Read more about the article I made more weight loss progress today
Autism Parenting Advice / Fit4Autism / My thoughts

I made more weight loss progress today

For the past few days, it's been raining here in Northeast Ohio. The old me would have used that as an excuse to stay home and not go walking. The new me still wasn't excited about the idea of walking in the rain but I did anyway. This morning it was in the 50's (°F) and the rain made a chilly walk but I went. I keep seeing progress and that helps to keep me going. When I stood on the scale this morning, I saw the number 305 staring up at me. I'm officially down 35 lbs over the last six months or so. Slow and steady but sustainable. ☺ I'll probably be walking in the rain again today, depending on how hard it's raining. Anyway, I hope all…

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September 10, 2018
Read more about the article It’s a bad day but this is how we’re going to move forward
Autism Parenting Advice / Day Trips / Family Fun / My thoughts

It’s a bad day but this is how we’re going to move forward

I'm desperately trying to change the course of our day for the better. The boys want to go back to Quail Hollow and go hiking today. I don't exactly feel up to doing that and I know Lizze is still a bit under the weather. Having said that, it's a very positive activity and it gets them away from their tablets. They may take them with us for the sole purpose of taking pictures, and I'm okay with that. If we do end up going, I think we'll take Ruby with us. She'd have a great time and that's something we couldn't easily do with Maggie. She was way too big to load in the car and people don't always react well to pits. This will help to make a…

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July 9, 2018
Read more about the article The #1 most important thing we need to balance as #Autism parents and it’s not what you think
Autism Parenting Advice / Inspirational Posts / My thoughts

The #1 most important thing we need to balance as #Autism parents and it’s not what you think

One of the more difficult things an Autism family can deal with is going out in public. This has nothing to do with shame or being embarrassed. It has to do with not expecting more from a child then they are capable of. Kids and adults with Autism can often struggle from things like Sensory Processing Disorder and anxiety. These can make going anywhere, very difficult for them. As parents, we don't want to put our kids through anymore then we have to and so many times, we avoid going places. While that tends to make life easier in some ways, it makes it harder in others. I've said this a million times but when you're an Autism parent, problem solving is often very complicated. It's not easy to find…

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June 21, 2018
Read more about the article Can pets have a positive impact on kids with #Autism?
Autism Parenting Advice / My thoughts / YouTube Video

Can pets have a positive impact on kids with #Autism?

I'm frequently asked about whether or not I think pets can have a positive impact on kids with Autism. I decided to make today's video on this very topic and hopefully it helps to answer some of your questions. Again, this is based on my experience over the last 17 years, but every family is different. What works for my family may or may not work for yours. This is intended to simply answer the question and provide you with some things to think about, prior to making a decision adding a pet to your special needs family. This is not meant to be a philosophical debate over whether or not a special needs family should take on the added responsibility of a pet. It simply discussing the whether or…

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May 17, 2018
Read more about the article Even Daddies make mistakes and need to apologize
Autism Parenting Advice / Inspirational Posts / My thoughts

Even Daddies make mistakes and need to apologize

Today was one of those days where I feel like a parenting failure. There wasn't one specific thing that contributed to me feeling like this but rather a culmination of things. The boys were being the boys. They were loud, hyper and testing my patience. Gavin was being Gavin and that means he was talking non-stop about his games or the games he's saving up for. He's become much more sensitive lately and he reacts to stress in a not so positive way. That is very frustrating for me. I just didn't have the patience that I should have had today. I was short with the kids on several occasions and I let their behavioral challenges get to me. No ones perfect, least of all me. I've had a difficult…

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March 11, 2018
Read more about the article Important advice for new and experienced #Autism parents
Autism Parenting Advice / Inspirational Posts / My thoughts

Important advice for new and experienced #Autism parents

Being an Autism parent is difficult, in every sense of the word. I have good days where I feel like we make forward progress and I'm filled with hope. I also have bad days where it can seem like moving forward is an impossible task and giving up is a reoccurring thought I can't get out of my head. Sometimes I have days that are somewhere in between. Something that I learned early on was the importance of being positive. Being positive doesn't mean that I sugar coat anything or try to see the things in my life through rose colored glasses. While that may put a more positive spin on things, it wouldn't be truthful and therefore unhelpful to anyone, including myself. In my experience, being positive means celebrating…

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February 28, 2018
Read more about the article How helping others helps me to cope with being an #Autism parent
Autism Parenting Advice / Inspirational Posts / My thoughts

How helping others helps me to cope with being an #Autism parent

This may sound like it would be counterproductive, but one of the best ways to cope with the stress of being an Autism parent is to use your experience to help others. That's sound crazy right? I know it does but let me explain. When I first began my Autism parenting journey almost seventeen years ago, the stress was unbearable. I was on edge all the time and barely slept. I didn't know what to do and felt like I was completely lost in the dark, trying to find my way. I began blogging under the title Lost and Tired. It was basically a digital journal that helped me to process things. I could write about what I experienced or how I felt and walk away from it feeling lighter.…

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February 12, 2018