COVID19 – Page 4 – The Autism Dad

Feeling Grateful

I'm physically and emotionally getting ready for my big trip and I realized a few things. I'm going to be gone for five days and I've never been away from my kids for that long. I've never gone on a solo trip before and I've never been alone for more than a day or two. I was talking through this the other night and I recieved some really good advice. I understand the advice in my head but I'm not sure I can explain it well. Basically, the advice had to do with me feeling lonely while I'm gone. Honestly, that's something I've been a bit worried about. Rather than running from that feeling or trying to push it away, instead, I should lean into it. The idea is to…

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April 14, 2022

What happens today doesn’t represent the rest of your journey

Its been a minute cause I'm currently remodeling the space I use for these videos. I've been reading the personal stories of people in the Autism Parenting support group I built in reddit. I wanted to hop on here share some thoughts about the autism parenting journey, feeling overwhelmed, and even desperate along the way. I've been there and these stories are heartbreaking at times. I hope this provides at least some comfort to those of you out there in the trenches. You're not alone and remember, what happens today doesn't represent the rest of your journey. I also want to invite you to join the other 8,500 families in my Autism Parenting sub. It's a safe space to talk about parenting, learn from autistic adults, and connect with others…

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April 7, 2022

Read more about the article Bounced back from a rough morning and had a great day

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My thoughts

Bounced back from a rough morning and had a great day

I made it to the event this morning but aside from the event coordinator, not a single member of the public showed up. The whole point was to answer questions surrounding the COVID vaccine. The was designed to help reduce vaccine hesitancy. I think it's a combination of people not caring and COVID exhaustion. In my county, 58% of those eligible are fully vaccinated and we need to be in the 70's and 80's for herd immunity. There's concern about another wave on the way, and trying to get as many people vaccinated as possible, is definitely a worthy cause. I'm sad that no one showed up but at the same time, I'm not surprised. Ohio weather is crazy. It was snowing like crazy when I walked out of the…

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March 27, 2022

My thoughts

It’s already a rough morning

I haven't even left yet and we're already off to a rough start. Gavin's having a difficult morning and I'm frustrated. I sometimes fail to maintain perspective and it's something I need to work on. Gavin has come so far and while he does pretty well in everyday life, especially in a relatively controlled environment, things quickly unravel when he gets emotional. He just has a hard time dealing with emotions. This morning he started to use the stove without asking. Yes, I know he's 22 years old, and does a good job, he needs to ask so that I'm aware he's using it and can intervene if need be. He can be forgetful and I need to keep tabs on things like using the stove or oven. There's only…

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March 26, 2022

My thoughts

It’s gonna be an exciting day

It's going to be an exciting day. The boys are having a friend sleep over and they're pretty excited. I thijnk everyone will probably camp out in the living room because it's going to be more comfortable. Lots of fun. ☺️ Before we even get to that part of the day, I will be working with the Stark County Health Department. I was asked to be on a vaccine panel for a public awareness forum. They're basically trying to increase the number of COVID vaccinations in our county and want my help to talk to people in the public forum. I don't normally speak publicly, at least in person, so I'm a little nervous but it's good experience and it's also an excellent cause. It's only an hour or so…

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March 26, 2022

My thoughts

I know so many of you can relate to this

This morning I was reflecting on just how far the boys and I have come over the years. We're not without our challenges and that's okay. Last night, we had a family outing and it was so much fun. There was eight of us all together and everyone had a blast. I can remember when the idea of taking the kids anywhere was overwhelming for a multitude of reasons. There was always the financial aspect but also the emotional piece as well. I know so many of you can relate to worrying about whether or not an outing would lead to massive meltdowns later on. Basing your decisions on whether or not to do something, based solely on if you'll be able to deal with the potential fallout, sucks. Sitting…

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March 25, 2022

General Update / My thoughts

A quick update about my week

It's been a good week so far. Elliott is on spring break and has been spending time with friends. He's doing well in regards to the change of schools, and has made a few friends already. He's even spending time outside of school with skme of them and that makes me feel good. Emmett is neck deep in state testing this week and seems to be coping with that stress pretty well. This morning I took him to Starbucks on the way to school. He went in all by himself, ordered his coffee, and some breakfast. I'm so proud of him. He did fantastic and I just wanted to do something special before state testing today. He went to school happy and ready to tackle the test. My day is…

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March 24, 2022

My thoughts

“My 4 year old was just diagnosed and I’m so scared. What am I supposed to do?”

I wanted to share this here because not everyone follows me on IG. I was answering a follower question and found myself really struggling to get through it. I spent almost 45 minutes trying to get this right. The question was "My 4 year old was just diagnosed and I'm so scared. What am I supposed to do?" I think so many of us can relate to this question and I think it hit me harder because I remember exactly what this felt. Anyway, I hope this helps. https://www.instagram.com/reel/CbRTGwylo8t/?utm_medium=copy_link

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March 23, 2022