Read more about the article Emmett and I met with the principal this week
Emmett John / My thoughts

Emmett and I met with the principal this week

Emmett and I met with the principal on Wednesday to begin planning for the rest of the school year and beyond. There's no interest in a PTA, so Lizze and myself will be working directly with the school. Hopefully, others will join at some point but no one showed up on Wednesday. What's really cool is that Emmett and Elliott are involved in this. It helps the have a sense of ownership in the school and learn some behind the scenes stuff. As I mentioned, it was just myself, Emmett and the principal on Wednesday. Lizze was home with Gavin and Elliott because Elliott had come home from school not feeling well. Otherwise, they would have been there as well. One of the things we're working on right now is…

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March 10, 2018
Read more about the article I met with the principal after my son was stabbed several times with a sharpened pencil
Emmett John / My thoughts

I met with the principal after my son was stabbed several times with a sharpened pencil

While I was waiting to pick the kids up from school today, I made it a point to sit down with the principal and express my concerns in regards to Emmett being stabbed multiple times with a sharpened pencil yesterday. I know the kid responsible for this assault, for lack of a better word. He's not a bad kid and this is very much out of character for him. This is a school for kids with various special needs like Autism, ADHD and others. As an experienced Special Needs Parent, I know that there is probably more going in beneath the surface here, especially considering how out of character this behavior was for this kid. I don't believe this was maliciously done. It sounds like this kid was goofing around…

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March 1, 2018
Read more about the article We have a parent meeting at the school in regards to safety
My thoughts

We have a parent meeting at the school in regards to safety

Heading out to a school/parent meeting in regards to school safety and a few other things. I'm not sure how long this is going to last or how many parents will actually show up, but we're going to be there. Historically, not many parents show up to these meetings but I'm hoping that in light of all that's happened in recent weeks, we have a good turnout. The only way we can make sure our kids have the safest educational experience possible, is to be actively involved and helping any way we can. My hope is that the changes we already know about, in conjunction with those we'll learn about tonight, will go a long way towards ensuring a safe, secure school building.

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February 26, 2018
Read more about the article Receiving An Autism Diagnosis: The Do’s And Don’ts
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Receiving An Autism Diagnosis: The Do’s And Don’ts

When your child is diagnosed with autism, your life is going to be changed forever. The diagnosis itself can be intimidating, and you will likely feel scared, upset, and maybe even angry. You’ll be unsure of what to do or who to turn to, and this will only make your distress worse. However, as time passes, you’ll learn a lot, and will understand that caring for a child with autism isn’t really scary at all. Of course, you’ll have your moments, but you’ll grow from them, and become even better at handling certain situations. But, for now, it’s understandable that your future feels uncertain. To make your life a little easier and give you some guidance, here are nine things that you should or shouldn’t do after receiving an autism…

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February 21, 2018
Read more about the article Hey Dad, You Need A Good Night’s Sleep Too!
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Hey Dad, You Need A Good Night’s Sleep Too!

This is a collaborative post and does not necessarily reflect the views or opinions of this author of this blog.   Every forum, every article, and every new Mom talks about how hard it is to have a baby and deal with sleep deprivation. No matter where you look, there are guides for a new Mom and how she can catch up with sleep during the day because, at night time, she’s breastfeeding and not sleeping very much at all. Here’s the thing: everyone forgets about Dad. If you are the sort of man who believes that you’ve experienced fatigue because of the latest stag do, you are very sorely mistaken. Dad’s may have ineffectual nipples that the baby doesn’t want, and Dad may have a job to get to…

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February 14, 2018
Read more about the article Morning meltdowns are so exhausting
My thoughts

Morning meltdowns are so exhausting

This morning was a bit on the rougher side of shitty. Emmett really struggled with his stomach and was extremely upset because he didn't feel good but he also didn't want to miss school. He struggled with this so much that he ended up melting down. We decided to have him stay home because he truly wasn't feeling well and maybe we could get him to school a bit later in the day. I took Elliott to school but stopped at Walgreens because he decided at the last minute that he wanted to bring Valentines to school. While I was there, Lizze called and said Emmett basically wanted to try going to school. We turned around and claimed Emmett before making our way to the school. It's important to understand…

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February 14, 2018
Read more about the article When #Autism truly breaks your heart
Autism Parenting Heartbreak / Emmett John / My thoughts

When #Autism truly breaks your heart

During therapy tonight, we spoke with Emmett about his tummy aches. He wasn't super forthcoming, which doesn't surprise me. We asked him if anything was bothering him because sometimes that can cause a tummy ache. The way we word things is critical to communicating with Emmett. He's so incredibly literal, it's very difficult to talk to him sometimes. By sometimes, I really mean most of the time. It's one of the things that makes Emmett, Emmett. Over the years we've figured out ways to work around these obstacles when we can't work through them. Unfortunately, if there's even the slightest emotional charge to a conversation, it's often a lost cause. It's becomes a live to fight another day kinda thing. When we spoke with him tonight, Lizze, myself and Dr.…

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February 14, 2018