Good morning beautiful people!
Good morning beautiful people!
My thoughts for today are revolving around the things I want to talk about at G's occupational therapy today. Hopefully, they can give me some tips on how to work on them at home. First is his repetitive speech. Besides the hitting, biting, screeching and crashing, this is the most frustrating. Let me put it into perspective for you...
(on a typical, unexciting car ride on our way to Walmart)
G: "where we going mommy?"
Me: "to Walmart."
(immediately after I answer)
G: "where we going mommy?"
Me: "to Walmart."
repeat this sequence the entire way to Walmart. I really wish I was exaggerating, but no. Whenever we get in the car, no matter where we go, it's the same thing. Some days aren't as bad, but on those days, he's inconsolable in the back seat...screaming, crying, banging his head, kicking L's car seat. I've started to hate the car.
The next thing I want to talk about is his sleeping patterns. He is still waking up in the night but that's not what bothers me. It's WHERE he sleeps. On the floor, pressed up against his door. This wouldn't bother me so much except that he used to (and sometimes still does) spit his juice out on the floor. The area in front of his door is saturated with juice and pee (because he is still refusing to go pee if he wakes up. (I'll get into that in another post). So when he wakes up in the morning, not only is he covered with carpet marks and lint (he sleeps in his pull-ups with no jammies because it's so hot right now), he smells terrible! Let me tell you, old juice is not the greatest smell in the world. And the stain/smell won't come out of the carpet. We've tried. My idea that I want to bring up at OT is the possibility of letting G sleep in a playpen. I got the idea from a wonderful book...Parenting a Child with Sensory Processing Disorder. The playpen gives him a definite space, and lots of blankets and pillows will give him the weight he needs.
Goal for today: do not go insane....have a great time at OT....have fun. Have fun. Have fun. Have fun.
Thursday, August 9, 2012
Wednesday, August 8, 2012
Educate Yourself
I've decided that I am, quite possibly, the most unorganized mom in the entire mom-universe. I need one of those giant dry erase boards. In theory, I would write appointments, chores, and routines on it...but let's be honest here, it would hang uselessly on the wall collecting dust and dirty jokes/pictures from the Marine.
On to the point of this post......research and education. Not for kids, but for parents! I'm not saying that I have a bottomless pit of knowledge regarding SPD but I know a little. I spend countless hours reading books, searching the internet, talking to other SPD/Autism parents...and I learn something new everyday. I think it's given me an edge when dealing with G and some of his behaviors. It brings up questions that I want to ask at the next OT appointment. My husband? Not so much.
My solution to meltdowns: redirect. The bedtime meltdown last night resulted in a G sandwich with two enormous couch pillows (and lots of eye rolling from the husband) that calmed him down enough to do his bedtime routine.
His solution: yelling and/or walking away
That's it . He doesn't even TRY to understand what G is going through. He thinks he can force him to be a good kid. Great. My own husband thinks G is "the bad kid". That's just perfect.
Is it too much to ask that he read a little about SPD and what G deals with everyday? Is it too much to ask that he try to help me? In his head, in his own way, he thinks he's helping...but all he's doing is destroying any progress I may have made that day.
What do I do? Do I bring it up for the millionth time and sound like a nag? Do I let it go and, everyday, start over with G? I want my husband to have a relationship with G beyond yelling and punishment. Right now, it's just not there.
On to the point of this post......research and education. Not for kids, but for parents! I'm not saying that I have a bottomless pit of knowledge regarding SPD but I know a little. I spend countless hours reading books, searching the internet, talking to other SPD/Autism parents...and I learn something new everyday. I think it's given me an edge when dealing with G and some of his behaviors. It brings up questions that I want to ask at the next OT appointment. My husband? Not so much.
My solution to meltdowns: redirect. The bedtime meltdown last night resulted in a G sandwich with two enormous couch pillows (and lots of eye rolling from the husband) that calmed him down enough to do his bedtime routine.
His solution: yelling and/or walking away
That's it . He doesn't even TRY to understand what G is going through. He thinks he can force him to be a good kid. Great. My own husband thinks G is "the bad kid". That's just perfect.
Is it too much to ask that he read a little about SPD and what G deals with everyday? Is it too much to ask that he try to help me? In his head, in his own way, he thinks he's helping...but all he's doing is destroying any progress I may have made that day.
What do I do? Do I bring it up for the millionth time and sound like a nag? Do I let it go and, everyday, start over with G? I want my husband to have a relationship with G beyond yelling and punishment. Right now, it's just not there.
Tuesday, August 7, 2012
Nut House Staff
(I just can't stop with the "nut house" references. Sorry)
The Wife: That's me. My name is Alicia (uh-LISH-uh). Yes, I feel the need to put that in there because everyone says my name wrong. It's not overly annoying, considering what I deal with, but it's refreshing when even one person gets it right. Here's hoping. Anyway, I'm about to turn 31 (eeeeek! cue the death march), I'm on my 2nd (and better) marriage, I have 3 kids. Wait, backup.....I have 3 BOYS. My oldest, D, lives in Ohio with my ex husband but I'm working on that. I'm trying to get back into school to finish my BA in Cultural Anthropology with a minor in History. I'm pretty much a sucker for Medieval Europe. I embrace my nerd status.
The Marine: That's my husband. Although he hates it when I call him that. He's been a Marine since 2008. He's getting out this November. He's a couple classes away from finishing his BA in Criminal Justice. He wants to be a cop when we move back home. (he is exchanging a job with long hours and danger for a job with long hours and danger...brilliant).
The Monster: This is G. He is the purpose for the blog. G is 3 years old. You'll see me refer to him as "G" or "monster" most of the time. He is one of the smartest kids I've ever met. But at the same time.....he has trouble. He's book smart. He can count, he knows colors and shapes, he knows left and right and up and down.....but he can't articulate what he wants. For example if he says "I want that." I will reply with "Want what? What do you want?" His response is to repeat what he said. "I want that."
The Fat One: This is L. The little brother. L is going to be 1 next month. (anyone know a way to stop that from happening? Now would be a great time to tell me.) He's normally a happy baby. Always smiling or laughing. But I fear he might have the same issues as G. Maybe even a little delayed. He's not talking or walking and he's having some trouble feeding himself. We'll see how that develops.
There we are. The "Nut House Staff". I hope to get to know you all, share stories and really help each other. No one should go through this journey alone. I'll end this post with some pictures of the Staff. Enjoy.
The Wife: That's me. My name is Alicia (uh-LISH-uh). Yes, I feel the need to put that in there because everyone says my name wrong. It's not overly annoying, considering what I deal with, but it's refreshing when even one person gets it right. Here's hoping. Anyway, I'm about to turn 31 (eeeeek! cue the death march), I'm on my 2nd (and better) marriage, I have 3 kids. Wait, backup.....I have 3 BOYS. My oldest, D, lives in Ohio with my ex husband but I'm working on that. I'm trying to get back into school to finish my BA in Cultural Anthropology with a minor in History. I'm pretty much a sucker for Medieval Europe. I embrace my nerd status.
The Marine: That's my husband. Although he hates it when I call him that. He's been a Marine since 2008. He's getting out this November. He's a couple classes away from finishing his BA in Criminal Justice. He wants to be a cop when we move back home. (he is exchanging a job with long hours and danger for a job with long hours and danger...brilliant).
The Monster: This is G. He is the purpose for the blog. G is 3 years old. You'll see me refer to him as "G" or "monster" most of the time. He is one of the smartest kids I've ever met. But at the same time.....he has trouble. He's book smart. He can count, he knows colors and shapes, he knows left and right and up and down.....but he can't articulate what he wants. For example if he says "I want that." I will reply with "Want what? What do you want?" His response is to repeat what he said. "I want that."
The Fat One: This is L. The little brother. L is going to be 1 next month. (anyone know a way to stop that from happening? Now would be a great time to tell me.) He's normally a happy baby. Always smiling or laughing. But I fear he might have the same issues as G. Maybe even a little delayed. He's not talking or walking and he's having some trouble feeding himself. We'll see how that develops.
There we are. The "Nut House Staff". I hope to get to know you all, share stories and really help each other. No one should go through this journey alone. I'll end this post with some pictures of the Staff. Enjoy.
Welcome to the Nut House
Like the title says, welcome to the nut house. I created this blog for myself (and to help others, but mainly for myself). It will be a daily glimpse into what my husband and I go through while raising a boy with SPD.
What is SPD? SPD aka Sensory Processing Disorder is not a mental disorder but it is a neurological disorder. A great website that outlines SPD is found here.
What do I hope to accomplish with this blog? I have no idea. Venting frustrations? Helping others? Meeting other parents who have kids with SPD? All of the above? Sure, why not?I feel like everyone I talk to about G's issues, they just dismiss it as bad parenting or "maybe he's just a bad kid."
NO HE'S NOT.
G is exceptionally smart. (start brag) He can count to 25 on his own, he knows all of his colors and shapes and directions (end brag) but he doesn't know how to process what happens in the world around him. This causes severe social and behavioral problems. And that is where we are. Trying to figure out a way to get this under control before he starts school (he's 3 so time is running out)
Now, if that wasn't enough for you to process, I'll tell you a little about me and my family in post #2
What is SPD? SPD aka Sensory Processing Disorder is not a mental disorder but it is a neurological disorder. A great website that outlines SPD is found here.
What do I hope to accomplish with this blog? I have no idea. Venting frustrations? Helping others? Meeting other parents who have kids with SPD? All of the above? Sure, why not?I feel like everyone I talk to about G's issues, they just dismiss it as bad parenting or "maybe he's just a bad kid."
NO HE'S NOT.
G is exceptionally smart. (start brag) He can count to 25 on his own, he knows all of his colors and shapes and directions (end brag) but he doesn't know how to process what happens in the world around him. This causes severe social and behavioral problems. And that is where we are. Trying to figure out a way to get this under control before he starts school (he's 3 so time is running out)
Now, if that wasn't enough for you to process, I'll tell you a little about me and my family in post #2
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