Read more about the article There’s only 1 thing on the agenda for this weekend but it’s causing stress
Autism Parenting Woes / Feeding Problems / My thoughts / Sensory

There’s only 1 thing on the agenda for this weekend but it’s causing stress

The boys are headed to the Zoo today with their grandparents. Lizze and I will have at least part of the day to ourselves. We don't really have anything to do or anywhere to go besides the grocery store and that will be a pretty short trip. Regardless of how short that trip will be, I'm hoping to have it done before the boys get home. There isn't anything planned for this weekend but a decent trip to the grocery store could make the weekend just bit easier to survive. I'm already on edge and need to make things as easy as possible. Grocery shopping has become much more challenging since the boys have been home for summer break. We have to buy more than we do during the school…

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June 15, 2018
Read more about the article I’ve been having trouble sleeping
Autism Parenting Woes / My thoughts

I’ve been having trouble sleeping

For the last week or two, I've been having really hard time sleeping at night. I wouldn't call it Insomnia but rather something else all together. Not that I wasn't under tremendous amounts of stress before but this year in particular, has been very stressful. Some of this stress comes from obvious places while other, not so much. It's like the moment I lay down to go to sleep, my world just comes crashing down around me. I get panicky and feel as though I can't breathe or swallow properly. I know that sounds really weird but that's what happens. I end up having to move to the couch because I find myself so frustrated and sometimes the change of scenery helps. I've tried things to help fall asleep because…

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May 14, 2018
Read more about the article It’s heartbreaking to see him like this
Autism Parenting Woes / Gavin / Heartbreak / My thoughts

It’s heartbreaking to see him like this

When you're a parent to a child with fragile physical health, a degenerative condition and severe mental health issues, it seems like there's no end to the heartache. Gavin is the child in our family who the above paragraph describes and it's true, there's no end to the heartache we feel as his parents. Helplessly watching him lose skills, abilities, memories and independence is a gut-wrenching experience I wouldn't wish on anyone. Poor Gavin is having such a hard time today. He's been walking into people and things all day long. He's stepping on things he shouldn't because he's not paying attention or isn't focusing on his surroundings. It's not his fault but he doesn't get that and frankly, it doesn't make it any less disruptive either. We're decorating the…

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December 9, 2017
Read more about the article He wanted to break every bone in his body
Autism Parenting Woes / Gavin / My thoughts

He wanted to break every bone in his body

Gavin came home from his Grandparents in a good mood. Unfortunately, that mood ended when he realized that he forgot to take his morning medications. Lizze and I were already aware of this because they were sitting on the kitchen counter. He had gone into the kitchen to take his meds this morning but set them down and walked away without without having taken them. I wouldn't call what he ended up doing as a meltdown becsuse it was more verbal then anything else. He kept calling himself stupid and screaming that he wanted to break every single bone in his body. Of course, Emmett had to point out that 206 bones is a lot of bones to break. That didn't help matters. Gavin was quite upset for a period…

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December 3, 2017
Read more about the article #Anxiety and #Autism can be fucking exhausting
Autism Parenting Woes / My thoughts

#Anxiety and #Autism can be fucking exhausting

The moment Elliott climbed into the car after school, he brokedown in tears. The problem revolved around his makeup work from when we were on vacation. It's not that he can't do the work or that it's too hard. The problem is that he's overwhelmed by the amount he has to do. Elliott has always struggled with anxiety. Sometimes it's relatively minor and other times it's absolutely out of control. Today was a particularly hard day for him. Simply trying to communicate with him was challenging because he was so far over the edge. The bits and pieces of information I did manage to get from him told me that there was clearly some kind of misunderstanding between him and his teacher. Once I got him into the house, Lizze…

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October 12, 2017
Read more about the article I got my ass kicked today
Autism Parenting Woes / Meltdowns / My thoughts

I got my ass kicked today

We had a few massive meltdowns today. One was courtesy of Emmett, one thanks to Elliott and a third by none other than Gavin himself. Emmett's meltdown was easily the most difficult. He was freaking out because the caramel apple he was going to eat, wasn't perfect after he peeled the paper off. Some of the caramel stuck to the paper. He completely lost it. To make things worse, he soon realized that he had forgotten his tablet at school. Lizze called the school to make sure there was time for me to head back and retrieve his tablet. By the time I made it back home with his tablet, he was in a much better place. Unfortunately, I no sooner walk into the door than I faced with another…

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September 14, 2017
Read more about the article A fragile peace accord has been shattered
Autism Parenting Woes / My thoughts

A fragile peace accord has been shattered

The fragile peace accord that has been maintaining the calm and quiet in our house has been shattered. Elliott and Emmett are at each other's throats as a result. Understanding the issue at hand is an important step towards understanding the fragile peace in our house. Much like many others out there with Autism, my kids are drawn to things like tablets and technology. It's calming for them and it keeps them engaged. We are working to broaden the way they experience the world, without the use of their tablets. My kids are plagued by sensory issues, and if you've been a reader for a little while, you're likely albrotherready aware of jowls bad it can be sometimes. One of the issues I don't think I've mentioned before has to…

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September 4, 2017
Read more about the article I’m not handling things well
Autism Parenting Woes / My thoughts

I’m not handling things well

I'm so out of sorts right now. I'm scared to death about what's going to happen to Gavin. It's probably safe to say that I'm not handling it well at the moment.  I've got so much nervous energy, I can't stop my leg from bouncing up and down on the floor. I ended up jumping down Lizze's throat, over something that was stupid. I shouldn't have done that. I'm so on edge, that I'm simply have no patience.  I feel sick to my stomach and I keep closing my eyes, hoping that when I open them, this would all have been a dream. 

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August 2, 2017