Read more about the article Why I’d pull the plug on occupational therapy
Elliott / My thoughts / Occupational Therapy

Why I’d pull the plug on occupational therapy

The boys had a great day at school. That's not surprising but it's always good to hear. In a little while, I'll be taking Elliott to occupational therapy, although he's going unwillingly. He doesn't like the idea of going and then worries about it until it becomes this huge obstacle. Once he gets there, he ends up having fun and getting a good workout. I wish he wasn't so anxious about it each time because it's like pulling teeth to get him out the door. If I didn't think he'd benefit from it or he wasn't cooperative while he was there, I'd probably pull the plug. There are so many kids waiting to get in and I don't want to waste a slot that someone else could benefit from. Elliott…

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December 11, 2017
Read more about the article How Gaming Can Bring A Family Together
Contributed / Link

How Gaming Can Bring A Family Together

This is a contributed post. The views expressed don't necessarily reflect those of The Autism Dad Blog or its author. Gaming has long been a favourite for many people. It isn’t just boys who love to spend hours in front of a monitor, it is now common for people of all genders and ages to love a good game. However, there seems to be a lot of stigma around gaming. People view it is an addiction or a lazy way of doing something. What they don’t realise is, it actually helps to bring people and families together all over the world. When we say gaming, we don’t just mean PC or console gaming. Board games are a family favourite that seem to unite everyone as a team. Sometimes it might…

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December 11, 2017
Read more about the article We all have our reasons for getting up in the morning, even when it’s hard
Emmett John / Inspirational Posts / My thoughts / Photography

We all have our reasons for getting up in the morning, even when it’s hard

Life isn't easy for my family. It's never been easy and there are so many times where I feel like I can't keep going on. Sometimes, the idea of getting up in the morning, only to face the same impossible challenges, is just too much. On the other side of the coin, there are moments when I'm reminded why I have to keep going. These moments help me find the strength and courage to keep moving, even when it's not easy to do so. Tonight was one of those nights. ☺

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December 11, 2017
Read more about the article This week’s agenda
My thoughts

This week’s agenda

This is the first week in quite awhile we don't have much on the agenda. The boys have school all week, obviously. Elliott has occupational therapy on Monday and doctors appointment on Thursday. Aside from that, it's just weekly therapy for the boys and Lizze. I was originally supposed to get the car back in because the bearings are shot and the car makes a godawful squealing sound when driving now. Unfortunately, I don't have the $200 for the parts this week. I'm super grateful that it doesn't cost more than that. I only have to pay for the parts and my awesome little bother will slap'em in place. I'm hoping that the following week will work out better. It's not a huge deal because we don't have that much…

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December 11, 2017
Read more about the article Motivational Monday: Sometimes you have to be selfish
Motivational Monday / My thoughts / Weekly Posts

Motivational Monday: Sometimes you have to be selfish

I want to take a second of your time and ask you to really hear what I have to share right now. When you're done reading it, please pass it along. Being a parent isn't easy. Being an Autism parent is fought with even more challenges. It's so incredibly easy to become so focused on our kids, that we forget to take care of ourselves. This is especially true for Autism and Special Needs Parents. We get so caught up in trying to meet the needs of our kids, we can get tunnel vision. In other words, we put every ounce of everything we have into our kids, because our kids come first, even at our own expense. That's a very noble but misguided approach and here's why. If we…

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December 10, 2017
Read more about the article This doesn’t happen nearly as often as it used to
Gavin / My thoughts

This doesn’t happen nearly as often as it used to

Gavin's having a pretty good day so far. He seems to be functioning on all cylinders, at least for him. He woke up this morning, took his meds, cleaned his room, did the dishes and is just chilling out in his room now. He doesn't appear to be struggling as much as he was the other day. Dr. Pattie calls this the Swiss Cheese effect because sometimes, all the holes line up and Gavin shines through. Other times, the holes don't line up and we see him struggle more. Days like today are few and far between anymore. They don't come around nearly as often as they used to and so were extremely grateful when they do. ☺

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December 10, 2017
Read more about the article A long overdue update on me
General Update / My thoughts

A long overdue update on me

The boys and I are going to have the day to ourselves. We'll be dropping Lizze off somewhere in North Canton, because she has a Christmas thing with her Mom. I imagine she'll be gone for most of the day. Both Elliott and Emmett have lost their respective tablets until lunchtime because of choices they made before bedtime tonight. I'm hoping to finish working on the first floor while Lizze is gone. I'd love to surprise her when she walks into the house from spending the day with her Mom. I made some decent progress today and I feel pretty good about that. Our Christmas tree is decorated and looking pretty snazzy. It's simple but we like and that's what matters. ☺ The weather has taken a turn towards the…

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December 9, 2017
Read more about the article It’s heartbreaking to see him like this
Autism Parenting Woes / Gavin / Heartbreak / My thoughts

It’s heartbreaking to see him like this

When you're a parent to a child with fragile physical health, a degenerative condition and severe mental health issues, it seems like there's no end to the heartache. Gavin is the child in our family who the above paragraph describes and it's true, there's no end to the heartache we feel as his parents. Helplessly watching him lose skills, abilities, memories and independence is a gut-wrenching experience I wouldn't wish on anyone. Poor Gavin is having such a hard time today. He's been walking into people and things all day long. He's stepping on things he shouldn't because he's not paying attention or isn't focusing on his surroundings. It's not his fault but he doesn't get that and frankly, it doesn't make it any less disruptive either. We're decorating the…

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December 9, 2017