Laurie
Laurie was born in Fort Worth but grew up in Portland, Oregon. Teaching and family brought her back to Texas after completing her graduate work at Oregon State. She has been married to her husband Darien for almost ten years, and they have three young kids; 7, 5, and 4. No longer a public school teacher, Laurie spends her time running her small business, embracing her role as "household manager," and advocating for children with neurodiverse needs. She writes most frequently about autism acceptance through her blog Living Divergent.
Autism Resource Guide :: Diagnostics, Therapies, Programs, Schools, and Activities
To bring awareness year-round (don't forget to celebrate April as World Autism Month!), I've put together a resource guide for parents, children, and young adults that focuses specifically on Fort Worth.
For the Mom of Kids Who Don’t Have Learning Disabilities
The big takeaway here is that learning disabilities do not affect a person's intellectual capacity. Instead, they affect the ways a person processes information. They create a gap between what a person is capable of and what they have actually achieved.
When Kids Ask the Hard Questions: How to Talk to Young Kids About Suicide
As adults, we tend to overcomplicate things or get too technical. If you plan your language out ahead of time, you can avoid doing that. Remember, all conversations are manageable if you keep age and maturity in mind.
Finding the Right Currency :: When Your Child Doesn’t Respond to Consequences
If I tried to take away a favorite item of my daughter's, she could care less! If I tried to get my son to clean his room by offering praise or positive incentives, he would be living in a trash pile. They have different motivators, but those motivators are pretty easy to spot.
Botox IS My Beauty Routine :: Anti-Aging for Practical Moms
Nothing was happening beyond showering and sunscreen, and I needed something to jump-start my desire to invest in myself. There was always something more urgent with three young kids than taking care of aesthetics, but I knew I could find 15 minutes once every three months.
The Neurodivergent Vacation :: Traveling with an Autistic Child
We established our vacation routine on day one. We went to the grocery store and picked up typical breakfast, lunch, and snack items to provide familiarity for our autistic son.