As Gavin embraces adulthood, the Goally tablet has been crucial in aiding his growth and independence. This device, void of distractions like social media, features a visual scheduler and parental controls that help manage his tasks and foster routine. A promotional offer is available for the Autism Dad community to experience Goally's benefits.
In "The Autism Dad" podcast, Harry Psaros, an advocate and father from Pittsburgh, discussed his transformation after his son's autism diagnosis. He shared how embracing the diagnosis as a gateway to improvement helped him become a proactive advocate and author. His book aims to inspire resilience and hope in parents navigating similar challenges, emphasizing the importance of community support and a positive mindset for continuous growth and development. Harry's personal journey celebrates each victory and the potential in every challenge, illustrating a profound commitment to fostering the best environment for his child and others.
Today, I'm thrilled to share a milestone achievement in my autistic son, Gavin's journey toward independence—a journey marked by resilience and quiet strength. At 24 years old, Gavin faces challenges that many of us can barely fathom. Diagnosed with Common Variable Immune Deficiency (CVID), his immune system is severely compromised, which means he's highly susceptible to infections that his body struggles to fight off. To manage this condition, Gavin has adopted a rigorous medical routine that involves self-administering a crucial medication through two small needles directly into his abdomen, not once, but twice every week. The procedure itself is daunting and time-consuming, at times taking several hours each session. It's a testament to Gavin's fortitude that he has managed these infusions on his own for many years, enduring the discomfort…
Just because we can’t see something, doesn’t mean it’s not there. I saw this recently and wanted to share this with you all. When raising kiddos with autism, it’s easy to sometimes get caught up in the daily struggle. We’re tired, overwhelmed, and about a million other things. When progress feels slow with our kids, we can blame ourselves for not doing enough or endlessly worry about their future. Trust me, I’ve been doing this for 23 years and I get it. Often times, however, growth and progress are taking place but maybe not in ways we anticipated. Just remember that simply because we aren’t seeing progress on the surface, doesn’t mean our kids aren’t experiencing growth. Just something to think about. ❤️
This is Gavin. Gavin is my 24 year old autistic son who has recently begun building his own adult life. This past week Gavin called me from the break room at work and was incredibly upset. He was not making a great deal of sense and only after calming him down could I really understand what was going on. After a few minutes, I was able to figure out that his phone wasn’t working correctly and he was freaking out because he liked watching YouTube on his lunch break. He was frustrated because this disrupted his routine and he doesn’t like that. He was currently calling me from his watch because his phone battery had died and he didn’t know what to do. He had a few minutes before he…
The question has been asked. How do I navigate haircuts with my 3 autistic kids. I thought since Elliott literally just walked out from getting one, we’d talk about it. In general, haircuts are easy now but it wasn’t always that way. When the boys were little, it was a sensory nightmare. I’d put off haircuts for as long as I could because I knew how difficult it would be for the kids and everyone else involved. There were times that I would have their hair cut really short just so it would take a little longer before we needed to return. The boys struggled with sitting still. The noise from the electric clippers freaked them out and the little hairs that were left behind made them itch and drove…
Let’s chat parent to parent. I know how bad it feels when you’re judged by others. I live it every single day. Let’s talk about it for a minute and I can share how I’ve learned to deal with it.
Autism, also known as Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) refers to a wide range of conditions characterized by issues related to non-verbal and speech communication, repetitive behaviors and social skills. Some individuals with autism may require less support in their daily lives while others with severe challenges may need a significant amount of support and treatment. SLPs make use of various speech therapy techniques that allow them to help kids and adults improve communication. These techniques are designed to improve various speech and language disorders like stuttering, cluttering, articulation disorders, receptive disorders, resonance disorders, aphasia, dysarthria and even cognitive-communication disorders. Speech therapy is an assessment and treatment that allows speech-language pathologists (SLPs) to identify and rectify speech disorders and communication problems. Using the speech therapy program, SLPs can assess the strengths…