Anyone versed in Autism already knows what a struggle Autism can be. Gavin just got home from his 2nd hospital stay in as many weeks. I went from frustrated with his behaviors to horrified he was in the psych unit to glad he is home. Since he arrived home yesterday I have gone all the way back to frustrated.
Gavin is trying and that’s obvious. However, he is also back to telling me all his thoughts and incessantly talking. The tension between him and Elliott Richard could be cut with a knife. ER is glad Gavin is home but is frustrated at the same time. Gavin isn’t the easiest kid to play with. Gavin is always easily frustrated and now is no different. ER is trying to connect on some level with Gavin and that seems to be impossible but that doesn’t stop him from constantly trying.
Emmett John is not making a lot of progress. In fact Lizze and I noticed that he seems to only retain 2 words at a time. When he does learn a new word he no longer says the old word. It’s like he’s trading one word for another instead of retaining all he has learned. He is also becoming more physically aggressive. He hits Lizze and ER all the time now. Lizze has scratches on her face from EJ. ER keeps getting beaten by EJ as well. They are seemingly unprovoked “attacks”. I think EJ is frustrated cause he cannot talk and so he lashes out.
EJ screams ALL THE TIME. ER screams with him when they are fighting (which is all the time as well). The screaming wears you down pretty quickly. I think part of our problem is the various and conflicting sensory needs. I haven’t been able to figure out how to accommodate everyone at the same time yet. It’s like helping one hinders another.
I used to work 80 weeks as a paramedic and it wasn’t nearly as exhausting as these guys. It’s like 3 full time jobs and no lunch breaks.
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We have summer vacations and meltdowns daily. No school. The boys want to be together but after a while it is getting too much for each of them. They start shouting and screaming and up to now I didn't really find a way how to handle this and avoid the escalation. It always ends up the same. You can make one happy but not the other. When it is getting hard I will put one in the bath tub for relaxing and suddenly…silence…for a while to breath…
We have 2 weeks of summer vacation left until Gavin and ER go back to school. ER will be starting all day preschool and he is very excited. Gavin is going into the 5th grade. EJ will be starting early intervention soon as well. It will be quiet but we will be driving everywhere everyday. 🙂 The tub is a great idea but they all have a thing with water. Sensory 🙁
Oh, I know just how that feels! Even though ours are teenagers we still see much the same when all three are together. It's usually not too bad unless one is manic and the other is in the down phase – then the conflicting moods set off major meltdowns in all camps.
It's a delicate balancing act to please them all at the same time and to establish any sort of quiet before 'bedtime'. I feel for you, and continue to keep your family in my thoughts.
Thanks. That's the problem we have is that when they are all together they seem to really struggle. They want to be together though so that makes it tough as well.