April - Autism Awareness Month - My life with Autism

Well CNN (the national news station in the United States) contacted me and offered for me to do an assignment for "Life with Autism" - What should the World Know About Autism. My story titled: Autism is not horrible - just different can be viewed here Life with Autism

Autism Child and Apartment Living

Does anyone live in an apartment complex with their ASD child. I am in such a situation -- it's one of those times you wonder if the whole world is up against you. I received a ltr from our landlord that they will not be renewing our lease for the upcoming year. Sucks! I am a single mom with the twin boys and I am 100% convinced it is our neighbor below us that continues to write management about the 'so-called noise level' which she has been complaining about for the last 7 years. There is no talking to this neighbor as she had it against us the day we moved in when she made a comment to my sister (thinking she was the one moving in) by saying "I hope you don't have any kids). My sister replied "it was her sister moving in and she has beautiful twin 7 years old". And she turned around and said "Oh I hate kids"... Well 7 years later after always paying rent on time and boys doing no destruction to this property we get this letter. They are aware I am raising an autistic boy and it isn't always pleasant. Sure the easy way out is to find another apartment complex to suit our needs -- but .. coming up with the first month/last month rent plus security deposit is gonna be almost impossible. The other places I have been checking into are at least $125 more a month. I am on a strict budget and even having an additional $50 a month put out is gonna be such a financial burden. I've checked with local assistance groups and no one seems to be able to help. My fear is 'it doesn't matter where we move -- eventually someone will complain that my autistic son is not allowing them to live in a peaceful community (Autism is never peaceful) -- even though the disruptions never ever occur after 9pm at night or before 7am in the morning as he is in his bed. The management company has made up their mind -- they will not change it --. I've been in tears every single night after I tuck the boys in bed with what am I going to do. There is no doubt we can move into a low-income (HUD) area but I WILL NOT raise my boys in a drug infested/crime area. My anxiety has been through the roof. I know they claim ''everything happens for a reason'' but this time I just am beside myself. Just the looking around for a new complex, the phone calls, trying to rebudget isn't all of it -- I am dealing with a young man that is fearing this change soooo much. Between losing the very few 8 year old friends he has and changing a school -- the idea of a transition is too much for him. I am just getting this all off my chest -- If I don't die from anxiety/stress then I am convinced I will live til I am 100. lol. I really have no way of proving this management company is not renewing our lease b/c of my sons -- they claim in their letter to me it is a 'business decision'. I guess I am just looking for prayers to help me find something in our price range and to help my son with this ease of transition. If you read down to here.. thanks! I am at a lost to what to do. I am reaching out to the world -- what would you do! April is Autism Awareness Month and more than ever do I need people to become more aware and acceptable of autism. What am I to do????? If you wanna share with someone you think can help then please do! Thanks!

Chat is open - Saturday July 9

Come on by the blog if you wish to chat.  If you are having any problems, leave a comment below and I will try to help you

Mission Accomplished!

Social stories, charts, rewards, routines -- sometimes they work sometimes they don't.  But today was an extraordinary day which I just wanted to jump up and down and scream hallelujah!  My ASD boy has had a nasty cold the last 2 weeks and that was enough to blow his whole demeanor out of whack every day, every hour of that day and each minute out of that hour.  Lightly said - the last two weeks have been extremely challenging.

Although today even with his cold and coughing all night long and struggling to wake up for school - which like I said has been routine for the last two weeks I decided to try something new.  His biggest obsession right now is playing Wizard101 after school on the computer and completing missions.  I decided to use that word - MISSIONS - into his morning routine today.  It went something like this:

As I was waking him his twin brother was already walking out of the bedroom to get in for his shower.  I told my asd son that he has a mission to complete this morning to earn his starbust candy after school.  The mission was:

Part 1 - To treat his brother nicely and remember personal space (no popping bubbles)  -- completed
Part 2 - be fully dressed for school before your brother exits the bathroom - completed...
Part 3 - Eat his breakfast and cleanup before 7:10 am -- completed
Part 4 - Brush teeth, brush hair, bathroom and out the door by 7:22pm -- completed

This was all a verbal mission given to him and he followed it to the T.  This was the best morning I can literally remember and I am going back years.  Was it the reward of the starburst or was it he was head strung in completing his Morning Mission.  It worked - that is all I care about.  I left his starburst on the table so he could see it when he came home from school with a note attached that said:  Mission Completed - Congratulations, I am proud of you.  Love Mom".  He knew when he left for school that he completed the mission.

Well after school before the door knob left his hand coming into the home he was asking if he could have his starburst.  He must of been thinking about it all day long.  I decided once again to use the Mission tactic for his afternoon chores for Thursday.  Mission was completed without any problems (although this time I did have it written down for him and he followed it step by step).  His reward for that Mission was gum for school as it does help him focus more and most of his teachers allow him to chew it.

What a beautiful day it has been.  Now I need to become more creative and give cute little names to these missions.  How long will it be effective for I really do not know - but I will take it one day at a time.

I always said I love challenges since I was in high school - and oh boy, I sure was handled one that will last a life time and I wouldn't want it any other way.  Thanks for reading and sorry there has been such delays in getting my blog out.

Parenthood

I absolutely love Parenthood and have it set to record the series just in case I don't get my mommy time at 10pm for one reason or another on a Tuesday night.  The recognition this show is getting both on the local and national level has amazed me for one main reason:  AUTISM AWARENESS!  The producer does an excellent job having Max portray an individual with Asperger's (I've read somewhere that in real life he also has a son on the spectrum) that I sometimes think our family life is being taped and shown to the world.  Every episode I have watched I have been able to say - hey that's my lil' boy there and know that I am not alone in this.
The episode last night was just phenomenal (Tuesday February 15, 2011). How many meltdowns we have had because the things were changed!  Just had one this morning before he walked out for school - My ds turned 13 today and wanted to wear these really huge birthday glasses someone gave me last month for my 50th birthday and when told he couldn't he was throwing items, screaming and taking his tantrum (lightly said) and refusing to go to school (this is all happening within 8 minutes of the bus coming).  Apparently when I showed them to him last month I made the comment maybe he could wear them on his birthday and he remembered it and was set to wear them as he walked out the door for school.  I was able to defuse the situation when I told him when he comes home from school this afternoon he can wear them for the rest of the day and even to bed.  He thought it was cool that I would let him take them to bed with him and whewwwwww - out the door for school he went!

My ds has his own blog at Outside View Looking In .  I hope you stop by to view it soon.

Outside View Looking In

My ASD son started his own blog as a goal project for school.  There are only two entries but the goal is to have 100 people view or become followers of it since there are 1 in every 100 boys diagnosed with Asperger's.  Can you help him meet this goal.  Take a hop over to his blog right here: Outside View Looking In and become a follower.  You can ask him questions or just comment  Let him know you were there to visit.  Thanks!

I made top 47 Asperger's Support Blogs on the Web!

Making it in the top 47 Asperger's Support Blogs just made my day.  There are a lot of blogs out there and to see my blog in the list -if it was the top 1000 or top 10- makes me tickled pink.  I actually forgot I had a blog over at http://autism-blog.com.  I was #31.  How cool is that.  Now my goal is to get more people to actually follow this blog.  My son just started his own blog as a project for school and his goal is to get 10 people to follow his.  So hop on over to his blog by clicking My View of Asperger's and follow him.  Thanks for the reading and will have another update on parenting asperger's soon.