When Your Environment Is Doing More Work Than You Realize
I have learned something about myself over the years. If I put something somewhere because I will definitely remember it? That item has entered another dimension. Apparently, my memory operates largely on the principle of: If I cannot see it, it has ceased to exist. This is why things end up by the front door. […]
Why Transitions Can Take More Energy Than the Things on Either Side
There are times when I genuinely don’t mind doing the thing I’m supposed to do. That’s what makes this so annoying. I don’t mind taking a shower. I don’t mind going to the grocery store. I don’t mind sitting down to work. I don’t even necessarily mind leaving the house. And yet, there are days […]
Why Knowing the Next Step Matters More Than Knowing the Whole Plan
I love a good plan. Color-coded calendar? Absolutely. Detailed list? Obviously. A beautifully organized system explaining exactly how I’m going to accomplish everything over the next three weeks? Look at me. Thriving. Now ask me what I’m supposed to do first. Suddenly we’re experiencing technical difficulties. There is something incredibly satisfying about knowing the whole […]
Why Some Days the Same Task Feels Completely Different
There are days when I can sit down at my computer, knock out half my to-do list, answer emails, make appointments, run errands, figure out dinner, and somehow still have enough brainpower left to have an actual conversation at the end of the day. And then there are days when I stare at an email […]
Executive Function Isn’t About Intelligence
One of the comments I heard most often while Gabe was growing up sounded like a compliment. “He’s so smart.” And he is. He’s curious. He notices details other people miss. He can have incredibly thoughtful conversations, especially about topics that interest him. When something clicks, it really clicks. But those same conversations often ended […]
The Most Important Thing My Son’s Teachers Ever Read Wasn’t His IEP
Read Time: 22 minutes Every August felt the same. The backpacks were packed. The school supplies had been bought. Families filled social media with first-day pictures, excited smiles, and fresh starts. While everyone else seemed excited about the beginning of another school year, I sat at my computer wondering something entirely different. Who will my […]
Stop Chasing Perfect: What Neurodivergent Students Really Need
Every school year seems to come with the same unspoken expectation. Show up. Work hard. Get good grades. Stay organized. Don’t fall behind. And if something isn’t working? Try harder. As a mom of a neurodivergent child, I’ve learned that those expectations aren’t necessarily bad. They’re just incomplete. Because somewhere along the way, we’ve convinced […]
Why Preparation Matters More Than Perfection
Every August, it happens. Parents start buying school supplies, teachers start setting up classrooms, students begin adjusting their sleep schedules (or at least pretending to), and social media fills up with perfectly organized backpacks, beautifully color-coded homework stations, and lunch boxes that honestly belong in an art museum. And every year, I catch myself thinking […]
Why Dyslexia Is About More Than Reading
When most people hear the word “dyslexia,” they immediately think: “Oh, that’s the reading thing.” And technically…they aren’t wrong. But they also aren’t exactly right. That’s kind of like saying a car is “the wheel thing.” Sure. The wheels are involved. But there is a LOT more going on under the hood. As a mom […]
Why Level 1 Autism Is Often Misunderstood
When most people hear the word “autism,” they picture whatever stereotype TV, movies, TikTok comments, or Facebook University taught them. And because of that, Level 1 Autism is one of the most misunderstood things we have experienced as a family. People assume that because someone can talk, go to school, make decent grades, joke around, […]
English