Squad Goals! Special Needs Mom Squad Better Than Original According to Experts

You know what? You could spend years studying surveys, polls, and interviews from professionals in every state-even across the globe-and I bet all the experts would come to this conclusion. Special Needs Mom Squads are better than the original Mom Squad.

You’ve heard about the Mom Squad, right?

The urban inspired name of your essential group of friends who have your back. You know, your pals, your besties, the ones ya roll wit. No, that’s not a spelling error, that’s my attempt at being cool.

The Original Mom Squad (In Case You Missed It)

All kidding aside, ask any Mom, and she’ll tell you she couldn’t keep it together without them.

But you know what? With respect to Tina and Amy – I’ve gotta say:

Ain’t no Squad like a Special Needs Mom Squad.

I know this because I am in fact a special needs mom and I would be a straight up lunatic without my squad.

Like the OG Mom Squad, the Special Needs Mom Squad also has the “Ride or Die’s.”

The friends who see us through the bad times; hold our hands at funerals, tell us when our shirt is on inside out and when we have lipstick on our teeth.

Friends who don’t think it’s weird when we send them pictures and ask if we look “too forty in this” and the ones we can go months without talking to and pick right back up where we left off.

The Special Needs Mom Squad is a bit more diverse than the original version.

Because it’s mother flipping special.

As a special needs mom you’ll roll deep with the –

Other Special Needs Moms

Your kid hasn’t slept for days? Literally – it has been three days?!?!

They get it.

Your child locked you out of your car & you had to call the police to unlock it, again?

Copy that.

You’ve got a runner who refuses to do “business” anywhere but a dark closet?

Yep.

These ladies have been there too.

See, there’s no need to explain  most anything to these chicks, not even the crusty stain on that t-shirt you’ve worn three days in a row because they understand that clean laundry counts as a luxury.

Unlike the typical mom clique, this group will not judge your home, even when it looks like a level four hurricane has ripped through the living room and all of your bathtubs are filled with ripped up books, socks and all of the white clothes hangers in your home.

Somehow, they have the ability to ignore it.

You need them.

Trust me.

Awesome Teachers that Communicate

As in, talk to you about your kid’s day.

Yeah-they’re out there.

So, they may be the magical unicorn of the educational system, but when you find one they’ll be your new best friend.

There’s nothing more valuable than this super convenient life line into your kid’s world.

Special Education Teachers have a lot on their plate I know, but it is so important for parents to communicate with them at least weekly, preferably daily, about what is going on in the classroom.

You need to know your child’s behavior; is he sleepy? Aggressive? Bored? Frustrated?

Did Snow White visit the classroom today?

There’s no way to help if you don’t know and waiting until the yearly IEP is too late.

Developmental Pediatricians That Can Relate

Uh-huh.

My kid’s doc has an autistic son, so she knows what’s up.

Now she’s killing the game 24/7 with her rapid responses to my emails & occasional last minute refill requests on MyChart; the communication program used by many hospitals and physicians.

Now, you don’t have to seek out a doctor that has a personal special needs history to get this kind of treatment.

What I suggest is that you work on building a relationship with your child’s medical team. Tell them the story of your child’s diagnosis (if they don’t already know it.)

Be kind to them and their staff. A little goes a long way in developing a personal relationship with these heavy hitting Special Need Mom Squad members.

Pam at the Front Desk of OT.

Ok, full disclosure here- Pam and I didn’t get off to a great start.

She had a bad day, then I went super crazy because after being asked to hold for thirty minutes after my call got dropped, but we finally got on the same page.

Mostly because I knew that I needed Pam on my team. Now, when I need insurance claim information or a last minute reschedule, Pam’s my girl.

Marcus at Blue Cross Blue Shield.

I know he’s a dude, but his prompt service and vast knowledge of all co-pays and in service providers put him on my Special Needs Mom Squad.

He gave me his extension, y’all! (Ok, so I asked for it, but after five calls and three hours on the phone I felt like I could take our relationship to the next level.)

Babysitters

Word up to the two sitters we can trust.

If it weren’t for these women, I’d be living under a bridge due to a rare level of insanity that has yet to be named.

See, we have ZERO family help and two other children.

I am grateful to have found these women that allow me to have “typical” mom time and down time. They are squad for life!

Look, all kidding aside, you need these people on your team.

You need a team!

You can’t do it by yourself!

Over time it will happen.

I didn’t form my squad overnight.

Three years ago I had no one.

When my son received his autism diagnosis, I was lost and frustrated.

I admit I took that resentment out on people that did not deserve it.

When I called to make his first appointment with the developmental pediatrician I was told the wait would be six months.

I lost my temper and yelled at the receptionist.

And by yelled I mean went bat crap crazy.

Didn’t she know how hard this was?

If early screening and intervention were so important then why did he have to wait?

She didn’t have the answers.

She was just doing her job.

I sobbed uncontrollably after that call, and later, after I got myself together, I called her back and apologized.

I explained that we didn’t have any family support and that I was at my wit’s end with worry. I asked her if she had kids and she told me she did. A little boy. I asked her what she would do if she were in my shoes. It was then that she explained that we might be able to get my son in sooner should someone cancel. She would put his name on the list, and they would contact me if any appointments opened. I thanked her. Three times.

I would never have known about the list if I hadn’t called to apologize. Some may argue she should have told me about the list in the first place, but, as I said, I was irate. People make mistakes. And it didn’t matter to me how he got on the list as long as he was on it.

I learned a lesson that day.

By sharing my weaknesses as Nathan’s mother, I was more likely to get a favorable result for him. And that was what I was working on in the first place. Getting the best for my child.

That’s what the Special Needs Mom Squad is all about.

You need support to get the best.

Don’t try to do it alone.

Join me.

Over the past three years I have formed one heck of a Squad that includes moms, therapists, and advocates.

Let’s help each other help our kids get what they deserve.

What To Read Next:

50 Tools Every Autism Mom Should Have in Her Calm Down Kit

IEP Meeting Tips for Parents: How To Prepare For An IEP Meeting Like A Boss

Help Kids With Autism Focus & Calm Down With These 55 Heavy Work Activities

26 Signs You May Be An Autism Mom

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