Read more about the article Watch John Oliver’s powerful and informative advice on #vaccines
#Autism Discussions / Vaccines

Watch John Oliver’s powerful and informative advice on #vaccines

Watch the brave John Oliver's powerful advice on #vaccinesI'm a huge fan of John Oliver's Last Week Tonight. Not only is he funny, but he takes on real life topics and does so in a way that presents the facts. He's brought about actual change as a result of some of the topics he's taken on. While his topics tend to be political on nature, they range from anything coal mining to standardized testing. This past Sunday however, he took on a subject that not only impacts the Autism community, but also the rest of society in general. Watch the video below and see how John Oliver takes on the topic of vaccines. The benefits of vaccines far outweigh the minuscule risks, but some parents still question their safety. John Oliver…

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June 27, 2017
Read more about the article Father’s Day is more than just ties and cookouts
Inspirational Posts

Father’s Day is more than just ties and cookouts

First of all, Happy Father's Day to all the Dad's out there, pulling their weight and actively involved in their kids lives. I also want to say Happy Father's Day to all the single Mom's out there pulling double duty and filling the role of both parents. I have nothing but respect and admiration for you. :-) I know Father's Day is a day where we celebrate Dad's. There might be presents or cookouts, and those are awesome, but I ask that you keep something else in mind as well. Father's Day should also be a day that we as Dad's, remember how important of a role we play in the lives of our children. It's so important to be present. It's equally important that you be actively involved, a good leader,…

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June 18, 2017
Read more about the article No super annoying YouTube shows
My thoughts

No super annoying YouTube shows

So we are hanging out at our parent's house, chillin' with their dog, and bogarting their internet for a little while. :-) It hadn't occurred to me until now but there is a huge upside to not having the internet at our house. No internet means no super annoying YouTube show's, played at high volume because life isn't hard enough, without having to listen to Pat and Jen (Emmett's favorite show). As soon and as they connected at my parent's house, all that noise came flowing back in our direction. Anyway, we're going to be here for a little while, and leave after feeding the devil dog. The plan is to go to the garden center and let the kids play for a bit. I think they will probably head for…

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June 17, 2017
Read more about the article Why I’m so proud of my wife
Lizze / My thoughts

Why I’m so proud of my wife

Lizze finished her first round of classes this week and immediately began the second round. Rather than going to class four days a week, she's down to two days a week. This is nice for a couple of reasons. First of all, it's easier on her. These classes are very intensive and both physically and emotionally depleting. They serve a very real purpose but it called intensive outpatient therapy for a reason. The second reason it's nice that she's down to twice a week is that we get to have her home more often. I know these classes are really important for her overall emotional health, but we miss her when she's gone. She typically comes home exhausted and in need of a break, which sorta takes her away from us again.…

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June 16, 2017
Read more about the article Some creative ways of meeting my kids sensory needs
Some creative ways of meeting my kids sensory needs
Emmett John / My thoughts / Photography / Sensory

Some creative ways of meeting my kids sensory needs

  I'm trying to find some creative ways to help meet my kids' many sensory needs. The idea is to find constructive ways to getting a sensory fix, without destroying our house. lol In the picture above, Emmett is running this rock wall, like it's an obstacle course. He loves it, and it seems to help him get what he needs. Unfortunately, he wants to continue increasing the difficulty level. The challenge for me is finding ways to do that without making things too dangerous. For now, this is working and it will buy me a little time... :-)

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June 4, 2017
Read more about the article What took place in this picture was absolutely heartbreaking
What took place in this picture was absolutely heartbreaking At therapy tonight, Gavin wanted to bring us up to speed on his missions. It's important to understand that these missions are related to his Schizophrenic hallucinations, and done with a team that only he can see. It was heartbreaking to hear the depths of his delusions anymore. Dr. Pattie and I just looked at each other in disbelief when he was finished with his debriefing. He had talked nonstop for almost twenty-minutes, without taking a breath. It's gut wrenching to see where his mental health has taken him at this point. I wish there was something that we could do, besides love and care for him, but sadly, that's all we can do. I'm a fixer by nature and this is something that can never be fixed..
Photography

What took place in this picture was absolutely heartbreaking

What took place in this picture was absolutely heartbreaking. At therapy tonight, Gavin wanted to bring us up to speed on his missions. It's important to understand that these missions are related to his Schizophrenic hallucinations, and done with a team that only he can see. It was heartbreaking to hear the depths of his delusions anymore. Dr. Pattie and I just looked at each other in disbelief when he was finished with his debriefing. He had talked nonstop for almost twenty-minutes, without taking a breath. It's gut wrenching to see where his mental health has taken him at this point. I wish there was something that we could do, besides love and care for him, but sadly, that's all we can do. I'm a fixer by nature and this…

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May 24, 2017
Read more about the article Things I do to manage my #Autism Parenting Stress
While we were at the park today, I spent some time taking pictures of the many flowers that are living there. The last time we were there, we saw an elderly couple working in the garden, and they did an amazing job. I wish my yard looked even a tiny fraction of how good this huge garden does. I'm feeling motived to work in the yard this summer, and make things look as nice as they possibly can. We're somewhat limited because of funding and where we live, but I'm all about making the best of what we have to work with...
Autism Parenting Advice / Family Time / Photography

Things I do to manage my #Autism Parenting Stress

One of the most important things an Autism parent can do is take care of themselves. I wanted to share one of the things I do in order to better manage my stress. While we were at the park today, I spent some time taking pictures of the many flowers that are living there. Taking pictures relaxes me and helps me to put things into perspective. While we were at the park today, I spent some time taking pictures of the many flowers that are living there. The last time we were there, we saw an elderly couple working in the garden, and they did an amazing job. I wish my yard looked even a tiny fraction of how good this huge garden does. I'm feeling motived to work in the yard…

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May 22, 2017
Read more about the article Gavin’s favorite place
Gavin's favorite place. I love the fact that Gavin has a favorite place to sit and enjoy nature. This is at the Canton Garden Center, and he sits here watching the fish swimming at the surface of the little pond. He also seems to enjoy the calming waterfall as well. Do you have a favorite place to just zen-out?
Awesome Stuff / Gavin / Photography

Gavin’s favorite place

I love the fact that Gavin has a favorite place to sit and enjoy nature. This is at the Canton Garden Center, and he sits here watching the fish swimming at the surface of the little pond. He also seems to enjoy the calming waterfall as well. Do you have a favorite place to just zen out?

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May 22, 2017