The time given us

I hope that you are well and that your loved ones are healthy, too.

I am meeting with patients and families via tele-health during this public healthcare situation and plan to keep doing so moving forward. I am using Doxy.me (secure portal) for most folks and recently upgraded bandwidth at home to accommodate working remotely. I’m also open to choosing a platform and format for how we conduct our sessions during this time period.

We will get through this together.

Meeting with patients and their families has been a balm and a blessing during this time, and I will do what I can with you to bring order and calm to whatever place you are at right now. This will involve creativity and flexibility to meet with each other digitally until further notice, and I believe that we can do this effectively and efficiently if we keep working at it together.

Beyond the work changes, my family is going through many of the same challenges others are going through now: children and parents home all day, everyday; working and schooling at the same time, often in the same space; adjusting to a new normal; and, coping with the loss of social activities, celebrations, and milestones we were working towards and looking forward to.

I am in this with all of you.

I am recommending a few things during this time to help us all get through:

I made my own AUggie named “Little B” to keep me company in my home office in the attic.

1. Be kind to yourself

2. Practice gratitude

3. Find rhythm in routines (see image of our dining room/school work space)

4. Get outside often

5. Read something fun (see quote below)

6. Connect with others in your community

For me, an example of #6 is continuing to support AutismUp in my role as Board Member. This means participating in virtual Board Meetings, reading the daily content in @Home with AutismUp they are sending to members and anyone who signs up for the emails, and even participating and sharing in efforts to keep everyone connected.

I see people rising to the challenge of the healthcare situation, and I am amazed at how well everyone is adjusting to this new version of everyday. I encourage you to do less, well and to be patient with the things you cannot hurry and gentle with things that do not move.

“All we have to decide is what to do with the time that is given us.”
J.R.R. Tolkien, The Fellowship of the Ring

Six Months Later

It's been roughly six months since last I posted here, and I wanted to fill folks in on my world.

I seriously can't believe that the last time I wrote was before spring started, and now the fall is moving in a serpentine, but certain manner toward the winter holiday season. Tempus fugit.

Waiting for the bus on the first day of school.

The biggest and best explanation for this writing interlude is Life itself. In May, My Better Half gave birth to our third child. Life has been a whirlwind tour of emotions and activities since our newest bundle of joy arrived, and our older children have embraced the chaos and noise with a youthful exuberance that either sustains or exhausts us (sometimes both!). Our older children have also experienced transitions (new schools, different teachers, more activities and friends) during this time period, which has made the process of keeping up challenging and rewarding.

As of this weren't enough, My Better Half managed a variety of home improvement projects during her maternity leave. The range of things that "got done" or "came up" are too numerous to mention, but my personal favorite was removing the towering trees in the back of our house that I have been complaining about since we moved in. It was an entertainment value for us.

On a professional level, I've had the opportunity to partner with both the Rochester City School District and the University of Rochester Medical Center around similar projects. The initiative with the university involves providing guidance around family-centered practices for providers of early intervention services, while the city school project focuses on partnering with educators and parents to support preschool students with more complex areas of need.

While my involvement with both projects is in its early stages, I am incredibly energized by the possibility of working with different service systems to support young children and families. 

At AutismUp's Kite Flite on August 20.

I also joined the Board of Directors at AutismUp. I feel so deeply honored to be invited to work with this organization, and I hope that I can contribute to the next steps in AutismUp's story.

In early October, I presented on intelligence and adaptive behavior to a group of graduate students at Nazareth College's Interdisciplinary Specialty Program in Autism. I encourage families and providers to learn more about this amazing collaborative training program.

I recently worked with colleagues with the Genesee Valley Psychological Association to plan and host a convention on trauma-informed care at St. John Fisher College Wegman's School of Nursing. The presenters were excellent and represented a range of disciplinary perspectives.

I hope to post more often, but am mindful that the holiday season fast approaches for many of us. I welcome those who read this blog to send questions and ideas my way. I'd appreciate it!