All kids go through stages. All kids test boundaries to see what they can “get away with.” I knew this long before I became a parent, but Ethan has always been rather strong willed and stubborn, so some of his stages seem to last forever…and sometimes they even resurface when I thought we had worked through them successfully. With that said, Ethan is going through a stage – I know it won’t last – but I have to admit it can be so infuriating!
Over the past few months Ethan has been pushing boundaries and hiding from me on occasion when I am calling him. Sometimes it is when he knows he’s “in trouble” and is delaying the inevitable firm talk or loss of privileges; other times it seems (to me) that he is hiding for no reason at all. He knows hiding when I am calling for him is inappropriate and even dangerous in certain situations. He knows it frustrates and even angers me at times. At least I think he knows all of these things…maybe he doesn’t?

Amidst the recent earthquake, hurricane/tropical storm, and tornadoes in the USA, and after losing a family friend (see post HERE), I find myself very thankful for “simple” blessings, especially those concerning my son. While I was away to attend services for my friend’s mother, to show my support for her and her family and visit with my family in the same town, Ethan did beautifully with the unexpected changes to his routines, during the first week of school, no less! Thank God! Also, when I returned after being away for four days, Ethan was super sweet and happy to have me home. We spent time reading together in the afternoon and after lights out last night, I stayed to cuddle with him. As we were visiting in the dark, Ethan shared some worries and concerns he has about losing me (and other loved ones)…on the heels of my trip, I’m not surprised that this fear is weighing on his heart and mind. However, I’m wholeheartedly thankful that Ethan is able and willing to communicate these concerns to me.

One of my dear friends lost her mother to a long, painful battle with cancer this week. My friend has a nephew with Autism. When I asked if there was anything I could do to help the family, my friend asked for assistance helping to find someone to keep an eye on her nephew during the service. He and his family will be traveling from out of town. My sweet and thoughtful friend wants her brother and sister-in-law to be able to focus on the service even if their son feels the need to get up and explore, pace or simply move around.

Ethan, along with countless kids across the state of Texas, went back to school this morning. [Sniff, sniff.] While I was preparing his school supplies and trying to minimize his exposure to toxic chemicals, I got to thinking about hand sanitizers. What’s in them? And, are those ingredients dangerous for our kids?
Thinking along these lines, I sought additional information. I knew that we wanted to avoid Triclosan (which is a chemical in many hand soaps) because it can be very harmful to sensitive systems, but I wasn’t sure if it was a concern in hand sanitizers, or if there was something else I should be concerned about…so I reached out to one of my favorite organizations: Women’s Voices for the Earth.

Sometimes dads feel left out of many of the important aspects of raising a child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder. They may not get to attend all of the doctor/therapy appointments and teacher conferences they’d like or go to workshops and conferences as frequently as moms do…and sometimes because of this they may not have many opportunities to network with other dads who “get it.”
That’s why the National Autism Association of North Texas is hosting a Dads Panel with AutismSpot’s own Founder, Kent Potter, on Sept. 6th at 7pm in Plano, Texas. Kent has participated in the Dads Panel at the Autism Society of America National Conference, so he's a pro! This event is for dads only; men are welcome to come, share experiences with other dads (or listen quietly) and learn from each other.

Last August, I posted some suggestions for helping your kids get back to school with fewer toxins HERE. In that post I shared this information about packing a less-toxic lunch:
“…Since then, I have tried to minimize how much ‘plastic’ my son’s food actually touches. Instead of placing sandwiches, veggies and fruits in Ziploc® or plastic zipper baggies, (while they are super-convenient, cheap and easy), I try to wrap foods up – much like little presents – in wax paper. To make sure they stay closed, I seal them with fun labels printed with my son’s name and images of things in which he’s interested.”
Sometime after writing that post, I discovered a new (to me, at least) product – Natural Value Waxed Paper Bags. My husband and I have both found that using these “baggies” saves us time in the mornings when we’re scrambling to get Ethan’s lunch packed.

Like most parents of young children I know, I’ve been scrambling to buy school supplies and revert back to strict bedtime routines to prepare Ethan to start school in just over a week. Additionally, since Ethan lives with an Autism Spectrum Disorder – Asperger’s Syndrome – I’ve also been busy working to prepare information to be shared with his new classroom teacher next week at “Meet the Teacher” night.
Every year I tend to do the same thing(s) and I’ve had rave reviews from teachers, administrators and support staff, so I wanted to share some ideas.

Last month we packed up and left Texas for an adventure on the West Coast. I have an aunt and uncle who live in Orange County who offered to let us stay with them while we visited Disneyland Resort and other tourist attractions in the LA area. Fortunately for us, they live about 20 minutes away from Disneyland. We were very thankful to be welcomed into their home and probably wouldn't have been able to afford the trip otherwise. Needless to say, our “accommodations” were perfect; my aunt is on a gluten-free diet herself and was very careful when shopping and cooking with all of Ethan’s additional dietary restrictions in mind.
Speaking of dietary restrictions, Disneyland was also super accommodating. If you missed Kendra’s excellent post about dining with allergies in Disney World, it is a MUST READ! We had a very similar experience in Disneyland…the staff were accustomed to hearing the words “gluten free” and “special diet.” How refreshing!
Another bonus about visiting Disneyland is that they offer a “Guest Assistance Card” for individuals with disabilities.

During our recent trip out west, we spent 2 days at the LEGOLAND® California Amusement Park in Carlsbad (just north of San Diego). Several friends and even one of Ethan’s doctors have been encouraging us to take him for a couple of years now because they have seen how much he adores the little plastic building blocks and can create intricate sets and unique designs with ease. I must admit, they were right to encourage us to go! Ethan loved LEGOLAND® and we’re glad we went before he got any older.

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.