Posts by Amanda DeLuca
The Unveiling of Autism
There comes a day where you realize that admitting autism is hard isn’t a choice you have to make, but rather it’s a moment in time where the struggle of special needs parenting goes from secret to unable to mask it any longer. This switch happens when people start to recognize meltdowns that are no longer age appropriate, and it feels like every eye is on you. It happens when aggression kicks in to your daily life, and you realize there isn’t a safe space to go anymore because your…
Read MoreWhen She Asked, “What is Autism?”
But mama, “What is autism?” My sweet daughter innocently asked me. I let out a long sigh I had been holding in while she asked. And I let out what sounded like a laugh, only because it was a hard question that I truly didn’t have an answer for. “What is autism?” That’s a question I’ve asked myself so many sleepless nights. How do you explain autism to another person, especially a child. While I am still searching for the answer to “what autism is”, I do have a really…
Read MoreHow To Dance In Ohio – The Musical: A Gift of Autism Awareness and Representation
One week ago my mom and I stepped off a plane in New York City, we didn’t go because of the holiday window displays, for the Rockefeller Christmas tree, or to visit the Today Show. We went to see How To Dance In Ohio – The Musical. “Hey, I think I heard about that!” Was the most common response I received when I told people about our last minute trip just a few days before Christmas…… you probably saw it on the Macy’s Thanksgiving parade! “Based on the award-winning HBO…
Read MoreYouth Find a Fulfilling Career Choice in Disability Services
Dear high school seniors, I want to talk to you about a group of individuals I wasn’t thinking about at your age. A group of individuals like my son, who need compassionate, patient individuals, just like you, who make a huge difference in their life and the lives of their caregivers like me. Choosing to work with individuals with disabilities wasn’t discussed at any career day, on any career assessment paper tool, or the college programs I was looking at….. but I wish they were. On a daily basis people…
Read MorePrioritizing Quality of Life: A Reflection on Supporting My Autistic Son
This single concept of truly breaking down the components and supports for ensuring we honor the person’s quality of life may be the most impactful thing I’ve ever experienced. Quality of life focuses on a person’s strengths and interests, not their disability. The “QOL” or quality of life approach helps you learn to respect what a person wants, needs, and values in life… For the past two and a half years, our family has struggled with my son, Jackson’s, behavior, aggression, “epic meltdowns,” lack of compliance… I need him to…
Read MoreBack to School Plan for Special Education Students: Expert Tips and Strategies
If you are the parent to a child who receives special education services, have you started to prepare their back to school transition plan? My son will be entering third grade in just a few short weeks! Every day we talk about the first day of school, the number on the calendar, seeing his friends again for recess and his favorite: gym class! Heading back to school is a huge transition for our kids. Some are off to new buildings, some have new teams, some are eager to go back…
Read MoreAutism, Aggression, and the Power of Remembrance
Every night I lay with my son until he falls asleep. I’ve done this since he was a baby. I sneak out of his room and reset our home for the next morning. Tonight while we were laying down he said to me. “You cried in the month of June, on a Thursday, you ran away to the sun room, and I came to tell you sorry.” I said “why did I cry buddy?” He turned his head to face away from me on his pillow and replied “because I…
Read MoreHonoring the Challenges of Parenting a Child with Autism
Two years ago we were in the fight of our life. I remember sobbing on the floor of our playroom because I understood for the first time in Jackson’s life how it was safer for some children to live away from home. I was terrified. Heartbroken. And scared to death we would never make it through as a family of four. And two years later we are finally letting out the huge breath we’ve been holding for two years. We can finally breathe again. I am sharing the truth with…
Read MoreAutism Diagnosis: 5 Life-Changing Lessons
The day I learned autism was now a part of our journey seems like a lifetime ago. No one in our family or immediate circle of friends had a child on the spectrum, and it wasn’t something we were familiar with. I had a flawless pregnancy. All I could think about was taking baby bump photos, rocking him to sleep, never missing a bedtime story, and making my own baby food. Nowhere did I think I would have a baby who didn’t sleep, one who struggled to eat, didn’t babble,…
Read MorePlease Don’t Stare at My Autistic Son
I’ve been quiet today, no social media posts, spending time observing my son, I took a walk in silence this morning instead of with my AirPods in. Yesterday evening my son Jackson, who was diagnosed at age two with level two autism spectrum disorder, had a really difficult time in the grocery store. He yelled at us in protest, he hit us and the shopping cart, he had behaviors that you wouldn’t expect from an almost nine year old boy that is nearly five feet tall. We’ve learned to remain…
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