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A Celebration of Faith, Family and Neurodiversity


The Change Challenge
The famous quote says that the only constant is change. And the longer I live, I find this to be true. There are the big changes that...
Amanda Perez
Aug 115 min read


Too Much of a Good Thing
This past weekend, Becca had a great day at home. We had our usual Sensory Saturday where we painted, baked, built, and danced. Then,...
Amanda Perez
Jul 244 min read


An Approach to Goal Setting for Severely Autistic Children
It's the end of June, which means one thing: graduation season is in full swing. And this week was Becca's turn. She officially...
Amanda Perez
Jun 255 min read


If I Could Turn Back Time
March 17, 2021 was the day Becca was officially diagnosed with Autism. She was 21 months old, and it was the culmination of months of...
Amanda Perez
May 245 min read


Potty Training: A Journey for Autistic Children
Potty PECS card One beautiful Spring morning, Becca and I crossed the schoolyard together and made our way up to the entrance of her...
Amanda Perez
May 194 min read


The Silent Struggles: Nonverbal Autism and Crying
If there is anything that my short time as a mother has taught me, is that children do a lot of crying. As babies, crying is a primary...
Amanda Perez
Apr 127 min read


Empowering Communication: Starting the AAC Journey
Becca is at the beginning of her AAC journey, and we couldn't be more thrilled. I had been asking about the use of such a device since...
Amanda Perez
Mar 87 min read


Sensory Seeking v. Sensory Avoiding Behaviors
A few months ago, I attended a senior staff retreat at work. We spoke about various topics and the future of our organization. At one...
Amanda Perez
Feb 85 min read


Beyond Words: Understanding and Initiating Non-Verbal Communication
Happy new year! Becca has spent the beginning of this year quite sick. We spent Christmas Eve at the Children's Hospital to follow up...
Amanda Perez
Jan 114 min read


Celebrating Neurodiversity
I was recently asked by a fellow Autism mommy (in a somewhat judgmental tone) what I am doing to treat Becca’s Autism, since she isn’t...
Amanda Perez
Dec 14, 20242 min read


Autism, Parental Burnout, and Imposter Syndrome
Neurodivergent families face a lot of obstacles that arise in part from trying to function as “expected” in societies and systems that...
Amanda Perez
Nov 29, 20248 min read


Getting Started with Visual Schedules
Parent-teacher conferences were this week, and Becca got amazing feedback from her teachers and her therapists. During the conversation,...
Amanda Perez
Nov 9, 20245 min read


Children, Popcorn, and The Dangers of Comparison
I have seen this great quote circulating on social media for some years now, and every now and again I think about it: Popcorn is...
Amanda Perez
Oct 27, 20243 min read


Empowerment Through Accountability
I used to work in an alternative high school in Harlem. The school was designed for students who were overage and under-credited and...
Amanda Perez
Oct 21, 20247 min read


Navigating Food Aversions
This weekend, Becca's godparents celebrated their 25th wedding anniversary, and they had a beautiful second wedding. Becca got all...
Amanda Perez
Oct 13, 20246 min read


Finding Peace: Navigating Parental Guilt
Parental guilt is a real thing. A very real thing. As a matter of fact, recent studies show that as much as 94% of moms and 50% of dads...
Amanda Perez
Oct 6, 20245 min read


The Impact of Words: Talking to Parents of Autistic Kids
As a child growing up, I always heard the phrase "sticks and stones may break my bones but words can never hurt me". And while this is a...
Amanda Perez
Sep 29, 20244 min read


To Stim or Not to Stim...
I have been asked about Becca's means of expression, especially since she does not use words to communicate yet. She uses body language,...
Amanda Perez
Sep 21, 20243 min read


School - Our Journey So Far
Becca just started kindergarten. I thought I was ready. After all, she was in Pre-K for two years and we were all quite used to the...
Amanda Perez
Sep 15, 20247 min read


Love and Understanding: Grandparents of Autistic Kids
Sunday, September 8 is Grandparent's Day, and we celebrate grandparents and the many wonderful ways that they contribute to the lives of...
Amanda Perez
Sep 7, 20244 min read
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