Read more about the article Guess where the boys went on their field trip
Elliott / Emmett John / My thoughts

Guess where the boys went on their field trip

This will be super quick.  I wanted to share that the boys both went to the Akron Zoo yesterday with their school. They both had a great time and Elliott couldn't even remember how many animals he saw.  Emmett really loved the underwater slide that runs through the otter habit. The otters would follow him as he went down the slide.  Elliott's teacher snapped a picture for Lizze and I. It was while he was standing by the otter exhibit. He wanted the picture because the otter is Lizze's favorite animal in the world.  They both arrived home safely, after having a good time.  Elliott was upset on the bus ride home, but I explained that in the previous post. 

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April 28, 2017
Read more about the article I didn’t realize what the problem was until today
Autism Parenting Struggles / Elliott / My thoughts

I didn’t realize what the problem was until today

I've come to an important realization today. I used to think that Elliott didn't have any issues with socialization. He has friends and interacts with them throughout the day. When we're out in public, he's the most polite kid in the world, and people comment on it all the time.  All those things are good. They're great actually, because not all kids on the Autism Spectrum have those skills.  Unfortunately, it never occurred to me that what he's been struggling with has to do with social skills. On the surface, everything seems great. It's when you look a bit deeper that the problems become more apparent.  Elliott struggles to understand where people are coming from.  Today is a perfect example.  Elliott was riding the bus home from the field trip…

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April 28, 2017
Read more about the article Never underestimate the impact of a meltdown 
Emmett John / Meltdowns / My thoughts

Never underestimate the impact of a meltdown 

This was one of those days where I spent all the energy I had in morning.  The boys went to the zoo today and the anticipation/excitement of that kept Emmett from sleeping last night. We camped out on the couch and he did eventually fall asleep, but he didn't get nearly enough.  He was a holy terror this morning. Overstimulation, exhaustion and anxiety are not his friends.  As volatile as he was this morning, when we got to school he was fine. He gave me a super long hug and a kiss, before hopping out of the car and walking into the school.  I don't know own how he turns it off like that. Gavin used to do that and it drove me crazy. He's get Lizze and I all…

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April 27, 2017
Read more about the article The meltdowns are killing me today
Emmett John / Meltdowns / My thoughts

The meltdowns are killing me today

The boys are going on a field trip to the zoo today. Emmett is in a truly horrible mood this morning. He's been screaming all morning and it's been like one long meltdown.  The problem is likely the fact that he woke up after midnight and couldn't go back to sleep.  He and I crashed on the couches in the living room but he didn't fall asleep for hours.. That meant that I couldn't fall asleep for hours as well.  I don't have the patience to deal with this at the moment, as I'm exhausted. 

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April 27, 2017
Read more about the article The meltdowns are killing me today
Emmett John / My thoughts

The meltdowns are killing me today

The boys are going on a field trip to the zoo today. Emmett is in a truly horrible mood this morning. He's been screaming all morning and it's been like one long meltdown.  The problem is likely the fact that he woke up after midnight and couldn't go back to sleep.  He and I crashed on the couches in the living room but he didn't fall asleep for hours.. That meant that I couldn't fall asleep for hours as well.  I don't have the patience to deal with this at the moment, as I'm exhausted. 

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April 27, 2017
Read more about the article Why this is a blessing and a curse
Gavin / My thoughts

Why this is a blessing and a curse

I know it may seem silly to some because what happened this morning at Gavin's doctors appointment, didn't really change anything, but I'm struggling anyway.  Would it make the Universe implode if just for once, we could get really good news at one of Gavin's doctors appointments? Would the cosmic balance be thrown out of whack if Gavin was able to catch a break? Would life as we know it cease to be if Gavin were able to recover from even one of his many physical or emotional health problems?  I realize I'm biased but my God, how much should one kid have to endure in a lifetime?  I'm trying to be positive about this, so here's my thought.  Maybe one of the major challenges he faces has an upside…

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April 26, 2017
Read more about the article Gavin had a major diagnosis change today
Gavin / Major Update / Mental Health / My thoughts

Gavin had a major diagnosis change today

Gavin and I met with Dr. Reynolds this morning. Lizze wasn't feeling well and was resting up so she would be better when the kids got home from school. Sometimes we have to divide and conquer.  Today's appointment was basically supposed to be a followup, because we had discontinued the Lithium last month. Dr. Reynolds wanted to make sure everything was okay.  We met for quite awhile, and the discussion turned to something I hadn't planned on.  I asked the question, at what point do we revisit his Schizoaffective diagnosis and look at straight up Schizophrenia?  The reason I asked this question is because we haven't reevaluated him in a long time and his symptoms have changed as he's gotten older. Long story short, Gavin's official diagnosis has changed to…

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April 26, 2017
Read more about the article Why this #Autism Dad feels guilty today
Gavin / My thoughts

Why this #Autism Dad feels guilty today

It's already one of those days where I'm feeling very guilty. It's the kind of guilt one feels when their special needs child is driving them fucking crazy. By sharing this, I know it's almost hypocritical because I'm always telling my readers not to feel guilty.  The truth is, sometimes there's nothing that can stop the overwhelming feelings of guilt.  I'm feeling guilty today because I'm really struggling with Gavin this morning. He's very slowly processing everything around him today, and I'm in a hurry because we have Dr. Reynolds to be at, first thing.   It's almost like he's unable to think. He's not even able to answer some of my simple questions.  We're sitting here in the waiting room at Dr. Reynolds, and Gavin's starts doing the potty…

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April 26, 2017