These important quotes show the real-life struggles of parents who are raising children with disabilities. These parents endure daily challenges of finding resources, navigating the medical system, and handling family dynamics. Through it all, they find great joy in their children.
Montessori for Autism is a program for kids who have been diagnosed with autism and are struggling in the traditional classroom. We use Montessori teaching methodologies to improve the social, emotional, and academic successes of kids who have difficulty in the traditional classroom. Our program focuses on practical life activities, like sweeping or washing dishes, that help kids improve their self-confidence by experiencing success at a task they can complete. We also focus on sensory integration—on helping kids understand their senses and how to control them—because many times children with autism have an overactive sense of sight or sound or touch that makes it difficult for them to be successful in a traditional classroom environment.
The program is run by two certified teachers who have extensive experience working with students with autism. The program accepts children ages 5-12 who have been diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder (ASD) but who are seeking an alternative approach to learning.
When I found out that my child had special needs, I was excited to be a part of their lives—until I saw how hard it would be on our family. Special needs children are by nature energetic and loud. They are constantly in motion, full of energy and always moving. They have a lot to say and do, which leads to trouble in the house—constant fighting and yelling—which also causes us as parents to yell at each other.
But this constant fighting isn’t really the problem—the real problem is that we can’t get down time to ourselves and enjoy each other’s company. We have to constantly entertain our children or Missy (my daughter) will try to kidnap me so she can “play” with me for hours on end. As the mom of a special needs child, it’s easy to get caught up in all their energy and forget how important it is for us as parents to take time for ourselves.
We help parents find the quality health care needed for their child’s well-being and the best way to balance their family’s daily life. We give parents resources to connect with other families facing similar obstacles, educate them about their child’s condition, and support them through the ups and downs of caring for a child with special needs.
We empower parents by connecting them with other caregivers who can relate to their experiences, providing educational information about their child’s condition, and supporting them through the ups and downs of caring for a child with special needs.
The truth is that children with special needs can face many obstacles on the road to adulthood. One of the most important of these is the constant struggle for acceptance in our society—the society that has turned against them. No matter what battles they may win, no matter what new skills or accomplishments they may reach, no one will ever call them “normal.” Society still thinks that their children are different from everyone else’s children… and yet society doesn’t know how much those children will grow up to love themselves the more they learn about the world.