tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-401303964563152307.post8023081392806116537..comments2024-03-17T12:02:12.410-04:00Comments on Love That Max : Raising kids with special needs: The girl next doorEllen Seidmanhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01433429847255621203noreply@blogger.comBlogger28125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-401303964563152307.post-82078658173815171692018-03-24T09:56:18.033-04:002018-03-24T09:56:18.033-04:00This is my first time visit at here and i am actua...This is my first time visit at here and i am actually happy to <br />read all at alone place.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-401303964563152307.post-83822655201190863312011-06-02T11:32:10.620-04:002011-06-02T11:32:10.620-04:00How about a playdate for A and Max? It would be ...How about a playdate for A and Max? It would be good for him to have a friend who lives close by and I bet they would be really good for each other. She could even feel like she is a mother's helper for you and play games with Max while you have some quality time with Sabrina (at home, of course). <br /><br />This would also be a good way for you to get to know the parents better, which might be very nice.<br /><br />Just a thought...Wendynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-401303964563152307.post-59753946857897364522011-05-31T20:51:37.115-04:002011-05-31T20:51:37.115-04:00I totally understand. We have a neighbor upstairs ...I totally understand. We have a neighbor upstairs who has Aspergers and she comes and plays with my son who is PDD-NOS. She is three years older than him but they really learn a lot from each other. She is like a mom to him and he brought her out of her shell. When we met her she was so quiet and talked in a monotone voice. Now she is very social and is better at speaking. Sometimes she even gets too excited and I have to tell her to calm down. Having her here to play with just upstairs is such a blessing to me. We take turns having the kids over and I have become great friends with the parents who also have issues like me. It is such a blessing me to me too to have someone to talk to about special needs who understands.agear69https://www.blogger.com/profile/02897206371401802215noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-401303964563152307.post-71278711704614574252011-05-31T17:58:01.836-04:002011-05-31T17:58:01.836-04:00I can! My whole foods that I shop at has many diff...I can! My whole foods that I shop at has many differently abled people working for them and they are working just like everyone else. I think that they also show us the positive joy that life holds for everyone. :)SaraSadrenahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16456196582620878078noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-401303964563152307.post-8810305785192907192011-05-31T16:58:22.317-04:002011-05-31T16:58:22.317-04:00Thanks, all. Marcy, you are so right: So many peop...Thanks, all. Marcy, you are so right: So many people never find that secret to happiness. <br /><br />Nisha, I do try to help Max be independent in all sorts of ways. But the pragmatic side of me says he will most likely always need some help. I hope he will surprise me. He consistently has.Ellen Seidmanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01433429847255621203noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-401303964563152307.post-25024695564271484692011-05-31T15:52:44.958-04:002011-05-31T15:52:44.958-04:00Beautiful post! It reminds me of a young woman aro...Beautiful post! It reminds me of a young woman around 16-20 years old, who lived up the sreet from us when I was a very young child. She lived next door to my friends house. Her name was Sandy and all the kids would make fun of her but me. Sandy had CP, she could walk and talk with little understanding. I would sometimes hide and sit by the fence under a tree and watch her. Sandy always had a pretty dress on that her Mom had made her. She would sing and skip around the backyard. Sandy was always so happy! She would see me staring at her smiling and would come by the fence, smile say hi, and I would and say hi back. All my friends would be playing in the back yard while I would do this, they had no idea. She had wonderful parents that loved her and took care of her. Back then not many parents would. Thanks for the memory!Lisa Cj's Momhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08766356170253660694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-401303964563152307.post-22888813184073943752011-05-31T13:59:14.930-04:002011-05-31T13:59:14.930-04:00Great post!Great post!Jennyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08986080963534940625noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-401303964563152307.post-29662723434117201242011-05-31T13:57:40.939-04:002011-05-31T13:57:40.939-04:00This rang so true for me. Thank you.This rang so true for me. Thank you.Anniehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02377379882410723771noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-401303964563152307.post-70461101390611452572011-05-31T11:51:27.216-04:002011-05-31T11:51:27.216-04:00Absolutely! Love this post! Now if we could just...Absolutely! Love this post! Now if we could just get the rest of the world to read it too!Valerie Strohlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05303378622797913188noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-401303964563152307.post-33108424390307836652011-05-31T11:21:20.146-04:002011-05-31T11:21:20.146-04:00Beautiful piece. I can't believe that no one h...Beautiful piece. I can't believe that no one has commented on the 16 CHILDREN!!!Marcyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11103593679155111064noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-401303964563152307.post-70100370180565035312011-05-31T11:02:32.750-04:002011-05-31T11:02:32.750-04:00My great uncle and aunt had a daughter Cindy with ...My great uncle and aunt had a daughter Cindy with Down syndrome. She eventually moved to a group home and still lives in that type of arrangement. Her parents have been gone for 5 - 10 years now and she is doing well.<br /><br />I understand your concerns. I had the same for my sister Annie, for my entire life until she died.CMSmithhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13623922567796370246noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-401303964563152307.post-27422214056212483582011-05-31T10:57:45.561-04:002011-05-31T10:57:45.561-04:00My A. and her family are moving away this summer. ...My A. and her family are moving away this summer. Having her family in our neighborhood has made me feel like part of a club and not so alone. I completely understand.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-401303964563152307.post-81923301424720851632011-05-31T10:56:35.268-04:002011-05-31T10:56:35.268-04:00Wow. Great perspective.
Story:
There is a gal w...Wow. Great perspective. <br /><br />Story:<br /><br />There is a gal who works in our local small grocery store. She has down syndrome and can be chatty at times and melancholy and even angry at other times? <br /><br />I've thought the same thing as you mention here about feeling sorry. <br /><br />But you make me realize, no, she's doing great, she's working, she's happy when she's happy and all the other feelings when she's not. <br /><br />Thanks for the wake up call. (again.) :)Carissa(GoodNCrazy)https://www.blogger.com/profile/10938083747263796905noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-401303964563152307.post-15732575472566656682011-05-31T10:46:02.458-04:002011-05-31T10:46:02.458-04:00There's so much I love about this, but I think...There's so much I love about this, but I think you hit on how important a sense of community is for our kids with special needs, and their parents. A sounds well loved, as is Max. What a wonderful neighbor you have!Wantapeanuthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11993949583915924482noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-401303964563152307.post-45202593398333284192011-05-31T10:44:49.131-04:002011-05-31T10:44:49.131-04:00What a blessing you have. It certainly makes you f...What a blessing you have. It certainly makes you feel less alone, less like the Universe has singled you out for that disparate, pitted and sometimes lonely path.<br /><br />Like reading this blog is for me. :)Meganhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15049341972075281915noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-401303964563152307.post-19958205842968512762011-05-31T10:21:00.366-04:002011-05-31T10:21:00.366-04:00There is a teenage boy who receives physical thera...There is a teenage boy who receives physical therapy at the same time my son does. He is always smiling and charming the therapists. It's therapy for me to watch him.<br /><br />I also loved your point about the shift from feeling sorry for your neighbor. It's amazing to me how many people who are close to us feel sorry for our son or don't quite know how to interact with him, but when they get a little time with him in a one on one setting they are amazed by him and have the opportunity to see the fun kiddo behind the walker and the communication disorder.Juliehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07455406635932299888noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-401303964563152307.post-40428125025122882802011-05-31T07:11:42.786-04:002011-05-31T07:11:42.786-04:00Hey Ellen I was just wondering why you are worried...Hey Ellen I was just wondering why you are worried about how's going to take car of Max when you should be concentrating on teaching him how to take care of himself because if you set your expectations high enough fo him he will be able to take care of himself and do so much more:)Nishahttp://nisha360.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-401303964563152307.post-37490535902487776042011-05-31T05:04:28.360-04:002011-05-31T05:04:28.360-04:00beuatiful post
it's a glimpse into the future ...beuatiful post<br />it's a glimpse into the future so it's spellbinding.<br />we do need to plan for their future but I hope Ashley will feel as loved and secure as A obviously does.dderbydavehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07448901859808979140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-401303964563152307.post-64410342750293235902011-05-31T04:03:25.179-04:002011-05-31T04:03:25.179-04:00It is interesting how we go from feeling sorry for...It is interesting how we go from feeling sorry for someone who has special needs or it differently abled to recognising all the CAN do when we have some personal experience with our own child/ren.<br /><br />I look at some kids I see with Autism and what I see is a kid who can go out and talk and toilet themselves and care for themselves and are really not all the different to any other kid. Mostly because my daughter still can't do most of those things. <br /><br />Beautiful post about A.Penblethhttp://penbleth.co.uknoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-401303964563152307.post-76555132177625894662011-05-31T02:01:33.217-04:002011-05-31T02:01:33.217-04:00What a beautiful essay. I can hear her singing, an...What a beautiful essay. I can hear her singing, and it sounds perfect. Thank you for sharing this with us.Elizabethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03313726816776097840noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-401303964563152307.post-29526210450331436932011-05-30T22:56:26.091-04:002011-05-30T22:56:26.091-04:00Wow Ellen! This piece brought tears to my eyes. ...Wow Ellen! This piece brought tears to my eyes. It is so beautifully written. Thank you so much for sharing.Jennyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16213590209738598377noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-401303964563152307.post-58135514278626950122011-05-30T22:46:38.680-04:002011-05-30T22:46:38.680-04:00I get it, totally.
I hope her parents have a pl...I get it, totally. <br /><br />I hope her parents have a plan, though. I'd hate for her to wake up one morning and not have the support of her parents. <br /><br />I had to watch that "BEST BOY" movie two or three times before I got off my fat butt and started planning for the future (which is why I work two jobs now). For now, we're going to continue on as we do, but I will find a good setting for my oldest when he reaches adulthood if it kills me. It's always on my mind. I am not counting on my youngest to give up his life (with his issues, too) to care for my oldest. I want him to be supportive but they need to have their own paths. Like I said, it's all I think about many days.Felicianoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-401303964563152307.post-28950950527995818482011-05-30T21:38:56.692-04:002011-05-30T21:38:56.692-04:00This is a beautiful piece of writing. I loved that...This is a beautiful piece of writing. I loved that I read along and had no idea that A had a disability until you mentioned it.<br /><br />And I love that you could share how your perceptions have changed -- how you're able to see the richness of A now that you have Max.<br /><br />And of course it would be comforting to see A as a young adult so obviously happy -- and this family showing people how a different life can still be a good life. xoBLOOM - Parenting Kids With Disabilitieshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06901482901008135659noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-401303964563152307.post-62315560995335514142011-05-30T21:38:28.063-04:002011-05-30T21:38:28.063-04:00Miss A. sounds like she's found the secret to ...Miss A. sounds like she's found the secret to happiness that, sadly, some people never find. No one should ever feel sorry for her. To be honest, I'm kind of jealous.marcynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-401303964563152307.post-37291894152002045252011-05-30T21:03:46.255-04:002011-05-30T21:03:46.255-04:00Love this post, so nicely written.Love this post, so nicely written.GreenGirlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07442064771348479307noreply@blogger.com