Autism and life

So my sons diagnosis came late in life….for a kid.  He was 15.

Thought we’ve suspected for years he that he was on the spectrum.

So I did what you do, when someone you love gets a diagnosis

I read. and read, and read till I can’t read anymore.

Then I realize we’ve been doing it right.

My son is high functioning the degree of autism varies so greatly from aspergers/high functioning Doctorate earning Temple Grandin down to people who are non verbal and severely mentally/physically disabled

But some of the things I’ve noticed from all the books I read is that the children who have more success …have more structure

1.  set expectations then…follow through(they’ll get there but it’s going to take A Lot of repetition 

2.  practice, practice, practice

3.  Teach (as much as possible) skills of daily living…every day.

4.  from folding laundry(more simple) to balancing checkbooks(perhaps higher functioning autistics) as many skills that we can teach our children the more successful they’ll be in the future

5.  understand and notice their melt down points, do they need noise reduction headphones, do they need special glasses to filter out fluorescent lighting

6.  Give a safe place to melt down and then stick to it,  …You may tantrum on your bed…not in the living room….better yet get them there before the melt down happens

7.  Pay attention, learn their triggers, teach them how to avoid their triggers or deal with them…

Obviously the success of the above depends on the degree of disability of the autistic person.

Many days it’s baby steps…the same baby steps every day

find an outlet for yourself

if you don’t take care of you

you won’t be able to take care of them.

Light it up BLUE for autism awareness

Autism is becoming more and more common
more boys than girls….does that mean it’s a recessive thing??
when girls “get it” it seems to be more severe

is there something in our food source affecting people
our often overuse of medications
medications getting into the water supply from “toilet dumping”
something that happened in the womb???

science doesn’t know though they are examining many theories

we may never know the cause

but what is important is that those of us with loved ones with autism

that we keep reaching out to them, to make connections, on their level and that we try to have understanding that

even though they may not reciprocate in the way we would like

that they know they are important to us and that we love them

as a parent

we must do everything possible to get them ready to function in a world that is not often “autism friendly”

they must learn how to act/adapt/behave in a world that does not always make sense to them
autism is (for my son) a diagnosis, finally a reason for his behaviors, thoughts, actions….not an excuse….

so for that reason…..for awareness……

thank you to all who light it up blue!

from autism speaks :https://www.autismspeaks.org/liub

check out this blog from Dallas news

http://specialneedsblog.dallasnews.com/2015/04/light-it-up-blue-for-world-autism-awareness-day.html/

#LIUB

On April Fools Day

I woke up this morning

unsure what I’d find

I have 3 kids

with quirky minds

I turned on the lights

and what was found

the living room furniture

was all turned around

the pictures

I’d carefully

placed on the walls

were now upside down

well…almost all

the specialty paper

in the bathroom was gone

thankfully

I didn’t turn the shower on

for low and behold

what did I find

on a towel in the tub

the paper for behinds

I love my children

each and every day

but to them it’s a month

not just a day

and so I sigh

and try not to fray

as I patiently wait

for the start of MAY !