Emmett’s SSI interview went really well

After walking this morning, I had Emmett's SSI interview. It took about 45 minutes and was relatively easy. Now comes the part where they are collecting medical records, of which there are many.  I was told to expect a 3 to 6 month wait to find out whether or not he's been approved.     When we went through this process with Gavin, it ended up only being a couple of months but he was approved without a problem. I'm not sure how I feel about our chances this time but from what all Emmett's doctors and specialists have said, he should absolutely qualify. I look at Emmett and Elliott and I always see how well they are doing. The problem with that is I'm not looking at it objectively.  I…

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My son with #Autism reads the first two chapters of the new book he’s writing 

This morning, Gavin read the first two chapters of the new book he's working on, live via Periscope.  You can watch the archived video from the live feed on my Videos page. You can also follow me on Periscope by looking up @the_autism_dad.  https://youtu.be/p0pf_1zX5l8 This has been a really positive experience for Gavin and he did really awesome.     

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When you’re a single parent, everything is more complicated

The good news is I managed to get about 4 hours of sleep last night. The bad news is I only managed to get about 4 hours of sleep last night.  I have such a hard time sleeping when I'm congested and I'm very limited on what I can take because its just me and the kids. I have to be able to wake up if need be. I'm feeling pretty under the weather right now and I was really hoping to walk this morning..  Once I'm up and moving, perhaps I'll feel better....     

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The boys are showing traits of borderline personality disorder

I haven't shared this yet and frankly, I'm not really sure why.  Something that Dr. Pattie is concerned about with Elliott and Emmett is that they are showing a lot of borderline symptoms.  That's not a diagnosis by any means but it is very concerning.   We aren't sure what is genetic vs what's learned behavior. What we know for sure is that they are very much walking a path that needs intervention.     Again, this isn't a diagnosis at all. It's a concern based on long term observation and interaction by someone who knows way more about this than I.  Kids are tough. Traumatized kids with special needs are even tougher because the symptoms of many things often overlap, especially when trauma is involved and there's no clear cut way…

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I have high hopes for today :)

Tomorrow is sorta like a fresh start to the week for me. The boys should be back in school and I'll be able to return to walking once again.  The week this far has pretty much been a hot mess.  It's a short school week to begin with and the boys were home sick yesterday. It just throws everything off kilter.   I have high hopes for tomorrow. I intend to at least try to sleep tonight and wake up feeling better, ready to take on a new and challenging day.   

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10 Things I forgot to mention

There's always stuff that I forget to mention at the end of the day. Lately I've been too burned out to really write as much as I'd like to.     That being said, as wanted to touch on a few things that I'm pretty sure I've forgotten about and bring those interested, up to speed. Some of these are pretty basic and others are a bit more personal but either way, they all provide additional insights. I've finally decided to apply for SSI benefits for Elliott and Emmett. This was something that so didn't want to do for a long time but I've realized that these benefits are there for kids like mine and the boys deserve the best I can give them. I had Elliott's interview last week and…

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I have a Man Cold and there are a few things I need to say before I die 

As it turns out, this isn't allergies. I fear it's something far worse and more nefarious than I could have ever imagined.  I'm reluctant to announce that I'm pretty sure that this is a worst case scenario situation. It's a man cold and I'm not sure I'm gonna make it. The sneezing, stuffiness, headache, cough, sore throat and watery eyes, just might kill me.   The name 'man cold' disguises the true terrible, debilitating disease that is the man cold. Nearly all men will die from man colds unless they are administered immediately with large amounts of mindless TV such as daytime TV, or childrens' cartoons. It is essential that they not move from bed or a comfy sofa to allow for rehabilitation, and must have tissues and man cold medicine…

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I’ve got two kids home from school

The boys are home sick today. I don't know if it's allergies or what but they are congested, coughing and sneezing.     They really struggled at school yesterday and so I kept them home with the hopes of getting them on Benedryl and getting a head of their symptoms.  Perhaps most kids would still go to school with something like this but kids with Autism and sensory issues, have a much more difficult time coping with this type of situation.  I'm dealing with something similar to what they are. I'm a 37 year old, neurotypical, adult male and I'm struggling with whatever we are fighting.  I truly can't imagine what it's like for my kids.  This pretty much killed any plans I had for today but frankly, I'm barely functioning…

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