It Was Time<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nKillean was attending a private Montessori preschool near Fort Knox. It became clear that we needed to find some answers. While he loved the school, he often struggled to follow what his peers were doing and became overwhelmed and overstimulated. I noticed he took extra time to follow directions but could follow them entirely if given enough time. Given my prior experience, I knew we were dealing with some processing issues, at the very least. However, the time came when my work supporting his teachers wasn\u2019t enough. We had him evaluated, and he received his autism<\/a> diagnosis shortly after his 5th birthday.<\/p>\n\n\n\nMeet the Neurodiverse Child at Their Level<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nGentle Parenting<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nBy the time we received Killean\u2019s diagnosis, I had already worked hard to set up our home to be more conducive to his processing. We had picture cards hung on magnet strips throughout the house. We rehearsed and talked about routines. We made sure to meet his sensory needs. But we were still struggling with frustrations and regular meltdowns draining everyone’s energy. That\u2019s when I stumbled on the concept of gentle parenting, and it changed our world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Connection Over Correction<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nI know it would seem like anything with the word \u201cgentle\u201d in it is counterintuitive for a military family. However, leaning into restructuring how we interacted with each other as a family was crucial. Unpacking our misconceptions of child development and accepting where we were over where we wanted to be brought us to a place of peace. As my husband received orders to deploy to Iraq for a year, we moved to Oklahoma to be with my family. Gentle parenting laid the foundation for our resilience during this challenging time<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And Then There Were Two<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nRolling with the Punches<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nI had already primarily homeschooled Killean, as he had struggled in a large classroom. While he had a 504, ensuring his teachers followed along with accommodations became my full-time job. Picking him up during the weekly meltdowns when they didn\u2019t was part of this responsibility. So, we began working from home late in the fall. His sister, Koraline, thrived in pre-K, was already reading, and could do most math in her head. She was also notoriously wary of the other kids in her classroom, if not intolerant. My spidey senses told me she needed to be evaluated, but the timing wasn\u2019t right. By March 2020, they were home full-time as we waited for Dad to return home in May. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A Journey Delayed<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
Meet the Neurodiverse Child at Their Level<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nGentle Parenting<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nBy the time we received Killean\u2019s diagnosis, I had already worked hard to set up our home to be more conducive to his processing. We had picture cards hung on magnet strips throughout the house. We rehearsed and talked about routines. We made sure to meet his sensory needs. But we were still struggling with frustrations and regular meltdowns draining everyone’s energy. That\u2019s when I stumbled on the concept of gentle parenting, and it changed our world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Connection Over Correction<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nI know it would seem like anything with the word \u201cgentle\u201d in it is counterintuitive for a military family. However, leaning into restructuring how we interacted with each other as a family was crucial. Unpacking our misconceptions of child development and accepting where we were over where we wanted to be brought us to a place of peace. As my husband received orders to deploy to Iraq for a year, we moved to Oklahoma to be with my family. Gentle parenting laid the foundation for our resilience during this challenging time<\/p>\n\n\n\n
And Then There Were Two<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\nRolling with the Punches<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\nI had already primarily homeschooled Killean, as he had struggled in a large classroom. While he had a 504, ensuring his teachers followed along with accommodations became my full-time job. Picking him up during the weekly meltdowns when they didn\u2019t was part of this responsibility. So, we began working from home late in the fall. His sister, Koraline, thrived in pre-K, was already reading, and could do most math in her head. She was also notoriously wary of the other kids in her classroom, if not intolerant. My spidey senses told me she needed to be evaluated, but the timing wasn\u2019t right. By March 2020, they were home full-time as we waited for Dad to return home in May. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
A Journey Delayed<\/strong><\/h3>\n\n\n\n
By the time we received Killean\u2019s diagnosis, I had already worked hard to set up our home to be more conducive to his processing. We had picture cards hung on magnet strips throughout the house. We rehearsed and talked about routines. We made sure to meet his sensory needs. But we were still struggling with frustrations and regular meltdowns draining everyone’s energy. That\u2019s when I stumbled on the concept of gentle parenting, and it changed our world. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
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