What I feel about school autism

 I'm seeing a lot of parents of kids on the spectrum that are pretty upset that school is not going back in session. Well, some schools are not going back into session. Me, I'm cool with school not going back to being in person. Our school won't go back until around November. Doodle has autism and that's a neurological disorder. With her asthma her getting the virus is not gonna be a good thing.

Parents send their kids to school sick all the time so what makes me think parents won't do that this time around? And it's not like oh you just wake up with a fever. If you raise kids you know that a fever can pop up anytime of the day. So by the time a fever is present by then its too late.

For me I can readjust my schedule at work to better suite teaching Doodle from home. With having a publishing company I can adjust that schedule to be there for my child. I've always been flexible with Doodle's schedule. You never know what is going to happen when you raise a child with special needs. 

School for us doesn't start until September the 1st. For the first time I'm not totally prepared for school. I mean all I will need is just a computer or tablet. I'm more than prepared for that. Anything happens to my equipment I have a company that takes care of all the repairs. Believe it or not for the past year they have been working overtime on my equipment. From upgrading my computer equipment to repairing a shattered iPad to shattered laptops. It happens with raising a child with autism. So I'm not to concerned. 

My child being safe is my utmost concern. Other kids staying safe, that is also my concern. So like I've said, it's not a big deal that we will be doing online schooling again. Though it's only for 9 weeks. We will get through this. And for help on what to do when your kids figit too much in their chairs I have several DIY's for this coming up issue in the magazine to help with that. This isn't my first rodeo and it won't be my last.

If the kids go back to in person learning I support all the parents who send their kids back. For those doing virtual learning, I support that as well. It's a hard decision to make. I understand that. I want my child to be back in the classroom. I also want her to be well and safe. I will be devastated if I lose my child. I've dealt with to much grief from her not to continue living with her quirks.

The private school have all gone back into session so we are all watching how that goes. So far though it's only been 2 weeks it's going pretty good. Some elementary schools have had issues but only the classes have shut down but not the school. Not sure on the comfort level of that one. But everything will work out. And there is a possibility that given the type of school Doodle goes to she might not go back to in person schooling at all this year. No matter the decision I will support it and continue to do what I can to help my daughter succeed. 

To get her out of the house she may possibly be doing a dance class which can be virtual or in person. So that will be how I slowly step into this new roll with her. She hasn't done a typical class since she was maybe 5 or 6 and that was with gymnastics. That was a fail when the coach started flinging the kids in the air. And that's how I found out that my child was afraid of heights. Good times! 

Not all parents can be as flexible as I am and I am thankful for my schedules. So I'm not going to judge other parents about their decisions. Cause it's not an easy decision to make.

So what are your decisions for this school year? Are you sending your kids back or are you going to do virtual learning as well? I support whatever decision you make. 

See you guys on the flip side.   

That's one hell of a meltdown Autism

So this morning should have been like any other Monday. Get ready for school catch the bus and my day should have gone on like any typical day. No, having a child with autism doesn't work that way. It was time to brush her hair. We were somewhat on schedule. Just a few minutes behind. Nothing out of the normal. And that's when it happened. Doodle saw my coffee cup on the wrong side of the desk and dumped it over. Right into the animation computer and the publishing computer.

I thought OMG I need to get that cleaned up. I grab paper towels on my desk and start trying to get the coffee out of the vents of the laptops. And that's when her meltdown started. I was like it's fine, it's fine! I promise it's okay!!! But no it was not okay. Her meltdown escalated. I'm covered in coffee, the laptops are covered in coffee, the floor is even covered in coffee, even my phone was covered in coffee. It was only half the cup and this stuff is everywhere. If anyone should be having a meltdown it should be me!

So much for having on clean clothes. So she's taking a mental break from school today cause there is no way I'm going to subject her teachers to that.

So here I sit, thankful I got the magazine finished last night. I'm a little upset, I will admit that. I have so much to do. That to do list, yeah it's covered in coffee. Most parents deal with there kid tearing up walls. I'm dealing with having to teach this morning and I can barely read my to do list. And it's a doozy of a list. Today I'm trying to catch up on 2 weeks worth of stuff. That way the magazine can be early at the end of the month.

I'm debating just going back to bed. There isn't enough energy to deal with this day. But while Doodle is home for mental break issues I have to keep going. She lost the iPad and I put her to work on being in social situations in public. She even had to push the grocery cart at the stores we went to.

This all went down last week which is why there was no blog. That was a lot of coffee to clean up. It also basically set up the rest of my week. And I was having a really hard week thanks to that one incident last week. So here I am now, still trying to play catch up. And Doodle well, she's now taking naps at school.

So here's what was found out. The reason why her behavior is so bad. She's got a yeast infection. For those who are not aware children on the spectrum normally get yeast infections. Yes, even the boys get yeast infections. So she's now on medication for the yeast infection. We are going to get this under control and get her back to focusing. Because yeah, her behavior is really bad right now. Her first pill was on Friday and her next pill is next Friday. I've taken a good portion of her snack away and instead of juices for snack she gets a bottle water. Healthier yogurt, cheese, fruit and cheese crackers instead of cookies. Her teacher gets a rice crispy treat cause we are headed into IEP season and my kid is absolutely horrible at school. Her teacher needs a pick me up.

Hopefully soon we can get this all straightened out and can get back to what I know to be a normal life. I'm looking forward to that. Because there is no normal when it comes to autism, but it's normal to me. Let's hope this week is much better and I can get work done. I have taken today off from everything and just rest. I can get back to work tomorrow. Hence the reason why the blog is not only a week late but over 8 hours late.

See you guys on the flip side.

New Year another day, Autism

Thank you so much that today is the last day for December.

I'm late getting the magazine done cause I was sick with the same stuff Doodle was sick with and that meant I could barely function. But naps were my friend. Doodle has taken to her Christmas presents. I have to push Doodle and keep her out of her comfort zone. Yeah, I know the comfort zone is what keeps our kids calm. Well, I'm not one of those parents. She somewhat loves learning as long as it's not at school. At home learning new things helps keeps her busy and out of trouble.

For the new year I'm going to try my hardest to turn her pictures she drew as a 6 year old into a book. That would be awesome to get that done around her birthday. But I myself am learning a new program for my publishing company. I'm keeping with my goals for myself that I have for Doodle. Stay out of your comfort zone.

Yeah, I know I already have so much that I do already and I am adding more stuff to my plate. I love my kid and I want her to have the same opportunities as a NT child. But she won't get there if I don't push her. No, I'm not gonna push someone else. My job is to push my child. Get my child to learn what she needs to learn. Practice, practice, practice. That's the key to meeting goals.

The saying in the autism community is, "You have to be taught something over a 1000 times before a child on the spectrum learns it". So there you go for how long it takes for your child to get where you can see change.

Today is New Years Eve and tomorrow is New Years Day. Start a visionary board on the goals that you want your child to reach. Just remember the hard work that you have to put in there to get them to that goal. Cause it takes teamwork to make that dream work.

See you all on the flip side and happy new year!

You've got the fever, Autism

When a typical child gets sick it's easy for them to tell you what is wrong with them. But when you have a child on the spectrum get sick with limited speech, well that one is hard to figure out.

Doodle had her Christmas program at school. And she did very well but she wasn't herself. That morning before getting on the bus she was coughing and hacking up phlegm. Signs of an asthma issue. So she had to have a breathing treatment when she got to school.

During her program she wasn't her normal out of control self. But she did the program like a champ and I was so proud of her. I went to her when the show was over and gave her a kiss. And that's when I noticed, she felt like she was running a fever. So we headed to the nurses station. She was running a temp of 99.8. Time to check out of school and head home.

She's pretty much stayed in bed since she's been home. Her fever fluctuates from high 102.6 to 98.8 and she can't go back to school until she is fever free for 24 hours without the aide of of fever reducer. Doodle has requested soups and sprite during this time.

So far she has missed school on part of Wednesday and all of Thursday and at this point she's gonna miss Friday as well. I'm hoping that she will be well enough to go back to school on Monday and Tuesday. If not I will go to the school on the 18th and drop off the gifts for her classmates and pick up her treats and school shirt before coming home.

I hate that she's sick. And the only thing I can do is just treat the fever and cough. I know her throat hurts because the words she can say, her voice is having a hard time staying the octave that it's suppose to be.

Her fever did finally break on Saturday. Which means she's going back to school today and she is not pleased at all! She wants to stay home and watch the iPad. I'm ready for her to go back to school so I can get the last of Christmas taken care of.

Just two days, Doodle. That's all you have to worry about and the last day is a party so you will be fine! I still have to make sure her classmates get presents and treats and the teachers are taken care of too.

At least you have an update, though it's a short one because she is needing a lot of care and she's wanting to be cuddled. Which I don't mind as cuddling is not something she ever wants to do when she's well. I will take what I can get!

Bonus, I haven't gotten sick. So there's that!

See you on the flip side!

Self harming and Autism

Self harming is something almost all children on the Spectrum do. Some parents get lucky and the child will stop self harming. From slapping themselves, beating their heads on the floor to trying to remove their skin, it's not uncommon.

So what do you do when you find yourself in this situation? So many years ago when Doodle was little she beat her head on the floor. She was limited in speech and this was one of her coping mechanisms. Now that she's older and has speech it's not normal behavior out of her anymore. But during that time in her life she wore a ton of winter hats to soften the blows.

But we find ourselves in another boat. And we thought we had it pinned down. But that doesn't appear to be the case. Now we are trying to figure out why Doodle is trying to remove the skin off her body.

Until then we have to condition her to stop. And the only way to go about that is with medical mitts. Good news and bad news of this one. They work to help the person stop hitting or scratching their skin off. Bad news is, there is not a single medical supply store in the lower part of my state that carries them.

And believe me I have called around to every single medical supply store within 50 miles trying to locate some. Our pediatrician even has the prescription ready to go when I find a medical supply store who carries them. Unfortunately, couldn't locate one.

So I called out pediatrician and informed her and I'm at the point right now where I will just make some using genuine leather that I have on hand and the insides will be padded with warm fleece. She can think they are gloves. And she won't try to take them off to scratch herself, because I'm adding a velcro strap.  Then I received a call back from our pediatrician and they have contacted the rep for the medical mitts company and they are waiting on a call back from them.

That is the best news to receive. I will know that during these difficult meltdowns Doodle will be having a hard time scratching her face or her arms or her legs.

The reason I'm having to go this route is last week when Doodle got off the bus she looked like she got in a fight with a rabid dog and lost the fight. Her face was torn up! And it was one of the things she had done to herself according to the bus driver and bus aide.

Yes, the school is investigating the incident.

See you guys on the flip side.

   

Revelations and IEP's Autism

As you all know I've had to do a few extra IEP's due to regression. Wasn't sure what was causing the regression and wasn't sure why she was going through meltdowns, which was something that was not normal for Doodle.

So there I was on Wednesday sitting in the IEP meeting with the Vice Principal and Transportation, the speech therapist, teacher and LEA. Doodle had two meltdowns on the bus last month and I would feel better knowing that my child is being well behaved and not cause issues putting the safety of the driver and the rest of the students in danger. So that round at the table went very well. Vice Principal was on board with trying to find the triggers. It the way I felt. She wasn't having meltdowns at home. And for Doodle to have meltdowns at school and on the bus. That's not normal of Doodle.

When the Speech therapist was going over her data of what Doodle could and could not say and the sounds she was having trouble with she turned to me and said, " You had a death in the family? I wanted to say that I'm sorry for your loss." And that's when it hit me. We didn't have a death in my household family. We had a death in my work family. My co-worker lost her battle with cancer. And Doodle adored her! Even renamed her Jasper. When Trish lost her battle that was the time the meltdowns started. This was Doodle's way of grieving.

I informed the speech therapist of this and asked our teacher if when she got my text about my co-worker passing if that was the time the meltdowns started. She said yes it was. The speech therapist informed me that when that text was sent that's the two days they couldn't get Doodle to even go to therapy.

It all made sense. Now we know how we can better help her. We can help her with her grief and we can help her with those meltdowns. Doodle's not great at articulation which is why we had to do the first IEP. And it didn't help that she was losing speech again. She is at a really good school and there is no reason for her to be losing speech. At this point I can honestly say it's not regression. And it's not tantrums, she's locking herself in her mind because she's trying to convey what is wrong but just can't. Doesn't understand how.

I know of a few parents that can't make their IEP's. To me I'd better be dead to miss one. Because if you are requesting something, you won't get it 9 times out of 10 if you miss the IEP meeting. But to me this IEP was an eye opening one. It took about a month from the first meeting requesting the extra data accumulation so we could try to find out the cause of the loss of speech and the meltdowns. To resolving the problem at the second IEP.

I'm a pretty strict parent when it comes to Doodle and I know to a lot of people I make raising a child on the spectrum look easy. It's my dedication to my daughter, all the excess classes and training to be able to better help her. It used to take over a hundred times teaching her something before she could actually learn something. Now it doesn't take that much. Schedules and calendar of events that help her to stay on task every moment of the day. To me I've got it down to being easy according to most. But it also takes a lot of prep the day before to make sure that everything is ready to go even if her routine changes.

I like to be laid back and easy going and that's not always the case when it comes to autism. But I get through it. There is always so much that has to be done. Her routine means that I have to be on routine. The magazine has to be done. My classes have to be planned. I'm learning a new art form and I'm learning animation again. My life stays busy with me just being a regular mom. But I want Doodle to be independent. And if the laundry fairy doesn't get the laundry done while she's at school, well that causes an issue. If her snack box isn't made, yeah that causes an issue. Even if the vacuum cleaner isn't where it's suppose to be anything can set off a meltdown at home. Which is one of the things I've been lucky enough to make sure is avoided at all cost.

I'm off to get more work done. Have to create templates for online classes that will be coming to my website in March or possibly April.

See you guys on the flip side.

Thanksgiving week Autism

It's Thanksgiving week and I have so much to do. Still working on the magazine and no where near the finish line and it doesn't help that Doodle is out of school for the week. That's gonna be interesting. She's gonna be so mad when she goes back to a communication book.

But this is what we are resorted to going back to since we are losing speech at an incredible rate. If you guys haven't seen the communication book I have posted in a previous blog that's what we are going back too. I will be updating it only because I want to incorporate her to use complete sentences.

This morning I will be dropping my vehicle off to be worked on.

Life with autism can be hard enough, add a free magazine and vehicle repair work to the mix and you have yourself a whole headache of work to do. Now throw in being a single mom and it's Thanksgiving week and you have barely anything to survive off of.

I am considering changing the magazine to be paid but that won't be for a couple of years. I don't want it to come to that but it might have to be done.

I'm going to keep this post short as I know of all the work I have to do this week to get everything finalized for the magazine.

See you guys on the flip side.

So much to be grateful for Autism

When it comes to autism, my child is going to be different from what your child is like. Not everyone has the same things wrong with them. We need to always remember that. Today we are celebrating Veterans Day and the kids are out of school to honor our veterans. I have a class tonight which means that my schedule will be off because my days will be off. Happens all the time when the kids are out of school.

I can't have Doodle just sitting on the iPad all day. She has to have some responsibility. She wanted to bathe the dog because Sunday I told her we were going to bathe the dog. And she wanted the gerbil cage cleaned cause yeah I opened my big mouth.

So if the dog is getting a bath then she's gonna have to pitch in and help. And she fought me on that one. I had her vacuum the floors and the dog bed while I washed the dogs blanket. Cause if the dog is getting a bath it means the dog gets clean blankets and a fresh bed vacuuming.

If the gerbil was getting it's cage cleaned that means my bed will need to be vacuumed. Because that's the easiest place for me to clean it's cage at. I have no idea why, it just is for me. Doodle can watch the gerbil and I can watch them both while cleaning the cage. Or at least pretend to watch them both cause I'm busy taking the cage apart and I don't have to worry about losing a cute little furry paper shredder.

Kids on the spectrum have to have chores. They have to have responsibility. They have to learn about self care and caring for what's important and that's where they live and being respectful by cleaning up their mess and helping to keep everything clean.

I have no issues with making sure my 12 year old knows how to make her bed, dress herself, though some days I'm sure I get the looks of how could you let your child out of the house dressed like that. Eh, I could care less. I have more important things to worry about other then what people think of me. 

As a parent of a child on the spectrum I am tired but only because I do so much. But I want to make sure that Doodle can live on her own and do for herself if it's ever going to be possible. I still have high hopes. I love my child and I want what's best for her and that means she has to learn something new every single day.

See you guys on the flip side.

Mental breaks Autism

There were many different things I could have spoken about today. But I will discuss why there was no post yesterday. In order to function as parents of children on the spectrum it's important to take time for yourself. I've discussed this in previous posts because it's one of the most important things for your sanity.

Look as parents we take on a lot and have to do a lot. There is no way around that. You are either an overachiever who is burning out quick or you are a parent who is already burnt out and have a lot on your plate that just keeps piling up.

So why was there no post yesterday? Because I was taking a much needed mental break. My best friend and I headed to the movies to watch Bohemian Rhapsody, while Doodle was in school. I still had work last night and still had things to do before Doodle left for school this morning. But that mental break is what I needed.

Long before Doodle could speak she was singing Queen songs. That was also covered in a previous blog to celebrate Freddie for a Day. We didn't have traditional speech but we did have words in song. And for that I am truly grateful.

I can't stress enough how important it is for a parent of a child with a disability to take mental breaks. It's also one of the things that I stress about the most at work. You can't be productive if you can't have a break. You can't do anything properly for yourself, your job or your child.

And though I have a child on the spectrum who has regressed and we are trying to get her back to the last good level of functioning, I can't help her if I can't think straight. She's finally sleeping through the night again. And I can get through the days without the burnt out feeling.

If you can't go see a movie at least get a mani pedi. You have to take care of you. That is the most important thing. Love yourself and you are able to love your life. Don't give up! You've got this.

See you on the flip side.

We have gone over the hump Autism

If you read the blog you know that Doodle had been regressing. The first few weeks of school are basically watching to see if your child will settle down and fall into routine. If this does not happen, after the first month of school is time to send in the note it's time for an emergency IEP meeting.

Doodle was regressing because she has new teachers. And new teachers normally keep all students on the same page. That's not possible with my child. She gets bored easily and will expect to keep rolling as long as she's mastered something. At the school she is in classes the kids can't keep pace with Doodle. She's smart and doesn't want to be held back. Yeah, she needs to learn patience.

And at home I've been trying to do as much as I can on my end. We have a new schedule. I've gone to what was used in a few classes in the past with her. She has a face chart. And what I mean by that is she has 4 levels to be on. A smiley for a great day, an are you serious face?, Oh My Goodness face and a frownie face. I didn't have to go out and buy all new things. I purchased white erase sticky paper at Dollar General when it was on sale for $.75. And with that all I need to use is a dry erase marker.

So far I'm keeping up with 4 weeks of past behavior at home. If she acts horrible at school then it affects her face schedule at home. If she's had a really bad day she has an opportunity to change that the next day. This helps to teach responsibility. She does have normal chores that she does everyday. And those chores are mainly for her self care.

But if she wants a smiley face instead of a frown face she has to do extra work. Vacuum her bed or floor, throw away her trash (for some reason she likes to collect trash), washing hands when she's been coloring with marker before bed, straighten up toys on the toy shelf and so on. I'm trying to teach her to be mindful of what she does that makes my life a little harder and what she can do to make our lives easier. Before the IEP meeting she didn't care about if she got a smile or frown on her schedule.

At school the teacher is getting Halloween candy of small packs of m&m's to focus Doodle in her classwork. I know it's horrible that a parent and teacher would bribe a child to learn something or stay on task. No it's called training. People do it with pets with clickers and treats. We as parents we use treats. Small treats. I cringe at parents who reward their children with suckers (lollipops). That's a way for kids to just say forget doing anything else I have what I want. Small pieces of candy's that give you a taste and you want more you have to continue working to get more. If you have a treat that will last longer then a little taste of you don't have to work hard anymore. You have what you want. So yeah, she's back in training mode at home and school. But we've reversed our roles. Home is normally the treats and school is normally the this is how your day is going schedule. We do what we have to to get to a great end result.

I've also implemented a new thing called a sensory resistance band. When Doodle feels a bit off she just gets in the band and stretches. This relieves the pressure on her muscles and relaxes her. It helps with all that excess energy she seems to have out of nowhere. I really could use that energy she has. To learn how to make your own it will be in the November issue of the magazine by JSN Creative Services. Keep reading to find out where you can get instructions to make your own.

Now that we've had the IEP and the work at school is becoming harder I've noticed a few things at home. She's becoming easier to work with at home and wants to do more to get smiling faces. She's sleeping through the entire night! And now that she's sleeping I am able to get sleep. She's gone from 5 mg of melatonin down to just 2.5 mg of melatonin.

This is the first week that change is really taking place at home and for the past 3 days I've actually been able to get more sleep. I'm able to be more productive and not so tired to the point where I am dragging. I'm no longer worried about getting that nap in the mornings when she gets on the bus and my balance is no longer off. When your body is so tired you can't think straight or walk straight. It's like you are walking around drunk and that's just no fun.

I'm grateful for the rest I'm now receiving. And it's all uninterrupted sleep. When you have a child living on the spectrum you feel like you are living with a newborn no matter how old they are. And remember that Doodle is 12. Some days are easy and some days are hard. She's worth every moment that I learn and grow with her.

If you are not seeing improvement at home during the school year try having an IEP meeting to have the work bumped up. Sometimes our children are bored and they need a challenge. It's what you know about your child that matters because you live with them. You know them very well. Don't be afraid to step in and help with their education. But it wasn't just school work we bumped up. I made sure that speech therapy got bumped up too. They are now going to be working on articulation in speech therapy because she's lost a few of her words. So we are going back to working on that as well. I didn't need to worry about occupational therapy at this time.

And next month while Doodle is out of school I will be ordering things for her to learn while she is out of school on holiday so she can stay on task and I don't have to worry about a regression. And we will be working on making pom poms. Lots and lots of pom poms to make a rug for the magazine. This will help with concentration and hand eye coordination. It will help her when she wraps the yarn and also for cutting. I'm all for projects where kids learn to use scissors correctly. Even if you don't have a child on the spectrum you can benefit from your child using scissors at home. Schools don't really teach that anymore and you would be surprised how many children can't use scissors correctly.

Crafting is one of the most important things that children on the spectrum need to do. They have to learn fundamentals and if they aren't learning it at school you need to kick it up a notch and teach it at home. Your child will surprise you when you work with them at home. Don't get frustrated and don't lose hope. You have to keep working with your child. I can attest that it's not the easiest thing to do but it's worth it.

Keep an eye out for the new issue or go ahead and make a sensory light that has helped us so much at home. On November the 1st you can check out the November issue of the magazine and make your own sensory resistance band for home. jsncreative.com/ezine The December issue will have a weighted blanket for cheap that really works.

See you guys on the flip side!

It's the lost blog Autism

This blog was suppose to go up week before last. And well with it being a holiday from school and work and life and regression, sometimes things get forgotten and it happens pretty easy and often.

So instead of deleting this blog I'm going to keep it so you can catch up with what all is happening.

So we are dealing with a holiday for the next three days. Columbus day, teacher work day and good luck with that parents day.

I have my IEP set for Thursday and right now Doodle is basically like a two year old right. She's in terror mode and my nerves are shot. She's getting into everything and has a pair of scissors she brought home from school. Which means she's cutting everything up she can find.

I have projects that have to be done for the magazine and stuff that has to be purchased for work because there's a cookie class on Tuesday night.

Just two more days to go! I've got this! I know I do. I'm not a happy camper with this regression. I'm still pretty upset with the state that we live in. They are the ones that are tying our hands.

Let's all just try to remember that not all disabled children are the same and they shouldn't be treated the same. Something has to give because kids just can't grow if you keep them contained in a small jar.

So for the time being we will skirt around the rules by the state and push through by bypassing what everyone else is learning. Yes, our children learn at their own pace and sometimes that means that they take in information faster than everyone else.

See you on the flip side.

It's not broken Autism.

An update on what's going on.

Doodle was falling in a regression. I've had the iep and so far I am seeing a little improvement. Which as many of you know that's a good thing.

On Monday I went by the school to drop off supplies for the office and supplies for Science class and I fell trying to bring the supplies in the front door. I did have to head to urgent care to get checked out. It was my fault. I tried to take a step and my ankles said NOPE! Which lead to my fall.

I have sprained my wrist but I am okay. Great news is that it's not writing wrist. But even if it was I can switch hands when I need too. I can paint, draw and write with my left hand if I want too. But I'm mainly a righty. 

I will be back when I can fully type with both hands and my wrist is no longer hurting.

See you guys on the flip side.

Emergency IEP Autism

Last week I didn't have a blog and I almost debating not doing one this week. But this one is going to be super short as I am exhausted.

Lots of changes are taking place in our lives and as you know anything that sets off a bad routine is not a good thing. At work I am dealing with a new manager, but I'm familiar with this manager already so that's not so bad, but I now have a new coordinator through my sponsor.

Saturday's event which is what I was looking forward to the most to bring my numbers back up, that didn't go so hot and a kid puked in my face. That was a big ol' NOPE!

But on to Doodle. When a child on the spectrum begins to lose speech and sleep you know you are on the regression train and you need to get it to stop ASAP. She's lost speech. A name she knows by heart she can no longer say. And this is the one that breaks my heart the most. She can no longer say Jesus. This is a word that she says daily and she knew the name very well. Now she can't pronounce it correctly.

For the past two weeks she's been losing sleep. No matter how much melatonin she takes it's not helping and I'm not gonna bump up the dosage. Melatonin only helps a child go to sleep. It doesn't help them stay awake. Not even the time release melatonin helps with keeping them asleep.

Her bus is now picking up super early. 45 minutes earlier then normal and that's because we have new students and a student switch. So when the bus picks up the moon is still out and it's dark. Like really dark.

So this morning at 5:55 am I sent in via email request to her homeroom teacher that we needed to have an IEP meeting. I know why we are regressing. Same reason Doodle regressed so badly several years ago. She's not being challenged. And at this point I blame the State that we live in. As per our state anyone that's disabled has to be taught at lower functioning levels. Doodle will not do well in a regular school system. And I know the teachers are following guidelines placed by the State. Well, not every child with a disability is the exact same as another child with a disability. Just like the saying you meet one child with autism, you've met one child with autism. They can't all be lumped into the same category as they are all different. And I know this is something I'm going to have to work on to change but not until I'm back up to par.

As of right now I feel as if every day I'm being drug around by a pack of goats. I'm beyond exhausted. But once we get this squared away I will be getting my energy and strength back.

Great news is I'm still number one in district for our store but it's nothing I can celebrate as a regression makes me feel like I've got a tons of bricks falling on my head. The magazine is behind and I'm trying to become the next Michaels maker. So there's a lot to juggle.

See you guys on the flip side.

Fears, Hopes and Dreams Autism

When it comes to the diagnoses of autism it can be a scary thing for parents to deal with. So many things run through your mind when you have a child with little to no speech. Your world becomes dark and depressing. The hopes and dreams that you have for your little one are dashed. And you feel as though you are living in a nightmare. How can I be a parent of a child that has autism? Please just let it be something else you may think. Any thing but autism. As a parent of a child with Autism I never felt the way that most parents have felt when their child was diagnosed.

When Doodle was diagnosed, to me it was a relief. I now have the steps of getting my child the specified help that she needs and from there it's a possibility she can get better. Doodle was diagnosed as mildly autistic. Meaning that she can overcome so much with lots of help and lots of therapy.

The main thing that I've come out of this diagnoses is that the first three years are the hardest. You have no idea what to do or how to do it or where to go. Doodle was in a program called helping hands. That was from the age of 2 until the age of 3. At the age of three she was able to get into Easter Seals for speech therapy and from there to Occupational Therapy. At the age of 3 she was also able to receive school services.

Doodle has been going to school for more therapy which included learning how to interact with peers her own age since 3. There were a lot of times I worried about her. I never heard Doodle speak until she was 6 years old. Even when we did what is known as outside therapy she didn't speak. That was frustrating. Seeing your child try to make the words come out. Making sounds for bubbles or to play with the cars. Special seats to sit in. Learning how to button a shirt or how not to use palmer grip.

Doodle is stubborn. Does what she wants when she wants. By the time Doodle got into the great school because the kindergarten she went to was ripped off the map by a tornado, she had been regressing. To me I never thought I would see a day that my child would speak. I didn't have any hope of her learning how to read. I had lost all hope and the happiness of being able to get her help when she was diagnosed was gone.

The new school was fantastic. They took a strong willed child and forced her to work. And that was something I had to learn myself. How to force Doodle to do what she needed in order to grow mentally. Doodle learned how to read, write and do math. Her drawing skills are fantastic now.

Let's not look at our children on the spectrum as our world being over. Let's look at them and say I'm going to find the key to help you unlock your mind. These are children that can do so much with the love that we can give them. They can flourish. I can't keep a plant alive but I can help my child grow and flourish. She can work the iPad without any help from me. She can work the dvd player better then I can. And she can change the colors on the tv. I'm still trying to fix that. Don't know how she did it and I just can't figure out how to fix it.

She's capable of so much and I'm not going to stand in her way. If  I have to push her then that's my job to push her out of her comfort zone. Because living outside your comfort zone is how you grow. It's how you learn new things and experience so much in life.

Today I challenge you as a parent of a child on the spectrum to have a movie night with your kid. Pick their favorite movie, sit on the couch or in a theater and eat popcorn together. Laugh together and spend time together. They are only kids once in their lives and that's a time that is the most important for them to grow. Sit in their world for 30 minutes. It's a life changing experience. I will admit that I haven't had the chance in the past couple of months to do that until this morning. Where she explored while waiting on the bus I explored with her. It used to perk her up and take notice. The stemming would go down. Today it irritated her. I could care less the reaction, just as long as I got a reaction. Even if your child is older, try it. You might be surprised at what you learn.

Love your kids. They are a blessing. Don't hate the diagnoses of autism. I can live with autism. I would be devastated more if my child were given a diagnoses of cancer. I'm thankful I have my child the way she is. She's funny and smart and so artistic. I have my child to hug and love on everyday. I'm thankful I can pack her snack box for her for school. I'm thankful I can lay out her clothes for school and brush her hair. Most parents don't have that and many parents who are raising kids on the spectrum don't understand that.

See you guys on the flip side.

How have you changed my life Autism

In a lot of the groups that I'm in for Autism the key question happens to be what was life before autism or how has autism changed your life? I understand they are asking these questions because they don't want to feel that they are the only ones who are going through this. I never comment on these threads because if I don't feel the same way as others it usually starts fights. At least every other week this question pops up.

Yes, I have been in the same situation as the other parents but I don't let that define me and I don't live in the past. The day Doodle was diagnosed with autism was a day of relief. I didn't cry and I wasn't upset. The relief was that now we could get Doodle the help that she needed. There was no more wondering what type of help she needed or grasping at straws. When you don't know what's wrong you can't treat what's wrong. I mean if you get a paper cut on your hand you don't get a cast for your leg.

There are stressful days. Days I don't remember to use reinforcements to redirect bad behavior. Or days where my schedule is so out of whack that I have trouble keeping up with Doodle's school stuff. And when I say stressful days I mean I'm breaking out in hives. Normally I thrive on stress but some days I just can't handle the bad days of autism.

I try to keep Doodle progressing. Some days are better then others but that's okay. Not everyday can go the way we want it to. Life is what you make it. If you make everything a struggle all you will do is struggle and stay frustrated.

Doodle stopped poop smearing when she was almost 7. And that was on the advice of our pediatrician. It was something that not everyone agrees on. I was at my wits end and did what I needed to do to help Doodle and it worked! I would say most parents don't approve of this but that would be a lie. It's more like 99.5% of parents don't agree with this. But had I taken Doodle to her pediatrician or the emergency room they would have done the exact same thing. As per her pediatrician. And I've done the same thing for myself. Who knew for me it would be the trick out of diapers and out of poop smearing.

This became the day that Doodle became 100% potty trained and we ran out of the poop smearing phase and diapers. Yes, Doodle was still in diapers at the age of almost 7 years old, not uncommon for most parents dealing with autism. It took about an hour out of my day. And in this hour there was a lot of frustration. Doodle sat on the potty screaming her head off but once she pooped in the potty and saw what she did, never had another issue of poop smearing or screaming for hours. Or laying on the floors for hours trying to hold in poop looking like she was having a seizure. We went through that phase since she was an itty bitty. At 3 months she had started this weird seizure thing she did. And it's rare we even see this behavior anymore. She did have an episode twice this summer.

I'm a firm believer in being a strict parent. We have a strict routine down to the very minute of what she is to do every single moment of the day. And she has to follow this schedule. This keeps me on track and it sometimes keeps bad behavior in check. As she doesn't have time to do anything other then what she is suppose to do. Sometimes she will kick off and have issues but that's because she doesn't want to follow schedule. When Doodle was in the first grade I was informed that children on the spectrum thrived on picture schedules. As long as she knew what to expect or what she was suppose to do she stayed on task. If not she was punished by sitting in the corner.

Before this school Doodle was a wild child. Did as she pleased cause I was thankful that she was diagnosed but no one taught me what a child on the spectrum needed rules and boundaries. I think I felt bad at the time that she was considered disabled. She couldn't help the fact that she couldn't communicate. Though we did a lot of therapy since the age of three. And I mean a lot! Her pediatrician said that Doodle was the only child she cared for that had so much therapy and hasn't progressed. This was by the age of 5 and after 2 to almost 3 years of therapy. She had no speech so communication was always wanting to be held and she used us as tools to reach things she wanted on top shelves. She's always been a smart cookie just couldn't form words.

By the age of 6 1/2 Doodle was given a communication book. And that's when words really started coming out. She would have to flip through her book and point out what she wanted. And she had to try to sound out the words.

Living with autism is just like living to breathe. It's not something I'm going to think about every moment of the day. My role as the parent is to be a parent. Teach Doodle the difference between right and wrong and to teach her things that she's missed out on in her life. Like the time she was in school and the teachers didn't want to teach so Doodle regressed. So at home I purchased books based on what I know she could do and the next lessons up. The reason I didn't have issues at home with her was because she was learning at home but not at school. Which is why she had so many issues at school. That summer was rough. Like I said before I use a schedule because she knows what to expect but when everything is mixed up you get a little confused.

I look at Doodle as a regular child because that's how children want to be treated, as normal children. They get enough stares and whispers when out in public. Let's give them a little peace of mind. And I don't ever treat my child as if she's a nuisance. No child should feel they are not wanted. They didn't ask to be here and in my opinion, they are a gift. Most couples can't have children. Here I had a child after 3 miscarriages. I was entrusted with this life. And it's my job to make sure she's challenged, she thinks for herself and grows to be the next Dr. Temple Grandin. Because Doodle has the same form of autism as Dr. Grandin.

My job in this life is to be a teacher, a gardener, a mother, a lawyer and the sun. A Teacher to help her learn. A gardener to help her grow in each season of her life. A mother to hug and comfort her. A lawyer to fight for her and her right to learn. And the sun to give her room to grow always watching over her and give her a bit of myself so she can be who she is and enjoy life.

Doodle teaches me something new every day. She's almost like me but yet not like me. She's a tom boy just like I was at her age. She's an artist that love's Japamation, me I'm an artist but I can't stand Japamation. She's a crafter who is in the same level of crafting as I am. My skill level in crafting is extreme crafter. She's imaginative and that's always the best part of childhood and adulthood. If she keeps up with her imagination just think of what all she can do. For me I use my imagination to come up with wild stories of things around me to make people laugh.

I love my life with Doodle. She was diagnosed as mildly autistic and thanks to regression she hasn't grown mentally the way that she should have. I have to work harder as her mom but that's okay. I'm willing to work harder with my daughter. Most mothers are working hard for their daughters to learn dance, cheer leading, gymnastics or something else. I just have a different form then they do. Autism is all I've known with my child. I mean I used to babysit kids when I was fresh out of college. And some of those kids oh geez I'm really thankful my child doesn't say some of what those kids say. I don't have to worry about my child being selfish. I'm just enjoying how funny she is and how matter of fact, even though her speech isn't that good. She speaks like a one year old. One word responses or extremely fragmented sentences.

I have a really great support system. A few friends and I founded our own autism group on Facebook and we make it a point to remind people that we are the support system. They aren't doing this alone. But we are normal and we push. We answer questions when needed, we give or get advice when needed. We have admins that specialize and different aspects of what you would deal with when it comes to autism and we even included ADD/ADHD because that's a "kin".  I specialize in IEP's as that's what I'm most familiar with in my state. One woman handles 504's because that's what she's proficient with. One for Asperger syndrome, one for autism and one for ADD/ADHD. And shhhh we also have admins that are nurses. But we will never say who they are.

I'm not trying to type up a tome today and there is still so much more work that has to be done before I head into work to teach a class tonight. I just figured it was time to hop out of my comfort zone and answer a question that rears it's ugly head every single week in the autism groups. And as you can see I'm not a negative mentality. I'm an optimist but that glass is always gonna look full for me.

See you guys on the flip side.

First day back to school, autism

Yes, you read that title correctly. It's the first day back at school. Doodle is back from her fathers house and though she didn't want to go back to school, that's where she is currently. As I have said in previous posts I don't like for teachers to pay for stuff out of their pockets for their students. So this morning was the drop off of the first day of school. I also had extra items to drop off that her teachers have requested. Yes, you read that one correctly too. Teachers!

At the school Doodle goes too she's no longer stuck in a self contained classroom. She's switching classes like a regular ed student. She has 5 teachers and 5 rooms she has to switch too. Which means she has to learn a schedule of who to go to and what time she goes to them. If she were in a regular school for middle school she would be stuck in the same room all day long and only allowed out for lunch, P.E. and going home. That's not the way that a special needs child should be treated.

This morning I dropped off all of the paperwork that the librarian wanted that I have for crafts. I dropped off feathers her science teacher wanted. Her science teacher was her homeroom teacher last year and she knows Doodle pretty well and knows what motivates Doodle to do work. And her reading teacher requested plastic bin photo boxes that were on sale at work last week.

I ordered Doodle's Friday shirt which will be in on Friday. She can wear last years shirt, that's no big deal. And I dropped off all the medical supplies. Doodle has asthma and can't use an inhaler. Technically, she can but it doesn't work well with her body. Discussing it with our pediatrician we all agreed it was best to just stick with the machine you plug into the wall, it worked better and cleared her airway faster without having to go to the emergency room. I filled out all the paperwork with that, the nurse said she would send my copies home this afternoon.

The first day of school our parking lot was filled to the brim. Parents dropping off all the supplies that would be needed for the kids for the school year and their medical supplies as well. So I wasn't the only parent with extra to drop off. I dropped off the list of supplies when I went in to meet the teacher last week. So I was good that all that was already done.

Doodle has her new shorts and pants for the school year thanks to her father. That was a lot of driving around to find sturdy shorts that will last her through the school year. Pro parent tip, Dickey's pants last a long time. Doodle wears a pair that used to belong to my grandfather. They came to us brand new looking and it's the only brand I have found that so far have lasted to the next school year. Anything else Doodle rips or busts out the seem of. So if you need pants and shorts that last go with Dickey's.

I have first day of school mommy stuffs that I get to do! Best friend time! See you guys on the flip side.

Week in my life as an Entrepreneur, Autism

I'm an autism mom. My life is about making sure that my child progresses and I don't take no for an answer. But my life is not just about my child because I have to make a life for us. I love Doodle and want to give her every option possible under the sun. Long gone are the days where we traveled so much for extra speech and OT therapy.

Doodle transferred to a school where she regressed to being mentally 2 years old and she was 10 years old. We had gone from almost being to her age mentally as she was physically. That was so hard to live through. It really felt like I was living in a nightmare. But the anger that boiled in me was the worse. And that bubbled for two years straight. All because the new school refused to listen and didn't implement the fundamentals for special needs children across the board. Something the entire class would have benefited from. Picture schedules, training, one on one. Never got that. It was basically two years of a free babysitting service. Home life was a nightmare and summers were the worst. The only school work she did was the homework sent home. And that's because I demanded that. But the homework was kindergarten work. Color the shapes, very simple math such as 1+2=. Doodle was frustrated beyond belief and so was I. I was that parent that held an IEP meeting every single week which is why I was not able to create the magazine sooner. The research that went into the meetings, the notes and graphs on Doodle's progress that needed to be created for each one. The convo's back and forth with lawyers. All of this became too much for the she was at at the time. So she was pushed into the special needs school of my choice. That along with one of my customers at the large craft store that I work for got Doodle in without the waiting list.

And with Doodle being in this school, which is considered the cream of the crop of schools for our area, it's just like she's in a private school. I love it. She's treated like a regular child with no issues. Which is what she wants to be treated like. All children with special needs want to be treated like normal kids. I have no regrets.

Everything for school has been purchased. I have to clean out my vehicle because I have so many canvases in them for future classes for my publishing company. And those need a lot of research for them. For the past three weeks I have been working every single day. Nights and then the flip to days and back to nights. It was getting seriously overwhelming. And of course the magazine had to be finished. My deadline was for the 26th of July and I had to meet that deadline. By the day of I still had to get everything put together. I got everything turned in 55 minutes before midnight. It was completed and my stress levels could be lowered. And now it's the 30th of July and it's time to created the next magazine.

But last week was the best week of my life. I had been working on a deal for awhile with another art company here in our town that finally came together. I invited all the employees to my class and most showed up. Yes, they are considered competition but hey I don't really care. Anyways, the key employees showed up and I was able to showcase my clear gesso. Got the deal I needed! When it comes to paint pouring even the ones who have never done a paint pour always want cells. That's not suppose to be an easy feat to accomplish. With my clear Gesso they are able to achieve that. I had been working on that deal for a very long time. But I got the deal and that's all that matters to me.

The next day district was in town and I had a class that morning. It was the perfect time to go for what I wanted next. I want to be the next Michaels Maker. I was given the endorsement from district and they are contacting the people that are in charge of that to make it happen. It doesn't hurt that I work hard to make sure we are number 1 in district.

But now that school will be getting back into session and Doodle will be coming back home in the next few days, my schedule is slowing down except for the magazine. But I can now breathe and juggle the rest of schedule with the publishing company.

But that's not the best news. The best news is one our regular customers came in to one of our events and informed me she was going to have her annual EEG and she didn't want to do it. I found out that after she's in pain for so long because of the glue in her hair and she was not looking forward. I informed her mom that I didn't have any regular size of my soaps but I would cut my bar I'm currently using in half and give that to her. This is a soap that I make myself. Created it up because Doodle loves bubble baths but she's highly sensitive to sls and slsa, so bubble baths are not always in her favor. These chemicals cause her to hurt herself because she feels as if she's being stabbed by 1000 needles. She hits her head, tries to rip her skin off. When you have a child with little speech or issues articulating what's wrong you do what you have to do. So I started making soap like my great grandmother used to do. From there evolved this soap. And I love this stuff. Not only is Doodle able to make bubbles in the tub with it but I'm able to remove dye, inks, resin, paint, stain and so much more when it comes to crafting and painting. I have people that use the soap to remove stains from clothing and get car grease off their hands and arms when they are working on their cars. Loads of uses. So now I have another customer and new batches of soap need to be made, which I haven't been able to get too cause there is only one of me. And the demand for my time and attention was overwhelming.

So that's how my week went and that's how life is during the summer. Next year I'm hoping Doodle will be going to see her dad earlier in the summer and she will be able to attend the special needs summer camp. I really think she will like that.

Well, that's how I roll. It's been a lot so I will see you guys on the flip side.

If you are interested in reading the magazine you can read it at www.jsncreative.com/ezine it's free and no I don't ask for emails and I don't have ads cause that sort of thing infuriates me. So it's kept off my website. Except for downloads. It's just required for the downloads of books, and soon online classes.

Summer Break Autism

Out of respect for the Holiday of Memorial Day here in the States I opted not to share the post yesterday. It was a time of remembrance for those of us that have lost loved ones in the service. Thank you to those who have gave the ultimate for your country.

It's the last day of school and everything is bitter sweet for me. I'm sad that I won't be able to see the normal faces that I normally see every weekday. Doodle is not eligible for summer help anymore. She hasn't been able to receive that since before pre-k age.

This morning I waved the bus off on it's last journey until they will be rolling again in the fall. This year I wasn't going to chase the bus down because I forget to get the harness off Doodle before the bus moves from my street, heading to it's next destination.

So today has been a cooking day for me and I've been prepping and cooking since the bus picked up this morning. I've also been checking my largest resin art piece. And that did not do so hot at all. But though this now has a lot of mistakes in it for the resin cracking, I can still work with it and embrace it. Flaws and all. I've been trying to stay as busy as I can all day today. I'll admit it, I teared up this morning as the bus pulled away.

And since today is the last day of school I had already made sure that I had a package of summer fun for Doodle for when she got home from school. Which is going to be earlier then normal because I'm picking her up today from school. I like having the opportunity to tell everyone good bye and that I too will miss them just as much as Doodle will.

And Doodle ran up to every single person that she knows at the school, hugged them and told them good bye. I know she loves the teachers there at our school and the kids, well she's making friends that won't treat her like she's got something wrong because they all have something wrong with them. So they all understand!

I'm blessed for Doodle to be at this school and I'm blessed that we have teachers that don't want to be babysitters but want to teach. They are very protective of all the kids at the school and that's the most important thing to me.

When Doodle came home from her early dismissal I went ahead and gave her, her summer package. A box of markers, a miniature bubble machine along with bubbles, Crayola clay and a drawing pad. There is an outdoor game but that will be when she is outside playing and I can play with her.

Well on that note I will see you guys on the flip side. I'm working on the magazine, still cooking and I have to get ready for my class tonight.

Cheating at Parenting Autism

Look, parenting a child with disabilities is not the easiest thing in the world. Add being a single parent to the mix and you're ready to rip your hair out. So when it comes to parenting sometimes you have to take sort cuts to give your kid the best part of you.

And yes, when I'm at work it's always in the back of my head, my patience is only reserved for my daughter and no one else. Working retail is not for everyone. Heck adulting is hard! Adulting with a special needs child is like riding on the outside of a rocket without a seat belt to the moon. So to all those teens who are looking to having a life and running away from childhood as fast as they can. You're welcome, the autism numbers are rising. Let's hope you don't end up in the fetal position in the corner sucking on your thumb, cause this life is not for the weak.

So Friday was my day off before I went into the Grind of my weekend. I do not have weekends off ever! I work and when I say I work I mean I grind hard and it starts after 5 on Friday. Working until sometimes 1 or 2 am. Go to bed, get up at 7 am, work some more, get ready to go into work. Grind out those numbers and head home after 2 hours and back at my regular weekend work. Again, work until 1 or 2 in the morning, bed, get up early and start again to get my weekend work done before Monday.

Sometimes you have to keep to the schedule (routine) as much as you can and anything will cause the routine to be thrown out of wack. Friday night I baked chicken but wasn't in the mood for cooking anything else. On to the deli section of Publix. You can get sides for your meals or full meals, ready to eat from the deli section of Publix. And it's doesn't cost a lot to get sides for meals. 

Even though this is one of those, ran to the store it's not on our schedule it's a perfect learning opportunity. Let your ASD kids pick out what they want for their sides. During the summer I will be going through and creating picture schedules that you can use for easy communication to help your kids learn. Doodle is past this part in her life. But for snacks we are still in that mode. Staying organized with your time saves you so much time and it's an easy "cheat" at parenting.

For right now my time is a mixture of practicing for classes, teaching my classes, finishing up paintings and working on the magazine template. Cause I have to have a better system for the magazine if I want to start that up again. I also have to worry about making sure that I am ready for the next Open House when it comes around. And on that note...

See you guys on the flip side.