Read more about the article How #Autism can complicate even the little things
Autism Parenting Struggles / Emmett John / My thoughts

How #Autism can complicate even the little things

What follows is an example of how complicated Autism can make things at times and lengths we must go to work through these complications.. The Autism Dad household is full of nerds. We love video games, science and especially Marvel Comics. It's only natural that we are drawn to the Marvel Universe films and we are.. This all took place on Thursday (yesterday). I thought it would be nice to surprise the kids by taking them to see the new Avengers movie on opening day. I went ahead and ordered tickets for Friday at 3:45 PM. On the way home from school yesterday, it occurred to me that surpring them may not be the best idea, especially when it comes to Emmett. With that in mind, I told the kids…

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April 27, 2018
Read more about the article Gavin’s is struggling and it’s heartbreaking
Gavin / IVIG Infusion / My thoughts

Gavin’s is struggling and it’s heartbreaking

Gavin's having a rough morning. He really struggled to setup his IVIG infusion today. At one point, he ran into what he perceived to be a problem and couldn't work through it. Part of prepping his IVIG infusion, requires him to draw up solution into a giant syringe. It's important to remove any air bubbles from the solution because it will interfere with the infusion process. Normally, he pushes the bubbles out before he removed the needle from the syringe but today he removed the needle first. He got upset with himself and was going to just leave the bubbles there because he'd already disposed of the needle. I told him he can't leave the bubbles, so he proceeded to open a second needle and I had to stop him…

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April 27, 2018
Read more about the article A Major Announcement
Announcements / My thoughts

A Major Announcement

I'm going to make this brief because I'm exhausted and need to get to bed. For a long time now, I've been wanting to restore my original blog Lost and Tired because that blog contains thousands and thousands posts that date back to the very beginning of our story. I haven't gotten around to bringing this back because frankly, I need to completely rebuild the site, clean up the old database as well as upload ten gigs worth of media, and that's huge PITA. Thursday morning, I finally decided to bite the bullet and rebuild the site. It was a project and a frustrating one at that but I got back up. It's a very basic site and there will likely be some things that are missing, namely YouTube videos…

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April 27, 2018
Read more about the article #Autism is NOT one size fits all
Inspirational Posts / My thoughts

#Autism is NOT one size fits all

Being an Autism parent isn't easy. In fact, it's considered to be among the most difficult things a human being can do. Every person with Autism is unique in their own right. They each have their own unique personality, likes, dislikes, strengths and weaknesses. In other words, no two people with Autism are the same. As a result of this, every Autism family is different as well. There are similarities of course, but Autism isn't a cookie cutter diagnosis, and neither is Autism parenting. I have three kids with Autism and while they share the same diagnosis, they are very different from one another. Some families, like mine, face very difficult situations, that make life a struggle at times. Other families can be far less impacted and if you didn't…

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April 26, 2018
Read more about the article I’m a Special Needs Dad, guilty of losing hope
Autism Parenting Confessions / Gavin / Inspirational Posts / My thoughts

I’m a Special Needs Dad, guilty of losing hope

I haven't written a truly heartfelt piece in a very long time. Writing has been such an intrical part of my life for so long now but I feel like I've lost my voice. Writing has lost its meaning and I've lost my passion for it. I'm working to rebuild that part of my life and it's not easy. There are roadblocks I've yet to overcome and others that cause me to veer off course, at least temporarily. That being said, and reasons I can't explain, I feel compelled to talk about hope. I'm not writing about it in a way that's meant to be inspiring to others, at least I don't think it is. I'm writing about how I've lost hope. I'm writing about something very personal and painful…

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April 26, 2018
Read more about the article Just another example of my kids not coping with change
Autism Parenting Insight / Emmett John / My thoughts

Just another example of my kids not coping with change

The boys were surprised and quite upset to see me in the parent pickup line after school today. Apparently, they had it in their head that my Mom was going to be picking them up. She wasn't, at least as far as I knew and I would be the first to know. Emmett was so upset because his afternoon deviated from what he thought it was going to be and he just couldn't move past it. Of all the kids, Emmett is the one who truly struggles with change and deviations from his planned routine. This is just one of many examples where he doesn't cope well at all. You would have thought it was the end of the world or something along those lines because he had such a…

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April 25, 2018
Read more about the article Managing my #Depression: An Important Update
Depression Management / Inspirational Posts / My thoughts

Managing my #Depression: An Important Update

Depression has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. There have been times when I manage to maintain the upper hand and there are others when Depression makes me its bitch. This is why I refer to my struggles with Depression as a war and not a battle. (You can read more about my war on Depression by clicking here) Recently, I made some changes to the may I manage my Depression. More specifically, under medical supervision, I removed a medication I'd been on for about six years.(see my withdrawal from Paxil). I've spoken a great deal about the withdrawal process and for good reason. It's been absolutely horrible. I'm over five months in and I'm still feeling sick everyday from the withdrawal symptoms.…

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April 25, 2018
Read more about the article An “OMG…. Are you serious?” #Autism Parenting Moment
Autism Parenting Insight / Gavin / My thoughts

An “OMG…. Are you serious?” #Autism Parenting Moment

I've been very open and honest about how Gavin drives me crazy with his constant talking or repetitive questions. I share that not to make Gavin look bad but to provide insight into just some of the challenges I face as a special needs parent. Maybe some of you can relate and find comfort in not being alone. Anyway, it occurred to me this morning, while taking Gavin for his weekly bloodwork, that I should share another thing he does. It's funny but at the same time, it can also be extremely frustrating as well. I've been working with Gavin every day in regards to remembering that he doesn't need to tell me everything he's thinking. There are many times that Gavin will walk into the room, with a big…

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April 25, 2018