Family Archives - Page 9 of 553

Every victory matters

It has been a little while since I've shared a victory. Okay, I know. It's been a lot longer than a little while, but better late than never. Today's victory goes to Gavin, and honestly, he blew my mind with this one. Gavin has always been heavily influenced by those around him, especially his younger brothers. He picked up Emmett's habit of constantly asking me if I was okay. I know he means well, but it's compulsive, and it's not uncommon for him to ask me a dozen times a day. It gets annoying sometimes because the repetition wears thin, and I'm hearing it from him and Emmett. I try to be patient, but sometimes it's tougher than others. Anyway, Gavin walked into the living room today and, like clockwork,…

2 Comments

December 13, 2022

My thoughts

This was once my worst fear

It’s hard to believe that we’ve been dealing with COVID for almost 3 years now. So much has changed during this time. COVID has become a part of everyday life that it’s even been incorporated into our favorite TV shows as well. I’m still not used to that one. LOL If you’ve been reading for a while, you know how hard I worked to shield the boys and I from the pandemic. Gavin is immunocompromised, Elliott has asthma, and even though Emmett and I don’t have anything that really puts us at greater risk, we still didn’t want it. Elliott ended up testing positive earlier this year and that was our first bout with COVID in our house. Everyone else managed to avoid it at the time. Fast forward to…

2 Comments

December 10, 2022

My thoughts / Parenting Resources

My Autistic Son Voted for the First Time: Here’s My Takeaway

Last week, my 22-year-old autistic son voted for the very first time. It was a momentous occasion for him. Seeing him exercise his right to vote was an emotional experience, and it got me thinking about what we can learn from his voting journey. Here are a few takeaways that I wanted to share. I also sat down with Gavin, and we talked about his experience on a recent podcast episode. You can also read my previous post about tips to help our kids vote by clicking here. The Importance of Accessibility One of the biggest barriers to voting for people with disabilities is accessibility. What many of us fail to realize is that accessibility to voting starts at home. It's so important that we, as parents, talk to our…

0 Comments

November 6, 2022

My thoughts

4 Tips To Help Your Autistic Child Vote

I've recently helped my adult autistic son exercise his right to vote. I recorded a short podcast episode about this journey, and it's embedded below. I wanted to follow up with some practical tips that helped me to ensure my son was able to vote in this election cycle. Everyone's situation is different, but if your son or daughter is of age and they wish to partake in democracy, this might be helpful. It's important to remember that people with disabilities, including autism, have the right to vote. However, voting can be a complicated process, and some people with autism may need assistance to exercise their right to vote. Register to Vote The first step in the voting process is registering to vote. In most states, this can be done…

0 Comments

October 30, 2022

My thoughts / Parenting Resources

When someone doesn’t support your child’s diagnosis

Over the last 20 years, I've had experiences with both of these situations, and I've had to learn some things the hard way. I want to share some insights to help you navigate some of these things.

1 Comment

October 15, 2022

Link / My thoughts / Parenting Resources

Talking to Your Kids About Autism: What You Need to Know

If you're a parent, chances are you've already had or will be having difficult conversations with your kids. It's part of being a parent, and we all go through this, especially if we're parenting to kid with autism.. What happens when it's time to talk to your kids about autism? How do you even begin to talk to your kids about something as complex as autism? Maybe they've recently been diagnosed themselves and have questions. Perhaps there's someone in their life who's autistic? Whether it's a friend, a classmate, or a family member, here are some tips on how to approach the topic. Please remember that this is just my opinion based on my experience. Everyone's situation is different, and there is no one size fits all approach to this.…

1 Comment

October 12, 2022

My thoughts

Parenting sometimes requires a freakish level of flexibility

I've been struggling as a parent for the last couple of weeks. I was pretty stoked about the new school year cause everyone seemed excited, or as excited as possible to go to school. I had already figured out a plan of attack in regard to balancing work and finishing projects around the house. Now I find myself in limbo because I'm waiting to find out what's going on. Emmett has been added to the mix, and now I have both boys in need of change that will require much more of me, and frankly, it's a little overwhelming. I feel like I was getting my footing, and now, I have no idea what's going on. The reality is that they will most likely be transferred to the online academy…

0 Comments

September 7, 2022

My thoughts

Dipping into my reserve of patience

I mentioned yesterday that Emmett was not doing well in school. I was caught off guard because I thought he was doing great, and academically he is. Unfortunately, he's struggling emotionally and didn't want to tell me because he was afraid I'd be disappointed. Last night I emailed his school guidance counselor and explained what was going on. She emailed back this morning and said that they were going to process Elliott and Emmett's transfer request together. I also heard back from Dr. Pattie, the boy's therapist. She is forwarding the letter today. I hope we can get this all done before the end of the week. I don't want this floating out there for too long, and the boys need to get started on their new routine. This was…

0 Comments

September 6, 2022