#Autism Parenting: The Transition to Adulthood has Begun

It's going to be a slightly stressful day today because I have to meet with social security in regards to Gavin. Part of this is merely a routine review, but the other part of it is going to be dealing with Gavin turning 18 and me retaining my payee status over his account. I'm not worried about Gavin qualifying because he qualifies. I've just never had to do this before. It's the first time we've had to have one of these meetings as they only happen every so many years. Hopefully, this will be done in under two hours because otherwise, I'll be late getting the kids from school. Meeting with social security is the first of many steps we will have to take because Gavin has turned 18. The…

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So far, I’m pushing through the exhaustion

Work has been keeping me pretty busy lately. That's never a bad thing because anytime I can improve our financial status, it's a good thing. I haven't had much in the way of work this morning, which frankly is probably a good thing because I'm so tired. I do have myself a new writing buddy. Ruby sleeps on my lap while I write and I'm not sure if that helping or hurting.. ☺ While it's true that I want nothing more than to climb back into bed, I'm forcing myself to not only keep my activity level up but also workout as well. I even using the laundry to help me reach my flights of steps for today. The more I push through this exhaustion, the more I'm going to…

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Rough morning

It was a relatively placid morning. We didn't push Emmett to wear his new pants and as a result, getting him ready for school was manageable. I know that this will not be possible forever but for right now, it's working, Elliott had a rough night and a really slow moving morning but was otherwise cooperative. I'm feeling absolutely exhausted and am struggling to get moving.

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We’re giving serious thought to homeschooling at least 1 of our 2 kids with #Autism, that are still in school

Full disclosure. I'm exhausted and having a hard time putting thoughts together tonight. I'm going to try and make this as coherent as possible but no promises. Lizze and I are seriously talking about the logistics of homeschooling the boys. Between Emmett's inability to wear clothes and Elliott's emotional struggles that are the result of several things related to school and severe anxiety. The main concern is Emmett though because his struggles physically prevent his attendance. Things with Elliott could be corrected with proper intervention within the school. The idea of homeschooling the boys is not something we take lightly, even in the it's just a possibility phase of talking. There are so many potential downfalls to homeschooling but at the same time, there is a substantial upside as well.…

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Creating a #Sensory Bedroom

This is a collaborative post and doesn’t necessarily reflect the views of this blog or its author. Photo Credit Whether your child is on the autism spectrum or not, their bedroom is essential. It's their safe space to grow and learn. An area that is just theirs, where they are free to explore their creativity and relax. It's décor and design are important. No matter how old your kids are, if they are on the spectrum, you'll want a sensory space for them to enjoy, but you'll also want to know that it's somewhere that they can relax and get a great night's sleep. It can be hard finding the right balance. Here are some top tips to help you. Start from Scratch One of the hardest parts of creating…

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Many people will take for granted that their kids wear clothes, but not this #Autism Dad

It's been a roller-coaster day here in The Autism Dad household. We started the say off with a bang or rather an enormous meltdown (see Autism Parenting Confessions: Does anyone else ever feel like giving up but won't?). It's wasn't fun. Poor Emmett couldn't tolerate his clothes and there was nothing we could do. The school pants he would wear are in tatters and we've been unsuccessfully trying to find replacements that he'll tolerate forever. After things settled down a bit, I told Emmett that we would try looking for pants again today. We ended up at Sears, which incidentally is shell of its former self. I'll be honest with you, I didn't have much hope that would find something because even Lizze's Mom has taken him out looking for…

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Top Tips To Help Kids With Autism Be More Active

This is a collaborative post and doesn’t necessarily reflect the views of this blog or its author. Many families that have children with autism will agree that exercise and activity is a great outlet for them. There have been plenty of studies surrounding the benefits of exercise with autistic behaviors, and that exercise is a great outlet for those behaviors to reduce or even for children to learn discipline and gain self-control. However, it can also be a challenge to not only get your children to take exercise, but also for them to be excited about it. So I thought I would share with you some of the top tips that can help children with autism be a little more active.Image source Making sure you have the right gear to…

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#Autism Parenting Confessions: Does anyone else ever feel like giving up but won’t?

This is by far, one of the worst mornings we've had in a very, very long time. Emmett was in full meltdown mode over his clothes. Emmett's only been able to wear this one pair of pants for the last two school years. Unfortunately, the knees are blown out and are beyond repair. I've stitched them up so many times there's nothing left to hold a stitch. Iron on knee patches aren't an option for Sensory reasons. I wish I could say that I handled this morning with grace but I ran out of patience. I should say that me running out of patience means that I might raise my voice and that's it. This morning, 8 definitely raised my voice and that only made things worse. The big issue…

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