charming. By the time Titan stepped foot into the bathroom I heard Monkey yell. I knew what had happened. I listened as the shower was turned on and then I began to smell the aroma that is unmistakably Monkey’s when he’s having some slight GI issues. The pool is indoors with open beams near the ceiling between the bathrooms and the main pool and hot tub area. Goodness gracious, the entire place began to smell pungent. I pretended that I didn’t smell or hear anything, so as to not draw further attention to the situation in front of the other families present.

I felt so bad for Monkey. I also felt bad for Titan since he was having deal with this whole thing in a public bathroom…thank God there was a shower in there! He got Monkey cleaned up as best as he could, cleaned up the floor, grabbed a towel, and walked Monkey back to the room for a proper shower with warm water and privacy. Pool time and fun in the water ended abruptly. Mother Nature, knock it off, would ya?
The following day, after breakfast and a bit of shopping, we took a few minutes to “freshen up” in our hotel room before heading down to the beach. I checked with the boys several times about going poop before we left, and forced them to at least try before we left the room. The walk down to the beach from our room takes a few minutes and then you have to climb down about a million steps. Okay, it’s more like one hundred. It’s a haul, for sure. There is an outcropping of rocks about 1,000 feet from the staircase, which is where you can see tide pools and all kinds of fun stuff when the tide is out. That is where we were headed.

We had just gotten there and I had taken a couple pictures of the boys climbing on the rocks when Prince Charming got the intense urge to go. He started waddling and I had no idea how he would manage to hold it in all the way back and up the million stairs, much less how my asthmatic husband would make it when pressed for time. All I could do was watch and pray as they took off for the room. By the grace of God, Prince Charming managed to hold it until they got there. Then, while he was wriggling his clothes off in the bathroom, he had a slight accident. It was miraculous that he didn’t have 10-pound droopy drawers the whole way back to the room! Our beachcombing, rock exploration, and leisurely walk ended just as fast as it began. Mother Nature, you’re really starting to get on my nerves.
One of these days I hope that Mother Nature doesn’t foil our fun plans during a vacation. It would be nice to plan an activity and be able to actually do that activity for more than a few minutes before we are forced to stop. Mother Nature, you always have us running, that’s for sure!   

            

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Book Review: The Way I Act

At the end of May I won a book giveaway from Age of Autism and received a copy of The Way I Act by Steve Metzger (verses) and Janan Cain (illustrations). I have been meaning to review it for quite a while, but as of yet had not taken the time…until now. Yes, it’s true. I’ve been slacking. It’s been known to happen on occasion. Besides, I've been mitigating the craziness of summer break! 
First of all, let me just say a huge thank you to the great folks at Age of Autism for not only having the giveaway, but somehow picking me as the lucky winner! You have no idea how exciting it is for me to receive a book in the mail. It’s like Christmas! You should have seen me when I got my author’s copy of Sensational Journeys. (For those of you who are not aware, I am a contributing author. Isn’t that super cool? I’m still doing a happy dance over that little tidbit.)

Anyway, I have a slight book problem. I love books, but I never have enough time to read them all. I continue to buy them whenever I have two pennies to rub together. I keep reminding my hubby that “it’s for the families” (meaning I will buy it for myself and then make it available in my support group’s lending library). It’s justified, right? Maybe this book obsession could even be considered honorable! OK, I’ll stop now. Getting back to the topic at hand…
The first thing I noticed when I received The Way I Act was how vibrant the colors were on the cover art. It had immediately grabbed my eye in a positive way. Prince Charming happened to be in the room when I opened the package and he caught a glimpse of it at the same time I did. Within seconds, he was at my side clamoring to look at the book. Prince Charming's reading skills have really blossomed in the past year. He is finally showing an interest in books, which I am thankful for. So, before I could even open it or read it, I handed it off to him and he climbed up into Titan’s lap and snuggled in for some reading time.

He opened the book and it captured his attention right away. He began to read the words and Titan helped him with the more difficult ones. He had great satisfaction when he could turn to the next page. When he finished the book, he asked to read it again. And he liked it. When he was done reading it the second time through, I saw him continue to flip through the pages while he looked at the illustrations. I think he really appreciated the colorful pictures.
I have to say that the illustrations are my favorite part of the book. They are captivating. My next favorite part of the book is the cadence of the verses. I think we can all agree that books are much more fun to read when they have a rhythm to the words.

The Way I Act covers 13 different ways to behave in a positive manner. As many of you are aware with autism, it’s harder for a child to grasp the “no” and the “do not” rules. They have more success when there is an example of what is “yes” and “to do” instead of only focusing on the negative behavior. Words like considerate, cooperative, and respectful are all concepts that I want my children familiar with. These words (and more) are addressed in the book with some ideas on what each of the words mean in action.
There is also a note for parents in the back of the book that provides 4 tips on how to better use the book as a teaching tool with your child.

Overall, the book is fun to look at and fun to read and it easily moves you toward discussion about the concepts presented. I have not read the previous book, The Way I Feel, but I can imagine that it would also be a worthwhile book to have. I’m sure my boys would love it.
The Way I Act is mom approved AND Prince Charming approved! It doesn’t get much better than that.

To take a look at the book more closely and read other reviews, click on the picture to the left. And, while you’re at it, visit Parenting Press to learn more about the other titles they have available.           


Monday, August 15, 2011

Ewww...that's gross!

As the summer progresses, things just keep getting nuttier and nuttier around my house. The boys are wound up so tight with energy that I cannot adequately describe it to you, other than to borrow the words from my friend, Lindsay, over at Earth Monkey Moms. My boys are like “monkeys on crack.” Lindsay, you hit the nail on the head with that one!

I play my boys as hard as I can, but they do.not.slow.down. Ever. Unless they are sleeping. And, that could be potentially because mommy slipped them a magical “nighttime vitamin.” Melatonin, I love you. Truly. You have single-handedly saved my sanity at night.
I’m seeing an increase in sensory-seeking behavior as the summer progresses. It’s cropping up everywhere we go. At home. In the car. Out in public. Everywhere. They can be loud, erratic, argumentative, and even combative. They are ramping up their behavior in every way possible. In the process they have developed some new, ummm, interests…  Yes, interests. That’s what I'll call it.
Those interests involve their fingers. If you are a fellow mom you might have some sort of idea where I’m going with this. Good Lord, help me.  
Prince Charming has learned the fine art of mining for treasure in his nose. He’s getting to be quite the expert. He likes to practice this skill in private and I catch him every so often. When caught, he immediately runs and hides so he can attempt to continue his new favorite sport without seeing mommy’s disapproving glare.
Monkey decided he’d like to take a stab at Prince Charming’s worst habit – nail biting. He is quite the consummate professional now. Not only does he peel off his nails with his teeth, he picks at his fingers until hang nails form and even bleed. As a matter of fact, he has taught himself to put on a bandaid by himself because it was happening so much that I began refusing to fix him up. Whenever I see him with a bandaid on his finger I know what he’s been up to. As if it couldn’t get any better, he has taken nail biting and turned it into the art form of removing a portion of nail and treating it like chewing gum in his mouth. It.is.disgusting. He is an expert at being sneaky, so I know I’m only catching him in the act a fraction of the time he actually does it. Blech! It makes my stomach turn just writing about it.

I know boys will be boys and all that, but my boys are driving me bananas with their new habits. What is a stressed out mom to do? I’m thinking bribery. Whaaat? Yes, it's true. I have been known to offer a bribe now and again.
We are approaching the end of summer break and I’m feeling worn down and in need of a mommy treat. And, a bribe can also be a mommy treat. Especially when it’s Starbucks! Can you say treat receipt time? My boys love to split a grande passion tea lemonade. It’s pink, after all. And, there’s nothing quite like the threat of mom consuming their special treat in front of them if they continue to choose to misbehave. I know, I know. I’m bad. But, I’m so good at it! J
I hope you are surviving your summer break! If you happen to be so lucky as to already have your kids back in school, well, let’s just say that I’m jealous.  
  

Monday, August 8, 2011

A new chapter

This weekend I was a part of something wonderful and I wanted to share it with you. I’ve been running a support group for special needs families for almost 3 years now and have been doing it as a one-woman show pretty much the entire time. I have always been happy to do it because I know that the group is needed in my area, and frankly, I need the support for myself. Each meeting I get to connect with great people. No matter the diagnosis, we all share similar struggles. And, many of the attendees I can now call my friends. The whole thing is a true blessing to me.

The best part is that I have an opportunity to learn something new at each meeting. The speakers always have great information to share and I soak it up like a sponge. I have a desire to learn, not only for myself, but for the sake of my children. This should come as no surprise. I was always a nerdy kid and got really good grades. I even went back to college (before kids!) to get my Master’s degree because I thought it would be fun. I still get weird looks about that one, especially when people learn that it wasn’t to gain fame and fortune or an executive position somewhere. I just like school, I guess. Yes, I know I’m strange.
As an aside, I’ll tell ya what that fancy and very expensive degree got me in the job department...nada. Zip. Zilch. I’ve always found a job easily, but even with an MBA and an extensive job search in the past year, I got nothin.’
I am a self-proclaimed busy body and not having a job when our family could use some financial help is not my idea of fun. To make myself feel better, I always find ways to stay busy and do work (even if it is unpaid). Helloooo, can you say blogging? Anyway, I got to thinking about how I could create my own job doing what I love. I’ve found that my mindset has changed drastically since my boys’ diagnosis. My heart is truly in the special needs community now. It’s what I am passionate about. I mean, how can I not be passionate about something that affects me every single day?

Since I started the group I’ve met hundreds of people who have children with autism and other special needs. Not one person has had an easy time of anything. We all struggle and there are some significant needs out there. I have to say that my life is pretty darn easy compared to some people I know. I recognize that and I appreciate what I have. I also see it as an opportunity to do something when others might not be able to.
I began thinking that I should take my group to the next level.

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

Pink Panther and the Fly Hunter

I wanted to extend a thank you to Pink Panther. You may remember me telling you about how my boys love to watch the show and I love that they don’t dialog the words (since there really aren’t any to memorize and endlessly script). Well, I just discovered that Pink Panther also helped Prince Charming to stop being afraid of flies.
He used to have a humongous fear of them. If a gnat flew into the room, the blood-curling screaming that ensued made you envision an axe-murder dismembering him bit by bit. I would come running into the room and find him petrified by a fruit fly. God forbid it was an actual house fly. Those creatures made the screaming intensify by at least ten-fold, if that was even humanly possible. I swear I have permanent hearing loss from this kid.
I used to encourage him to pick up a toy and use it as a swatter and take a swing at the flies in order to scare them away. I would tell him repeatedly that the flies were teeny tiny and that he was a big boy and that if anyone was scared, it was the flies who were scared of him. He always felt better when he had a toy in his hand (like a plastic bat) that he could swing around and scare the fly or try to “smash” it with. Invariably, the feeling of superiority to the fly would diminish and he would once again be scared and I would ultimately have to become the fly huntress and kill it.    
Recently I noticed that his fear had been lessening to some degree and I could not attribute it to anything other than maybe he was just getting older and it wasn’t quite so scary for him anymore. I was happy for the change and didn’t really think all that much about it.
It got pretty comical recently when we were out at Starbucks getting me a caffeinated afternoon delight (with my treat receipt, of course!). I watched him start jumping around while we were waiting in line to order my drink. I had no idea why he was doing that. I saw him do some moves that looked oddly similar to karate and I asked him what was going on. He told me he was trying to smash the fly. Since I didn’t see a fly, I assumed it was a little fruit fly. He started moving around in a jerky, fighting-with-the-air fashion, advancing more into the dining area where patrons were sitting and enjoying their coffee. I had him come back and stand with me, but the look on his face was that of a diligent hunter tracking its prey. It was pretty funny and I gave him a loving squeeze to tell him that I was proud that he wasn’t scared of the fly.
The fly hunter thing happened again a few days later (in a Starbucks…no comments about my coffee problem!). And, it happened again the next day (yes, it was in a Starbucks again…what is it with flies inside Starbucks anyway?). Each time it happened it was funny to me yet oddly distracting and I’m sure it garnered a few strange looks here and there. Oh well. My boy is not screaming in the Starbucks because he saw a fly. It’s all good, right?   
Cue Pink Panther. We were watching another episode of the show one evening and I noticed that Pink Panther was having an epic struggle with a fly. As the episode progressed, Pink decided to find a way to rid himself of the fly and began teaching himself karate. All of a sudden it clicked. Was Prince Charming’s newly-found bravery due to Pink Panther demonstrating that you could retaliate against a nuisance insect? It made total sense!
I asked him, “Honey, did you learn how to smack flies from Pink Panther?” He replied, “Yes.”
Well, there you have it. Go, Pink Panther! Not only do I like you for not having dialog in your funny cartoons, you have also turned my 6-year old into a brave fly hunter. I do not miss the screaming one bit. And for that, I thank you.    

Monday, August 1, 2011

Call me Author

Call me Author. Or call me Ishmael. Or just Angela. Although, Author does have a nice ring to it!

I am happy to announce that my story will be included in the new book, Sensational Journeys by Hartley Steiner. The book will feature stories from many different families and their journey with sensory processing disorder. My particular story discusses both autism and SPD.

I can hardly believe that I’m officially a contributing author in an actual book. I should receive my author’s copy any day now. It makes me giddy just writing those words!
The book will be available one month from today, on September 1st.

Amazon has the book discounted for presale for a few cents over $10! What a bargain!

I will be doing an interview with the author and there may even be a giveaway of the book. I’ll keep you in the loop as all the details get worked out.
Now, click on the picture to the left and go check it out!
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