It’s been a long day

It’s been a long day here in The Autism Dad household. I’m cool with long days because long days don’t always mean bad days. I feel relatively accomplished today. I got the new podcast episode out. I got my three miles this morning and my hour and a half at the gym in the afternoon. The kids are on spring break, and they’re getting on each other's nerves. I need to get them out of the house this week, but it’s been raining for the last few days, and hiking isn’t going to happen right now. Even if the weather cooperated, I had so much work to do. I desperately need the income right now, so I can’t take time off. It’s frustrating. What I really want to do is…

0 Comments

I felt broken and was crumbling under the weight of everything

I don't think I've written much about how I've been doing, at least not in great detail. I’ve shared little bits here and there, but that’s about it. Writing has been much more challenging over the last year, but I’m slowly being drawn back to it. I don’t know where to begin, or if this will make sense. I’m a little scattered tonight but I suppose it will make the most sense to start with the present. It’s tough to open up about where I am and what I’m going through, especially without trying to downplay things. Writing about it is easier than talking about it in person, but it still goes against the grain for me. That being said, I’m working very hard to find my way back to…

2 Comments

A long overdue update

I've wanted to write about how we’re doing, but I suppose the fact that I haven't sort of tells part of the story. So let's play catch up. There's so much to talk about, and I'm not sure exactly where to begin. For starters, the kids are doing pretty well. Gavin's entering into his adult life, is involved with the Board of DD, getting job training/coaching, received his very first paycheck, and is looking for part-time employment. His goal is to move out of the house this year or next. He's a little overwhelmed by all the changes, but he's also excited. He’s come so far. If you’re a long-time reader, you might remember how much he struggled. It’s incredible to see where he is today. Gavin’s 23 now and…

5 Comments

Emmett’s been in a lot of pain lately

Emmett’s been having a lot of back pain recently. He’s been to the doctor and it appeared to be muscular in nature so he was referred to physical therapy. The appointment was scheduled but we had a month or so to wait and it felt like forever. Yesterday, Emmett had his evaluation and they believe it’s muscular as well. He did great and has exercises to do each day. I’ll also now be taking him to PT every Friday morning at 7am through July. I’m not super excited about that but we do what we must and he definitely needs the help. Part of the problem is that Emmett has grown so rapidly recently. He went from this tiny kid who hadn’t grown forever to this giant teenager, seemingly overnight.…

0 Comments

I’m in a pretty dark place and I needed this reminder today

I’m in a dark place right now and I’m trying so hard to work through it. I’m reminded daily by those closest to me, how far I’ve come, and how far my kids have come but I just can’t always see it for myself. I need to focus on it though because it’s keeping me moving forward on days I don’t even want to get out of bed. I found this picture while scrolling through my photos today. It’s heartbreaking when you know the story behind it and while it was happening, people always told me to force him sleep in his own bed but I just couldn’t. For the first couple of years after his mom left, the only way he would sleep at night is if he wrapped…

8 Comments

Learning to Self-Advocate

It’s been a really long day and I’m calling it a night but before I do, I want to shine a spotlight on Gavin for a few minutes. Gavin had a big day today, and I want to recognize some significant accomplishments. I will not go into much detail here because I want to record a podcast episode about this later. Gavin had two appointments today. The first was at the Cleveland Clinic. Gavin’s been dealing with depression, and we were meeting with his doctor to discuss the possibility of starting him on an anti-depressant. I’ve never been a massive fan of medication, despite all the meds Gavin’s been on. I’ve learned over the years that sometimes medication is a necessity to improve quality of life. The proper medication used…

1 Comment