Parenting Archives - Page 156 of 720

It went much better than I expected

It's been a long day and an emotionally stressful one at that. Gavin had his psychiatrist appointment this morning, and you can read all about what that gifted us with here. What I didn't mention in the above-linked post from earlier was what we were doing with his medication. Someone left a comment asking about that, and I figured I'd address that now. Long story short, his medications are not changing. His dose of Clozapine is still 300mg and will remain as such. Nothing else is being added, and at this point, I feel that's the best thing. We can always re-evaluate things later. It's important to understand that Clozapine is an end of the road medication and it's only used when nothing else works. Clozapine is the end…

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May 8, 2019

Autism Parenting Struggles / Gavin / My thoughts

I feel like we’re killing off the last part of his childhood

Spent a couple of hours with Gavin this afternoon. He had an appointment with his psychiatrist today for a medication follow up. This was in regards to his Clozapine specifically. This was an unexpected fucking emotional rollercoaster for Gavin today. Out of nowhere; he became distraught. When I asked him what was upsetting him, he explained that he's terrified that he's been put on Santa's naughty list because he's killed people while on missions. Super quick background If you're unaware, Gavin is schizophrenic along with everything else. His hallucinations revolve around going on dangerous missions to save the universe from evil. He has a team of superheroes that he leads. Along the way, there are times that he's had to kill evildoers. He was in the waiting room, physically sobbing…

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May 7, 2019

Autism Parenting Insight / My thoughts

Why I get to the school an hour before dismissal

One of the reasons I like getting to school an hour early to pick up the boys is because I like the quiet. It's a great time to get some writing done without too much distraction. Another reason I like to arrive an hour early at the school, especially in warmer weather is because it gives me a chance to observe my kids playing outside with their peers. Sometimes it can be hard to pick up on social awkwardness because they're comfortable at home and we're used to everything about them. Sometimes it's just nice to see them playing with their classmates. Making friends can be tough for people with Autism and so it feels good to see them doing good in this area. We all want our kids to…

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May 6, 2019

Autism Parenting Insight / Link / My thoughts

Navigating the nursing home with my #Autistic kids isn’t easy

I wanted to share a special moment from the other day. As you may recall, we recently lost Lizze's grandmother, my grandfather and now my grandmother is in heart failure. She's moved into a nursing home about five minutes away. She's been there for a couple of months, and it's been a difficult transition for her. The positive is that she's now safe, well cared for and much closer. She used to live ninety minutes away, and that made it so hard to see her when especially with our car. Anyway, we try to visit her as close to every day as we can. It's a difficult journey with the kids because her memory is not very good anymore and the other day, it didn't seem like she remembered us.…

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May 6, 2019

Contributed / Link / Sponsored Post

Did you know that #CBD for pets is a thing now?

I've always been fascinated by science, especially medical science. When I was a kid, I used to love reading the medical advances section of Readers Digest. I’ve a big believer in western medicine, but my eyes have recently been opened to other options. I've mentioned before that we've been exploring CBD products for Lizze in hopes of helping her better manage her chronic pain, including migraines. Traditional medicine wasn’t helpful, and after years of not being able to find any meaningful relief, something happened. Ohio recently legalized medicinal marijuana, and Lizze was able to obtain her Ohio medical marijuana card a few months ago. It's pretty much changed her life. CBD oil, which is THC free, has been very helpful as well. She only tried it in two forms, gummies…

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May 6, 2019

Autism Parenting Advice / My thoughts

Don’t let Monday defeat you

Just a quick note before I get my day underway. I hope you all have a great Monday. I know that Monday's can be rough, Lord knows mine usually are. Try to focus on the positives and also remember to celebrate the victories. Please be kind yourself and remember that self-care is an important part of being a caregiver. Don't let Monday defeat you and have a great day.

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May 6, 2019

Autism Parenting Heartbreak / Emmett John / My thoughts

The reason my youngest is distressed is heartbreaking for me

There are times when I can distance myself from my feelings, focus on facts and remain objective. There are also times like tonight when I can't and emotions rule the roost. I've mentioned recently that Emmett, my youngest of three Autistic boys, is struggling lately. He's been the focus of recent family therapy sessions. Emmett is overwhelmed, frustrated and having a hard time coping with whatever's eating away at him. He's very reactionary, slow to open up and quick to anger. We've been trying to help him work through whatever this is but it's not going so well and he doesn't like to talk about it. I know that there are a few things bothering him and consuming his resources on a daily basis. There's probably more than that but…

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May 5, 2019

Autism Parenting Struggles / My thoughts

The struggle is real

Trips to public, busy and sensory unfriendly places don't always go well. It's pretty common for Autistic people to find themselves overwhelmed by all the sensory input that exists in abundance at places like Walmart.

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May 4, 2019