Abbey’s Mom Christine

06/28/2024

Just wanted to share this for people in the Los Angeles area. This small theater called Theatre West has a company called Storybook theater, which puts on classic children’s plays. The vibe is totally old-school where you can yell out, move around and it’s interactive. When Abbey was young, she couldn’t sit and listen to the traditional story hour when teacher read books- it was so great for her to be able to go to see plays like this, and actually have some level of comprehension, participation, and energy. I believe the years we spent seeing these old-school plays performed really helped Abbey in language and focus. Cinderella playing until June.

06/27/2024

Abbey sure surprised me with this. Scheduling is always difficult.

06/26/2024

Honestly, there are moments now when I feel like I’m dreaming regarding Abbey‘s growth. And I think back to those days in the early teen years and how difficult it was for her. And I think about how hard she has worked. 20 years of speech- I’m truly blown away by the confident she now has and the steps that she’s taken in the world.

06/25/2024

The J squad! A toast to great therapists! These ladies spent years in my family helping me navigate autism and helped abbey get here! I learned so much from them. A special thanks to JOY the OT gal when abbey was around 3- you were brilliant.

06/24/2024

On the road with Abbey. Love her perspective on new things even though it’s hard at first- especially new foods and time change. Thanks to Mitchell Mullen for being amazing and hosting us! Also fab cupcakes from 45 Park Lane! 🎃👻💀

06/22/2024

Abbey has come so far in comprehending movies and TV shows. We would go to the movies and sit in the far corner and I would explain to her what was going on because the movie experience was hard for her to take in. But we kept working on this, and now she can express story lines, plots, and themes.

06/21/2024

So the rain caused a bit of a block on the trail when Abbey and cousin Mary went hiking. I love how Mary has learned how to help Abbey with her expressive language by prompting her and then waiting for a response so that Abby has time to process the words, and then verbalize an answer. We do this all the time at home and now Mary has learned to help Abbey exercise expressive language and problem solving.

06/19/2024

06/18/2024

06/17/2024

06/15/2024

Making the most of rain and cold in Paris. Abbey’s done great with being flexible, and wearing this poncho was not pleasant for her sensory issues. But playing around and having fun helped.

06/14/2024

When Abbey used to feel sad about having autism, I would always explained to her that there are other people in the world with their challenges too. (True for all- I still remind myself too) This is why we try to be charitable. So this year, we hope you will consider donating to a charity you care about - or one of the ones that we mentioned here.