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Flashbacks

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Tonight I experienced a flashback. For one moment I was a child again. I was sitting in the car in the dark when my daughter ran in to collect our dog from her nan. The warmth of the light flooded through the open doorway into the dark street. As I sat there a flood of childhood memories filled my senses. My mum who died of cancer only last December used to collect weekly insurance payment from door to door. I frequently accompanied her as she did this job. I would meet her after school and keep her company as she went from house to house. I remember the cold winter nights when for hours we would walk from house to house. The emotion that flooded my memory was one of feeling locked out of something warm and beautiful. I would stand with my mum in the cold and feel the warmth as the door opened, a smell of something cooking would hit my brain and I would long to be asked in. To spend a moment in the warmth drinking a hot drink. Instead I was left with a feeling of being exclude...
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Esther was diagnosed with Elhers Danlos and POTS on the 19th March

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After many years of seeking reasons why Esther was experiencing so many symptoms we decided to go to see a Professor who is one of the world's leading experts on Elhers- Danlos /HMS . The Dr's had referred to Esther having hyper mobility but were not investigating any of Esther's other symptoms. Esther wrote a long report about her health and how she had been treated. I wrote all the family history which included a great Grandmother who could put her hands flat on the floor in her 80's. I also photocopied all letters and reports for Professor Graham to look at and took photos of Esther's hyper mobility. We drove to a train station in London, parked the car and got the tube to St. John's wood. It was very quiet because it was the middle of the afternoon. We finally arrived at the reception and were given a questionnaire for Esther to fill in. We had arrived early and so sat down to wait to see the Professor. Finally Esther's name was called out. We w...
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'writing my assignment'

'writing my assignment'
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ABA and family like

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When Alex was 5 he attended a special school for children with autism, the school arranged an evening meeting with a guest speaker who was a Clinical Psychologist. He had come to talk about a special treatment called ABA, which stands for Applied Behaviour Analysis. Alex making a bird box with one of his therapists. I came home from that meeting with such enthusiasm, this ‘expert’ had used words like ‘recovery’. I soon ordered to books by Catherine Maurice, one was called ‘Let me hear your voice’ and the other was called,  ‘Behavioural intervention for young children.’ I read them both and got to work immediately. The first skill I taught Alex was non-verbal imitation. I said, “Do this!” and prompted Alex to copy me as I put my hands on my head. I used sultanas to reward Alex. I continued to work through the book each evening after school. Alex just responded so well, within a few weeks Alex’s teacher said it was as though someone had switched a light...
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New film about autism and emotions

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10 things everyone should know about a hidden condition

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This has been written for all those who suffer with illness like Autism, Schizophrenia, Depression, Hypermobility Syndrome, Anxiety and many other conditions. 1.      INVISIBLE: You cannot see it. 2.      ISOLATION: Pain lack of social skills or mental health may mean a person struggles to make and keep friends. 3.      UNEMPLOYMENT: A person may be unable to hold down a job. 4.      FEAR: A person may fear for the future. 5.      PAIN: A person may be living with daily physical and mental pain. 6.      JUDGED: People may judge this person. They may say they are lazy or unfriendly. 7.      EFFORT: Every small activity may take an enormous amount of effort and willpower. 8.      ANXIETY: Constant pain leads to a lack of sleep and anxiety. 9.      F...
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It has been a busy week, with visits to the dentist, new babies, decorating and sewing.                                                         Transition event Alex had a table at the transition event, this went really well and lots of people were interested in hearing him speak about autism. We also spoke to a business start up adviser on Wednesday. Sh e sent us away to work out the costs and how much Alex would have to earn to make a living. The figures were disappointing because at the moment Alex still needs support to manage the financial side, arrange appointments and needs taking to the venue to speak. We are praying about this and trusting the Lord to provide the means for Alex to be able to raise awareness of autism and at least earn the minimum wage from it.               ...
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