My thoughts Archives - Page 81 of 1481

#Divorce isn’t easy for any child but #Autism can make it harder

My day is like an emotional roller-coaster. We absolutely had some high points but we also had low points and other points in between. Emmett absolutely kicked ass today and him returning to school full time is the highlight of my week right now. The problem is they are struggling with all that life has dealt them recently. They are very angry, hurt and confused. Divorce isn't easy for any child but kids on the spectrum can often struggle significantly more, for a million different reasons. We are still moving forward but they are very angry with their mom and it can sometimes spill over into our daily lives. It tends to happen mostly at night because that's when they're less distracted and think about it more. I'm trying to…

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February 24, 2020

Emmett John / My thoughts

He totally f*cking did it and I couldn’t be prouder

I'm so excited and proud beyond all words to be able to share with you that Emmett returned to school for the entire day today. He walked out of the building with a smile on his face and seems to be in a good place. I'm so proud of him because I know how much he's struggling and yet he's persevering. There have been a few people that have questioned my approach to Emmett's struggle with school but the reality is, pushing him to return before he was ready, would have only made everything worse. Has he missed school? Of course he has. It was covered under a medical excuse and what matters more than anything else is that he's back. It took some time but my hope is that…

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February 24, 2020

Emmett John / My thoughts / School Related Issues

Sometimes school just isn’t as important

It's a very big day for us in The Autism Dad household. Emmett is returning to school for the full day, starting today. At least that's the plan. I need to sit down and have a meeting with school because Emmett is barely hanging on and while he's returning full time, it's not going to take much to derail that. Emmett's been in a very, very dark place and because of that, school has become incidental. He's absolutely buried in makeup work and he feels his teachers are disappointed in him. I spoke with his therapist and I think the best approach for him to get back into the classroom full time is to forget the makeup work. Emmett has been an overachiever his entire life and received straight A's…

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February 24, 2020

My thoughts

The boys had a really rough day but all is not lost

The boys had a rough day. They're really struggling in regards to their mom and end up taking it out on each other or me. I'm a grown-up and I'm here to deal with whatever they throw at me. I know whats going on and I don't take it personally. What really worries me is how they take out their anger, fear, heartache and pain on each other. There's not any physical altercations but they scream at each other and pick fights. It's more an issue with Elliott and Emmett but Gavin can get his digs in as well. I hate that they're fighting and I understand the mechanics but I'm making a serious effort to help them find more constructive outlets. We're making progress and the trip has brought…

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February 23, 2020

My thoughts

It’s sad but I still haven’t unpacked

My goal today is very simple, or at least it should be. By the end of today, I want to be completely unpacked from our trip. I know we've already been home a couple of days and it's still not done. That hasn't escaped me, but I don't want to dwell on the failings and instead focus on moving forward. Unpacking has inspired me to gut my dresser. I have clothes that no longer fit and while I know they will at some point again, I need to rid myself of them. Focusing on clothes that actually fit me is a better approach. Staring at clothes that don't fit me is depressing and unhelpful. It's not motivating me in any way, shape or form and is actually more discouraging. I'll…

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February 22, 2020

Emmett John / My thoughts

Emmett kicked ass today

I'm really excited to share that we've made more progress in Emmett's journey back to school. This morning was the boys first day back to school since our trip. I want sure how this was going to go for Emmett but he kicked ass. Emmett stayed at school until noon today which is the longest he's made it since before Christmas. On Monday, the plan is to return to full days again. This has been a very long, very challenging process but he's making progress and I couldn't be prouder. With any luck, we'll be able to put this all behind us very soon.

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February 21, 2020

2020 Trip to Orlando / My thoughts

The vacation was amazing but the fallout, not so much

If you don't follow me on Twitter, then you might not know that we recently arrived home safely from our trip to Orlando. I'm working on the podcast and will post the full update about our experience then. I'm hoping to have the podcast ready for this weekend and the post shortly after. Anyway, it's been a challenging transition home and I feel tired and a bit frustrated. Elliott and Emmett are definitely overstimulated and taking their good'ol time decompressing. They're at each other's throats and while it's driving me fucking crazy, it's completely expected. The kids spent a great deal of time in the car and that's after all the excitement of the trip itself. There's really no way to avoid a bit of fallout. Gavin on the other…

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February 20, 2020

2020 Trip to Orlando / My thoughts

It’s been a very long week but here’s where we are

The boys and I have had an amazing experience and we're making our way back home. I'm exhausted and looking forward to sleeping in my own bed and eating something I cook myself. The boys and I with part of the Autism team at DoubleTree. By the time you read this, we should be well on our way back to Ohio. My understanding is that it's at least 50°F colder than Orlando but I don't mind the cold. The kids are probably at their limit right now and really don't want to be in the car any longer. The trip home seems much harder than the trip to Orlando. The hours seems to kinda drag on and the kids are all doing their own thing and I'm sorta alone for…

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February 18, 2020