Autism On The Farm

  This is Advocacy.  It’s taken me 6 months to get these medical supplies for Harper & Dallas.  Constant calls to insurance companies.  Constant calls to all of their doctors.  Constant calls to medical suppliers.  Piles of paperwork.  Private Insurance is a nightmare.  So many people think if you get the diagnosis they have to cover what is needed.  I thought that.  But that is the furthest from the truth.  On this journey I quickly realized that the state nor your private insurance company does not care about your child with a disability or your family, if you go to work everyday and make a honest living, your child’s disability doesn’t matter.  Being denied for these supplies didn’t sit right with me so I have fought.  It’s a full time job to advocate.  Filled with loop holes and hoops to jump through.  When these came in the mail I might have shed a tear.  This side of things can be mentally exhausti...

  I feel like I am always reminded of my kids' struggles and delays.  School, birthday parties, grocery stores, parks, family gatherings, doctors offices, honestly there’s not anywhere I can think of that we go outside of our home that doesn’t remind me that our life looks different.  No matter where we go it’s not easy.  We have to pack toys, tablets, snacks, pull-ups, wipes, a wagon, headphones, sensory toys, did I say snacks! This is not a list that we pack if we are going to be gone for a long day, this is what we pack just for a quick trip. These things are necessary for us to go somewhere. And these things do not guarantee our trips are successful. I see other families just go somewhere with so much ease. There is absolutely no ease with our family.  Someone always cries during a transition. Every person in my family  including myself has a meltdown when we go somewhere.  I just expect it at this point, I know it's coming.  I remember going ...

 This purple play dough pumpkin has brought him the most joy today, me not so much.  He doesn’t want it to rip, or get dirty, or fold over.  It’s play dough of course it does all this things!  Maybe I could find someone to just come over and re press out his play dough pumpkin all day everyday until his special interest changes to something else 🤣🫶🏼💜 #autismonthefarm #autism #autismmom

 Speech Device.  A huge misconception about speech devices is that they discourage children from using their verbal language.  This could not be further from the truth.  Keeping a communication tool away from a non speaking child is not a way to get them to speak.  Harper and Dallas both started with PECS. A picture exchange system to express their wants and needs!  As a mom of 2 non speaking children getting them to use PECS as a means of communication was a life changer for us.  Now Harper has her speech device. Dallas’s is in process and will hopefully be here soon.  Since getting Harpers device that has verbal output when she presses a button to make a request.  She is able to answer so many question and let us know what her wants and needs are.  She is also repeating the words after she hears her device say them.  Harper can answer me with her device when is ask, What’s your name? How old are you? When’s your birthday? What do ...

 Spending some extra time with my girl today since she wasn’t feeling great this morning!  We don’t love being sick but she was able to use her speech device to tell me her belly hurt!  That’s a huge win!  This post was written by Shelby Shivener from Autism On The Farm.  #autismonthefarm #autism #autismmom #speechdevice

 Finally Sleeping.  A little Mc Donald’s  Play dough  Swinging  And watching the 15 most deadliest ocean animals on YouTube Made his evening perfect.  Forever by my your side.  This post was written by Shelby Shivener from Autism On The Farm.  #autismonthefarm #autism #autismmom