autism Archives — Thrifty Mommas Tips https://www.thriftymommastips.com/tag/autism/ Travel, Health & Family Sun, 07 Mar 2021 17:49:15 +0000 en-US hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.9.4 https://www.thriftymommastips.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/cropped-thrifty_logo_header-32x32.png autism Archives — Thrifty Mommas Tips https://www.thriftymommastips.com/tag/autism/ 32 32 77340857 How to Travel for Self-Care When Parenting a Child With Special Needs https://www.thriftymommastips.com/how-to-travel-for-self-care-when-parenting-a-child-with-special-needs/ Tue, 10 Jul 2018 12:00:05 +0000 https://www.thriftymommastips.com/?p=21629 I am more than thrilled to bring readers another instalment of Special Challenges With a Special Child. My series started just last month with a post on Angelman Syndrome. Today we are joined by Tawanna Browne Smith discussing travel for self-care. My daughter, Payton, and I met Tawanna in Puerto Vallarta on a travel media fam trip in 2014.   This travel influencer, entrepreneur and MOM, is a powerhouse. What you should know. Her Instagram lives rock and she’s working hard at mastering IGTV. She is the go to person for Moms who want to travel for self-care and need to build travel into their lives, but don’t know how to make that happen.   She once zip lined through the rainforest in Puerto Vallarta with my daughter Payton, and both were wearing flip flops at the time. DETERMINATION is zip lining in flip flops. Payton forever remembers that trip and won’t ever forget T because she also was sweet and funny and managed to keep flip flops on while flying through the jungle. Boss lady right there.   Happily she’s here to share her amazing tips on how to survive and thrive with a child who has special needs. Join me in welcoming Tawanna Browne Smith. 1. Tell me a bit about yourself. Please include name, city you live in and your website, business and/ or socials.   My name is Tawanna Browne Smith. I’m originally from Brooklyn, NY. I’ve traveled all over the U.S. and around the world. I currently live in Pasadena, MD which is about 10 minutes from Annapolis, MD and 15 minutes from Baltimore, MD. I create transformational retreats, group trips and personalized itineraries for female clients. Initially I started off with this business as a travel writer/blogger and have evolved over the years. I also do digital marketing projects with businesses and individuals.   You can find me at Momsguidetotravel.com and TawannaBSmith.com as well as @TawannaBSmith across social media. 2. How old are your children?   Two boys, ages 10 and 14. 3. Can you tell me a few things about your family and your child with special needs?   My family loves to travel. My husband works for the military so travel is common for him. I’ve been traveling since I was a teenager. I started my kids traveling when they were young. My 14-year-old is typically developing and off to high school next year. My youngest is going to 5th grade. My youngest son has autism. He is full of life, strong-willed and loves being around other people as well as being in the car or outside. 4. With respect to your child who has special needs, what is their diagnosis?   My youngest is limited verbally but can still make his needs known. Until age 4 they classified his autism as PDD (Pervasive Developmental Delay) and now that he’s 10, classify it as an Intellectual Disability. But I reject the term. I admit he has an intellectual delay but I don’t like the term Intellectual Disability.  5. What special challenges result due to their diagnosis?   Day to day challenges surrounding independence (tying shoes, toileting, personal care, communication, self-regulation).   6. How do you deal with those challenges on a daily basis?   I take long breaths! LOL. I start my day off praying actually. Then I think about the things I am grateful for. And I always remind myself that things could be worse. We’ve battled leukaemia with my youngest and survived.   Although autism is challenging it’s not life-threatening. So I just try to keep perspective. I use different systems to help me manage the day-to-day challenges. If my son is being particularly challenging, I stop trying to “get things done” until he is happy again. A lot of my frustration comes into play when I want to get what I want to get done but I have to attend to my child’s needs. It’s a tug of war that I’ll ultimately lose so I say to myself, why even go through the battle? I focus on accomplishing one thing for the day if the challenges are particularly great in that 24 hour period. And I tag team with my husband! 7. What advice do you have for other parents of special needs children?   See above. LOL. Ultimately, you have to not only be patient with your child but you have to be patient with yourself. Figure out what the problem is and the best solution to solve it. 8. Do you travel together as a family? Do you travel on your own? How does this work? We do a combination of traveling. We travel as a family. Every few years my husband and I will go on couples only trip. And throughout the year, he and I go on solo trips or trips with friends. Since much of my business revolves around travel, it makes sense that I would travel more often. However, I think I’d travel often anyway even if I wasn’t doing work within the niche. I honestly tell my husband what I need – that I need time to myself periodically. It’s just the way I’m wired.   To keep things balanced we talk about the places we plan to travel during the year with friends, etc. When I travel, he adjusts his work schedule and accommodates me. Because I work from home, nothing really changes when he travels. I have to do a lot more coordinating but that’s nothing new for moms. As long as it gets me to my ultimate goal, it is worth it. 9. Is there anything else you want to add or share that might help other families who are struggling? I think it’s important to be honest with yourself. Reflect and write down what you need, what’s making you unhappy, what you’d like to work on, and who you need around you to help you out. If your marital situation isn’t ideal, then you may have to look to extended family or friends to lend a hand.   Final Thoughts on Travel for Self-Care: Make sure the time-out is a give and take with you and your spouse. You each need and deserve a break. Be sure to communicate and negotiate it. I wrote this article about traveling for self-care which goes deeper into the how and why of traveling for a self-care break: http://momsguidetotravel.com/moms-use-solo-travel-for-self-care/   Remember to love and to breathe!   Have  Your Own Story to Share? If you have a story to tell about parenting a special needs child please email me: at inkscrblr@rogers.com. Make sure your Subject line is – Special Challenges.  

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]]> 21629 Teethease Necklaces and Teething Jewelry – Interview with the Inventor https://www.thriftymommastips.com/teethease-teething-jewelry-and-an-interview-with-the-inventor/ https://www.thriftymommastips.com/teethease-teething-jewelry-and-an-interview-with-the-inventor/#comments Fri, 09 Mar 2012 18:59:00 +0000 https://www.thriftymommastips.com/?p=989 My daughter Ainsley chewing on her newest tool for Sensory Processing Disorder, the Teethease Necklaces. Sensory Processing and Special Needs We are way too old for teethers in our house. Our youngest child is seven, but when the option to review this fabulous product line called Teethease Necklaces came to my attention, I was thrilled, because I like having options and I adore having BPA and lead-free items. For people who don’t understand, a lot of children with sensory processing disorder, or autism, need oral input. They chew a lot on sleeves, fingers, jewelry, even toys. It is an organizing activity according to the many books I have read on special needs. So, many parents with kids who have special needs, buy chewy jewelry or special needs teethers. We have used chewelry and Dr. Bloom’s here and now we have Teethease.                                                             Rockease is $34.95 I am so in love with the turquoise one. These Rockease Teethease necklaces look like real necklaces and are totally safe for babies or kids to chew on. They have an EN -71 rating, the highest international safety standard and they are made of medical grade silicone. This is the highest rating possible. The Teethease necklaces come in sandstone, turquoise and grey marble. At $34.95 they are a bit pricier than some of our other chewy jewelry. We received the sandstone. I would pay the price for the turquoise jewels because they look so cute and fashionable. I like the sandstone too, but turquoise just looks like something I would wear. Teethease also has these Original Teethease Bangles at only $9.95. I like these and the price is right. One is $9.95 and there is a wood look bangle too. Continuous loop is easy for chubby little fingers to grab onto. Original Teethease Pendant necklace $34.95. And, maybe the cutest part of all – the packaging. It looks like a little paint can and my kids loved it. I would absolutely buy the pendant necklaces because they don’t look like teethers. The Interview with Mompreneur Lindsey Sardi- Dubuc THRIFTY MOMMAS TIPS: 1. How did you get the idea for Teethease necklaces? Lindsey: Teethease was created when I set out to find a product that would allow me to know the teethers I was using were safe, and to be able to wear my jewellery again. It seemed like every time I was out with my daughter (especially at the grocery store) she would grab anything in reach to chew on. I did have some plastic teethers I had received as gifts, but this was around the time that BPA (Bisphenol A) and its negative effects were made known to the public. Avoiding BPA As I think most moms were, I became increasingly weary of what contaminants might be in the products I might own. Avoiding these plastic toys, I realized my daughter was instead grabbing at my keys, my phone and especially my necklaces! Inevitably you end up carrying your child all the time and those necklaces are just too tempting for them.; they always seem to hang at just the right length to chew on. So began the search for a material that was sturdy and flexible, easy to keep clean, didn’t stay wet from drool, was easily accessible, and most importantly, safe. THRIFTY MOMMAS TIPS: 2. How has teethease been received? Lindsey: We are so grateful to have received such positive feedback about Teethease. Every so often, I receive a note from a mom that leaves me feeling like all the hard work and long nights have been worthwhile. Messages will range from a general thank you for a safe product, to stories of when one of our products saved them from a shopping meltdown or how they love being able to accessorize without worrying about their baby’s safety. It warms my heart when someone takes the time out of their day to let me know that they like what we’ve created.  What Do Moms Think? Recently we have had the opportunity to work with some fantastic mom bloggers. Their reviews have been very kind and the support we receive from their readers is unbelievable. Sometimes when I’m surfing, whether on Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook or Google, I’ll see someone posting comments about Teethease. It won’t be in response to a contest or review, but just because they saw a product that they thought was worth sharing. It keeps a smile on my face for the rest of the day. THRIFTY MOMMAS TIPS: 3. Any plans for future products or lines? Lindsey’s Response: I have so many ideas for future products. I’m looking into a line made from wood and other renewable sources and I am really hoping to be able to find some great Canadian Maplewood. It’s a beautiful colour and I’m always happy to support our economy.  In fact, I also have a few new styles that are in testing, but I can’t give too much away and ruin the surprise! We’ll also be adding new colours to the existing lines this year. THRIFTY MOMMAS TIPS 4. How has being a parent impacted your business? Lindsey’s Response In many ways I think that being a parent and owning your own business are very similar, both require a tremendous amount of nurture and patience. My guess is without having children I probably would never have started Teethease, but the truth is that sometimes being a stay-at-home mom and running all aspects of the business alone can be rather trying. As a mother, I have acquired skills that have served me well in business and vice versa. I’ve become a self-proclaimed “marvel of multi-tasking,” which means I have breastfed while making business calls, worked on newsletters during nap time and prep dinner while I go over monthly statements. At the End of the Day At the end of the day, my children will always come first. A little while back, my eldest let me know she didn’t like seeing me on my BlackBerry while we played in the rec room. From that moment on we worked out a deal; you give Mommy 20 minutes to finish what needs doing, and then for the next one to two hours you will have my undivided attention, which means phones and computers do not enter the play area. If it’s a busy day, sometimes we do this two or three times in a row. For those who deal with me on a regular basis, they know that often my emails show up in their inbox after midnight because it’s so much easier writing without little hands trying to type simultaneously.  Being a Mom and Entrepreneur The biggest impact that being a parent has had on the business is my drive. I make sure that my kids understand that what I am doing is ultimately for them, that my emails and phone calls are how I help contribute to our household. Also, I now allow my eldest to help in any way she can. She helps with colour choices, packaging and design ideas and testing. She loves to tell people she “went to work” with Mommy, and I love getting to show her what we can accomplish with a little hard work.  THRIFTY MOMMAS TIPS: 5. Was there ever a plan or discussion given to marketing teeth ease also to children with special needs? Lindsey: We have had a number of inquiries about using the Teethease products for children with special needs. Of course, we have a number of clients whose children are autistic, and compulsively chew. The bangle is a great alternative to chewing on their sleeves, pencils or other potentially harmful objects. We ask the parents to use their best judgement when deciding if the Teethease products are suitable for children over three years of age. There are currently no set of standardized tests that allow us to ensure the products are safe for special needs children across the board. Unfortunately, there are so many variables (age, strength, motor skills, etc.) that make any sort of “standard” almost impossible. Final Thoughts After years working in a children’s rehab hospital, I do have some ideas for future lines that might work well for any age. My Recommendation and Rating Thank you to Lindsey for the interview and for creating a fabulous product I recommend fully. $$$$ out of $$$$$. You can’t put a price on safety. Love how soft the Teethease necklaces and jewelry feel and the clasp – breakaway is well done and nicely crafted. Also the packaging is adorable.

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]]> https://www.thriftymommastips.com/teethease-teething-jewelry-and-an-interview-with-the-inventor/feed/ 2 989 The Oopseat: Interview and Review with Mompreneur and Autism Advocate Lisa Goodman https://www.thriftymommastips.com/the-oopseat-interview-and-review-with-mompreneur-and-autism-advocate-lisa-goodman/ Thu, 07 Apr 2011 00:43:00 +0000 https://www.thriftymommastips.com/?p=1209 Moms are some of the savviest and most creative people I know. If necessity is the mother of all invention as the saying goes, then mothers are also the greatest inventors. Take Lisa Goodman for instance and her protective chair covers. Goodman, the single mother of a young child with autism, was looking for an item on the market that would protect furniture from those little spills children so often make when eating, drinking, crafting. When she couldn’t find what she wanted, she designed the perfect chair covers herself and so began the Oopseat. Lisa sent me a square Oopseat and placemat to try out. These colourful Canadian chair covers come in a variety of cute prints. Ours is a zoo print called animals. There are six different patterns from race cars and a sweet graphic of the months of the year to a plain ivory print. My children love the matching set. The Oopseat is available for either a square seat or an oval seat. It attaches easily with velcro to your chair and it comes with an extender piece that works for oversized chairs too. The chairs we sit at in our dining room have extra wide seats and at first I was concerned the chair covers wouldn’t quite fit, but the extender makes it work nicely. The cover itself is $49.99. The placemat that matches is $11.99. Or buy the matching set together for $54.99. The matching set together is not a bad deal really as it lasts for a long time and there is quite a lot of material involved here. I think the product could be made into a version for other styles of chairs and I wish she had one just the right size for our youngest daughter’s special Tripp Trapp chair by Stokke. That would be brilliant. OOpseat INTERVIEW with Lisa: Q: Your child has autism, correct? Is that how you came to the idea of creating this? What year did you come up with the product? Lisa: Yes my son has Autism. I came up with the idea because I needed to find an at home business so that I can be available to him. However, this is not a “special needs” product. It is for all kids and adults as well. I came up with TheOopseat in 2008. It has taken a quite some time to get it right, and being a single mom, life has gotten in the way quite a bit since I’m on my own. Q: Is the Oopseat (chair cover and placemat) your only product so far? Lisa: TheOopseat cover and placemats are my only product. They were designed with a specific purpose in mind.   The cover we got attaches nicely around the back of the chair like an apron   Q: I read that you donate a portion of your chair covers sales to autism and biomedical research. Tell me why? Also can you tell me what portion of sales?   Lisa: The crucial and much needed therapies and interventions are very costly and taxing on families. When my son was diagnosed, it was very overwhelming. I am trying to do my part. 10% of all sales from TheOopseat chair covers is given to foundations and biomedical research to help families offset these costs and gain hope for recovery.   Q: How do you clean the Oopseat? Lisa: You can wipe TheOopseat with a damp cloth. It is not safe for a washing machine.   How long do these chair covers last? Lisa: My son and I have been sitting on ours for the last 2 ½ years and are still in great condition.   Are there any other products in the works? Lisa: I am always trying to come up with new and innovative ideas that will complement TheOopseat, but as of now it is my only product.   Thriftymommastips gives this a $$$$ out of $$$$$. Final Thoughts: I love that Oopseat chair covers protect my furniture nicely and I really love that Goodman donates part of the proceeds to Autism foundations and research. This is a Canadian product, made by a Mom. Some may find it a bit expensive, but if you consider also that comparable items selling in special needs medical equipment catalogues cost even more then the price is quite good. The placemats are fantastic. Longlasting and really cute. Visit http://www.theoopseat.com/ for more information As noted I received  a matching set for consideration here. This in no way impacts my opinion.

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