My goal with this post to help the average person to gain insight into the inner workings of a special needs family in crisis. Please know that all of my readers have been amazing. This is more of a guideline post for our physical support group, ie family. When you are special needs parent life can be extremely difficult. Life is also full of really difficult decisions as well.   We are facing one of those decisions right now with our oldest son,  Gavin. Gavin has what is known as reactive attachment disorder. This is a rare and very serious mental health disorder where a child hasn't made the neurological connections necessary for making emotional connections. This RAD causes Gavin to do very harmful things to his family and feel no…

I wanted to update your all on the progress of Operation Hope. As of today, we are waiting on records to be transferred and a few phone calls to be returned.  I have a call into the Cleveland Clinic, requesting their recommendations for Gavin to be put in writing.  They said they would be happy to do that of the need presented itself. Dr.  Patti is working on her letter and so is Dr.  Reynolds. Our wraparound coordinator is working on paperwork we have to have completed prior to meeting with the board about funding.  This is the closest we have been to residential care being a reality for Gavin. I'm really hopeful that we are able to get him and the rest of us, the help that is so…

Today,  we all, with the exception of Gavin, had dinner at my parents house to celebrate my Dad's birthday. Gavin was still at Lizze's parents house so he didn't make it.  I will say that it was a very pleasant, tantrum free afternoon.  We so rarely go anywhere and it was really nice to be able to get away and not have any problems.  The boys very enthusiastically helped Grandpa open his presents. They also helped my Dad blow out his candles as well.  They did come home a bit on the overstimulated side but they don't have school in the morning so I think it was worth it.  This was also the first time ever that Emmett was allowed to eat what everyone else was eating.  That was pretty…

Lizze took this picture of Emmett the last time we were at the park. I thought it was absolutely beautiful and I wanted to share. This is my favorite picture of Emmett and I will remember him at this age forever.  :-)    

Lizze is having a really,  really bad day.  She's in the midst of a fibro flare so bad that she can literally, not move without breaking down in tears. I don't know if it's the weather or the stress of Gavin's behaviors.  Perhaps a combination of both. All I do know for sure is that I wish I could take this away from her. I would gladly trade places with her in a second.  I'm so tired of her being in so much pain all the time and there is nothing we can do about it. One Monday, I'm calling the Cleveland Clinic and getting her in to see a rheumatologist.  When it comes to Fibromyalgia, they are the very best equipped to handle it. Slowly but surely, we are…

I got up at 4:30am with Mr. Emmett John.  He's been getting up pretty early anymore. Shortly after,  Elliott woke up as well. I brought the boys downstairs so that Lizze could sleep.  She does that for me all the time and I wanted to return the favor. For the first time in at east a few days, Elliott and Emmett finally got along. I don't know what's changed to allow for their kindness towards each other today. Maybe they were simply too tired to bicker back and forth.  Who the hell knows.  I'm hoping that this will be a trend going forward. This was posted via WordPress for Android, courtesy of Samsung’s Galaxy S III. Please forgive any typos. I do know how to spell but auto-correct hate me.…

While Elliott was in Youngstown with Grandparents yesterday, he confessed how upset he was that Gavin will be moving to residential care.  Elliott explained to everyone he saw,  that Gavin was going to be moving and how sad it makes him. Elliott won't or at least hasn't wanted to talk to us about Gavin.  I'm really glad he confided in my Dad. He needs to be able to talk about what bothers him.  If not with us, than with his Grandparents. This is a lot to try and cope with, especially for an anxiety prone,  6 year old little boy with #Autism. This was posted via WordPress for Android, courtesy of Samsung’s Galaxy S III. Please forgive any typos. I do know how to spell but auto-correct hate me. Please…