We had a really, really, really close call today

Elliott and Emmett were both in rare form today. I spent a large part of my time, trying to slow them down, in order to keep them from hurting themselves.  We made it all the way to dinner time without incident but then it happened.  Elliott and Emmett were chasing each other around in circles through the living room, kitchen and dinning room. I told them to stop countless times but they were pretty amped up because they were going to do some back to school shopping with their Mom and Grandma in a little bit.  Next thing I know, Elliott is screaming because he tripped and fell.  Initially, I thought he had just sprained his wrist because that's all he was complaining about. Then I saw his forehead and…

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#Autism and #anxiety are kicking my butt today 

Anxiety often goes hand and hand with Autism. My kids on the spectrum are no exception and struggle with anxiety almost every single day.  As a parent, this can really take its toll after awhile because it's a constant game or putting out fires.  For the last few hours, Elliott has been struggling because he's hungry but can't decide what he wants. The only thing he's willing to eat at this point is pancakes and I don't have everything needed to do that.     There's plenty of other options but he simply won't budge off the pancakes that I will not be making.  It's tough because a large part of this is outside of his control but at the same time, he's trying to guilt me into giving him what…

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Helping my son manage his anxiety by exploring nature

It was another anxiety filled day for my middle minion Elliott. We've had more challenging days in the past but we've also had better.  My efforts to help him manage his anxiety were met with success today once again.  When Elliott reached a tipping point with his anxiety, we went out side to explore some of what nature has to offer within the confines of our own backyard.  I've found that encouraging and supporting his natural curiosity when it comes to animals and nature has proven to be a very healthy way for me to help him manage his anxieties.  When he's exploring, he relaxes and just focuses on the possibilities of what he might find during his adventure.  Regardless of the why's, he finds relief in a healthy, non-self-destructive…

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How I’m helping my son with #Autism manage his #anxiety

Every once in awhile, I come up with a way to help my kids learn to better manage their inherent anxiety, in a healthy way. This doesn't happen all that often but whenever it does, I feel pretty damn good.  I've been trying to help Elliott manage his extreme anxiety but that's proven to be quite difficult because he's an emotional roller coaster and the reasons for his anxiety are completely understandable.  For the last few days, I've been breaking up Elliott's day by taking him outside and letting him explore nature within the confines of our property.     When I was a kid, I could have spent all day, turning over rocks, exploring fields and walking creek beds in search of Mother Natures little creatures. When it comes to…

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