Ask CG anything

[Celticgoddess]

When are you going to post some pics of your kitties?

Harley hanging out in my room infront of my webcam



Destiny laying on my chaise lounge in my room. She looks huge here because of the way she's laying but she's actually a small cat. Not quite 6 lbs.


And here's my bunnies:

Leesha


Ella


I also have a large saltwater tanks but i don't have pics yet.

[earthboundmisfit]

How many animals do you have?

[Celticgoddess]

Just those 4 and my fishtank. I will be adding a dog at some point and then I'm done. I love animals.

[earthboundmisfit]

me too. they're delicious.

[Celticgoddess]

me too. they're delicious.

I just saw this now.

[earthboundmisfit]

me too. they're delicious.

I just saw this now.

   stealth joke

[Celticgoddess]

me too. they're delicious.

I just saw this now.

   stealth joke

See? You can be sneaky.

[earthboundmisfit]

i'm a joke ninja

[Celticgoddess]

[earthboundmisfit]

What kind of public speaking do you do?

[Celticgoddess]

I mentor other families who have a newly dx'd (or they suspect will be dx'd) ASD child and help set them up with services and put them in touch with people in the community who will help them on their journey. I have families who ask me to come and speak to their family members about what ASD is, how it affects their child directly, how the family can be supportive etc. I've been asked to speak at colleges/uni's to classes who will be working with kids on the spectrum or advocating for them in school. I also speak at schools to help them realize some of the things that they do which work against the child instead of with the child. It varies depending on the cirumstance. It's all volunteer. Most of my speaking has been at uni's and at schools. I've got the ear of the entire Board of Ed in my region which has been very valuable in the school system and trying to overhaul some of the outdated thinking on how people are working with children on the spectrum.

[earthboundmisfit]

That's something that is desperately needed these days. How did you get into that?

[Celticgoddess]

I was extermely vocal in my son's schools (he went to 5 of them before I pulled him to homeschool). But it wasn't in a threatening way. My approach was alway "how we can we together as a team to help X be more successful?" That went over very well with the school/board. However, if there was a staff member who went too far, I had no issue tearing a strategic strip off of them and even got a principal fired for pinning my son down to the ground, on his stomach, and pinning his hands behind his back like he was being arrested. That's illegal to begin with because it's easy for a child to stop breathing. The reason for doing it? He was handflapping in the library. WTF? Or pulling him out from under a desk by his ankles where he was hiding because he was scared. he was in the second grade! Ridiculous. Went straight to the board and she was fired a month later.

As for the famliies, I just promoted myself. I've always been very open about our dx process, my son's experiences, what we struggle with etc. Word started to spread and people I knew were referring family and friends. Therapists were referring new patients. Sometime I juggle 20 families at a time. Due to all those connections, I started getting calls from teachers and professors asking me to come and speak. It sort of snowballed from there.

[jman]

Is your career as an advocate a full time or part time endeavor?

[Celticgoddess]

It will always remain part time. I still have a young one to raise (4.5 yrs) and I'm homeschooling the oldest (turning 11 next month) so that's where my priority is.

But I do have plans to start a business in the next few years in my hometown. An indoor sensory playground for kids with exceptional needs. Each room geared towards a different sensory need. There's only one in the entire metro area and I know my kid totally would have benefitted from it if we had access to it. The demand for it is high by famliies and by therapists so there's a niche market there. I love being around families that have children with complicated needs because there's a certain understanding and kinship there and they need a place where their kids can play and interact and not be outcasts in a place that is full of mainly NT kids. I'm hoping it will be a safe place for the kids and a place to unwind for the parents/caregivers.