We are not doing well tonight

Things are not going so well in The Autism Dad household. As you know, the boys have been sick for about the last month. It began right before Thanksgiving. Elliott was sick with a upper respiratory infection that required 2 rounds of antibiotics and took over 2 weeks to recover from. Emmett started with something similar about a week or so after Elliott and is going on week 3. He still has a few days left of his antibiotics. On Wednesday, Elliott came home from a visit and spent the evening and most of the night puking. He was feeling better the next day and is back to normal today. About 6 PM this evening, Emmett started puking. He's absolutely miserable. Elliott wanted to be on the couch when he…

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We just can’t win

This is a bit 24 hours late but I wanted to get this out there anyway. It's been the longest week ever. Emmett was in crisis and still sick. He's doing a little better today. There are some medication adjustments that will begin today and hopefully, that will help him. Elliott spent the entire night puking. I'm pretty he's not actually sick but it's rather a combination of extreme anxiety and sinus drainage. It was a very long night but he finally fell asleep around 4 AM and woke up feeling a bit better this morning. He's currently crashed on the couch and trying to rest. My goal for today is to keep him hydrated and make sure he stays resting. I'm exhausted in ways I can't even begin to…

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What You NEED To Know #Autism and #Wandering (S2E11)

S2E11 Wandering is a huge problem in the Autism community and it's reached epidemic levels. Sidra Collins is an Autism Mom and Community Manager at AngelSense. She joins me to discuss everything you need to know about wandering and how AngelSense is working to save the lives of Autistic kids who wander. If you are worried about your child with Autism wandering off, you need to listen. Support This Podcast You can find AngelSense: angelsense.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/AngelSenseGPS You can find me: theautismdad.com Twitter: https://twitter.com/theautismdad This episode is sponsored by Lakikid.com. Visit Lakikid.com/theautismdad and use code “theautismdad” to save 20% on their amazing sensory tools. This episode is sponsored by Mightier. Mightier is an amazing program out of Harvard Medical and Boston Children’s. It uses video games to teach kids to emotionally self-regulate. Visit theautismdad.com/mightier and…

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Navigating multiple trials today and I’m not sure how I’ll manage

It's been a long night and I continue to be exhausted. I couldn't fall asleep until 3 AM. That's the last time I remember seeing before I woke up. Emmett was near me all night and while that may have contributed to my inability to sleep, it wasn't the only reason. Anyway, taking Emmett to therapy in a few minutes and his mom will meet us there as well. Akron Children's just called back and he will be seen there tomorrow morning. I'm not sure he will be returning to school this week, which would essentially mean he's done with school until after the holiday. Thankfully, the majority of this is covered or excused. OMG, I'm so tired right now but there's no time to rest. I'll be so grateful…

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A long overdue update and a request for thoughts and prayers

I'm burning the candle at both ends. I'm sleep deprived and not running on all cylinders. Emmett's really struggling right now and last night he was in crisis. It's not something I will go into details about but I'm currently working with Akron Children's, his therapist and his mother to do whatever we can to help him. He's safe and at home. I'm managing things at home, and that's a huge plus. He's an Autistic kid who's being forced to deal with things no kid should have to deal with. He's been through a great deal this year and doesn't have the tools to cope with all of it. Your thoughts and prayers would be greatly appreciated for both Emmett and Elliott. Gavin can always use them for different but…

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Why it’s so challenging when #Autistic kids get sick

I'm really hoping that Emmett will be returning to school in the morning. We have had our routine out of whack for over two weeks now and we're all paying a price for it. I haven't been able to workout regularly in weeks and the things I can do at home, don't give me the same emotional boost that walking outside does. I think that's part of why my depression is kicking my ass right now. Before I get into this a bit more, I feel like this can be a teaching moment and I'm hoping that by sharing this, I can provide some insight and additional context about some of the struggles that parents like myself face. It can be really hard to manage Autistic kids on a good…

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If only I didn’t need to sleep

It was a rough night. A couple days ago, I pinched a nerve under my right shoulder blade. It's making finding a comfortable position to sleep in, next to impossible. It hurts to breath and cough and even move my head. Not sure what I did but it sucks. I had the mattress cranked up to 118°F and layed flat on my back. I was hoping the heat would help and it sorta did. Unfortunately, Emmett woke up with a nightmare, just about the time I finally fell asleep. He was so shook by whatever he'd experienced that he glued himself to me. The poor kid was shaking uncontrollably and that was the end of me sleeping. I'm exhausted and in pain but otherwise in a good mood. Last night…

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Gavin did the most amazing thing today

It's been a little while since I haven't really talked a great deal about Gavin lately. I suppose the reason for that is that there isn't a great deal that's new. Gavin isn't struggling with everything that the boys and I are. He carries his world with him and his mom moving out has no real impact on him because his life moves on just the same. Having said that, Gavin has made some decisions today and I'm sorta beside myself with amazement. I felt it was important to share this because it's really cool. Gavin spent some time working with my Dad today and when he came home, he proclaimed that he wants to get a job. This isn't something I've ignored but it's just not been something that…

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