-
To IEP or Not to IEP
We talk quite frequently on the CABF support groups about the difference between an Individual Education Plan (IEP) and a Section 504 designation when it comes to our kids and school. There are differences, and one or the other may be more appropriate for your child, given your child’s individual diagnosis, symptoms, and needs. Since…
-
Teachable Moments
Someone praised me recently for being so understanding and patient with Tim and all of the symptoms and behavioral issues that go along with a diagnosis like Schizoaffective Disorder. I was not being modest when I replied that I’m anything but. Read the rest at CABF.
-
16
Tim turns 16 years old today. There were times when I doubted he’d make it to his 16th. I know, I’m woefully behind on blog posts, and I want to spend some time this weekend writing a new one. But I didn’t want today to pass without a short note to all you other parents…
-
“Just” Eve
In 1977, a Northern California mother named Eve decided she’d had enough. Eve had raised a child diagnosed schizophrenic and had endured the prevailing thinking by the medical community and society at-large at the time; that her son’s condition was her fault. That something in how she raised him caused his psychotic break with reality…
-
Summertime
When I was a kid, summer was the time of year I most looked forward to. Does it get any better? No school, lots of daylight, warm weather, and little structure. I ran around like a banshee as a young child, hung out with my friends at the beach or the mall as a tweener,…
-
All Stressed Up…
I love Paula Deen. It might stem from the years we lived in Georgia and fell in love with Savannah, or the fact that Tom and I love to cook low country comfort food. Paula is a true success story. She arrived in Savannah with two children and a few dollars in her pocket, and…
-
Write It Down
When we were working on getting Tim admitted to his RTC (residential treatment center), part of the paperwork requested was a chronology of development, treatments, diagnoses, and medications that had already been tried. I presented them with nearly 30 pages of information that detailed his history, from first diagnosis at age four to the weeks…
-
Stigma
That’s my kid, on Fox News Milwaukee, kicking off NAMIWalks for team BringChange2Mind with Green Bay Packer Greg Jennings and his wife Nicole. It was an amazing day for all of us. Tim got out, shook hands with people, walked three miles, chatted with one of his sports heros, asked for autographs and pictures, and…
-
Change a Mind, Change a Life
Tim and Green Bay Packer Greg Jennings. It was a perfect day. I can’t thank everyone enough for helping to make this happen for Tim. He’s going to remember this day for the rest of his life – not only the day he got to meet one of his idols, but the day he could…
-
One Level At a Time
In 1943, a psychologist named Abraham Maslow published a paper on his theory of human motivations. My wildly over-simplistic explanation of his theory is that people will pursue meeting the most basic human needs before moving on to fulfilling more complex needs. We hunt and gather before we desire interpersonal relationships and professional respect. I…