Read more about the article Starting the day with a massive meltdown
Emmett John / Meltdowns / My thoughts

Starting the day with a massive meltdown

Massive Meltdown is the buzz phrase for today. Emmett has been up since about 3 am. I don't know exactly why he woke up but he did and was basically up for the rest of the night. Unfortunately, that usually means that his resources for dealing with the next day will be sorely lacking, making life more challenging for him. True to form, Emmett didn't have a good morning and could not cope with his socks. Overnight we received a couple inches of snow making his flip flops no longer an option. I worked with him for twenty minutes without success. Lizze picked up where I left off and put in another twenty minutes, only she was eventually successful in getting him to tolerate both his shoes and his socks.…

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January 27, 2017
Read more about the article 1 MAJOR reason I’m so proud of Elliott today
Elliott / My thoughts / School / Victories

1 MAJOR reason I’m so proud of Elliott today

I'm super proud of Elliott this week for a number of reasons but I'm just going to focus on the one for now.  Doing homework hasn't always been a pleasant experience for Elliott or us, as his parents.  Recently though, it seems as though we've made some significant progress towards making homework a more manageable experience for all involved.  In regards to this week in particular, Elliott has totally kicked ass on his homework.  When it's time to work on it, he sits down and for the most part, does it without any problems.  This is such a positive change and I'm really proud of him for making the choice to tackle homework, rather than fight against it.  

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January 26, 2017
Read more about the article The 2 awards my kids received this week 
Elliott / Emmett John / My thoughts / School / Victories

The 2 awards my kids received this week 

Elliott and Emmett have both received an award from school this week. Elliott received the below certificate, for completely the math groups listed on the paper. I'm not entirely sure what those are or how they were given to him but, he knocked them out and that makes me proud. ☺ Emmett received an award for having the most positive point on Class Dojo for the nine week grading period. He earned lunch with his teachers. This was really cool cause they buy him lunch from a fast food place. He chose Subway and was able to eat with his teachers today at lunch. He was so excited about this and as with Elliott, I'm very proud.. I'm always proud on the boys but it's something all together different, when…

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January 26, 2017
Read more about the article We met with the school to discuss bullying and this is what happened
Elliott / My thoughts

We met with the school to discuss bullying and this is what happened

I wanted to discuss how our meeting went today at the school. We were there to talk about the issues surrounding Elliott and being bullied. As I stated earlier, the principal took a really good approach to addressing the issue with the students. As for the meeting, it was a little tense and I know that I probably upset some people but that was never my intention. This is such a tough situation to be in because on one hand, we have Elliott upset because of unverifiable things going on within the classroom. On the other hand, we know how sensitive Elliott can be, but because we don't know for sure what's going on, there is a driving need to make sure he's physically and emotionally safe. I try very…

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January 26, 2017
Read more about the article A knock down drag out morning
Emmett John / My thoughts

A knock down drag out morning

Emmett had a rough morning in regards to shoes and socks. Recently, Lizze had gotten into a newer routine with his shoes and socks, increasing the frequency in which he can tolerate them. For some reason, he just wasn't having it this morning. There was a massive meltdown, lots of screaming and loss of sanity. We did everything we could think of to help him but nothing seemed to work. Eventually, Lizze was successful and while we were a little late, the boys got to school. I can't even begin to imagine a life where even the simplest of things isn't a knock down drag out brawl. The reason it bothers me so much, aside from the obvious, is that these occurrences are so stressful for Emmett. It sucks for…

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January 26, 2017
Read more about the article MAJOR UPDATE: 3 anti-bullying actions taken by the school today 
Bullying / My thoughts / School Related Issues

MAJOR UPDATE: 3 anti-bullying actions taken by the school today 

This is a pretty major update in regards to the Elliott being bullied issue we've been dealing with over the last few months.  To get current, please read back a few posts and you'll be brought up to speed, or just click HERE. I received a call from the principal, whom I have a great line of communication with and he wanted to let me know what his plan of attack was going to be. We also spoke briefly when I picked the boys up from school and I was pleased to hear how things were handled. Here's the long answer short of it. 1) Kids were independently called to the office to discuss anything going on in the classroom that was concerning to them. Basic things like, was anyone being…

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January 26, 2017
Read more about the article We had some last minute appointments come up today
Lizze

We had some last minute appointments come up today

We had a lot minute appointment come up this afternoon for Lizze. She's having a pretty rough go at things right now and needs a little extra help. Gavin and I are both just hanging out in the waiting room. Life for Lizze isn't always fun. Chronic pain and bipolar disorder, make things very challenging for her. Considering all she's dealing with on her own, she does a remarkable job in regards to continuing to get back up and move forward. The last few days have been particularly challenging for her. When she sees thing heading in this direction, she makes sure to get additional help. We both do our best to give each other time to rest or just time to escape the chaos. It's not a perfect system…

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January 25, 2017
Read more about the article 1 of the most common threads amongst #Autism parents
Autism Parenting Woes / My thoughts

1 of the most common threads amongst #Autism parents

I'm having a really hard time sleeping lately.  Even with the boys doing better at night, I still can't seem to shut my brain off. It's frustrating because I want so badly to go to sleep but I'm so used to not sleeping at night, that it's like I need to retrain my body or reset my circadian rhythm. I've heard from other Autism parents who experience the same type of thing themselves. The can't wait for their kids to fall asleep so they can go to sleep, but when the opportunity presents itself, sleep remains elusive. It appears to be a relatively common thread amongst Autism parents.

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January 25, 2017