It’s difficult to focus on anything when there are so many things that need my focus

I've said this before, but it warrants repeating. Being an Autism and Special Needs parent is not easy. I can't honestly see how anyone could claim otherwise. Maybe they're stronger than me or a better human than me. Either way, my life is an endless string of challenges, and while I do my best, I almost always fall short. It's always a struggle. I was talking with someone the other day about some of the current challenges I'm facing, and it was hard to put things into perspective for them. That's not their fault and understanding something you've not personally been through is hard for anyone. The reality is, it's very difficult to explain the complexity of the Autism and Special Needs parenting struggle to someone who isn't an Autism…

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It’s been a heartbreaking morning for me

It's been a rough day already, and it's not even halfway over yet. I've been sharing on Twitter about the baby bird I recused on a busy road the other day. It's all on my timeline if you're interested in the pictures and backstory. Long story short, it died last night, and the boys are devastated, especially Elliott. That sort of set the tone for the morning going forward. Shortly after I woke up, I got a call from my Grandma. She was confused, scared, and didn't know where she was. I called my Dad, and we both met at her nursing home so we could help her remember some of the things she'd forgotten. It's really rough seeing her like this and I know it's tearing my Dad apart.…

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My wife has a difficult decision to make today

The boys got off to school in a good mood. I've got to say that was a significant accomplishment, and I definitely needed my walk this morning because I was frazzled. I will be spending the afternoon at the Cleveland Clinic with my amazing wife. She has a follow-up with her neurologist at the Neurological Center for Pain. This is in regards to her chronic migraines. Today we will decide what to do with her new migraine medication, Aimovig. She's been on it for several months now, and it doesn't seem to be doing anything. The standard approach to this is to double the dose if it's not working after a few months. Lizze is concerned that she's muddied the water because of her medical marijuana usage. I disagree because…

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Nothing says it’s going to be a terrible day quite like a massive morning #meltdown

It's not a super fun morning once again. Emmett is not in a good mood, and the whole neighborhood is likely aware of it by now. I don't know what has him so upset, but I wish I did. I hate starting the day like this because it's stressful for everyone, especially the kid in question. Emmett's not trying to be disruptive. He's teetering on the edge of a meltdown. It's like he's fighting to maintain, but whatever is causing the distress keeps pushing him towards the edge. It sucks, and it's heartbreaking because when he's like this, you can't even talk to him. We have a busy day ahead of us, and I'm hoping we can make it through this and get the boys to school on time. There's…

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Why we almost didn’t make it to school

We had a rough day in our house. It began in the morning and revolved around Emmett's new haircut. The previous night, Emmett had asked me to cut his hair really short. He said buzz cut. He's had it done in the past and loved it. Lizze was not too keen on the idea but supported it if it made Emmett happy. I cut his hair with a number five guard on, and it left his hair about one-quarter inch long. After it was done, he had buyers remorse. He flipped out and struggled even to fall asleep because he was so worried about his hair. He did eventually fall asleep and seemed to have accepted the change. However, he woke up this morning and refused to go to school…

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My #Autistic son did the most amazing thing today

Gavin was able to get his blood work done without any problems. In fact, I wanted to share something cool that Gavin did while he was there. It's no secret that Gavin is a creature of habit. He thrives on routine, especially for things that are scary for him like blood work. Today there was a new tech that Gavin had never met before, and instead of freaking out because of the change, he explained how he likes it done and let her draw his blood. Gavin likes the techs to count to three before sticking him and then warn him before taking the needle out. When he's done, he likes his arm wrapped in cling so he doesn't see the area the needle went into his arm. It's pretty…

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As an #Autism parent, my son’s violent and aggressive behaviors are very concerning to me

The boys have been home about an hour or so, and I feel like we've already spent the sanity this break has allowed us to regenerate. Admittedly, it's still not much, but we were a bit saner before they arrived home. 😜 Drama ensued fairly quickly upon their return. The boys reported that Gavin had dropped what they referred to as an f-bomb. In other words, he said fuck. When we asked Gavin about this, he completely freaked out. He stomped down the steps, pointing at his brothers and screaming. It was a very aggressive and threatening reaction. I know Gavin wasn't going to hurt anyone, but that's beside the point. If Gavin reacts that way in public or when he's around people who don't know him, he would be…

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