My “Why” for autism advocacy.... In the first pic, I was a young mother of a six month old. My son Aaron had just been dedicated in church that day. We were so excited for him. Then a few months later, not long after his first birthday, Aaron’s speech DISAPPEARED. That began our journey on…
KP The Autism Advocate
Autism Awareness Month
Good morning! April is Autism Awareness Month. My name is Keischa Pruden, but most folks call me KP. I am the proud mother of an ausome son, a psychotherapist and an autism advocate. Join me this month as I share information about autism, special education and other related topics. Autism advocacy is my passion, especially…
Parenting Children With Special Needs and Marriage
http://www.facebook.com/100000830014076/videos/2746509208720053/ We are thankful to have been given this platform to share our autism journey as well as relationship with others❤️💙
PS5, Autism, and Teamwork
Most young folks love video games. But being isolated or less social because of COVID 19 has intensified the love and desire to play them. Aaron is no different. When he was laid off earlier this year, we were concerned as a family he would be isolated and as a result, experience emotional issues. The…
Ham Steaks and Independence- Life Inside A Spectrum Family
I walked by my kitchen sink Thursday morning and spotted the usual item lying within it: a frozen ham steak. I smiled and kept walking. A little later I went back and snapped a pic. While many may look at this piece of meat and see just that, a piece of delicious pork, I see…
Continue reading ➞ Ham Steaks and Independence- Life Inside A Spectrum Family
Confessions of a Mom of an Adult With Autism
A couple of weeks ago, I went shopping with one of my best friends. We have known each other for at least 30 years. We were college roommates our entire time in school. We got married days apart and had our first sons only months apart. My friend Tamala and I, as adults (top) and…
Continue reading ➞ Confessions of a Mom of an Adult With Autism
IEP Whisperer
Are you a parent, teacher, mental health professional or other interested party who feels anxious when you hear the term “IEP”? Would you benefit from someone sharing IEP wisdom or reviewing your child’s/client’s/student’s IEP? Trust me. I understand your angst. As the mom of a son on the autism spectrum, IEP/IEP meetings were not my…
Special Needs Parent Appreciation Month
August is Special Needs Parent Appreciation Month. I would like to take this opportunity to shout out my hubby Paul Pruden Jr for being a great special needs parent. He’s not a perfect guy or a perfect parent. That’s not what this post is about. Team Pruden has had to contend with 2 issues, autism…
Autism Advocacy
Do the terms “IEP”, “504 Plan, “Reasonable Accomodations”, or other special education terms cause you anxiety? I totally understand. As an autism parent, I remember the days of anxiety before IEP meetings. I remember doing as much research as I could to ensure my son Aaron received every possible resource available in school. My experiences…
Preparation is Key 🔑
On our autism journey, we have learned that preparation is a key component to success. I asked Aaron to do a little grocery shopping today. Over time, we have developed a game plan to help Aaron have successful community outings. In this instance, Aaron’s grocery shopping was successful because we were able to: ✅ Create…