Life is full of twists and turns. As kids we learn to “roll with the punches” and as adults we must handle the unexpected in life as best as we can. Raising children, especially those with ASD, we adults have the responsibility of modeling what it looks like to be flexible and handle the “curveballs” the game of life throws us - with grace and dignity. But, it isn’t always easy, is it?

Saturday evening Greg, Ethan and I arrived home from a two-week vacation out West to visit family, dig our feet in the sands of the Pacific Ocean and experience all that Disneyland and LEGOLAND have to offer. Our trip was phenomenal! Staying with family not only made our trip fiscally possible, but it was such a joy to see cousins, aunts and uncles we rarely get to see. But I’ll write more about the amazing trip in future blog posts…for now I want to share about coming home to find our Master Bedroom ½ flooded thanks to a cracked plastic connection for the toilet supply line.

As soon as we walked into the door we could smell that something was amiss. Literally. We could smell mildew. In the Texas summer heat, mildew is always an issue in the back of homeowners' minds. We don't allow things to stay damp long because we know that dampness leads to mildew. And apparently even in an air-conditioned home, mildew will grow in carpet and carpet padding when left wet for several days. Immediately we called on “our carpet guy” as we now think of him, because he’s already helped us with one flooding emergency this summer (read more about that incident HERE).

Greg and I immediately started moving things out of the room, worked on emptying drawers, dressers and bookshelves. Ethan watched from the sideline. I stopped only long enough to explain what was happening, what we were trying to do and give my permission for Ethan to turn on the Disney Channel.

Upon arrival, “our” carpet guy surveyed the damage and started cutting, pulling out and rolling up the sopping wet, mildewed carpet and padding; out the window it went. Then he continued to vacuum up the remaining water left on the concrete. Next came the high-powered fans to dry out the floors, baseboards and walls.

That is how the room still remains. We’re waiting to see how a moisture reading comes back today to determine if the sheetrock and insulation in the wall between the bathroom and bedroom will need replacing. We know the flooring will have to be replaced. For the second time this summer we’ve been thrust into researching what will be the least-toxic option our budget can tolerate. I worry A LOT about all the chemicals in traditional carpets (think flame-retardants, stain-resisters, VOCs and carcinogens).

If money wasn’t an issue, this decision making process would be much easier. It seems like all of the less-toxic flooring options are 2-3x as expensive as the mainstream options. But money is an issue. Like most families raising a child with ASD, we’ve spent thousands and thousands of dollars on therapies, treatments, doctor/specialist visits, tests, supplements and special diets. There’s not a whole lot of money to “play” with. But, in the big scheme of things, this is minor in comparison to what could’ve happened. I’m thankful that the damage wasn’t worse and that we’re only (at this point) looking at replacing flooring in one room of our home.

As this most recent curveball sends me scrambling into the backfield researching less-toxic flooring options, I’m praying that God will help me be a worthy role model for Ethan. He’s watching. He’s very impressionable right now and he, like most kids with Asperger’s Syndrome, doesn’t like change. He sees how we’re handling this stress and I want him to learn that life isn’t always easy but we have to be flexible and “roll with the punches” as best as we can.

If you’ve done a recent remodel or built a new home with non-toxic or less-toxic materials, I welcome your input on safer flooring options!

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Leigh Attaway Wilcox is a writer and editor for the projectLD family of companies. Leigh is Assistant Editor of the internationally acclaimed AutismSpot.com and her work can be found on many of the pLDNetworks sites. Leigh is the author of ALL BETTER: A Touch-and-Heal Book published by Piggy Toes Press in 2007. Leigh lives in North Texas with her husband and young son who loves reading, LEGOs, Mario Bros. and also happens to live with Asperger's Syndrome, an Autism Spectrum Disorder.