Read more about the article I’m hoping this helps foster a bit more independence for my adult #Autistic son
Autism Parenting Insight / Gavin / Link / My thoughts

I’m hoping this helps foster a bit more independence for my adult #Autistic son

We have a great deal of nothing planned today, and I'm okay with that. I feel like I slept pretty well last night, and I got my morning walk in around 8 AM. Aside from getting some work done, I also want to spend some time with Gavin. Gavin is struggling with personal hygiene issues, and I get frustrated having to always remind him to do basic things. It's not that he's refusing to do these things, he simply lacks the self-awareness needed to recognize these things need to be done. I'm referring to things like trimming his nails, brushing his teeth, shaving and properly showering. We've tried lots of things to help him remember or recognize these things need to be done, but nothing has really helped. Part of…

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July 11, 2019
Read more about the article Do you know what it means to be in survival mode?
Autism Parenting Insight / Inspirational Posts / My thoughts

Do you know what it means to be in survival mode?

I've not spoken about this in a while because I have been so caught up in the struggle; it hadn't occurred to me. During therapy tonight with the kids, our therapist mentioned that I'm in survival mode. I'm very familiar with survival mode but hadn't actually thought about it in a long time. I think many fulltime caregivers experience survival mode, but it can happen to anyone. Survival mode is a state in which a persons functionality is temporarily but significantly reduced to preserve what little physical and emotional resources they have left. This is not to be confused with laziness because it's not at all the same thing. Someone enters survival mode when they are physically and emotionally bankrupt. This is common for caregivers and parents of special needs…

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July 3, 2019
Read more about the article Sometimes #SpecialNeeds parenting can break me
Autism Parenting Insight / My thoughts

Sometimes #SpecialNeeds parenting can break me

I'm really struggling with Gavin lately. He's a great kid, and while there's some debate over his motives, I personally don't feel like he's doing anything on purpose. Yes, he's making choices that drive me fucking crazy, but I don't think he's trying to do so. Frankly, Lizze and I agree that there is an element of choice involved in at least some of the things he does, we just don't really know for sure where that line is. I'm supposed to call the Cleveland Clinic later this week and find out the results of his neuropsych testing from a few weeks ago. That's going to provide more insight into how his brain is operating and more importantly, at what level he's functioning on. Lizze, Dr. Pattie and I all…

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July 2, 2019
Read more about the article How my kids are dealing with the loss of my grandmother
Autism Parenting Insight / My thoughts

How my kids are dealing with the loss of my grandmother

I'm beginning to see the impact of my grandmother's death on my kids, particularly Emmett. None of my kids are talking about her or the fact that she's passed, and that's in stark contrast to what things were like while she was still with us. All three of my kids are Autistic, and that can make dealing with things like death, much more complicated. For the most part, Gavin seems to be doing okay. I showed him a video that my Dad sent me. It was taken a few days before she passed. She was thanking Gavin for the letter he wrote and read to her. She thanked him for sharing a video with her and told him how much she loved him. Gavin was clearly choked up by it,…

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June 18, 2019
Read more about the article How do you help your child with #Autism navigate significant loss?
Autism Parenting Insight / Inspirational Posts / My thoughts

How do you help your child with #Autism navigate significant loss?

On Saturday morning, June 15th, my grandmother passed away at the age of 94. I've been really struggling with this loss for several reasons, but the loss isn't supposed to be easy. It's a part of life that we all will someday face, and it's unavoidable. While this is a tragically, heartbreaking time for our family, it also presents an opportunity to discuss how best to handle situations like this. I want to pose an important question to my fellow Autism and/or Special Needs parents out there. How do you help your Autistic or Special Needs child navigate significant loss? No one is given an instruction manual when they first become a parent. Being a parent is an awesome responsibility, and when things like Autism are added to the mix,…

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June 17, 2019
Read more about the article My 19-year-old #Autistic son has a touching moment with my grandmother
Autism Parenting Insight / Gavin / My thoughts

My 19-year-old #Autistic son has a touching moment with my grandmother

Gavin is my 19-year-old Autistic son. While he's 19 years old on the outside, he's about 5 or 6 years old on the inside. This presents many challenges for him, many I talk about on this blog. One of the significant challenges for Gavin is pretty much anything to do with emotion. He's always struggled with emotion, which isn't uncommon for people on the Autism Spectrum. Gavin has never been able to express himself easily, and that has led to frustration on his part but also our part as well. Autism is a complicated and misunderstood human condition. In Gavin's case, he also has schizophrenia as well and that further complicates things. He's often out of touch with reality and off fighting battles in another Universe where he's a superhero.…

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June 10, 2019