How Mente Helps Relax the Minds of Kids with #Autism

Children with autism spectrum disorder are no strangers to stress, and finding ways to help them relax can be challenging. That’s where Mente can help because it uses neurofeedback technology to promote relaxation, which makes it easier to engage with one’s environment in a positive way. More than that, the device is affordable, easy to use, and provides at-home therapy that can improve communication, lengthen attention spans, and reduce agitation.  Why Mente Is Effective?  People with autism spectrum disorder often exhibit high levels of delta and theta brainwaves (slow waves), as well as an excess of high beta (fast waves). This pattern is mostly associated with inattention, anxiety, impulsivity and impaired social skills. Delta and theta are usually related to daydreaming, dozing, and deep sleeping and therefore the excessive amount of these brainwaves can lead to fogginess and…

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Today’s been a f*cking debacle and I’m wondering how you would handle this

I swear to God, if it's not one thing, it's another. I barely got Emmett to school today because he wasn't feeling well this morning. I convinced him to try for an hour and if he wasn't better, I'd come get him. He's very hesitant to trust people anymore and I'm lucky that he trusts me. I called the school and made arrangements. I explained that he's willing to try but he doesn't want to be trapped there if he isn't feeling better. The agreement was that I would call when I finished walking. They would ask Emmett is he was doing okay and if not, I would come get him. It didn't go as planned. I called and was told that he wasn't complaining of not feeling well. I…

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The boys aren’t doing well this morning

It's been a rough night and a very uncertain Monday morning. Elliott was up well past midnight, unable to sleep. I'm not sure what time he actually fell asleep but he's dragging more than usual today. Emmett had nightmares all night long and is dealing with sinus drainage that's making him nauseous. He's refusing to go to school because he feels like he's going to puke. He needs to get to school. I need to go walking and finish working on this week's episode. This is probably transition related for Elliott and Emmett. They had a great time with their mom and grandparents but it's still emotional and it's still a change. Gavin didnt sleep well either and I'll explain more about that later, because I need to figure out…

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I have some really positive news to share

It's been a long weekend but we survived it. The kids came home from their mom and grandparents about noon. They all seem to have had a very positive visit. That makes me happy for them and for her as well. Some parents might wish ill on the other parent and even hope that visits are a disaster for them. I can understand the anger or frustration but personally, I want everyone to be happy. I want my kids to be happy, healthy and well adjusted. I want them to have a meaningful relationship with their mother. I truly want nothing but the best for her. In my book, positive visits are really good news. It means that everyone is beginning to adjust and while it's a slow process, they're…

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I’ve been a single Dad to my 3 #Autistic kids for exactly 3 months now and here’s the truth

It's been three months since I became a single Dad again and I'm still trying to find my footing. It's not easy to grieve, while being a full time Dad and caregiver to three amazing kids with special needs. This time around, I think I'm adjusting a bit quicker than I did before. Adjusting doesn't mean I'm happy or I'm okay with any of this. It simply means that I'm adapting to the change, nothing more and nothing less. I'm doing okay. I have my moments where I would give anything to change this and moments where I recognize that it's for the best. I also spend a lot of time in between those places as well. Being a single Dad and raising three amazing but challenging kids alone is…

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Is it just me or would this freak anyone else out?

In the good news category this morning, I can share that Emmett made it almost the entire night in his own bed. I say almost because about 5AM he woke up with a nose bleed and was unable to go back to sleep. It wasn't a bad one but it was enough that it took some time to manage. He's fine now. I had my bedroom door shut last night because I slept with my balcony door open and didn't want to freeze the rest of the house. When Emmett came into my room, he apparently startled Ruby because she barked like crazy. That jolted me awake. I threw the blanket off and jumped out of bed. Unfortunately, I didn't realize Ruby was laying there and she got tossed across…

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I’m not f*cking perfect and never claimed to be

This started out as a reply to a supportive comment left on the previous post: A Massive, Overdue and Heartbreaking Update but took on a life of its own and is better suited as a dedicated post. This is basically in response to comments about my parenting and how I'm not doing enough for my kids. It's so easy to stand on the outside looking in and judge my parenting or assign blame but the reality is that there are very real limits as to what I can actually do because the system is broken. Gavin could potentially get into a day program and that's something on my to do list. The big problem is that funding is so limited. Where I live, DD has to be able to match…

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A massive overdue and heartbreaking update

It's been a few days since I've written much and there's a few reasons for that. Firstly, the podcast is gaining traction and it's requiring a good bit of my time. Secondly, I'm having a hard time focusing on writing. Thirdly, and this ties in with difficulties in focusing, I'm struggling in general. With the holidays approaching, I'm beginning to face the reality that my family has been torn apart. It's not like I didn't already know that but the holidays are really important to me. It's like, no matter what else is going on around me, I had my wife and kids. At the end of the day, that's all that mattered. The holidays are all about family and now mine is broken. It's going to be hard for…

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