Family Archives - Page 8 of 553

Emmett’s been in a lot of pain lately

Emmett’s been having a lot of back pain recently. He’s been to the doctor and it appeared to be muscular in nature so he was referred to physical therapy. The appointment was scheduled but we had a month or so to wait and it felt like forever. Yesterday, Emmett had his evaluation and they believe it’s muscular as well. He did great and has exercises to do each day. I’ll also now be taking him to PT every Friday morning at 7am through July. I’m not super excited about that but we do what we must and he definitely needs the help. Part of the problem is that Emmett has grown so rapidly recently. He went from this tiny kid who hadn’t grown forever to this giant teenager, seemingly overnight.…

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March 9, 2023

My thoughts

Raise your hand if you’re struggling too

If you’re struggling with parenting your special needs kids, you’re not alone. I’m strugglong too, and this is my story. You’re not as alone as you think.

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March 8, 2023

My thoughts

I’m in a pretty dark place and I needed this reminder today

I’m in a dark place right now and I’m trying so hard to work through it. I’m reminded daily by those closest to me, how far I’ve come, and how far my kids have come but I just can’t always see it for myself. I need to focus on it though because it’s keeping me moving forward on days I don’t even want to get out of bed. I found this picture while scrolling through my photos today. It’s heartbreaking when you know the story behind it and while it was happening, people always told me to force him sleep in his own bed but I just couldn’t. For the first couple of years after his mom left, the only way he would sleep at night is if he wrapped…

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March 1, 2023

Gavin / My thoughts

Learning to Self-Advocate

It’s been a really long day and I’m calling it a night but before I do, I want to shine a spotlight on Gavin for a few minutes. Gavin had a big day today, and I want to recognize some significant accomplishments. I will not go into much detail here because I want to record a podcast episode about this later. Gavin had two appointments today. The first was at the Cleveland Clinic. Gavin’s been dealing with depression, and we were meeting with his doctor to discuss the possibility of starting him on an anti-depressant. I’ve never been a massive fan of medication, despite all the meds Gavin’s been on. I’ve learned over the years that sometimes medication is a necessity to improve quality of life. The proper medication used…

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January 27, 2023

Emmett John / Gavin / My thoughts

How a Dump Cake Brought 2 Brothers Together

It was a really fun day. It was super busy and I had multiple meetings but it was a good day. Things are definitely looking up for us here in The Autism Dad household and I’m so grateful for that. The boys got off to school without a problem and in between meetings, Gavin and I spoke about his new found love of baking. He informed me the other day that he finds baking to be relaxing. As he’s been stressed out a bit more lately with all the transitional changes in his life, he’s been baking a lot more. https://www.facebook.com/100050605414132/posts/pfbid0jvxgB5uzPSv5pxkdsARGhvr4g15UCuKWsNcganyLXbKwkWdU7AM6tzpsD1X1v416l/?mibextid=cr9u03 The other day, someone sent me a recipe for Gavin to try and after discussing it, Gavin wanted to give it a go. He and I went to Giant…

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January 6, 2023

Gavin / Independent Living / My thoughts

Am I the only parent who struggled with this?

I’ve been meaning to talk about this for a while because I think we should be open and honest about this. Here we go. I’ve been very focused on Gavin transitioning into adulthood. He’s almost 23 years old, and this has been a long time coming. It’s also been met with several delays, mainly due to COVID. Anyway, one of the things I struggled with was admitting that Gavin moving out was in everyone’s best interests. It’s in Gavin’s best interest, but it’s best for the rest of us as well. This is where I’ve struggled emotionally with this whole thing. Gavin is among the most amazing humans I’ve ever known, but he’s not always easy to coexist with. His behaviors can be overwhelming and very frustrating for me as…

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December 18, 2022

Gavin / My thoughts

The Journey to Independence: Progress does not require perfection

If you’ve been following our journey, you know that Gavin has come such a long way. He’s doing so well compared to where he was. However, I think it’s important also to state that improvement doesn’t mean perfection. There are still struggles, and they can be challenging to manage. Today was one of those days where I’m reminded of this. Gavin told me he was going to shave this afternoon. It’s hugely positive that he sometimes recognizes and prompts himself to do this without reminders. I’m proud of this little victory, and I told him that. He ate lunch and then went to the bathroom to shave. Gavin shaves with an electric/rechargeable razor. He gets about 80% of the job done independently but still needs help to get what he…

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December 15, 2022

Gavin / My thoughts

Helping My Kids Transition to Adulthood is Challenging

Making the switch from parenting young kids with autism to teens and adults can be challenging. Kids grow up so fast, and their needs change as they get older. The teen and young adult years are particularly tough because the push toward independence kicks into high gear. There are so many overlapping behaviors, and I'm learning that some teen stuff is normal. Autism and ADHD will always play a role, but at the end of the day, they're still teenage boys, and they're going to be going through adolescent boy stuff. My current focus is on helping Gavin to move out of the house and move on with his life. We (my incredibly supportive gf and I) have had several meetings with the Department of DD already, and Gavin has…

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December 15, 2022