Hello again! I’m popping back into your inbox… and before I go any further, I’d like to say a huge thank you for signing up to my emails. Every time you open an email from me (and maybe even click on a link or two!), my heart swells a little bit. I hope I’ve helped in some small way.
The first three quarters of this year were crazy busy for us. We now have an adult daughter studying abroad in America; the move went well and all is good so far, so I feel I can breathe a sigh of relief, for now at least. I took this picture from the top of the Empire State Building as the sun rose and looking at it makes me feel calm, so I hope you like it too!
I published some more of my NYC photos over on my blog, in a post titled ‘Travelling solo to New York City’, if you’re interested?
Our 16 year old PDAer is still home with me 95% of the time and I’m sure there are plenty more hurdles to come, but I’ve decided to not sit and worry about the future. Living in the moment is the way forward, summed up in one of my favourite quotes below.
Life isn't about waiting for the storm to pass; it's about learning to dance in the rain - Vivian Greene
New Beginnings and Books
Technology is not where my strengths lie, I’ll be honest. I think I do OK for an old bird but my PDAer calls me a dinosaur and I can’t really argue with her. So please bear with me as I switch to this Substack platform for sending updates - I’m just trying to find an easy way to stay in touch with people and share information.
Books, books, books, all around me… I have so many great ones to review for you on my blog over the coming weeks! Expect to hear about books on the topics of autism, PDA, ADHD, school and education, teenagers and more.
Where Do I Start?
Here’s my latest book review - this recently published book from Kate Laine-Toner is a great guide for parents of a newly diagnosed autistic child of any age. It’s intended to help navigate the emotional journey of autism parenting and is packed full of practical advice. For more details, see my post Where Do I start? {Book Review}.
Highly recommended
After nearly 14 years of being immersed in this online world, I know of so many great writers, educators and illustrators. Each week I’m going to share a couple of ideas of people who share to help others. Starting with:
- Stories About Autism – James is dad of two autistic boys who are currently non-verbal. He shares the highs and the lows of their lives on his social media pages and hosts a brilliant podcast with interesting chats with his guests. Check out his posts on Substack by clicking on the image above.
Our Altered Life – Charlie is Mum to 18-year old twins Oliver and Harry. Harry was born with Goldenhar syndrome which is a rare craniofacial syndrome, and he is also autistic. Charlie shares their story in an engaging and positive way; she has a bestselling book and is very generous with her time helping other parents whose lives have been altered by their child’s disability. Check out her blog at
Not Fine in School
Another new blog post has been published in my Not Fine in School series. For all those who are experiencing difficulties with the education system, you are not alone. This week’s post includes insights from a young person and her mum: Not Fine in School. Week 16.
Here’s some quotes from previous posts in this series:
“Any attempt to bring in some sort of learning, even well-disguised, triggers his anxiety. So he’s getting no benefit, educational or social, from being there."
“I wish I had taken her home that day and never taken her back but I did what society expects us to do; I returned her to school."
“So we were stuck between a rock and a hard place - mainstream schools couldn’t meet his needs and special schools were saying they couldn’t meet his needs. It was such a hard time in our lives, feeling our son just didn’t belong anywhere academically. We were so shocked by the lack of educational provision available."
Question Time
To end this week’s newsletter I’d like to leave you with a quick question:
Thanks for reading! If you have any questions, please get in touch via stephstwogirls@gmail.com.