Read more about the article Last night was a sensory nightmare for one of my kids
My thoughts

Last night was a sensory nightmare for one of my kids

Emmett has been up since about 3 am and shows no signs of slowing down. It's been a really long and restless night in The Autism Dad household.     Poor Emmett was really stuffy last night and he really struggles with things like this. It's a sensory nightmare for him.  On the positive side, everyone's in a good mood.  All that's going on this morning is Gavin's IVIG Infusion. I don't expect any issues there and hopefully it won't take too long.  

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September 4, 2015
Read more about the article Emmett did some new things in Physical Therapy this week   ***Check out the pics***
Akron Children's Hospital / Emmett John / Physical Therapy

Emmett did some new things in Physical Therapy this week   ***Check out the pics***

I wanted to try to get caught up on back posts and thought this would be a fun one.  One of my favorite things to do during the week is take Emmett to physical therapy. Not only is his therapist really awesome but Emmett responds to her very well. He totally kicks butt every time he goes. This kid gives 150% every single time he's tasked with a challenge at physical therapy and just never gives up. ❤️👍😀 Here's a few pictures from this weeks session.              

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September 4, 2015
Read more about the article How did the toughest day of my life turn out?
My thoughts

How did the toughest day of my life turn out?

Considering what today was, I think I did pretty well. Progress was made on the divorce papers and that's a positive thing for both of us.  This past year has been the toughest of my life but I've discovered just how strong I truly am.     The boys will be going to visit their Mom and Grandparents tomorrow and I while I don't like being away from from kids, I'm happy they get to go. Frankly, I'm feeling burnt out and in need of a break.     Maybe I'll treat myself to a burrito at Chipotle tomorrow night for dinner.  I'm emotionally drained and just need some time to myself but I made it through the day. That's something I'm really proud of.  

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September 3, 2015
Read more about the article Art by Emmett: Sadness
Artwork / Emmett John

Art by Emmett: Sadness

I wanted to share Emmett's little coloring page he did the other day. He loves Inside Out colored this picture of Sadness. I love sharing my kids art because it always brightens someone's day... 😀❤️👍   

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September 3, 2015
Read more about the article Today will be one of toughest days of my life
Divorce / My thoughts

Today will be one of toughest days of my life

Twelve years ago today, I married my best friend. Twelve years ago today, was the best day of my life, aside from my kids being born. Rather than celebrating 12 years of marriage today, I will be sitting down with my wife and finishing up our divorce papers. I certainly wouldn't have picked today to do this it needs to get done.  Truthfully, I'm not even sure she knew what the date was when she setup this little project for today.    Like I said, it needs to get done. It's just that today is hard enough as it is and this is sorta like insult to injury.  I don't want my marriage back because it turns out that it wasn't what I thought it was and she isn't who…

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September 3, 2015
Read more about the article #Autism and a new school year 
Autism / My thoughts

#Autism and a new school year 

No one wanted to get up this morning. Elliott doesn't want to go to school anymore and I'll explain that later on. Emmett was pretty much super grumpy.  That being said, they did pull it together and we are essentially ready a full 20 minutes before we have to leave. 👍 I know this kinda change isn't easy for my kids and so I try to help them adjust as much as possible.  When dealing with kids on the Autism Spectrum, the things that are the most challenging are the ones most people would take for granted.  Managing changes like the start of a new school year, takes patience, understanding, compassion and did I say patience?   

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September 3, 2015
Read more about the article Here’s what happened at the pediatrician yesterday 
Akron Children's Hospital / Gavin

Here’s what happened at the pediatrician yesterday 

I had to get Gavin into the pediatrician yesterday afternoon because of his bladder problems.  First of all, it needs to be understood that Gavin's ability to tell me things like how he's feeling, pain levels, how often he goes potty or anything about potty issues for that matter, is significantly hindered by cognitive/developmental issues.  Having said that, he's been having bladder issues since he restarted the Clozapine last year.  My understanding was that he had very frequent and sudden urges to pee. That's what I've witnessed and he's been able to explain.  Yesterday he informed me that most of the time when he tries to pee, nothing comes out.  That new information may or may not be reliable because it comes from Gavin and he just really struggles with…

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September 3, 2015
Read more about the article BAD NEWS: Gavin’s still seeing and hearing things that aren’t real :(
Clozapine Crisis / Gavin / Schizoaffective Disorder

BAD NEWS: Gavin’s still seeing and hearing things that aren’t real :(

First of all, I'm sorry for the less than frequent updates over the last few days. With school starting and a few other things going on, I've been distracted.  - Rob I don't think there's a day that goes by where I'm not worried about Gavin for one reason or another.  Yesterday, he told me that he still sees Sonic and that he's never gone away. He told me that he just didn't talk about him because his brothers were always home and he knows it's confusing for them.  On one hand, I'm touched by the fact that he's cognizant enough to handle it that way, assuming that it's actually true.     On the other hand, I'm worried because the fact that he's still hearing and seeing things that aren't real,…

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September 2, 2015