Please God, help Emmett survive the day

I didn't sleep worth a damn last night. I managed to fall asleep shortly before the alarm went off. Lizze sent me back to bed because she's amazing. Next thing I know, I'm being drafted into a massive battle with Emmett, who's refusing to go to school again. This was the worst morning he's had in a very long time. It was his crocs that were the problem today. He simply couldn't get comfortable and longer this went on, the worse it got. Between several calls to the school and the principal getting on the phone to try and talk Emmett through this, we finally got him in the car. Unfortunately, by that time, we were almost an hour late. I'm more exhausted now than I was before, only I…

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Emmett’s struggle with #Autism is getting worse

I hate to even think this, let alone verbalize it but as time goes on, Emmett's struggle with all things Autism seems to be getting worse. Everything sensory related is so much worse than it's ever been before. His threshold for dealing or coping with these things is almost nonexistent on some days. This is very frustrating for everyone because it means that so many things are more challenging than ever before. I should probably clarify that it's the symptoms of Autism that are worsening. Unless you're dealing with CDD, Autism itself doesn't usually get worse. The symptoms, on the other hand, can, especially when a child is under stress or duress. We are working with Dr. Pattie to help Emmett better navigate his world. This is a major challenge…

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Now his mattress is uncomfortable

It was a rough night because Emmett isn't comfortable for him anymore. He says it hurts his ribs. I'm not sure what that means or how that's possible, but it seems to be a real problem. I'm thinking it's sensory related, that much is obvious but what I don't know is why now? It could be as simple as too much change in a short amount of time. If you think about it, he slept in four different beds while we were on vacation. Maybe that messed him up just a bit?

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Tonight’s meltdown just about pushed me over the edge

We lived through a massive Emmett meltdown this evening. This particular meltdown was in regards to his dinner and it was a doozy, as well as being partly my fault. Emmett is very sensitive when it comes to food. He has major sensory related issues that make feeding him very challenging because the menu of foods that he'll eat is very limited. I was making him and Elliott dinner last night. They both wanted corndogs. The corn dogs have to be cooked a certain way, or Emmett won't eat them. First, we have to microwave it for thirty seconds, no more no less. If the crust cracks, he won't touch it so we have to be careful. After the microwave, the corn dog goes into the air fryer for seven…

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That was a fucking disaster 

Nothing with Emmett went well this morning. All of the clothes we had picked out and he pre-approved would work. Shorts were too small or too big. Either the seams or the buttons irritated him.  His shorts felt weird and so did his pants.  All of these things led to our very first meltdown for the new school year. We were of course late as a result, but he finally was able to work through it but not in a way that met with the dress code. Frankly, I don't care about the dress code anymore.  While he made it to school, he came very close to not making it to school and that's got me frazzled.  I know he's nervous and that he had a really bad nightmare last…

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What makes a corndog inedible? 

This is my life, and as a parent to three with Autism, I deal with this stuff every single meal, of every single day. My goal with this post is to help put into context, what both people with Autism and their families or caregivers, deal with.  The pictures below are just one example of how sensory processing disorder and Autism can impact things like eating.  These are more dramatic examples because the imperfections are much more obvious. Many times however, the imperfections are much more subtle and only noticeable to one Mr. Emmett.  I can see why he sees this as a problem but it in no way impacts the corndog.  In his eyes, this is absolutely inedible and he would never dream of actually consuming this, regardless of…

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Bedtime has become a sensory nightmare

Last night was a challenge once again because Emmett wasn't tolerating a blanket. Everything has to be just so, in order for him to be comfortable enough to fall asleep.  I'm going to be brutally honest here. I didn't even dick around with trying for extended periods of time to help him work through this.  At this point in time, it's more important that we all get some sleep, rather than worrying about the means in which we obtain it.  Like I said, there was no dicking around. I went straight for what we knew ow works and works rather quickly. That approach is as simple as snuggling and singing him to sleep in our bed. For whatever reason, it's helping him fall asleep.  He used Lizze's super soft blankets…

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We’ve been hit with a new #Sensory issue

We've hit an unexpected, but not all too surprising bump in the road with Mr Emmett. I've shared many times how sensory processing disorder impacts his life on a daily basis.  Here are a few examples.  Emmett hasn't worn shoes and socks in over a year. He's worn socks temporarily on a few occasions over the last year but that's all. He will only wear crocs, but not just any crocs. His crocs have to have a smooth insole. There can't be any texture to it, or else he won't wear it.  His shirts have to come exactly to his waist. Any more and it's too big. Any less and it's too small.  He will only wear pants that don't button or snap. He can't do buttons or snaps on…

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