http://www.therapals.com/

For Professionals and children of special needs, I highly recommend this website Therapals.com. I just attended the workshop (at the Texas Occupational Therapy Assoc. conference) and was completely inspired by the creator (Mollie). This site is an innovative resource the includes a friendship section and a therapy activity section...both of which are so cool! Try it!!

When Being an Entrepreneur Isn't Sexy

When Being an Entrepreneur Isn't Sexy

I'm composing this post on my iMac...which makes me think of Steve Jobs...and how he lived his life courageously. Being an entrepreneur is something I became once I realized I needed to provide my QCharm Portable & Visual Cueing System to other caregivers. I look up to people like Steve Jobs because when I see what type of obstacles he overcame (including being fired from his own company), I get a reality check and reference point. Just because I have obstacles to overcome and challenges to be creatively solved, doesn't mean I am the only one who has been in any given situation. Being a parent of a child with Autism is often times isolating. Being an entrepreneur of a small business can also be isolating. Combine the 2 and it's easy to feel like you're the only one who has faced uncertainty, steep learning curves & feelings of inadequacy. Steve Jobs was quoted as saying (paraphrased) is that we are on this planet to "make a dent in the universe. Otherwise, why be here." If I could make even a microscopic dent in our universe, I would be pleased. I started my journey (of making a dent) by creating the QCharm and forming QCharm, LLC. I thought those were the 2 finish lines. It's becoming clear to me that they were just the starting lines to a journey that would eventually lead me to blogging, publishing articles (http://www.autismcommunitymagazine.com), and public speaking on life and lessons learned as someone who is both a mom and an Occupational Therapist. I can give insights from both sides of the child-with-Autism equation: as the caregiver and as the professional. If you are a caregiver of a loved one with special needs, I would love to hear from you. What lessons have you learned? What unexpected joys has your loved one brought to you? If you are a therapist/medical professional, I would love to hear your opinions and stories of working with a caregiver. (Being a medical professional can also be isolating and "isn't [always] sexy.") If you are an entrepreneur, I am very interested in your stories of working through challenges. What was one of your most creative solutions??? Thank you, Steve Jobs, for not only revolutionizing our technical world, but also our creative thinking model.

Try Decorating for Sensory Processing

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If you have children or family members that have a difficult time tolerating environmental conditions (loud colors, bright light, clutter, furniture layout, etc), you may want to check out the new HGTV magazine offer. You get the first issue free and then the other issues at a reduced rate. I don't have time to sit and watch tv so I like to thumb through magazines for ideas while I "chill" with my son. My son, with his autism, has joined me in our efforts to create a living space that is calm yet creative. The other night, when I thought he was sleeping, he actually moved the fish tank! That thing is heavy:) What will he do next???

Inside AdSense: +1: Now making Display ads more relevant

Inside AdSense: +1: Now making Display ads more relevant: Earlier today we announced several exciting new additions to Google+, including open signups. We’d like to announce one more addition fo...

For us "older" people, learning about the new marketing strategies can be both exciting and frightening. For me, I am of the belief that we are to do for others w/o expecting anything in return. So the new online marketing options bring out the conflict within me. How do you deal with the speed and reduced face-time of today's marketing techniques. Is there a way to sincerely do for others without looking like you are doing something just to get more web traffic?

What are some of your stories of Courage? With the 10th anniversary of 9/11, I would like to focus on the good we saw on that day and the good we see today.

Positive Emotions And Resilience

Positive Emotions And Resilience

I just calculated that by the end of this summer "vacation," my son with Autism and I will have spent 1,230 waking hours together. As caregivers of someone with special needs, you know how exhausting this long term and intense commitment is. This commitment involves one on one supervision, behavior management, social skills development, and sensory processing routines. Summer time used to exploit all of my weaknesses, but this year, after many changes to my personal and professional priorities, I have finally achieved consistent peace and joy. There is still an underlying restlessness to do more things on my own, but my son's progress and sense of humor keep me on track. I believe I will actually make it through the summer without blowing my lid:) [Quote that made me laugh this summer...because I used to get sucked into situations and then get upset: from Mr. Krabs on Songebob: "One more outburst like that out of me and you're fired!" ]

For caregivers, the stress of providing long term care for a loved one has been shown to reduce the immune system. This article explains how we can improve our resilience, which will ultimately allow us to have a more enjoyable experience with our loved one. Let me know your thoughts and how you cope with the daily stressors.

Stanford Who's Who

I am looking forward to networking with other members of the Stanford Who's Who community and utilizing new information to serve caregivers of loved ones with special needs. If you are a caregiver, I would love to hear from you and find ways to help make your life easier and even more enjoyable.