Autism – Page 704 – The Autism Dad

The Weird Shit I Catch My Kids Doing :)

While it shouldn't be any state secret that special needs parenting can be extremely challenging, it can also be very entertaining as well. One of the things I love most about each of my kids is the way their mind works. I just love it because quite often, you can just see the gears turning as they are contemplating whatever it is they're focused on in that moment. This evening, Emmett kept going up and down the stairs. Everything he came back down, he would tell me that Blue, his cat is still in the same place he's been for awhile. At first I just told him that cats don't always move around a lot during the day but throughout the evening, he was very persistent about Blue not…

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August 16, 2015

YouTube Video

The Lighter Side of #Autism: This is how we watch TV in The Autism Dad house

I thought I would try and record some of the signature Autism, ADHD and Sensory related things my kids do without even realizing it. Mr. Emmett has this constant need to bounce and the most constructive/nondestructive means by which he can fill this sensory related need is by using a yoga ball. I don't let him do this when he's eating for obvious safety reasons but watching TV, playing video games and just about everything else can make use of this little sensory tool. https://youtu.be/FAssgciwibA

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August 16, 2015

The Autism Dad Origin Story

UPDATE: Our journey has changed once again and you can read about that here. As I'm slowly rebuilding my readership, traffic and reach on this new blogging journey, I thought it would be helpful to share why write about my life. It's new information for some and a reminder for others. If you've been a reader since Lost and Tired, there have been some changes, but my writing should still be largely recognizable. Part of me hated to walk away from what I'd built with Lost and Tired over the past 6 years, but part of me feels a sense of relief and excitement. Lost and Tired was the real life story of two parents raising three special needs kids. It was raw, gritty but beautiful and inspiring at the…

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August 16, 2015

My thoughts

What I’m looking forward to the most as my kids go back to school

With my kids returning to school on September 1st, there are a few things that I'm looking forward to. Honestly, I'll miss them but to say that I desperately need a break would be a gross understatement. This has been my very first summer as a full time single parent and it's been a lot of things but easy hasn't been one of them. I've struggled in many areas but one of the toughest has been my battle with depression. This has been an on again off again battle since I was a teenager but I was doing pretty well. Unfortunately, divorce can put people into a tailspin and I'm no exception. Nothing went as I had planned this summer and we basically just survived. Truth be told, that in-and-of-itself is…

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August 16, 2015

Today's Victory

Today’s Victory: A Few Moments of Peace

As difficult as Saturday was, we weren't without our little victories.. As I mentioned in the previous post, Emmett really struggled today and there wasn't much I could do to provide him comfort and relief. I was able to keep him distracted for a little while by playing Minecraft together. We just sorta snuggled on the couch and he would join my Minecraft world. 😀 It brought him a little bit of peace and it's honestly really fun.. I'm tossing this into the win column.

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August 16, 2015

Emmett John / My thoughts / PFAPA

It’s tough to have your child scream at you :(

It's been a really long and emotional day. This flare that Emmett's enduring right now is really kicking his butt. He's started biting his upper and lower lips today and so now he's got these red sores that almost look like chapped lips but I'm not sure that's what they are. Anyway, today has been spent trying to make him comfortable.... Advil and numbing cream on his lips and Oragel for the sores in his mouth. Thankfully, it looks like he only has one so far but honestly, one is enough. I did get him to eat a little bit of Mac and Cheese but he really hasn't been hungry today. It should go without saying that he's been rather grumpy and by grumpy, I mean he screamed at…

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August 16, 2015

Inspirational Posts

What you don’t know about special needs parenting but probably should

This post has a very special purpose. It focuses solely on the challenges of being special needs parent. As special needs parents, we all know that the challenges are well worth it and there are many positive as well but the goal here is to help the rest of the world better understand what we go through as parents. One of the toughest parts of being a special needs parent is trying to get others to understand even a small percentage of what daily life is like for families with special needs children. It doesn't matter if it's Autism, Downs Syndrome, ADHD, SPD or anything else. As a parent, your life is impacted in ways most can't even begin to understand. There's no such thing as a level playing field…

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August 15, 2015

Emmett John / PFAPA / Thoughts and Prayers

Emmett could use some thoughts and prayers tonight

Poor Emmett. He just can't seem to catch a break anymore. For those who aren't aware, Emmett's been dealing with a rear fever disorder known as PFAPA. I'm gonna let you follow the link and read about it yourself because I'm really tired and only have a few minutes. It appeared as though Emmett had outgrown this disorder because the cycles just sorta stopped or at least the most obvious symptoms did. While he spent most of last year pain free, the cycles have once again reared their ugly head. Emmett finished a cycle about two weeks ago and has began another one today, right on schedule. 😔 He's absolutely miserable. The above image shows what these mouth sores look like. As the 10 day cycle progresses, these sores…

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August 15, 2015