Posts

Image
Tears, Yelling, Aggressive Stemming, Hitting, Biting do any of these sound familiar? Who or What is the culprit you ask? CHANGE! yes, change can lead to these behaviors in those with Autism. When writing this I stopped to ask my son about specific triggers and emotions that go with them, he was more than happy to talk about this as he feels it helps people in understanding him rather than judge him. This will be broken down into a couple categories one will be types of triggers and the emotions that are brought on by them, and next will be coping strategies that may help your loved one get through these difficult times. The below triggers and reactions are specific to my son, Yours may look different and that is ok, as a community we can all share our personal stories and learn something new along the way. Changing the Look of a Bedroom On several occasions, we have had to change the look of our son's room whether for new furniture or to make more space. Each time it brought on anx...
1 comment
Read more

Autism And Tragedy

Image
        I am writing this as we are currently dealing with a tragic situation, hard as this is I feel it is important to give my readers an inside look at how my son is dealing with the situation as it plays out. My mother-in-law is currently in the hospital for unknown reasons as to the severity of her illness, she is non-verbal and unable to care for herself she is currently going through extensive tests to get to the bottom of this. As of now, her mental prognosis is bleak but we are hopeful that her medical status will improve. Isaiah my now 23-year-old is really trying to understand what is going on, since the discovery of her illness he has utilized various coping mechanisms. At first, he was asking a lot of questions and wanted descriptive details, although I knew that would trigger him I also knew not telling him would trigger him as well. He then went to stemming regularly humming, walking around the kitchen over and over again, then it turned to fear and an...
Post a Comment
Read more

Organizing Your Homeschool Day

Image
During these difficult times, more parents have been forced into homeschooling, or what is called Virtual Learning. It can be a scary, and frustrating challenge to take on but let me reassure you that you can do it. With a little organization and lots of patience, it can be a success. Below will be tools, tips, sites, and advice on how to stay organized and how stay on track. Beginning this journey wasn't a choice for many but rest assured you can do it!  #1. First and foremost get a planner or calendar (you can find cheap ones at dollar tree or 99 cent store) it does not need to be fancy. A whiteboard calendar would work great, as you can reuse it week after week.  You could also use the templates below as examples of ones to create on your computer. Creativity is key,  you can use stickers, markers, or a points system to keep track of completed tasks. Use rewards as a way to encourage your kids to stay motivated. Create a small bin that contains small toys, trinkets, st...
Post a Comment
Read more

Sensory Issues

Image
Oral/ Taste Sensitivity   Gagging, or a strong reaction to certain foods, refusal to eat certain types of food, crying during meal time, vomiting, biting fingers or other objects, unusual taste preference, and delayed eating milestones are all signs of oral sensitivity. Here are a few useful products that can be helpful in aiding the individual with this delay.  . Chewy tubes, necklaces, and teethers are all great product to purchase you can find some of these products by clicking the links below. Links.    Amazon  ,  Autism Resource ,  Autism Products I have found that using plastic straws helped with my adult son, as the chew tubes tend to look a bit more for children, and my son was not ok with that. . Introduce new foods delicately by first putting food next to their plate, do this for about 1 week. . Week number two put food on their plate, but they do not have to eat it, do this for 1 week. . Have your child hold or touch the food and ...
Post a Comment
Read more

Self Reliance is possible

Image
Raising an autistic adult child has been such a learning experience, it has had its trying times, we have ups and downs, good and bad days, and days we celebrate when a goal is met with courage. We face each day with new hope and fresh eyes as we venture through our son's world. We laugh, we hug, cry, and yes even on really bad days we yell. We understand that there are many challenges ahead and our number one goal is to provide our son with his independence. As an adult, he realizes his differences, and at times that can be disappointing to him. Some days he feels defeated, and hopeless but then there are days when he surprises us by facing his challenges head-on. As parents, it can be an emotional roller coaster, but the moment we step out of our feelings and into his shoes we can then begin to be the support system he needs the way he needs. He is a joy in our life, to say I wouldn't change a thing if I had to do it all over again is a pretty sentiment but not true. Ther...
Post a Comment
Read more

Living With Fibroids

Image
Fibroids! Let me start off by letting you know that I am not an expert on this condition.  Being that I suffered with this condition for around twelve years, I do believe I have some wisdom to offer. Around age twenty three I started noticing severe periods accompanied by pain, not just cramping pain but a resonating pain that would go from my ovaries, to my pelvic area, and abdomen. This was the most debilitating experience to go through as a young adult. My abdomen would bloat up so big that I looked three months pregnant, hence the title of this post. As time went on and the years passed my symptoms increased, headaches were a common occurrence, body aches as if I had the flu, bone and joint pain, and weight gain. My libido went down, as intercourse was so painful. Because this was a condition that had no real evidentiary cures I was left to figure it out and become my own advocate. Below I will give you some tips on how to deal with the pain, questions to ask your Dr, to do ...
1 comment
Read more

Essentials While Your Child Is In The Hospital.

Image
I spent a lot of time in and out of the hospital with my son and one thing was for sure I wished I had a list of things to bring when we first started his journey. Here I compiled a list of things I learned along the way that will be helpful in making your stay in the hospital as pleasant as possible. 1. SLIPPERS Boy oh boy these are so important, you may be thinking how silly but when your child is hospitalized for a good length of time you want to be as comfortable as possible (make sure you buy some that you willing to throw away as you don't want those nasty germs in your home) 2. WATER BOTTLE Preferably a Yeti or something similar that will keep your beverage cold. It is quite weird how you can get dehydrated from sitting in a room all day but you really do, so having a large bottle by your side is a lifesaver. 3. CHANGE Having change comes in handy for the good old vending machines when you have that late-night craving for chocolate and the cafeteria is closed, ...
Post a Comment
Read more