Today's Autism fact of the day is a really important one.  There seems to be a great deal of misconception about this particular fact and I believe that the community as a whole would benefit greatly from a better understanding. I am of course, talking about the meltdown. So many people assume that when a child with Autism  is throwing a fit that it's a behavioral issue or that there's bad parenting involved.  The reality is that majority of the time, the child or adult with Autism in question, has absolutely no control over these outbursts. These are called meltdowns and can easily be confused with tantrums. The main difference it What's going on behind the curtain. In the simplest terms, a meltdown is the body's way of purging when…

This evening we took the boys to the playground and aside from Gavin's little mishap, everyone had a good time. It's nice to see all three of the boys playing outside together and having fun. I was able to grab a picture of them running together.  Gavin's in the classic Sonic pose but he did much better this time around.  :-) Depending on how today goes, we might to get them back there. We'll have to see.  Free family fun can always be found at the playground.  :-) This site is managed almost exclusively via WordPress for Android. Please forgive any typos as autocorrect HATES me. ;-) Follow @Lost_and_Tired Visit the My Autism Help Forums To reach me via email, please Contact Me

We took the boys to the playground this evening.  I sat in the car for a minute because T-Mobile just turned on the LTE towers but the signal stops about a mile from my house.  We lost our Internet at home and so I was taking advantage of the connection to finish a few things up. All three of the boys took off running towards the playground, with Lizze behind them.  She's moving around a bit better today so she joined us.  Anyway, next thing I know, I hear this loud bang. I heard it from well over a 100 yards away. It was Gavin.  He had been running like Sonic the Hedgehog, (See picture below) where he leans forward, throws his arms back and runs like hell. Apparently he…

Our morning has only been here a short while and already it's filled with screaming and meltdowns. It's like Emmett started his day overstimulated. Perhaps he didn't sleep well last night or maybe had bad dreams. Two things set him off this morning.  The first thing was his pet ball. This is a light up bounce ball on an elastic string that straps to his wrist. He drags this thing behind him and it gets caught on things or tangled up.  It got both caught up and tangled this morning and he just lost it.  After we got through that crisis, he was definitely primed and ready to explode.  The next explosive meltdown happened after he got himself dressed.  The shorts he put on touched his knees.  That's it.  His…

There are a great many things that I have to cope with on any given day. To be completely honest, I don't even realize that things are as bad as they are anymore.  After all, this is all I know. Having said that, there is one thing that I truly struggle with and that's uncertainty. Uncertainty is one of those things that eats me alive and keeps me awake at  night. I would guess that many special needs parents aren't super fond of uncertainty and I can't say that I blame them.  For me personally, it's essentially fear of the unknown. I don't know what tomorrow brings and based solely on what yesterday dumped in our lap, I feel like I have reason to fear the unknown. There are times…

I just heard from my Mom about my grandfather. Unfortunately, it's not good news.  The cancer has spread to his bones. My Mom and Dad are going to Cleveland to see him at some point tomorrow.  I would love to go with them but Lizze has calling hours at about the same time. Please keep my family in your thoughts and prayers.  This is a difficult time for all of us.  This site is managed almost exclusively via WordPress for Android. Please forgive any typos as autocorrect HATES me. ;-) Follow @Lost_and_Tired Visit the My Autism Help Forums To reach me via email, please Contact Me

Please keep Lizze's family in your thoughts and prayers.  She lost her great uncle this week and calling hours are Thursday evening. We've lost 8 friends and family members this year and I wouldn't wish that on anyone.  I really appreciate your positive thoughts... This site is managed almost exclusively via WordPress for Android. Please forgive any typos as autocorrect HATES me. ;-) Follow @Lost_and_Tired Visit the My Autism Help Forums To reach me via email, please Contact Me