June | 2020 | Special Needs Essentials Blog

Is it really a slump? I am not sure. What I do know for sure is that we are doing the same things most days. Meaning we accomplish a nice amount of things on most days.

We walk each day and have upped the distance to 3 miles.

We do school work in some form.

We bake, talk, play music, do zoom calls and virtual visits.

So why does it feel like a slight slump?

Did I dare to look at the future in my minds eye and sort of mentally gasp at the sight ahead that is a combination of time and question marks? I think I started off with a great deal of reserve and gotta say, did well with everything.

Including the fact that we as a family all caught the Corona virus.

So we made our way through the quarantine, healing from the virus and truthfully making sure that Elizabeth stayed organized and on track.I hate to say it that way but with her special needs of Sensory Processing Disorder ( SPD) and global dyspraxia; Helping to keep her neurological system organized and in a state of homeostasis, makes the day calmer and more productive for her. And allows for others to relax and enjoy the time with her.

We know her signs of a overload and anxiety and are quick to identify them so as to help her help herself. Such as taking a break, some sensory items( please see our store for items), or talking to us or her therapist. We have learned what things help her as she had a sensory diet for years.

You know the saying Happy wife, happy life. Well for us we insert Elizabeth for the word wife. We joke about it but we do know that her stress and anxiety can be hard for us all, and of course especially for her.

So let’s say that with the routine fairly set, we have done pretty well and then it hit me…we will be continuing this for a long while more. I am concerned that I will be doing enough for her, enough “stirring of each pot” for the things or skills she would have typically gotten from those on “Team Elizabeth”

I have also learned that many of those on her team, are not ready to work with her face to face due to their fear of the virus and I respect that so very much, but for me, that becomes one more pot to stir, one more thing to make sure we do.

So is it a slump? or is it a bit of fatigue? I say maybe a combination of the two.

I know I am proud of how she did during it and that she remained upbeat, organized and happy for a large portion of the time and I know that we will continue to be a team I just needed to process my feelings this week. Maybe it was the increasing number of cases, maybe it was the calendar moving toward July or maybe it was just some feelings.

I will regroup, as will others who feel this same fatigue or slump or whatever because we always do for our special needs children.

I wish everyone a peaceful week.

Be safe and wear a mask! I wear a mask for my mom and other who could get really ill.

Michele Gianetti author of:

I Believe in You: A Mothe r and Daughter’s Special Journey

Emily’s Sister

Elizabeth Believes In Herself: The Special Journey Continues

So we begin…Elizabeth has re-entered the world a bit more.

Slowly,

The way she told us she needed it to.

Her sensory processing disorder ( SPD) and global dyspraxia make all this re-engagement very challenging and honestly, quite anxiety producing. I told you all about this in the previous blog.

I spent some time thinking about it all and I really thought about how dyspraxia affects a person, how much motor planning they do all day to function in the world. How they have to think and plan actions and sequences for the world they know.

NOW, the world they know or better said, KNEW, is now completely different. This means that they have to relearn it all.

Again.

Step by step

And repeat.

I can completely get how overwhelming that would be.

So we began the process of planning for her first official outing with a friend, one that was not just a walk or workout here. She knew this all before, but it is all changed now.

We talked about the corona-virus and that it is still here and we need to be safe.

She picked out a mask to wear ( pink tie dyed, of course).

She put a small sanitizer in her purse.

She told me why she can’t hug a friend, or shake hands and that she will remember social distancing.

I love that she repeats the phrase but I know that her actually doing that will be contingent on others reminding her, so I can see already the need to remind those with her to remind her (I actually wrote this down to remember in the fall for when and if her college program starts because I know she will need this type of support).

In any event, the concepts of it all are ones she gets. And that is important to grasp the concepts because then you can insert the supports that help them implement them.

So after all the prep work, she was ready to go.

And then she paced around and told me again, she was nervous. If I am being truthful by this time of it all, I was ready to say ” Come on Elizabeth, you know you will be fine” but I stopped myself because I know that I still feel lots of emotions day to day.

Finally her friend drove up.

Got out and with a mask on greeted Elizabeth.

Elizabeth put on her mask with help from me..thank you dyspraxia ( and that reminds me that we need to both work on her learning how to put it on independently as well as remember to write this down for fall as well).

And then out she went…

The world opened up a bit more…safely…..for her on Sunday.

2 hours later, she returned.

Hot, happy and all was well.

The world can be so challenging for our special needs children and now is even more so. So a gently won success is wonderful.

I hope your week is peaceful.

I wear a mask for my mom and others who can get very ill.

Michele Gianetti author of:

I Believe in You: A Mother and Daughter’s Special Journey

Emily’s Sister

Elizabeth Believes in Herself: The Special Journey Continues

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