There are so many things that can be said today, as there is so much that is running through my mind. The the people that are circulating in my mind the most today are the voices that speak out for autism. The people who have autism and have found their voice. The parents of those raising autism. Those are the ones that help me to understand my child.
First up on the list we have Carly Fleischmann. Most of you have heard of her. She went from a kid and teenager who couldn't speak at all to communicating through the computer. She shared a part of her world that most parents who have ASD kids don't really know about. Sensory is a fickle beast but she explained the reasons why she does what she does so we as ASD parents can better understand what our children are going through and why.
Last year Carly decided to have shock treatment to combat her OCD. Now shock treatment is not something I would even consider for Doodle and each of us have to walk a fine line of what type of treatment we want to obtain for ourselves and children. It's not for me to say hey you don't need to do that. Well, Carly found herself back where she didn't want to be and that was locked in her brain. We as parents fight so hard to get our kids out of that area, that a set back like that is truly heartbreaking. As of now, September, Carly has been making great strides to pull herself out and is even now starting to really progress again. It will take time but I can assure you that Carly will be back to helping those that seek her help.
The most famous of all Autism specialists for us in the ASD world is Dr. Temple Grandin. She's the model that I follow. Doodle wants to be a doctor and before Temple, I never would have thought it was even possible. Just knowing that there is a doctor with Autism Spectrum Disorder gives me hope that Doodle will be able to be a doctor and even her autism won't hold her back.
Now Dr. Grandin when she speaks at conferences shares many ways to help combat sensory issues. From tinted glasses to how to work on the sensory of sound so children can better adjust to the world that really wasn't made for them. I will admit that watching Dr. Grandin on youtube is extremely helpful and worth sticking around for the full 2 hours or more. And if you haven't seen her movie it is a must to see! Her movie changed the way I viewed my child. It changed it because before I thought my child grasped the world like I did. But when I found out that she saw things differently then I did and even thought differently then I did, it changes how you see them. I have a better understanding of how Doodle's mind works and I have to stop and think about how something may be affecting her.
How is she viewing the world? How is the sound being interpreted in her mind? Sometimes we need to take a step back and view things through our child's eyes and senses. Face it, it's much like math. Sometimes there's many different ways to tackle the math problem. Such as adding everything or multiplying to get the answer or subtracting or possibly even dividing.
Such as the case in point. Doodle and I were walking yesterday. I was a little miffed with her because not 30 minutes ago she had spit on me while I was hugging her and telling her how much I loved her. All I heard was a hocking sound and then she spat on my neck. I'm a mom, I have to be strict. She did get into trouble and I did tell her she is not allowed to spit on anyone, it is gross. No spitting. When I'm upset Dana feels my upset. And that makes a huge impact on her. It's emotions that she feeds off of. That's how she learns about emotions.
Well, it was a some what quiet walk. I still answered her questions she asked, "What's that?" And yes I get asked that question a lot. I used to answer with what it was, now I reply with, "What does it sound like?" She will tell me. Even if she tells me the wrong sound I will correct with a no and have her continue with guessing until she gets it correct. As we were almost home she was walking on the grass at the edge of someone's yard (same house of the kids who tortured her with verbal assaults) and I could hear the sound of the grass crunching under her feet. I thought, "This is so loud. Is this how she hears the world?" From there I could hear how loud her foot steps and even my foot steps were on the asphalt. Normally, it's not something I would hear. I guess I drown out the world, but she can't do that. It was an eye opening experience. The sounds being so much louder then they ever have been before.
And last I want to mention Kreed, from Kreed's World, A complex journey through autism. Yes, I love following Kreed. His mother and I are somewhat similar as we demand that our children communicate with us. He uses his iPad to communicate and will sometimes use Doodle's communication book. (Only if she's having trouble finding the words.) Kreed has been through a lot in the past couple of months with his health. But I see a lot of Doodle in him. Autism is not an easy life to live in, but it will not stop our kids. And sometimes things that Kreed is going through is something similar to what Doodle maybe going through and his parents are spot on with telling or even showing through video's how they handle a situation.
As a parent with a child on the spectrum we are a community. When one child on the spectrum succeeds that's cause for celebration. That is our hope for our children. So never give up. Keep holding down the fort and remember that you are not alone in your journey. Find a community to be apart of. You will find kindred spirits banning together that are facing the same situations as yourself and can offer helpful advice to help you through a difficult time. Heck, you might even find someone whom you will be able to help.
You be you and have a fantastic day.
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