WELCOME!
Hello parents and welcome to my blog! My name is Kristyn Crow, and I am here as a friend, to share insights with you on this difficult, life-changing mission of parenting a special needs child. There are so many issues to grapple with, it can become overwhelming. I would like to offer you a safe retreat from your confusion and worries. This can be a place where you share wisdom, ask questions, find support, and even make friends.
ABOUT ME
Let me start by introducing myself. I am not a doctor, nor a psychologist, nor a therapist. I am the mother of seven children, five through biology, and two who arrived as a package deal with my second husband. Their ages range from fifteen to two, and all live in my household full-time. I am the author of three children’s books, two of which are currently in production (that means I’ve done my part and now it’s the illustrator’s turn), and another was just acquired. The books should be available in spring and summer of 2008. I am a chocolate-lover, and a keeper of guinea pigs. I’m also a devoted Beatles fan.
My second child, Kyle, was diagnosed with autism shortly after he turned two years old. Today he is thirteen, and were he to meet you in person, he would ask for your full name and date of birth. Then he would mumble to himself while he categorized you carefully in his memory banks. If he didn’t see you again for two years, he would still remember your identity information as though he were accessing a data file.
In addition to the delightful enigma that is Kyle, I have several children with Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD.) I am frequently meeting with their teachers to develop new strategies to make learning a more positive experience for them. I also have two gifted boys with Juvenile Diabetes, and know the challenges of parenting kids with that disease.
MY GOAL FOR THIS BLOG
I am sure there are many of you who could instruct me on special needs matters that I do not comprehend. Your experiences are different from mine, and I do not claim to be the all-knowing expert. My hope is that you will view me as an emotional support and a research assistant. My goal is that I can in some way make things easier for you. Feel free to comment and share your stories and wisdom. Let me know what topics interest you most.
Most of all, I wish to extend to you my encouragement, hope, prayers, love, and empathy. This is not an easy undertaking, but you are not alone.