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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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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It’s like being kicked in the balls

Lizze and I are really heartbroken over the amount of regression Gavin's been experiencing lately. Today was particularly difficult because Gavin was clearly struggling in many areas.  On one hand, I sent Gavin in to Clearwater to refill one of our five gallon water jugs, while I watched him from outside the store. He had to buy a token, lid and then fill the jug up before carrying it out and putting it into the trunk. This is only the second time he's done this and he did a really good job.  At the same time, he can't remember how to type the code into the keyless entry on the front door. He's been able to do it for the last two years, but lately he can't remember the code…

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Do you know how hard it is to be an #Autism Parent?

All I want to do today is make progress on the things in my life. I want to get the house caught up, but I'm running into a problem. I'm so completely exhausted, I don't have the energy or the motivation to do much of anything. Being an Autism parent is a rewarding challenge. The rewards are fantastic, and the challenges are completely exhausting. The exhaustion is on both a physical and emotional level. It impacts every single aspect of my life. To people on the outside, it may appear that I'm lazy, but that couldn't be further from the truth. I'm not lazy; I'm mentally and physically depleted. It's easy to assume otherwise. I've been on the receiving end of those assumptions many times, as have countless other Autism…

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This is how my morning has gone

It's been a somewhat decent morning, and for that we're grateful. Lizze and I went to bed early last night, at least early for us. The boys got up really early and began invading our bedroom at the unholy hour of 5 AM.  Despite a decent night's sleep, I'm feeling exhausted, but in a good mood.  On the bright side, Emmett is tolerating his clothes this morning and that means we don't have to battle for an hour. That's hugely positive and I'm very proud of him.  All I have to do is get them off to school and our morning is officially underway.. ☺  

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Question of the Day: Does your child with #Autism struggle with Sensory issues? 

This is a very simple question but the answers can be anything but simple.  When a child is diagnosed with Autism, there are often comorbid diagnoses that go along with it. Some are noted right away and others creep up over time.  One of the most common comorbid diagnoses is Sensory Processing Disorder.  Sensory processing disorder is a condition in which the brain has trouble receiving and responding to information that comes in through the senses. ... Some people with sensory processing disorder are oversensitive to things in their environment. Common sounds may be painful or overwhelming.                                                                         …

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Would you take your child with #Autism to a funeral? 7 things to think about

I know this will sound like a weird question but Would you take your child with #Autism to a funeral?  The reason I'm asking, is because it's one question that I'm commonly asked, and I thought it was important enough to discuss. There isn't an easy answer to this question, but I do have a few thoughts.  We've not been in this situation for a long time, but when Gavin was little, there were several deaths in the family and we chose not to take Gavin to the funeral.  That wasn't an easy decision, but after speaking with his mental health professionals, it was deemed to be not in his best interest to go. At that point, Gavin was roughly five or six years old I believe, and not emotionally equipped…

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The 6 appointments I need to make today

I have so much to do today, and I'm kinda excited to get it done. I have a new article to write and that outs money in the bank. The biggest thing I have to do today is schedule a ton of appointments.  Gavin needs to see his neurologist at the Cleveland Clinic. This is for his Autonomic dysfunction, as well as his Epilepsy. We also need to get him into gastroenterology and rheumatology. He needs the gastro for his tummy issues and rheumatology for his joints.  I also need to get Elliott and Emmett into the dentist. Elliott needs his last cavity filled and Emmett just chipped his front tooth.  I don't know how soon they will want to get him in, but I imagine they'll want him sooner…

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