All day today,  Gavin has been constantly telling me what he's thinking.  I mean that literally.  For example,  he says something like this,  dad,  I'm thinking about going up the stairs to go to the bathroom.  Then I'll come back down the stairs. This is just one small example of that he's currently doing.  He used to don't his before and it would drive me crazy.  It's like every two seconds he's telling me something else that he's thinking about. I'm always up to hearing what my kids think but this is straight up exhausting. He also repeats himself as well.  He'll tell me something,  and then a few minutes later, he tells me the same thing again.. I haven't seen this from him in quite some time.  It was…

I was wondering if you have ever missed your life before #Autism? This isn't about feeling quilt for anything.  It's about being honest with yourself and embracing those feelings, if you have them. Personally, there are plenty of times where I miss my old life. Every time I see an ambulance or fire truck driver by, I miss my old life. Sometimes I hear a song that takes me back to college, when life was much simpler. Just because I miss these things doesn't mean that I would want to leave my current life and go back. It just means that sometimes things become so very stressful and overwhelming.  At times like these,  I realize how much simpler life was back then and I miss it. I love my family…

Bella has started this new thing with Lizze.  When she's having a really bad pain day,  Bella climbs onto Lizze's lap and snuggles. It's really amazing to see how animals can pick up on things like pain. It's even more amazing when those animals try to provide comfort. This was posted via WordPress for Android, courtesy of Samsung’s Galaxy S III. Please forgive any typos. I do know how to spell but auto-correct hate me. Please join our Autism Help Forums Look for "Autism Help" app at the Google Play Store

Elliott is going though this thing, where he doesn't like to be alone. Bedtime and nap time have been......difficult. Tonight is no exception.  As you can see below, Elliott is very clearly not in bed. To be more specific, he's on the couch. Lizze and I were knee deep in a super creepy episode of Supernatural when Elliott stumbled down the steps, sobbing. He had no idea why he was so upset, at least he said he didn't. My guess is that he shook himself awake again and went into a panic. Elliott does this purge of excess energy, that looks similar to a seizure but isn't.  We had it thoroughly checked out.  Anyway, this happens mostly at night and the shaking wakes him up to with the sensation of…

I have been fortunate enough to come across a few companies or business that were very friendly to my boys with #autism. I have also had the opposite experience as well. I thought it might be a good idea to share these experiences, both good and bad.  I think it's important to shine the spotlight on the one that are great to special needs families and kids/adults with autism. These companies should be rewarded with our business and we should let others know so they can experience this as well. On the flip side of the coin, it's also important to share the negatives as well so we can avoid potentially bad situations. So.....What businesses have you found to be #autism friendly?        

This is something that creeps up every once in awhile. Someone makes the comment that a child with #Autism can never be successful. My response is the same every single time. I think that if someone believes that a child with #Autism can never be successful, they need to reevaluate their definition of success. I think success is widely open to interpretation.  Personally, I absolutely believe that any child can be successful. The problem lies in the expectations of those that are doing the judging and not the child. I think that too many people define success as money, fame and power. I personally believe that success is defined by reaching ones potential and by getting up one more time than you fall. By that definition, my autistic children are already a…