What does sleep look like for #autism parents?

Parents often struggle with sleep, especially when their kids are younger. Parents of special needs kids struggle with sleep all the time. I'm one of those parents. If I had it my way, I'd be in bed at 10pm every night and sleep straight through until 7am. Unfortunately, my kids don't cooperate with that. They each struggle with sleep disturbances, that we haven't been able to work through. For the most part, Gavin's doing really well with sleep. The issue is with Elliott and Emmett. Elliott claims to be a night owl and needs to be awake at night. His doctor and I call bullshit on that. The issue is sleep hygiene and poor sleep habits. In other words, he needs a better bedtime routine and a reset to his…

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Read more about the article Supportive tips for traveling with your autistic child
Photo by Bess Hamiti on Pexels.com

Supportive tips for traveling with your autistic child

Everyone deserves a holiday, and we all know that the lead up to any vacation is both exciting and demanding. With so much to plan and organize it’s easy to leave an item behind or to forget about something. But as a parent with a child on the autistic spectrum, you’ll fully understand that travelling with them can be a challenge within itself!  Worrying about your holiday being canceled due to Coronavirus restrictions is another aspect of your break you may not have considered. For your guidance, Creditfix has created this infographic detailing your rights and what your next steps should be if your break is canceled. Check it out! Photo by Bess Hamiti on Pexels.com It's easy to feel overwhelmed at the idea of traveling with your autistic child,…

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Exhausting efforts and interventions

It's been a really frustrating day. Gavin's been struggling behaviorally and I honestly don't have the patience to deal with the outbursts. In fairness, Gavin is doing so much better overall and he's come such a long way. I'm incredibly proud of him. At the same time, there are things we need to work on. Gavin has a really short fuse and it doesn't take a whole lot to set him off. Today I was watching Bob's Burgers, and Gavin sat down to eat lunch. He's got this weird thing with shows like this and I'm not sure I understand where he's coming from. Usually, he will get up and leave the room if something he doesn't like comes on. Today he was eating lunch, so he didn't really have…

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Update: It’s been 234 days of #COVID lockdown so far

Life is getting a bit more challenging. For those who don't know, COVID is significantly worsening in Ohio. As of writing, we're a stone's throw away from 3,000 cases a day. There's a nursing home about a mile or so from my house with over 80 confirmed cases. It's really getting scary. My cars still in the shop and will be for a couple of weeks. That's a bit stressful because we truly are trapped at home. It's not like we would be going anywhere, especially since COVID is so bad locally, but looking out the window and seeing the car missing is an emotional blow. Maybe that doesn't make sense.. I've been insanely busy with work related things lately.  I'm trying to get season 3 of the podcast finished…

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A Protective Parent’s Guide to Planning Your Nursery

Do you have a baby on the way? What an exciting time. Your life is about to change permanently - and for the better. There is nothing that compares to raising kids in terms of excitement, joy and fulfilment. Sure, there are some headaches too, but all of that fades away when you see their smile and hear their giggles. Naturally, your baby will eventually need a room to call their own. Today, we’re going to explore how a protective parent should plan their nursery because after all, they are your most precious thing in life. Get a Quality Baby Monitor Any nursery should have baby monitors installed so you can check on your baby throughout the day when they nap and at night as they sleep. Make sure you…

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You may not know this but I adopted my oldest

You may not know this but I adopted my oldest. I don't talk about this a whole lot because frankly, I never really think about it anymore. The only time it's at the forefront of my mind in on October 22 of each year. As it's October 22, or will be by the time you read this, it's been on my mind. I'm not going into the whole back story because frankly, you can read that yourself. Just search the archives, it's there. ☺ On October 22, 2008, shortly after Emmett was born, I adopted Gavin. Gavin is Lizze's son from her first marriage. He was 8 years old at the time and I'd already been raising him as my own since he was about 15 months old. In a…

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I’m trying to give my kids a better me and it’s not easy

It's been somewhat of a stressful day for me personally. I'm feeling very isolated, which is by design at the moment and that's important. The point is, I feel very much alone. It is what it is and I'm doing what is necessary to protect my kids, especially Gavin. I'll continue to do the same as long as is needed, but it's not easy and the longer this drags on, the harder it gets. I'm trying to find a better balance in my life because my kids deserve a better me. I've been working out with some regularity and back to using Myfitnesspal. It feels good to move in the right direction once again. I've not gained any of the weight back that I'd already lost and that's a good…

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