The Avalon Foundation
March 31, 2020Kids Caring For Kids with rare diseases When Avalon Budd was 10 years old, she began a treatment for an extremely rare metabolic disease called Hypophosphatasia (HPP), commonly known as “soft bones.” Avalon had been living with HPP without any hope of treatment, but the FDA finally approved an enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) that consists
My Journey with Interoception and Sensory Processing
January 1, 2020As a 27-year-old self-advocate with autism, I have the opportunity to travel to conferences and learn about breakthrough research. In 2015, Kelly Mahler, an occupational therapist (OT), and Brenda Myles shared something in a session I’d never heard of: interoception. I started thinking about my own life and connecting what they were saying to my everyday experiences. I finally had a name for something that impacted my life daily.
Motherhood with Depression: Coping strategies for mental health
November 30, 2019Nobody said motherhood would be easy. But, little did I know how hard it would actually be. I imagine there are some mothers who find getting up at 5am, making fabulously healthy 3-course meals, and juggling successful careers with a thriving family life to be a breeze. For me, the idea of achieving those things
Mom-Shaming: No Room for Judgment in Parenting
September 30, 2019Local parent of 5-year-old with autism shares hurdles and joys “He is such a sweet, loving boy,” Ashley Earls stated as she described her oldest son, Kole. Not only is Kole a wonderful son, but he is also a great friend, a caring older brother to his two year old sibling Cooper, and has recently
Making A Difference In The Life Of A Child
July 31, 2019Every child deserves to grow up in a home where they are cared for and loved. Unfortunately, not every child has that opportunity. As Ohio struggles with a growing opioid epidemic, more and more children are affected. Last year 15,858 children in Ohio were in foster care, and 913 aged out of foster care, meaning