Six Month Review: How symbolic that the Connecticut Department of Developmental Services (DDS) has scheduled our daughter’s six month review on February 29, 2012, Leap Year! It will be six months since the August 1, 2011 move to her apartment in Ridgefield that has become her adult home. Leap indeed. What has transpired in these […]
Archives for January 2012
Recognizing The Co-Narcissism In Your Coupledom
Watch Your Step: Couples relationships incorporate a complex interplay of behaviors and emotions that are products of the unspoken but powerful contract that provides a substructure of the shared life. There can be many substructures that compose the foundation of the attachment, some healthy and sustaining, such as common values and passions, others harmful and […]
Who Defines Disability? The DSM V and Autism: 1-23-12
Who Defines Disability: The New York Times last week published two articles back to back regarding the controversy in the medical and special needs communities over the revamping of the Autism Spectrum diagnoses including Asperger’s Syndrome and Pervasive Developmental Disorder NOS (“not otherwise specified”) for the 2013 publication of the DSM V also known as […]
Illness and Loss In The Coupledom: Reality Shifts
Loss: I had loss on my mind this week. In fact, I always do but this week a family member shared her profound sadness upon learning of the tragic death of a very dear friend in the “prime of life.” She asked if I had written on loss and grief specific to The Coupledom and […]
Texting While Sleeping: 1-15-12
Small Offshore Coastal Occurrence: This was one of those weeks where fatigue created a small offshore storm in our daughter’s special needs life involving a missing DVD and a whole lot of texting. Our daughter had requested that we purchase the DVD for the movie Dolphin Tale as her final, and I mean final, gift of […]
“Money Matters” in The Coupledom: Budget 2012
Money Is Big: As the New Year confronts us, money matters can loom large in the line-up of Coupledom challenges: What are the expenditure priorities this year? Who manages the finances? Who pays the monthly bills, or not? Who brings home the dough? Who decides on how it is spent? Who knows where the money […]
Typical Friends And The Cyber Social World: 1-9-12
Question: There are many wonderful friendships made along the special needs pathway both for our daughter and for her family. Devoted, kindly and generous souls who emerge via a variety of interfaces, and most last. But I have a question here. Have those friendships that grew out of typical peers helping their special needs classmates […]
Aftermath: Cleaning Up The Coupledom’s Holiday Mess
What Was Your Holiday Like? I counted three holiday disasters in my caseload prior to New Year’s and I expect reports of more in the coming days. Disaster may be too strong a word since I believe most “messes” can be worked on and cleaned up with help. Hence the post. But holiday pressure puts many […]
Medication Rears Its Ugly Head: 1-2-12
The Holiday Season: We had no breakdowns this holiday. Our daughter spent Christmas weekend with us and New Year’s with her apartment-mate and staff and all went swimmingly! Well, almost all. She did have a bit of a setback that confusing Monday post Christmas when transitioning back to her CRS (Continuous Residential Support) life and a […]