Read more about the article I stepped outside of my comfort zone and spoke my mind because it matters
COVID19 / My thoughts / YouTube Video

I stepped outside of my comfort zone and spoke my mind because it matters

I've said this before and while it may not appear this way on the surface, I'm way too self-conscious to enjoy appearing on TV. That said, I've been doing it anyway because some things are more important than my comfort level. I will continue to do so when the opportunity presents itself because I want to make a difference and do my part. Today was one of those days. I was asked by my friends at ABC News Live to speak again, but this time to how I feel about the current status of COVID19 and the news of Donald Trump being infected. I know many like to steer clear of politics but unfortunately, we no longer have the luxury of standing on the side lines, pretending like everything is…

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October 5, 2020
Read more about the article Remote learning is going okay but I’m maintaining perspective
COVID19 / Link / Lockdown / My thoughts / Remote Learning / School

Remote learning is going okay but I’m maintaining perspective

Moving on.... So we had a pretty decent day today. Elliott had to get his Chromebook swapped out, so Lizze and her Mom picked that up and took care of that for us. That was super helpful and I'm grateful. School is going better and the boys are starting to get into something that when you squint, sorta resembles a routine. At best, it's a bastardized routine but progress is progress. I'm not going to apologize for letting my kids be comfortable while they're learning. This whole thing is a nightmare and I have zero concerns about them chilling on the couch, bed or anywhere else that makes learning a positive thing. As long as the kids are appropriately dressed, in good lighting and they're teachers are happy with their…

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October 2, 2020
Read more about the article Shoe shopping online for my #autistic son
COVID19 / Emmett John / Lockdown / My thoughts

Shoe shopping online for my #autistic son

Let me just start by saying that I hate shoe shopping for Emmett, even in the most perfect of circumstances. I love Emmett to the moon and back. The issue is not that I don't want to spend the time or money, it's that sensory processing disorder makes finding things like shoes, socks and clothes difficult at times. Although, as he gets older, he's doing so much better. It can still be frustrating though, for both of us. I've talked about this a million times before but people suffering from SPD, and I use the word suffering on purpose, face challenges that the rest of us can't even imagine. In Emmett's case, he's very sensitive to things like texture, taste and smell. He doesn't like the feeling of clothes on…

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September 20, 2020
Read more about the article I heard back from Gavin’s immunologist
COVID19 / Gavin / My thoughts

I heard back from Gavin’s immunologist

I heard from Gavin's doctor this afternoon and I'm not surprised by the approach we're taking. Basically, Gavin's labs are messed up enough that we need to verify their accuracy. The plan is to redo his labs on Monday. The results will trickle in either that day or the following. If everything is fine, then we can breathe. If these come back the same, I'm not sure what we're going to do. If the results are confirmed, it would appear that there is something potentially very serious going on with Gavin. Until we figure out what is happening, I'm assuming the worst. Normally, I would not do that, or at least try not to do that. In this particular case, assuming the results are correct will require me to take…

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August 29, 2020
Read more about the article We made a major decision about this school year
COVID19 / Distance Learning / My thoughts / Planning / Remote Learning / School

We made a major decision about this school year

Let me start by saying, I hate everything about this school year. I hate how our kids and teachers have been put in impossible situations because our leadership won't take COVID seriously and do what needs be done in order to get us through this. That being said, we've made a major decision in regards to school for the boys. While I can go into more detail at a later time, Lizze and I agreed to pull the kids from their current school and put them back into their old school. After 2 weeks of technical issues, the kids literally crying and me on the brink of a fucking stroke, I decided this wasn't going to work. The reality is that the entirety of this responsibility falls on me. It's…

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August 28, 2020
Read more about the article We persevered this week
COVID19 / Distance Learning / Lockdown / My thoughts / Planning / School

We persevered this week

It's been a crazy stressful week but I'm so proud of how we persevered. The boys ultimately made it through their first week of distance learning and even exceeded their hours for the week. Their experience has been improving and while Elliott is still having technical issues, Emmett seems to be experiencing fewer. For the most part, we tried keeping to their previous school schedule but it didn't always work. What I've found was that giving the boys a little freedom over how their day is managed, seems to motivate them. Obviously, I can't let them loose but if they start at 10am instead of 9am, who cares. As long as they complete their work, that's all that matters. One of the coolest things about distance learning is that if…

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August 22, 2020
Read more about the article It’s grocery day
COVID19 / Lockdown / My thoughts / Planning

It’s grocery day

Today is grocery day in The Autism Dad household. It's everyone's favorite day of the week for obvious reasons. I try to time grocery delivery for once every week or week and a half. It's tough to keep groceries in the house but I manage. I want to give a huge shout-out to all of the delivery people who make this possible for my family and all the other families out there like mine. I'm so grateful for everything.

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August 21, 2020
Read more about the article Day 2 of Distance Learning Has Been A Nightmare
COVID19 / Distance Learning / My thoughts / Planning / School

Day 2 of Distance Learning Has Been A Nightmare

We just finished up the 2nd day of distance learning and it's been a disaster. The school appears to be over capacity and struggling to meet the demand. Yesterday was full of connectivity issues and today has been the same. We are getting messages that too many kids are trying to log in to the same live lesson and therefore Emmett was unable to gain access. Elliott tried to do his live session but the audio went out and the video kept freezing. I totally get that things happen and that they may be able to get these issues fixed. I get that. My concern is that autistic kids tend to generalize and their very first experiences with distance learning have been negative and frustrating. I'll be honest and say…

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August 18, 2020