HomeSchool Resources and TidBits (SpecNeeds)

" As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases." https://homeschoolspecneedstidbits.com/affiliate-disclosure/  Hello Everyone,  It has been a whirlwind year in 2025. Still, we are thankful for the little things this year has brought, such as opportunities to grow and mature, especially with our youngest finding a program that meets his life skills and community engagement needs. He seems more rested and prouder of all the things that he can do versus the things that he cannot. There are still those late nights when he is unsure of life and what will happen tomorrow, but we can continue to advocate for him so that he always has a soft place to land on his feet. We, as parents, are trying to navigate this new, worldwide landscape of change, fear, and uncertainty, but have learned to take it one step, moment, and second at a time.      I am almost done with my master's degree in psychology and will hopefully complete my classes in the spring ...

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"As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases." https://homeschoolspecneedstidbits.com/affiliate-disclosure/ Happy Halloween from our family to yours. May you have a safe one and look out for one another. Have fun too! ~ HSSNTidBits

"As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases." https://homeschoolspecneedstidbits.com/affiliate-disclosure/

"As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases." https://homeschoolspecneedstidbits.com/affiliate-disclosure/  

"As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases." https://homeschoolspecneedstidbits.com/affiliate-disclosure/    My Homeschool Journal offers a delightful and engaging way for kids to get involved in their education! Whether used daily or whenever inspiration hits, children can happily reflect on their learning, track their activities, and celebrate their achievements. With its charming design and easy-to-follow layout, My Homeschool Journal by Joss Britham is perfect for kids of all ages and various homeschool styles. Younger children can express their thoughts by dictating reflections to a parent, while older kids can enjoy writing independently comfortably. Price: $5.99 In "Bridges to Independence, " you will discover a compassionate, insightful guide for those navigating the unique challenges of parenting neurodivergent teenagers moving into adulthood.  This comprehensive resource provides practical strategies, emotional support, and resources t...

" As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases." https://homeschoolspecneedstidbits.com/affiliate-disclosure/

"As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases." https://homeschoolspecneedstidbits.com/affiliate-disclosure/ Hello Everyone, and Happy New Year 2025! It has been a minute as we transition to a new year. How are you all doing? We are adjusting how we shop because prices are not getting smaller but more prominent. This also depends on where and how you shop. So, as a family, we have started doing much more bulk shopping and focusing on the products we buy the most and eat in large quantities.  It is breakfast, dinner, and snacks for us, LOL! How about you?  Things will be changing a bit on here as well because depending on what is going on in our lives, especially my own as an autistic parent, sometimes it can get a bit dicey at times, and I may draw a blank, which is rare for me or power goes out, which is what happened last time because of our cyclone bomb storm in the PNW. Keep your eyes peeled for some great monthly content about my life experiences, season...

"As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases." https://homeschoolspecneedstidbits.com/affiliate-disclosure/ Hello Everyone, It's been a while since I last posted because we lost power on Tuesday, but it has just been restored. We experienced a whirlwind of a storm that hasn't hit the PNW in decades, even making it onto National News weather coverage! I apologize for my absence, but I simply couldn't get online to update you all. For those with power and generators, please take a moment to appreciate the kind neighbors and friends who care about you and have your best interests at heart. Our community's generosity helped us through this tough time, and it has been a blessing to witness how kind people can be. As we approach the giving season of Christmas and Thanksgiving in 2024, please extend your support to those in need of the many things we often take for granted. Wishing you all a safe and happy holiday season with your loved ones. ~MomAdvoca...

" As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases." https://homeschoolspecneedstidbits.com/affiliate-disclosure/   Welcome to August 2024!  If you have been following us all along, thanks for continuing this journey with us and raising our adult autistic son. There have been times when my patience has been tested, and other times, I just want to crawl into bed and/or be able to call my late mom up to talk about parenting. I often listen to my inner voice and gumption to never give up and keep going. This summer of 2024 has definitely been one of those times.  Our autistic son just graduated from high school, and although we have him involved in needed therapies for his sanity(and ours), there are still times that are tough for him, and transitioning is just hard, plain, and simple. Thankfully, we can have our downtimes and uptimes, too, when we can just exhale and breathe. We, at least myself, try to keep up with what going on in our world at this time on the ne...

"As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases." https://homeschoolspecneedstidbits.com/affiliate-disclosure/   Our son graduated from high school yesterday afternoon, and we could not have been prouder of him and all that he has accomplished. It has not been easy, but we will continue to push forward and advocate for his needs until he no longer needs us to do that for him. **SIGH** He has come so far from a four-year-old child that he would just point and say a few words to a young man who has achieved Honor Roll, earned Suma Cum Laude, and grown into an independent member of our society.  Being a parent of an autistic child is not easy, but it is worth it to see where your child has been and where they are now. Priceless!  So all those high school graduates, especially those with special needs, keep climbing, trying, and advocating for yourselves; hug your parents, thank your para educators and your teachers too.  Have a fantastic summer! ~Mom Advocate...

"As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases." https://homeschoolspecneedstidbits.com/affiliate-disclosure/  Hello, Spring and Summer 2024! We have been so busy this month that I have been unable to post on my blog, which is rare. But our youngest will graduate high school soon and earn his high school diploma. We are so thankful that he has blossomed into this young man and that the world is ahead of him. This is not the end of his journey. We are lining up many resources for him before he embarks on a job, community engagement, and college.  There are still those in-between nuances that have to be addressed, like social skills , job coaching , shopping, laundry , mental health counseling, and so much more.   For those of you just checking my blog out for the first time, I post here monthly about what has been going on with us and our family and the challenges we may face when raising a special needs child/teen/and soon-to-be young adult. It has been ...

"As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases." https://homeschoolspecneedstidbits.com/affiliate-disclosure/ Happy Tuesday to you! It has been a minute. We have been busy with school; both my autistic son, my neurotypical daughter, and I are all remotely doing our studies online, and it can be interesting at times. Sometimes, we see one another in the evening or afternoon, but we always sit down together for dinner, which is a blessing. Mainly just to talk about our days and see how each other is doing, although we are all in the same home we all have different lives and schedules, LOL!  What did you all do for spring break? We had a severe staycation, during which we rested, binged, and relaxed some more. It was such a fun time, and it was sad that it was only 5-7 days, but at least we all were there together. I hope this post finds you all safe, enjoying your families, and creating long-lasting memories.  Until next time, take care of yourself and each other....

"As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases." https://homeschoolspecneedstidbits.com/affiliate-disclosure/ * I decided to go back to school to get my master's degree in psychology.  *Our autistic son is entering his final year of high school and will be graduating in the spring of 2024( fingers crossed ). *Our oldest is working hard with a full-time job, is an entrepreneur and goes to college full time.  *Hubby is an awesome supporter, partner, and overall best friend for all that we have endured throughout out our 25+ years love affair.  Life is busy and sometimes I don't get to blog as much as I would like to but when I do, it is worth it in the end. I still have lots to say when it comes to being an advocate for our son and it will continue. We have learned that there are not a lot of programs out there, in regard to post high school, but there are jobs that may or may not work. It is a matter of going out there and getting your special needs son or ...

" As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases." https://homeschoolspecneedstidbits.com/affiliate-disclosure/  Hello Everyone,  Can you believe that we are already in November? My oldest is in her 3rd year of college and chose to do her studies remotely and loves it. As you already know, our youngest is autistic and he is in his final year of high school. Lots to think about and do in this final push and the journey still continues.  We are anticipating just relaxing this 3-day weekend, so that we have time to refresh, take naps and whatever else is in store. So far, we have had a bunch of rain that just keeps on coming here in the PNW, but it did finally stop today with more in the forecast, LOL! If you are trying to figure out what movies are out to watch this holiday season, we can think of a few that are our family's favorites during the holidays.  Hope you have a safe 3-day Veteran's Day weekend! Holiday Movies Lineup:  It's A Wo...

"As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases." https://homeschoolspecneedstidbits.com/affiliate-disclosure/   Spooky Recipes for Halloween-Life Skills Halloween is a great time for serving creative and "gross" foods. Kids' parties and adult get-togethers can both benefit from some creepy food. From freaky finger foods to ghoulish drinks, you can serve up a memorable meal! Here are some spooky recipes for Halloween, from classy and fun to ghastly and delicious! Cheese and Deli Meats Cheese and deli meats may not be the scariest foods around, but you can cut these flat foods into Halloween-themed shapes, like ghosts, pumpkins and cats. The more orange the cheese, the better! Then layer them on crackers and add details with black olive slices for spooky hors d'oeuvres.                                       Mummies-in-a-Blanket Use your favorite pig-in-a-blanket recipe but w...

"As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases." https://homeschoolspecneedstidbits.com/affiliate-disclosure/ September is here! Did you create some memories with your loved ones this summer? We did lots of reflection of how far we have come when it comes to advocating for our autistic son.  Now we are in his senior year of high school and there is so much more to do, such as trying to figure out next steps and, in a nutshell, 'Life After High School'. What is next?  From one autistic/special needs parent to another, keep on advocating for your loved one and seek the prize at the end of this journey.... independence and a life fulfilled with people who love them and offer valued support and accommodations for a full life.  Until next time, take one day at a time and keep going.  ~Mom Advocate

"As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases." https://homeschoolspecneedstidbits.com/affiliate-disclosure/ Good afternoon Everyone,  August is winding down and we are in the last few weeks of summer vacation. Did you create some memories? As a homeschooling mom to an older autistic teenager my job as a mom and homeschooler is a bit more involved, especially when it comes to homeschooling a student on the spectrum.  When we started homeschooling our youngest, there were so many homeschooling workbooks to navigate and figure out what would work best for my child. Sometimes you have to go through a lot of trial and error to get it right.  If this is your first time starting your homeschool journey with a special needs child, look at all the options available to you. We had tried it all:  1. Public School 2. Co-Op Homeschool 3. Part-Time Homeschooling 4. Remote Public School Fortunately for us, because we had tried everything else, includi...

"As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases." https://homeschoolspecneedstidbits.com/affiliate-disclosure/ Hello Everyone,  Can you believe that summer is almost over? (Say it isn't so)! We are already in the final week of July and school will start back up next month on the 28th (at least for us, others will be different). We have learned lots this summer, especially about how much older my son will be as well as change. He is in his final year of high school and becoming more and more vocal in what he needs and wants. I also have found that the more I push for him to do certain things around the house, the more vocal he has become in what he doesn't like to do as well, LOL! Either way, it is all good because this shows me that he knows how to advocate for himself, especially if he is uncomfortable or just doesn't like something.  What are your aspirations and hopes for your children? Unborn Children? We are parents to an adult daughter and almost...

"As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases."   https://homeschoolspecneedstidbits.com/affiliate-disclosure/  Hello! We are on summer break right now and enjoying every minute of it, from binge watching to staying up late and eating ice cream and so much more. We hope that you are having the time of your lives this summer break and staying safe. I will be posting at least once a month, so you all can read what we have been up to, but other than that have a safe and happy rest of your summer and I will definitely be in touch.  ~ MomAdvocate