Wow..  Today has been a rather emotionally charged day. The boys were up extremely early and Lizze is definitely not having a good day. It's been one of those days. I received a phone call from Gavin's insurance company this morning.  It was from a case manager and she was going to be in charge of Gavin's medical health (think an advocate for Gavin). Gavin's got a case manager for his mental health as well. Basically, I had to go through his entire story and explain as much as possible, about his health and what's going on with him. These aren't easy things to talk about.  It's not like avoiding the subject makes it go away but having to go over everything again, felt like it was happening for the…

One of the things that I left out last night when sharing what happened to Gavin was a new realization. This realization is going to make things way more complicated going forward. Last night, I realized for the first time that Gavin has become aware of his deteriorating health.  Up untill now, it never appeared as though he was self-aware enough to understand what was going on. However, after talking with him last night, it's clear that he is.  It's not like he understands what's going on but he's getting worried. I asked if he wanted us to talk with him about what's going on with his health.  He said maybe. This changes everything.... Now we have to worry about whether or not he's intentionally hiding things because he's afraid…

Gavin came home this evening from his grandparents, while I was on a business call to Boston. I could see on his face when he walked in the door that something was wrong. I asked Gavin if he was okay and he replied with a yes. Unconvinced, I asked him again what was wrong and he finally admitted that he was having chest pain. I had him sit down so I could get a better idea of what's going on. It was pretty obvious that he wasn't feeling well.  The pain was taking his breath away and so I needed to find out what was happening. First of all, I asked Gavin to point to where it hurts. I have to keep things very, very simple because he's easily confused…

Who needs pants anyway? Clearly not Emmett, at least not this weekend. It's been a little while since Emmett has roamed the house in his tighty whities. In fact, I want to say the last time he did this was shortly before school started. For some reason Emmett has been unwilling to wear anything but his tighty whities all weekend.  I won't pretend to understand the reason behind this weekend's change in apparel.  Perhaps he had a rough week and just needed to kinda let all hang out for a couple of days.  It's clearly sensory because I tried to get him dressed but didn't want to push the issue. I'm hoping that all will be right with the world in the morning.  This site is managed almost exclusively from…

I know this sounds ridiculous but I sometimes wish my kids had come with a mute button. I'm beyond grateful that my kids are verbal but sometimes, the incessant talking can slowly but surely, drive you crazy. All day today, Gavin has been talking nonstop.  He's now integrated My Little Pony into his "imaginary world"  and has been going on and on about their battles.  I'm already running low on patience because the boys got me up so early and it's safe to say that he's driving me nuts. Gavin is spending his time today, sharing every single thought that pops into his head.  Right now those thoughts center around My Little Pony and the game Bad Piggies on his tablet.  I love hearing the things my boys like to…

I know vaccines are beyond a touchy subject for many people, especially Autism parents. I firmly believe that everyone has the right to do what they think is best, when it comes to their kids.  Having said that, I'm a proponent of vaccinating because I know they save many, many lives.  While I'm for vaccines, I'm also for responsibly vaccinating our families. That means, I have a discussion with my kids doctors, prior to any vaccinations being given.  We discuss possible side effects or whether or not there may be any health related issues that would cause a vaccine to do more harm than good.  My entire family is vaccinated. However, we have been known to delay certain vaccines (with the support of our pediatrician) because of either chronic or…

Video News by NewsLook Daryl Hannah was diagnosed with autism as a child.

Parenting tips on how to handle children with autism Understanding Autism Tips for helping children with ASD It is vital to seek professional advice about suitable treatment strategies for people with ASD. The age of the person, and the severity of…