#Autism and Potty Training   I'm quite frequently asked about secrets, tips and tricks to how I got my 3 boys with Autism potty trained. I usually answer with something like this: "In a word, patience. It takes lots, and lots of patience. However, in truth, my boys were pretty easy, so I'm not the best person to ask." Potty training is something that is not always easy, especially for parents of kids on the Autism Spectrum and the kids themselves. There are many things that can make this process very difficult. For example, sensory processing issues, developmental status, stress, anxiety and even some good old fashion stubbornness, can all play a role in making potty training an uphill battle for some families.  I think that it would be…

We have made it to our appointment, without incident.  :-) Right after getting on the freeway, Gavin's heart rate kept bouncing between the low 60's and the low 120's. This made us nervous because that means that his body isn't coping with the car ride very well today and we need to watch him closely.. Thankfully, Gavin pulled through okay and we made it without even having to use the puke bag.  :-) Because we arrived early, we first stopped at the Akron Children's Hospital Center for Allergy and Immunology to have Gavin's records transferred to John's Hopkins per their request.  That was a quick and painless process and should be done soon.  Now we're just waiting for our turn to go back and see Dr.  Clark.  The last time…

In but  a few hours, we will be making the trip to the  Akron Children's Hospital Heart Center.  We will be meeting with Dr. Clark, one of the top pediatric cardiologists in the country.  The subject today will be Gavin's ongoing heart rate issues.  Going into this, I am aware that this will be an unusual appointment because while Gavin has heart problems, they aren't actually heart related, per say. Let me get you up to speed so the above statement makes more sense. One year ago this month, something began happening to Gavin that was later identified as the extremely rare form of autonomic disorder that has all but taken over his young life. Our first run in with this was last May (2012),when Gavin was hospitalized for 4…

Like the title says, OMG..... It took me two hours to get Emmett to fall asleep last night.  He had his melatonin and benadryl but still wouldn't give in and let himself drift off to sleep. I sat next to him and scratched his back and patted for what felt like an eternity.  After 1 hour 50 minutes, several muscle cramps and some new back pain, he finally fell asleep.  H-o-l-y crap, he would just not settle down tonight. This kid was literally bouncing off the walls ever since the boys came home from school today.  I'd bet my last dollar that he was just a wee bit overstimulated tonight. He did however, let me brush his teeth without any problems tonight before bed, so that's a pretty big victory.…

Thursday morning, before I went to Akron and while Lizze was at the doctors, Emmett and I played hide and seek. He's really been into hiding a lot lately and he seems to like cramming himself into these really tiny spaces.  We played a few rounds and had fun.  I have to say that it wasn't exactly fair because, while I had some really good hiding places, I also had an entourage of dogs that were parking right next to where I was hiding.  They kept giving me away.  Friggin traitors........ Anyway, Emmett hid a few times and these were the top three cutest and most creative places that he hid himself.  Enjoy.... :-) This site is managed via WordPress for Android, courtesy of the @SamsungMobileUS Galaxy Note 2 by…

Based on countless request this week alone, I wanted to host a discussion on potty training your child with Autism.  This discussion is taking place in the My Autism Help Forums beginning as soon as you are ready to share your experience and ask questions.  :-) Here is the direct link to the thread: All things Potty Training Remember, if you aren't already registered for the forums, it's quick, simple and free.  If you own an android device you can download our app to access the forums while on the go: The My Autism Help app I look forward to learning from all of you and your experience, as well as helping those of you that need advice.  We're all on the same team and we can all help each…

Believe it or not, I fed all my kids tonight and only had to cook 1 meal.  That's pretty friggin amazing for my family anyways.  This is the first time in a very long time that I've been able to feed all three of my boys on the Autism Spectrum with one meal and that meal wasn't pizza. With kids on the Autism Spectrum, especially when sensory processing issues are involved, mealtime can be next to impossible.  Anytime I can make one meal and everyone eats it, I consider that a pretty major victory.  :-) Today, I discovered that all three of my kids with eat plain chicken legs if I cook them on the grill.  I guess you learn something new everyday.  :-) This site is managed via WordPress…