Dawn Leonard, Author

04/06/2026

Happy Easter!

04/06/2026

Family Easter game. First team to knock the other trash’s peeps off the table wins. Can only knock them off by hitting them with plastic eggs.

03/21/2026

Happy Down Syndrome Day!

03/12/2026

This!

You were never supposed to know everything at the beginning. A lot of the lessons that shape your decisions only become visible through experience, time, and reflection. The mind directs the brain using what it understands in the moment, and the non-conscious mind builds wisdom as life unfolds. Looking back with today’s knowledge can make past choices seem obvious, but you only had the information and awareness you had then. Growth often means realizing things later and using that understanding to move forward with better judgment.

Share this with someone who is being too hard on themselves. ✨

02/27/2026

12/16/2025

This Christmas my house will be filled with 18 grandchildren. Many of them were adopted from foster care and have special needs.

This morning as I was waking up, I started making plans for how we should handle a few behavior challenges and thinking through logistics that will keep all the people safe and the house from being destroyed.

I was reminded of a few strategies that I used last year. I’m reposting a blog I wrote last year with the hope that some of the ideas will make your holidays more enjoyable.

11/04/2025

Fun with the grandkids last week. I miss them already!

09/25/2025

08/21/2025

I just read this article and the study sounds ground breaking. I don’t know a whole lot about this research. What do yall think?

The research is a transformative step toward understanding the condition's genetic underpinnings and potential for personalized care.

08/01/2025

So true!

To the mom rushing her child to ABA therapy while her friends are driving theirs to soccer practice, you’re not alone.

To the mom carrying around a PECS book, you rock.

To the dad who avoids milestone talk because his child is years behind, your child is perfect, just as he is.

To the mom embarrassed by her son’s screams in the grocery store, I was there too. Yesterday, in fact.

To the mom hunched over her computer at midnight, researching every possible therapy, your child is lucky to have you as his advocate.

To the dad who dreads taking his child to a restaurant, a park, or anywhere public, I know. It’s hard.

To the mom still mourning the dream of taking her son to the movies or baseball practice, it might not happen the way you pictured it, but it will happen.

To the dad who felt silly celebrating when his son said “buh” for bubbles, every tiny victory is worth a party. Pop the champagne.

To the mom holding back tears after reading another therapy report full of “no progress”, don’t give up. Hope still lives here.

To the dad who wishes his daughter would talk, me too. You’re not alone.

When you feel hopeless… when you wonder how much longer you can keep going… when it seems like no one sees you unless your child is melting down—remember this:
You love your child. You’re doing the best you can. And that matters more than you know.

If you feel like no one understands what you’re living, know that I do. And so do many others.

It’s okay to have bad days. We all do.

To every mom and dad out there doing everything they can to give their child the best possible life despite impossible odds—you’re amazing. And even if your child can’t say it… they know it.

[I wrote this 10 years ago. Still relevant]

06/07/2025

#