From Inside the Puzzle: Raising a Child with Autism Blog : behavior

A. & The Flu

Devon Alley — Thu, 07 Mar 2013 17:49:00 GMT

A. is in the process of recovering from the flu. For those of you who have followed this blog for a while now, it will probably not surprise you to learn that A. rarely gets sick. And for the rest of you who are familiar with teenagers in general, it...(read more)

From the Archives: A Mile at a Time

Devon Alley — Thu, 22 Mar 2012 16:47:00 GMT

There's a lot in this entry - progress, random fun memories, some things I learned from the Hanen Program, and becoming aware of some more differences between my daughter and NT children through my job at her daycare center. Also, the continuing imagery...(read more)

Helping Your Autistic Child Deal with Young Peers

Devon Alley — Wed, 07 Mar 2012 18:38:00 GMT

My daughter, A., is an only child -- at least, for now. While for a brief period of time she really wanted a sibling, she has now decided she is better off without one, and dislikes the fact that Thomas and I are considering trying for a baby sometime...(read more)

It's A Wonderful Trip to the Movies

Devon Alley — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 15:27:00 GMT

Sometimes, the amount of progress A. has made over the last year is absolutely staggering. Movies have always been difficult for A. - even movies that she's extremely interested in. Extremely dramatic moments and films have always terrified her if we...(read more)

Building Character

Devon Alley — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 20:42:00 GMT

We have this understanding in our household. There are many times when Thomas and I will ask A. to do something that she would really rather not do at all. Whenever we do, we reference one of her favorite series -- Calvin and Hobbes. "It builds character,"...(read more)

Vacation Part Three: The Ocean is the Best Sensory Diet Ever

Devon Alley — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 14:45:00 GMT

This is the conclusion to a 3 part series on our summer vacation. To read part 1 click here . To read part 2 click here . Now, I should preface this post with the fact that I haven't spent a whole lot of time in the Gulf. Most of A. and I's beach experiences...(read more)

Vacation Part One: Weathering the Storms

Devon Alley — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 15:38:00 GMT

This is part 1 of a 3 part series on our summer vacation. To read part 2 click here . To read part 3 click here . So, the first week of September, we had a Big Alley Family Vacation. This was A. and I's first time participating in this time-honored tradition...(read more)

Sometimes You’ve Just Got To Chill Out

Devon Alley — Mon, 27 Jun 2011 15:19:00 GMT

Probably the single most successful parenting trick we used throughout the wedding process was allowing A. to get away and "chill out" whenever she needed to do so. Planning and participating in a wedding is a highly stressful and exhausting activity...(read more)

Sneaky McSneak Sneak

Devon Alley — Tue, 30 Nov 2010 03:48:00 GMT

There seems to have been an underlying theme for the holidays, and that theme is Sneakiness. A. started off the holiday weekend by weaseling her way into a shortened school day on Tuesday, the last day of school before Thanksgiving Break. The whole family...(read more)

Hot Air Balloons and Kindred Spirits

Devon Alley — Tue, 05 Oct 2010 02:38:00 GMT

Every year, Pellissippi State Community College -- where my fiance is currently employed -- hosts a Hot Air Balloon Festival, where several different pilots show off their balloons to the public on the PSCC campus lawn. There are tethered balloon rides,...(read more)