We have a new featured parent to share with you! Meet Tammy Hadley who was kind enough to talk with us about her family!

 

Fun and Function: Who are you and your kids?

Tammy Hadley: I'm Tammy Hadley, and my son is Aiden, 3 years old.

 

FF: What is the nature of their special needs?

TH: Autism Spectrum Disorder.

 

FF: Do you have a blog you can point us to?

TH: I don't, but my 14 year old daughter has started one, from a sibling's point of view: Aiden's Autistic World.

 

FF: What would you say is your biggest challenge in raising a child with special needs?

TH: Getting the necessary services is our biggest challenge. That is closely followed by not having downtime to promote healthy marriage.

 

FF: What would you say is your greatest joy in raising your children?

TH: Their accomplishments are my greatest Joy. Seeing them succeed at doing something they set their mind to doing.

 

FF: What would you say has been the biggest help you in raising your kids?

TH: Support. I recently found an online community compiled by parents, teachers, developers, and angels. The group is on Facebook and is called A4cwsn.

 

FF: Give us one tool you would hate to live without.

TH: My son's iPad. I have one, and yes, it shuts off and on at random. I got a bad apple... But, I have seen enormous progress in my son's progress across the board.

 

FF: If you could give one piece of advice to another parent who's child has just been diagnosed, what would it be?

TH: Get to work on providing your child with the tools for success. Learn everything you can about your child's diagnoses. You are your child's biggest advocate. Do not waste a single minute.

 

FF: And finally, an addition to our interview series, how do you help your kids make it through summer?

TH: I have been providing my son with a schedule of sorts... Aiden doesn't like surprises. We have a sensory diet involving movement, heavy input, music play, and scheduled learning.

 

Tammy, thank you so much for taking the time to talk to us and all the readers here at Fun and Function.

If you would like to be a featured parent or professional, just let us know!