Weekday Reflections

Read: "The language we use to describe these behaviours will influence the way others view our children. Many parents have reported that trying to access community activities can be difficult if your child is labelled as challenging. Phoebe Caldwell prefers to use the term distressed behaviour rather than challenging behaviour. We have to say, we're with Phoebe on this one! When someone reacts negatively to others, their environment or sensory overload, it is usually because they are in distress ... it is distressing for the young person and distressing for the family." -- Linda Woodcock and Andrea Page, from Managing Family Meltdown.

Read: "Many parents view professional ideas with suspicion because they have lived through initiatives that they perceived failed their child or that the professional starts something and then departs for new pastures. Families don't leave; they pick up the pieces when professionals make mistakes. Therefore it is not surprising that parents are skeptical about professional help." -- Linda Woodcock and Andrea Page, from Managing Family Meltdown: The Low Arousal Approach and Autism.

Read: "Some people seem to thrive on a hectic lifestyle. Others find quite small demands stressful. We are all unique in the way we respond to pressure. Clearly stress is not solely down to what happens to us but also the way we think." -- Linda Woodcock and Andrea Page, from Managing Family Meltdown: The Low Arousal Approach and Autism.

Read: "When we talk about someone winding us up and doing things on purpose for attention, etc., we need to think about theory of mind. Knowing how to wind someone up takes a good understanding of that person. Their behaviour may have the effect of winding us up but whether that was the child's intention is in doubt. It is more likely that they were seeking a predictable response." -- Linda Woodcock and Andrea Page, from Managing Family Meltdown: The Low Arousal Approach and Autism.

Read: "Confusion can arise when we talk about imagination. Does this mean your child cannot be creative? Certainly not: as you are probably aware there are many examples of people with autism as poets, writers of fiction and artists. What it does mean is that they may have a problem with thinking flexibly and imagining the future." -- Linda Woodcock and Andrea Page, from Managing Family Meltdown: The Low Arousal Approach and Autism.

Read: "Researchers refer to 'the Lourdes phenomenon,' the situation in which families go from doctor to doctor, program to program, spending money, time, and energy in the hope that a miracle will occur, that their loved one will come back and be just the same as before. Although second opinions should always be welcomed by competent physicians and rehabilitation teams, the quest for a fourth or fifth opinion becomes more of a distraction from the needed focus on what can and should be done; meanwhile, valuable time slips away." -- John W. Cassidy, MD, from Mindstorms: The Complete Guide for Families Living With Traumatic Brain Injury, this week