Generalization Archives - The Autism Dad

Good News – Painful News

Both boys are home from school today, but they are doing better. I'm feeling pretty optimistic that they will be returning to school tomorrow. Emmett been working in his makeup work and Elliott has been resting. Gavin is doing good and currently sleeping off his morning meds. The only thing on the agenda today is getting Gavin's bloodwork done. We decided to wait until this afternoon, because Lizze needs bloodwork done as well and this way, we can kill two birds with one stone. As for me, I'm feeling much better. My only real limitation today is my back. I just have slept funny or something because my back is out. For the Lost part, I'm okay if I'm standing perfectly straight. Sitting or lying down really hurts. Trying to…

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May 8, 2017

General Update / My thoughts

I’m ready to quit the school year and here’s why

Here's a super quick update before I go to bed. As of midnight, I haven't a clue as to whether or not either of the boys will be in school. I've got Elliott with a fever and Emmett with worsening mouth sores, but no fever. When I say his mouth sores are getting worse, I'm referring to the fact that they have gone from being on his tongue and throat, to his cheeks, lips and gums. He may not be running a fever but he's in a great deal of pain. To make things worse for poor Emmett, some of these sores are constantly brushing up against his teeth. Gavin went to bed not feeling well. He has a low grade fever, and an upset stomach. Lizze's Mom pointed out…

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May 8, 2017

My thoughts

We’re dropping like flies

I woke up this morning with a fever. It wasn't too bad but it was 102°F and that usually means I'm fighting something off. I still had my headache from last night, and on the only day I was able to sleep in, my headache woke me up at 6 AM. Fast forward to this afternoon, and the boys came home. Elliott want feeling well and sure enough, he has a fever now as well. On a positive note, Emmett seems to be fever free. He's 99.5°F,which isn't a fever medically speaking, but that is the temperature the school sends them home from school. We're so close to getting Emmett back to school, I can taste it. Elliott on the other hand, will be home tomorrow. I'm not sure about…

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May 7, 2017

Autism Parenting Woes / Emmett John / My thoughts / PFAPA

The struggle is real and so is the toll

I just woke up from a four hour nap. I feel a bit better but I'm far from being back in my feet. This week has taken so much out of me, but it's also been an unusual week and on that hopefully won't be repeated anytime soon. The fever disorder that Emmett struggles with has interfered with so much of his life already. It seems to literally dictated a large portion of it thus far, and that's not fair to Emmett. When these happen during the school year, it's far more distressing than having this happen during the summer. While I'm caring for Emmett while he's in a fever cycle, I'm not physically experiencing it myself. With that being said, I'm so exhausted from playing my part, I feel…

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May 6, 2017

Autism Parenting Insight / My thoughts

Generalization is a b!tch

One of the most frustrating things for me as an Autism Dad, in regards to my kids with Autism is generalization. Merriam-Webster defines generalization as the act or process whereby a learned response is made to a stimulus similar to but not identical with the conditioned stimulus. In layman's terms it means that if something happens once, it always happen again. Kids with Autism tend to apply this concept to just about everything in their lives. My kids are no exception. In fact, my kids are the poster children for generalization. Let me give you a few examples from recent history, most of which center around Emmett. If something tastes funny this time, it will always taste funny. Even if the reason it tastes funny is because you just brushed…

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May 5, 2017