Read more about the article It’s been an emotional roller-coaster this weekend and I’m exhausted
Family Pets / Maggie / My thoughts

It’s been an emotional roller-coaster this weekend and I’m exhausted

It's been an emotional weekend for all of us here in The Autism Dad household. Losing Maggie has been devastating for all, but especially for Elliott and Emmett. They're feeling the loss a bit differently because they have basically never known a time where Maggie wasn't here. They were both so young when we got her, it seems like she was always part of our family. Lizze and I have been trying to keep the boys distracted because that helps them to move forward. Saturday was pretty rough. There was a great many tears shed throughout the day and we really tried to keep the boys occupied, but it didn't always help. On Sunday, all three of the boys hung out with their Grandparents for a large part of the…

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April 16, 2018
Read more about the article Why did he laugh when our dog died?
Autism Parenting Insight / Gavin / My thoughts

Why did he laugh when our dog died?

If you read my last post in regards to Maggie passing away, you may have noticed that I never made mention of Gavin and there was a reason for that. I want to explain and hopefully educate my readers about what we saw or rather didn't see from Gavin that day. It's important to understand that Autism can be quite mysterious at times and even though I have experienced and a decent understanding, there are times where it's difficult for me to grasp as well. I didn't mention how Gavin reacted to Maggie passing away because I didn't want to go down that path until I'd had a chance to process everything. Let me begin by saying that people with Autism tend to struggle with emotional situations. I'm not saying…

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April 15, 2018
Read more about the article Maggie passed away last night and we’re all heartbroken
Family Pets / Heartbreak / Maggie / My thoughts

Maggie passed away last night and we’re all heartbroken

In November of 2008, Emmett was almost six months old and we were a dog-less family, not looking for a dog. In a completely random occurrence, Lizze stumbled across a picture of a dog with the most amazing smile. We weren't looking for a dog because we had just recently had Emmett but we found ourselves drawn to the picture and it turned the dog was actually somewhat local to us. Lizze wanted to go look at her in person and for whatever I went along with it. It was one of those spontaneous things that wasn't really like us at the time. There was just something about this dog and we made the forty-five minute drive to meet her in person, not knowing what to expect. What we didn't…

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April 14, 2018
Read more about the article I fear Gavin’s becoming a bit more paranoid
Gavin / My thoughts

I fear Gavin’s becoming a bit more paranoid

Lizze and I had a pretty good morning. None of the little missions we went on panned out due to bad information but it was nice to try. We ended up just walking the track. Gavin will be coming home soon because he's apparently getting anxious/freaking out because he needs his infusion and can't do it at grandma's house. I don't know why he's so worried. He's doing perfectly fine as far as time is considered. Even if he did it tomorrow he'd be fine. He's sorta becoming more paranoid. At the same time, despite our many attempts to explain how this works to him, I know he doesn't understand. That may be to blame as well. I don't want him worrying about this stuff to the point he begins…

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April 13, 2018
Read more about the article Still struggling but forcing myself to exercise
My thoughts

Still struggling but forcing myself to exercise

Lizze and I have a few hours to ourselves this morning and that almost never happens. Gavin spent the night at his grandparents and the boys are at school. What I want more than anything is to crawl back into bed and sleep off the nausea but that's not in the agenda. Lizze and I are going to go walking shortly. I want to go. I need to go but I feel like shit still. At the same time, I know that I'll feel better as I walk and that's why I'm forcing myself to go. I'm losing weight and getting back into reaching my fitness goals. It's unfortunate that I'm having such a difficult time withdrawaling from Paxil but the more active I am, the better I feel. So,…

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April 13, 2018
Read more about the article Making changes to keep Gavin from hurting himself at night
Gavin / Vivint Gives Back

Making changes to keep Gavin from hurting himself at night

We've been having some issues with Gavin, particularly at night. The other day, Gavin got up about 9 PM to use the bathroom. Lizze was still reading to the kids and I was in the living room. All of a sudden, we heard a really loud thud. I thought Emmett had fallen off the top bunk but Lizze headed right to the bathroom cause she knew it was Gavin. Gavin swears up and down that he never fell. He claims he only put his hands on the floor to keep himself from falling. Everyone in the house head the thud and no one believes it was from him gently putting his hands on the ground. The problem is that for some reason, his bedtime medication is making him very sedated…

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April 12, 2018
Read more about the article (PSA) Why Swimming Lessons are Critical for Kids on the #Autism Spectrum
Guest Post / PSA

(PSA) Why Swimming Lessons are Critical for Kids on the #Autism Spectrum

Why Swimming Lessons are Critical for Kids on the Autism Spectrum By: Michael Morris, Goldfish Swim School Everybody in the pool! Yes, that really means everybody. It is widely recognized that all kids need swim lessons. In fact, the American Red Cross says that the number one thing that parents can do to keep kids safer around water is to enroll them in swim lessons. Researchers at the Columbia University Mailman School of Public Health recently conducted a study that concluded that children with autism are 160 times more likely to drown than the general pediatric population. The lead researcher stated, “Given the exceptionally heightened risk of drowning for children with autism, swimming classes should be the intervention of top priority.” (Source: My Autism.Org) https://youtu.be/WE3NIKGEhOM The swim and water safety…

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April 12, 2018
Read more about the article My oldest son with #Autism is really trying my patience
Autism Parenting Struggles / Gavin / My Personal Victory

My oldest son with #Autism is really trying my patience

I'm not going to mince words here. Gavin is driving me crazy and there's no end in sight. He's eighteen years old on the outside and about six years old on the inside. This large age gap between his emotional age and his chronological age has always been problematic. As he gets older, it's becoming more obvious and increasingly frustrating. Gavin's a great kid. He loves his family to the best of his ability, always looking to help around the house and he never gives up or complains about his lot in life. I've raised him as my own since he was about fifteen months old and I see him no differently than I do Elliott or Emmett. Unfortunately, it's getting harder and harder to overlook some of the behaviors…

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April 11, 2018