Author: TheLittleGnomad

Growing up in a family with three sisters, I could not imagine a life without siblings. It was always my dream to have two children and once Noah was born, I knew I wanted him to have the same sibling experience. Noah was only 23 months old when Lilah was born. While pregnant, I worried… Continue reading Noah and Lilah

Noah started soccer 7 weeks ago, an activity I had been looking forward to since the day he began walking. I wanted Noah to gain experience in a group setting with “typical” peers and since he has strong gross motor skills and loves ball play, soccer seemed like the perfect activity. Prior to registering Noah,… Continue reading Soccer

I’ve seen a lot of posts lately on Autism and sensory issues related to summer activities (e.g. sand, fireworks, sunscreen) which motivated me to collect my thoughts on Noah’s sensory preferences. We all have sensory experiences that we seek out or avoid. Personally, I do not like bonfires (the smoke in my eyes and smell… Continue reading Sensory Preferences

Like many preschoolers, Noah thrives on routines. Because Noah does not always understand spoken words, routines help him understand what to expect. One simple routine we have is playing in the backyard. When I tell Noah, “Shoes on, time for outside” he grabs his shoes and sits in front of the patio door. The way… Continue reading Routines and Flexibility

Noah turned 3 years old last week and started preschool! To prepare Noah for preschool, Noah’s teacher made him a book about school (called a social story). In the story, there are photographs of his teacher and aides, a description of the activities he will do in school with photos (i.e., circle time, block center,… Continue reading First Week of Preschool

I’ve been a school psychologist for 16 years. My primary role is to assess students for special education to determine if they have a disability. I’ve evaluated thousands of kids and been the first person to tell parents their children have a disability many, many times. It’s not an easy career but a fulfilling one! … Continue reading On the Other Side of the IEP Process

While waiting for Noah to have his formal evaluation for Autism through UCSD, I began to carefully observe and analyze his current behaviors, play skills and ways of communicating. Was he engaging in repetitive behaviors? Was he repeating words out of context? Was he not making eye contact when using his words? Looking for answers,… Continue reading Assessment, Diagnosis and the Road to Acceptance (Age 2.5-3)

At 18 months old, Noah only had 5 words and I started to become concerned. However, I quickly brushed it off as many children take a little more time to develop language. When adults spoke to Noah or asked questions and he did not respond, I found myself quickly explaining that he was still learning… Continue reading Toddlerhood Concerns (18- 30 months)

Noah was born ready to meet the world, 5 weeks early at 35 weeks. I remember crying to my husband at labor and delivery and saying, “It’s too soon.” All I could think about were the numerous developmental histories I had written about as a school psychologist, “Born premature. Did not meet speech milestones within… Continue reading Early Development (Birth-18 months)