Something I have slowly come to realize is that in my attempts to protect my kids from themselves, I'm robbing them of the independence they are capable of having. It's very true that I have to protect my kids from themselves. This is especially true when it comes to Gavin. Gavin lacks common sense and as harsh as that sounds it's the truth. When I say he lacks common sense, I mean that he is oblivious to things that would be obvious to most other people. As an example, if I have something cooking on the stove, Gavin will reach for something, almost burning himself. I never occurs to him that the stove is hot. In fact, I could tell him several times and he would still do the very same…

Today's Victory is brought to you by Gavin.  This one is actually a day late because I fell asleep before posting this. This is a huge,  huge win for Gavin’s independence.  Last night,  after Lizze and Emmett were in bed,  I gave Elliott a bath and Gavin needed a shower.  While I was bathing Elliott,  Gavin asked me if he could do his shower all by himself. Reluctantly,  I said yes and reminded him to be very careful.  I paid close attention to what he was doing. To my complete amazement,  Gavin started the shower and adjusted the temperature,  all by himself.  Then he showered and cleaned up -for the most part- as well.  I'm so proud of him.  That is a huge win in the independence column for him. …

Emmett, my 3 year old is the biggest player of app based games in our house. His current favorite is a game called "Where's my water". It can be found in the Android Market for like $1. The game is really neat. Basically, you have to problem solved in creative ways. The goal is to get the water to the alligator so he can take a bath. Emmett loves this game and is really good at it. There are a ton of levels to play and the developer is adding new levels frequently. Check it out...... Download from the Android Market: Where's My Water

About a week ago I launched the Official Autism Support Forums . This forum Autism Support Forums is an evolution of the Reality Autism Support group I founded on Facebook.  The Autism Support Forums are a huge leap forward from the usual Facebook groups.  I've have worked really hard to provide the community with a safe,  private and judgement free place to go and advice from, or just converse with other special needs parents.  In the last week or so,  80 people have joined the group and there are already several hundred posts. I'm really excited that this has taken off as much as it has. In the first week or so many new forums have been added as well as support for mobile access via the Tapatalk app.  This…

Something that has always bothered me is the parents that shoot those daggered looks of judgement. Most of you know what I'm talking about. When I'm out in public and my child with Autism has a meltdown or is otherwise struggling in the environment he is in at that particular moment. People unsympathetically look at me as though I should do something more aggressive than try and talk my child down or defuse the situation with calm, quite words. Granted, most people don't have the slightest idea what is going on and why I choose to handle these outbursts the way I do. However, is it really necessary to make snide comments about my child needing a firm hand? In the past 10 years, I've heard just about every sort of…

My friend Jeff Stimpson periodically does guest posts here on my blog. I love his writing and love being able to share these posts with you all.   You can contact/follow Jeff at the below locations. jeffslife.tripod.com/alextheboy Twitter: @Jeffslife Books: Alex: The Fathering of a Preemie and Alex the Boy: Episodes From A Family's Life With Autism   ++++++++++++++++++   Opinions   My 13-year-old son Alex and I get into the elevator with a neighbor. Perfectly normal thing to do after the end of a perfectly normal day. The door slides shut and the neighbor says, “Five, please” when I ask what floor she wants. Then perfectly normalcy ends. This violates my new rule of avoiding, if I can, elevators with neighbors when I’m riding with Alex. He still presses the…

The Autism Society and Autistic Self Advocacy Network speak out on the changes coming to the DSM-5 as it pertains to Autism. I would love to hear your thoughts on this :-) The Joint Statement of the Autism Society and Autistic Self Advocacy Network on the DSM-5 and Autism As two national organizations committed to working to empower the autism and Autistic communities today and into the future, the Autism Society of America and the Autistic Self Advocacy Network issue the following joint statement regarding the definition of Autism Spectrum Disorder within the DSM-5. The autism spectrum is broad and diverse, including individuals with a wide range of functional needs, strengths and challenges. The DSM-5's criteria for the new, unified autism spectrum disorder diagnosis must be able to reflect that…

Today's Victory is brought to you by Mr.  Emmett John.  For those of you young children that struggle to sleep in their own bed,  you'll need no explanation. For the rest you out there, this is Emmett sleeping in his own bed. For the Lost and Tired family,  this is a huge victory.  :-) Posted from WordPress for Android