Autistic Angel Adventures

Best Surprises Even Come In Small Packages

Well 2013 just seems to have kicked off to a chaotic and disorganized start, but then again I can’t remember the last time anything was close to being organized for this butterfly.  Let’s face it, life with two autistic angels can get downright crazy.  They need constant structure and a regular schedule to count on, but there’s always a surprise curve ball that comes out of nowhere!  But despite the up’s, downs, and everything in between, my boys never cease to amaze me with new accomplishments.  Sure, they might be much later than for most kids, but when it comes to autism every little thing is a huge success for these kiddos!

My little Green Eyes has been working on his addition and subtraction with a lot of help from not just myself but his therapists and teacher.  Not always an easy job when he has a difficult time focusing on tasks.  It’s no joke when I say he is a major wiggle worm when it comes to sitting still for homework.  But apparently all the extra time spent with flash cards and drills beyond regular homework assignments has paid off.  He started joining the regular math class this week!  This is huge for him because he has been in the autistic support math for two years now.  Sure being on a new med this year has helped to decrease some of his hyperactivity and increase his focus compared to last year, but he still had to work hard.  I know it won’t be easy for him, but he will still have his 1:1 with him and momma to help in anyway I can.  I’m just so thrilled for him because not only did he progress in his math, but he’ll be able to work on some of his social skills too.  Of course we had to start working on multiplication now, but I’m not complaining, so far neither is he. 

 Two days into it and we’re both having fun with the times table!

As for Blue eyes, every little inch is a mile to me anymore because he’s lower functioning.  Well when it comes to birthday candles for example, he has always needed someone to blow them out for him.  Shortly after the new year began I noticed his fascination with any candles that were lit in the house.  It started off with him trying to blow at a candle from 2-3 feet away, which I admit made me giggle to myself.  But I let him continue at his own pace without pushing him to try harder, but encouraged his effort for trying.  Unfortunately, if I push too hard with him he usually stops trying out of frustration.  But after watching this child for almost two weeks I noticed he has a better determination to accomplish things than last year, and also asks for help when he needs it (PECS and Sign Language of course since he’s non-verbal).  So with enough trials he eventually got close enough and gave it enough gust, if you may, to blow the candle out!  Of course now I can never keep a candle lit for long because he blows them all out!  This momma can’t wait till his 11^th birthday rolls around…I just might be crying tears of joy that day.  Top that one off with a very excited teacher and 1:1 telling me how he independently engaged in a game with a fellow classmate today. 

 If anyone is looking for me, I can be found on cloud nine tonight!

Truly yours,

Heather Joy

Autistic Angel Adventures

Haircut Havoc

So many parents know that all too familiar trip for the kiddos haircut….the child may be nervous at first, but then they eventually get comfortable with the barber/hairdresser, take a few spins around in the chair, allow the cape to be put on and snip go the scissors.  After all is said and done they get a lollipop as they skip out the door happily.   But what if the child is autistic?    Just the sensory issues alone are enough to cause a simple haircut to turn into quite a challenge.

Some angels on the spectrum may be fearful of the scissors, some perhaps can’t handle the sound or feel of the clippers, while others may have a complete meltdown at the mere site of the barber chair alone!  I’m sure many parents try to put off the whole ordeal until they absolutely have to, but eventually the child will reach the point where they have to pull the hair into a ponytail (may  work for a girl but not always for a boy)because their bangs are so long that they can longer see.  No matter what, eventually they need a haircut or even a trim at the very least.  So how do we as parents handle this event?  Perhaps you could explain it to the child a few hours or even days prior, but this may not work for some.  It may take some angels a few haircuts before they become comfortable and even some will never reach a comfort level at all.  There are salons in some areas that are more of a kid friendly atmosphere: toys in the waiting area, special horse or racecar chairs and even a tv/dvd player where your child can watch his or her favorite movie.  But even with all these comforts there are still some angels that just can’t come to terms with getting their haircut….my Blue Eyes just happens to be one of those few.

Trust me, I’ve gone through the times where I say how cute he looks with long wavy hair, I even commented how much he looked like a little surfer dude.  But eventually the hair would hang in his eyes and he would actually be bothered by it.  So I endure whatever it takes to help him through the process.  Unfortunately he is non-verbal and although he understands quite a bit, I don’t find that explaining the process helps him (even with picture books).  I take him to a kid friendly salon where they cater to special needs children too: He gets to have a lollipop before and after the cut, chooses a movie to watch from almost 100 titles ranging between Pixar to Nick Jr to classic Disney favorites, and many a unique chair to choose from.  The staff are so wonderful and accommodating every time we go, that as difficult as some of the visits are, I would never consider going elsewhere.   Being a mom of two autistic children, this butterfly knows to never go on any adventure without a backpack with anything we might need.  The contents consist of such things as favorite toys, wipes, change of clothes, snacks, juice, pecs book, and even extra lollipops.  But even with all the preparation and provisions alas I still have havoc with my Blue Eyes.

This past Monday I had to take him for his haircut again and compared to the last few times this trip was a doozy!  I never go it alone and since the Daddy was at work that day one of the TSS staff accompanied me.  He did not want to even go near a single chair they had, so if you can picture sitting on the floor playing monkey-in-the-middle, that was us.  We tried every possible way to calm him while keeping him from scratching the hairdresser as she danced around us feverishly to cut his hair.  God bless her cause she’s fast and she’s good!   (she’s also known him for 8 of his 10 years!)  The end result?  His haircut looks great, he was a happy kid once it was over, but this Butterfly ended up with some battle wounds.  Now I’ve been through a lot of aggressive times with him to know how to avoid a head-butt to my face or his painful pinches.  This time Momma got bit…not once, but twice!  The first wasn’t too bad when he bit my wrist bone, but when he caught me with a clamp down on my forearm I won’t deny the fact that I cried. I never take it personally, I know he loves me as much as I love him. The biting isn’t him trying to hurt me but merely one way he communicates his fear and anger.  I continue to work on his appropriate communication whenever possible.  So despite my bruised arm, I won’t give up  …if there’s anything he’s taught me over the years, it’s to never give up! And he knows he can count on me for that.

Yours Truly,

Heather Joy

Autistic Angel Adventures

“Ausome” Holiday Moments

Momma Butterfly has had a rough time this month between the holiday craziness, my best friend moving, the depressing news on both TV and internet, topped off by my Blue Eyes dishing out some major meltdowns and many a sleepless night!  I’ve been feeling like a piano that’s in need of some re-tuning.  But despite all the holiday hoopla, the stockings were hung, the cookies were baked and Santa came to town without fail.

The holidays usually are a dreaded time for many parents of autistic angel’s as autism can make life so unpredictable.  Any change in routine for that matter can cause several issues such as sleep routine being altered or an increase in agitated or aggressive behaviors.  So every good moment is a blessing for us that never goes unnoticed or without gratitude.  We try to make plans, and even prepare for the worst, but when our angel’s surprise us with a good day we just can’t help but brag!

Today I planned an outing with my boys to venture downtown to enjoy some of the holiday festivities the city has to offer.  This included a ride on the bus and train, walking around downtown and a Christmas light show at Macy’s. Of course none of this would have been possible if not for the help of their wonderful therapists who accompanied us today.  You see, for some it’s not a big deal to take two children on an outing but for a parent to take two autistic angel’s with several social and behavioral issues can be quite a challenge.  Not only did my boys surprise me with being well behaved on the bus and train but they sat thru the twenty minute light show with an awesome focus and attention to make this momma proud.  Seriously, I’m happy when I can keep their attention on a five minute task!   It was wonderful to be able to sit with my boys and share in their enjoyment instead of chasing them around the store as I’ve experienced in years past.  The smiles on their faces and sparkle in their eyes made my heart just glow inside.  To see an autistic child enjoy something they have had difficulty with in the past is truly a magical moment; to some this may seem simple but to an autism parent it’s really a milestone!

Yours Truly,

 Heather Joy

Autistic Angel Adventures

Make-Up Monday

Some of you may have noticed I haven’t been here for a while; I apologize for the sudden disappearance.  My life has been so chaotic for the past two weeks that I had no time (or energy for that matter) for getting on the computer.  I had planned to be back on Motivating Monday but due to my Green Eyes having a nasty stomach bug on Monday, I’m now making up for Monday today!  At least I’m trying to, he’s home sick from school again today and you know how much gets done when an angel is underfoot, right?

Autistic Angel Adventures

Let It Snow!

Good morning to all of you!  I hope everyone had slept well, those with autistic angels need no explanation of the phrase “sleep deprivation”.  Well, I myself have been awake since 2:30am…but Daddy and the boys were sleeping soundly when I got up.  Allow me to explain: for some reason I awoke with a feeling that something just wasn’t right.  So I stumbled through the darkness towards the kitchen and flipped on the light, when what did my wandering eyes find before me?

Autistic Angel Adventures

Button Love

Part of the reason I started this blog was to talk about my adventures in life with my two sons who are autistic.  I hope by sharing my ups, downs, and everything in between I can help spread awareness and understanding, perhaps even encourage others to talk bout their experiences.  The other reason was to share my creative and artistic side on the web.  This has been a long time wish of mine; I have such a love for art!  I always wanted to venture into a career in art, but years ago I chose to pursue my love of Nursing.  So now’s my chance to combine both goals into one through this blog.

I have only been blogging for a little over a month now, but I have followed many blogs for quite some time.  One of my favorite things I enjoy looking at is all the other bloggers creativity and inspiration that they share.  But there is one difference I’ve come to notice between the autism blogs and the DIY/Craft/Art blogs.  Most bloggers create blog buttons to share amongst themselves.  Each one is created to be unique to their particular blog.  These buttons, as I understand it, are shared to connect with others who have similar interests.  But I have noticed that of the many autism blogs I follow, very few have blog buttons.  This got my butterfly wings fluttering with some ideas.  I would like to use a blog button idea to connect with autism bloggers as the other bloggers do.  I would really like to get some feedback from others on this idea if possible.   I understand some of you run your blog as more of a personal journal or venting space. I would like to perhaps make a page in my blog where I could display buttons from other autism bloggers.  I would hope this would not only attract more readers for my blog as well as yours, but increase the autism awareness in blog land.  Of course this is still a project in the beginning stages, but its progress depends on the participation of others.  Please let me know if anyone is interested!  You can contact me through Email or Facebook, or even drop me a comment below.

For those of you who follow my Autistic Angel Adventures, I have created a button just for you to share (copy and paste code are located in the sidebar) Please feel free to copy and paste it on your page to share with your readers; if any of you have a button as well, please let me know so I can grab it to share also.  Help me spread the love for all of us who have autistic angels in our lives!  Thank you for helping me on this adventure to connect with others.  I do this not just for myself, but for my boys in hopes to make a brighter future ahead for them!  Keep spreading the awareness!  Thanks again

Yours Truly,

Heather Joy