McKay Matrix

Using the McKay scholarship is one of the best ways to access private education for children with special needs.  The McKay is a great option because it is based on a students IEP created by the school and is not reliant on a medical diagnosis.  As parents getting enough money from McKay is key to…

Autism Awareness or Celebrate Autism?

April 2nd is autism awareness day all over the world. Just this week I read an amazing article written in 2017 and published on Huffpost about how we should bring awareness by honoring our own spectrum children instead of celebrating just the success cases. huffpost: Let’s start honoring people with autism by stopping the celebration…

She’s here!

Those of you that follow our family journey, we are happy to announce that our family grew by one very beautiful baby girl! Vanessa Faye was born Thursday, January 17, 2019 at 1:43 pm and weighted 7 lbs and 12 oz. Photo credit:  Pierce Brunson Photography   We’ve never been one for family names but…

You’re not alone

My message to you for 2019. As 2019 brings several huge events and major achievements, I want to focus on what I want others to know and learn from Ruthfulness this year.  This year, my story and journey of early intervention and autism will be published.  I’ve had to reread and relive the pain of…

My best wishes for all autism families in 2019!

Happy New Year! Sending positive thoughts to each of you for 2019. As January has arrived it is time to renew or apply for very important paperwork. In Florida, Florida kid care or healthy kids insurance needs to be renewed. If you so not have any government insurance for your child with autism I would…

Did you move your elf on the shelf?

only a few more nights! for me….   I never moved the elf in the house!  I never had an elf in the house! Why I don’t elf on the shelf….  I have enough commitments–  this time of year is one of my favorites because of how it is traditionally centered around family and kids. …

I have a child with autism, if I have another baby…

will my baby have autism? If you have more than one child, do you have more than one child with autism? What’s the likelihood that I will have a second child with autism, if my first child has autism? How likely is it to have a second child with autism? Is it selfish to not…

October is the month my son became verbal

Happy Anniversary to language! A year ago, my 5 year old (soon to turn 6) became verbal!  It’s been a year since we’ve seen a huge jump in language and speech.  I remember the days of one sound/syllable and so much quiet time from him.  I remember the blank looks on his face and the…

Growing Up Fast

I’ve been pretty quiet this summer because I’m been much more reflective of the level of growth from my son.  Although, we have our moments of struggle where we really see autism; we have seen so much growth.   I’ve had moments in the past when I thought that my son may not every talk to…