If there was one, special needs parenting related thing that you needed the most help with, what would that one thing be and why?

So,  how do you know when your having a bad day?  I'd say that when you drive your car through the wall of a day care center,  it's a pretty safe bet that your not having a good day.  At least,  when this happened,  they were closed and nobody was injured. This happened a few blocks from my house. I don't know why they did this or how it happened,  ie DUI,  texting etc. However,  it didn't appear that anyone was hurt. When I passed this about 30 minutes later,  the car had been removed and there was a huge hole,  clean through the wall. It just goes to show,  that no matter how bad you think your day is going,  someone else's is going worse.  **Thanks for reading**  …

I've been meaning to write this for some time now.  For some reason, I just never got around to it. I was reminded recently and have decided to share this with you all now.  Over the past few weeks,  I've driven back and forth to Akron Children's Hospital countless times.  Gavin's been hospitalized 3 times in the last month or two.  During each stay,  I had to drive through downtown Akron on a Friday night.  I love my family and wouldn't trade them for anything in the world but goddamn if I'm not jealous of all the people I saw having fun on a Friday night. I remember those days,  although truthfully,  the memories are becoming more and more fuzzy. I miss having friends and going out on the weekends. …

I wanted to share with you all Elliott's latest work of art.  He was playing with Play-Doh this afternoon and sculpted a turtle.  He did a really good job and I'm very impressed with the level of detail in this piece. Oddly enough,  he never named it,  which is,  well...you know.....odd. He always names things that he creates.  Maybe he did and I just missed it.  :-) **Thanks for reading**        -Lost and Tired Please join our Autism Help Forum Look for "Autism Help" app at the Google Play Store 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 is working against me.

Gavin informed us today that nothing we can do,  scares him. He also told us that the reason he listened while he was in the psychiatric unit was because,  "I was afraid they would call security". I'm not sure if this scares me or just creeps me out. Perhaps a little of both. I don't know how to address this. Clearly this means that the consequences we currently employ are not harsh enough to discourage his negative behavior. I don't know what else to think. It almost feels like a challenge..  **Thanks for reading**        -Lost and Tired Please join our Autism Help Forum Look for "Autism Help" app at the Google Play Store This was posted via WordPress for Android, courtesy of Samsung's Galaxy S III. Please…

One of the issues we had yesterday was that Gavin taking things out of his brothers hands.  It wasn't that his brothers were handing him something,  they just had something he wanted. I spoke with him about this but basically choose to let it slide. This morning he did it again. He says that he doesn't know why he's doing that. Could it be simply impulse control issues or something more? Do I believe that he doesn't know why? Yes and no. He's my son,  I want to believe everything that comes out of his mouth. However,  I'm just smart enough to know that I can't. I truly hate the fact that I can't trust him but that's the reality I live in. He always claims that he either forgot, …

Friday was a rougher day for Gavin. He just wasn't listening and couldn't settle down.  When he took a shower before bed,  he flung the wet towel and shattered the light in the shower room. We had several instances that Lizze or I had to confront Gavin for his behavior and also hold him accountable. To his credit,  Gavin kept his cool and while he became frustrated,  he never totally melted down.  I would have to say that's a positive thing. Wouldn't you? It would be really nice if this trend continued and he actually started making better choices. Life would become a bit more bearable.  To be completely honest,  we have way too much on our plate with just his health issues. The behavioral issues only add to the…

I wanted to share some of the security measures we have been forced to take since Gavin arrived home from the psychiatric unit earlier this week. Do to his unpredictable nature and increasingly violent meltdowns,  we have to take precautions in order to ensure everyone's safety. The very first things we have implemented are locks, alarms and a good home security system. It's honestly like living in a prison. There are a whole shlue of keys needed to get into critical areas of the Lost and Tired house.  For example,  the two big ones are the cabinet in the kitchen and the closet in the bathroom. All chemicals are stored behind lock and key in the bathroom closet,  including toothpaste and mouthwash. All medications,  dishes,  silverware, knives and anything other…