Williams Syndrome, that cocktail party personality, sweet and friendly. People rarely tell you about the compulsive and persistent aspects of that story! Linda is over 40 but in many ways delights in the same things as a 4yr old. For some time she’s been lusting after a bicycle… not possible due to her lack of […]
Listening to Music With Linda
Many of the symptoms of Williams Syndrome are well known to parents and carers: distractability, short attention span, ADHD-like symptoms. We also know of their musicality, tendancy to sing, shout or squeal with delight, to jiggle and dance and twitch with life… Well, in the words of the Porgy and Bess song, it ain’t neccesarily […]
How to Earn a Quick Buck!
In the post yesterday I was dreading the fact that Linda didn’t have enough money to buy her newspaper today… We had several goes at “Sister, can I ask you a question?” followed by “Oh, no. Sorry, I haven’t got enough money to buy a paper.”. We passed the newsagent as we went out and […]
All Out of Money
Following the Buried Under Paper episode, I’ve just realised that I’m facing an even bigger crisis tomorrow. We give Linda enough money each week to buy her agreed newspapers and magazines, to pay for various classes or events and to buy a drink and a snack as needed each day with a little left over […]
Buried Under Paper
Linda is a Williams Syndrome adult. While she has some intellectual disabilities she possesses many remarkable abilities, including the ability to read. And Linda reads avidly. While being very proud of this skill I’m realising it is also associated with a darker side. Mothers of younger Williams children be warned! Obsessive behaviour comes in many […]
For you on Sunday!
I was up first this morning… Linda and Beth had declared their desire to have a restful morning so I let them lie in their beds as I came down and started to mooch around doing Sunday morning stuff. I’d settled down to check emails and updates on Facebook when I heard a voice at […]
Linda’s Anxiety Symptoms and our Solutions – a work in progress
As regular readers of Living with Linda will know, Linda came to live with us (Meg and Beth) when her Dad (and Meg’s) died very suddenly. Losing her father so suddenly, being uprooted from her home, her other siblings, nieces and nephews, and a growing number of great-nieces and great-nephews would have been traumatic enough […]
Williams syndrome affection
I'm working away from home for a few days… Linda will be in the safe care of Beth and a succession of care assistants so I know she'll be in good hands but parting is still tough. Linda gives me a hug (one of those Williams 'whole body' sort of hugs) and says she will […]
Special Need Blog Hop
One of our Facebook Friends pointed us in the direction of Kat's Cafe. it's a blog set up by and about Kat who is a Mum with a special needs child. she has started a Blog Hop (spreading the word about similar blogs. We've just signed up for the whole hop. So if you fancy […]
Service Cuts hit home
Linda, as an adult with Williams Syndrome, is able to access the services provided for those with learning disabilities in our local area. For 9 months she has been attending a “Cooking with Confidence” class one evening a week and has made many absolutely delicious dishes over that time. Supported by an Agency Assistant she […]