Melissa lives in Parma and has two children.

What do you do to relax?

I love to craft and read a good book.

What else would you like to tell us about yourself?

I am married to a wonderful man, Joe, who I consider a gift from God. We are a blended family. I am a mom to my bonus son, who is 17, and a younger son who is 10. We have two rescue dogs who are spoiled even more than our children. I’m a nurse by trade but a stay at home mom by choice. My youngest was diagnosed with ADHD and ODD at age 4. We received a diagnosis of autism spectrum disorder at the age of 8.

What benefits has Connecting for Kids brought to you and your family?

It has given us other families to relate to, vent to and to celebrate the victories!

Which have been your favorite Connecting for Kids resources?

We have really enjoyed the newsletters and the Coffee and Chat support group.

My greatest lesson learned was...

Don’t sweat the small stuff. Celebrate every victory no matter how small. Letting go of what I thought my son would be growing up.

What I worry about most…

Is if someone will be there for him when I’m no longer here. I know this is a huge concern to every parent. It just seems to weigh heavily on our minds.

When my child's behavior gets out of control, I feel...

Completely helpless. My son engages in frequent self-injurious behaviors. We go into survival mode to get through it. It’s exhausting

Do you have any recommended resources such as blogs, websites, or books that we can share?

Wrightslaw: From Emotions to Advocacy I cannot express enough the importance of knowing your child educational rights and your rights as their parent!