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Posts by Chad Johnson
My Diagnosis Moment; How I Handled it and Where We are Now by Jenn Jordan, Q102 Radio Host
Jakob was diagnosed when he was 3 and a half. It wasn’t a surprise, I had suspected it since he was 9 months old. This was 14 years ago this month and back then, doctors were hesitant to diagnose before the age of three. So for almost 2 years, all we heard was that he…
Read MoreWhy I Love Being an Autism Mom by Jenn Jordan, Q102 Radio Host
When Jakob was little and the diagnosis was new, the fear was so great that the anxiety, depression and the mere fight to survive was overwhelming. There was love there, so much love, it just felt so out of reach from the pain and suffering of the moment. Thankfully, time changes things. The distance from…
Read MoreSetting Goals and Managing Expectations by Jenn Jordan, Q102 Radio Host
At Jakob’s first IEP meeting when he was three, his teacher asked me what goals I had for him. I had no clue. I mean I knew I wanted him to be better. To be happier. To act more like other kids his age, you know, the “normal” ones. Seeing the end results I wanted…
Read MoreHow to Break the Bond Between Screen Time and Your Child by Jenn Jordan, Q102 Radio Host
When Jakob was little, he seemed so disconnected. I never knew if he was listening to anything I was saying. I didn’t know if he even knew his own name. He rarely showed any interest in anything I was doing or wanted to do with him. I tried reading books, building blocks, singing the ABC’s.…
Read MoreHow Your Attitude as a Parent Can Help Your Child Progress by Jenn Jordan, Q102 Radio Host
The first time Jakob had to have blood drawn, it took three of us to hold him down. He kicked, he screamed, and he fought to get free. It was a traumatizing event for both of us. It felt so very wrong and the guilt was immediate, deep and torturous. He didn’t understand what we…
Read MoreHow to Teach Your Child Through Play by Jenn Jordan, Q102 Radio Host
Jakob was 11 years old and he only ate four foods. Kay’s Naturals Apple Cinnamon Protein Cereal, Applegate Farms Antibiotic-Free Beef Hot Dogs, Bolthouse Farms Green Goodness bottled smoothies and bananas, and it had to be those brands. No deviations. If we tried to sneak in a different cereal or hot dog, he would know.…
Read MoreLearning to Celebrate Halloween in a Different Way, by Jenn Jordan, Q102 Radio Host
Jakob wore his first Halloween costume when he was six days old. We were having his newborn pictures taken by a professional photographer at the house and I thought it was just so precious. It was this adorable little giraffe outfit and the hood kept falling over his face. I never realized how miserable a…
Read MoreBuilding Friendships When You Have Autism by Jenn Jordan, Q102 Radio Host
When Jakob was first diagnosed, one of my biggest worries was that he would never enjoy being with other people. I feared that he would never care whether or not I was in the same room with him and that he would never want or have any friends. He was perfectly fine all by himself…
Read MoreBack To School Tips from Q102’s Jenn Jordan
The beginning of the year school picnic is this week and Jakob couldn’t be more excited. Last night, he got out all his back to school paperwork, including his list of school supplies. He’s on my case a bit to go shopping and get everything purchased, packed and ready to go. I’m lucky, Jakob loves…
Read MoreAn Autism Diagnosis by Jenn Jordan, Q102 Radio Host
I wrote the following in February 2005 when Jakob was three-and-a-half… “We got the results of Jakob’s ADOS yesterday and they weren’t what I was expecting. I really believed he would test on the autism spectrum but he didn’t. It was autism. The label is autism. To put it in perspective, his score could’ve been…
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