JJ's mom
05-23-2007, 11:49 PM
For all you parents out there, I guess I need a kind ear to listen and offer stories so I know I am not alone. I know, in reality, I am not alone, but it sure helps to hear that others have been here too. My son is 6 and is on the spectrum, fairly high functioning but our biggest challenge is behavior on most days.
The last few days and weeks, and even months, I guess, have just left me saddened and frustrated and full of emotions. We have been diagnosed for 3 years and are making progress which I know is a blessing. But, I am sooooo weary of autism having a bearing on everything we say, do, think, feel, etc. Don't get me wrong, I don't hold this against my child. He is beautiful and precious.....but I would like autism not to have any of us in its grips one day. It affects how we eat, shop, travel, visit the doctor, grieve, and on and on and on....not one second of my life escapes this. I guess I long for a typical day every now and then........it just doesn't seem fair for our babies to have to deal with this.
I may not have said it well, but thanks for the time you gave to read it.
Kim
The last few days and weeks, and even months, I guess, have just left me saddened and frustrated and full of emotions. We have been diagnosed for 3 years and are making progress which I know is a blessing. But, I am sooooo weary of autism having a bearing on everything we say, do, think, feel, etc. Don't get me wrong, I don't hold this against my child. He is beautiful and precious.....but I would like autism not to have any of us in its grips one day. It affects how we eat, shop, travel, visit the doctor, grieve, and on and on and on....not one second of my life escapes this. I guess I long for a typical day every now and then........it just doesn't seem fair for our babies to have to deal with this.
I may not have said it well, but thanks for the time you gave to read it.
Kim
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meechieny
05-24-2007, 09:48 PM
You are not alone. I think when your child is diagnosed you go thru a grieving process. Not exactlly like when someone dies, but it's similar in alot of ways. You feel shocked then anger, then denial and then ...you struggle until you can finally find a sense of peace. I don't think you are at the peace yet. You will get there though.
I know our life has changed a lot, but when I think back it's actually hard to remember how things use to be. We don't take each day at a time, we take each problem at a time.
I think my son (who is 7) made his greatest strides from 5-6 and now again at 7. He is also high-functioning and I think it's maturity that is what's really making a difference.
It's also those life experiences....I have this great story.
We went bowling and it didn't go well at all. We went again and it was horrible. We went back again and I think we were very close to being asked to leave. We went back again and it was better. We went again and it was great!!!!!A "typically" developing friend from school invited him to his birthday party. It's actually going to be at the bowling alley. I'm really excited for my son because I know he is going to be ok.
Things will become more typical for you both. Keep your chin up.
I know our life has changed a lot, but when I think back it's actually hard to remember how things use to be. We don't take each day at a time, we take each problem at a time.
I think my son (who is 7) made his greatest strides from 5-6 and now again at 7. He is also high-functioning and I think it's maturity that is what's really making a difference.
It's also those life experiences....I have this great story.
We went bowling and it didn't go well at all. We went again and it was horrible. We went back again and I think we were very close to being asked to leave. We went back again and it was better. We went again and it was great!!!!!A "typically" developing friend from school invited him to his birthday party. It's actually going to be at the bowling alley. I'm really excited for my son because I know he is going to be ok.
Things will become more typical for you both. Keep your chin up.
hutch78
05-28-2007, 06:40 PM
For all you parents out there, I guess I need a kind ear to listen and offer stories so I know I am not alone. I know, in reality, I am not alone, but it sure helps to hear that others have been here too. My son is 6 and is on the spectrum, fairly high functioning but our biggest challenge is behavior on most days.
The last few days and weeks, and even months, I guess, have just left me saddened and frustrated and full of emotions. We have been diagnosed for 3 years and are making progress which I know is a blessing. But, I am sooooo weary of autism having a bearing on everything we say, do, think, feel, etc. Don't get me wrong, I don't hold this against my child. He is beautiful and precious.....but I would like autism not to have any of us in its grips one day. It affects how we eat, shop, travel, visit the doctor, grieve, and on and on and on....not one second of my life escapes this. I guess I long for a typical day every now and then........it just doesn't seem fair for our babies to have to deal with this.
I may not have said it well, but thanks for the time you gave to read it.
Kim
The last few days and weeks, and even months, I guess, have just left me saddened and frustrated and full of emotions. We have been diagnosed for 3 years and are making progress which I know is a blessing. But, I am sooooo weary of autism having a bearing on everything we say, do, think, feel, etc. Don't get me wrong, I don't hold this against my child. He is beautiful and precious.....but I would like autism not to have any of us in its grips one day. It affects how we eat, shop, travel, visit the doctor, grieve, and on and on and on....not one second of my life escapes this. I guess I long for a typical day every now and then........it just doesn't seem fair for our babies to have to deal with this.
I may not have said it well, but thanks for the time you gave to read it.
Kim
hutch78
05-28-2007, 06:58 PM
You are not alone sister. I am over here in Okinawa Japan serving as a U.S. Marine. I have beautiful twin boys that are on the spectrum. One Moderate/Severe (Daniel) and the other Low/Moderate (Jonathan). I guess the one thing I can say is that Jesus is involved and has a plan for my boys as well as your son. To tell you the truth, when I first heard, I cried at night thinking about my kids and how they are going to be. As well as my life has changed to become one big plan just for the boys to be more comfortable, (which has worked). We don't have a television in the house anymore which has helped Daniel sleep at night. You know though never lose hope because when it comes down to it that is all we really have left, (besides God). Never give up hope that one day everything will get better. There are still times that I cry big time, (sometimes like a little girl, which is not a thing I really can't share around the office due to the fact that Marines being macho and all).
That's OK though, just know that YOU are not alone and everything will be OK with your little guy!
That's OK though, just know that YOU are not alone and everything will be OK with your little guy!
jeffreys mom
05-30-2007, 08:33 PM
I know what you mean about trying to escape it and no matter what it's just there again as a topic. Sometimes I use magazines in that little me time that rarely happens and it never fails that there will be some article about some family with an Autistic Child. I was using this time to escape and there it is right in my face again. Sorry for the rant.
JJ's mom
06-03-2007, 06:21 PM
Thank you to everyone who replied. It helps so much.
I am usually a pretty tough cookie, but I know I have my limits sometimes. Thankfully, each new day the Lord gives me lets me start again. I pray for each of us dealing with autism...our children, our families and each other.
Kim
I am usually a pretty tough cookie, but I know I have my limits sometimes. Thankfully, each new day the Lord gives me lets me start again. I pray for each of us dealing with autism...our children, our families and each other.
Kim
jellen46
07-24-2007, 12:56 AM
As a stay at home mom of a 5 yr. old precious autisic little boy I can truthfully say that caring for him is the hardest and most challenging job that I have ever known.He is with me 24/7. I am so overwhelmed somedays and have quit a few pitty parties because sometimes it is as if no one else seems to care about these kids. I also feel so helpless as a mother because I want to fix my child and make everything okay, but I cannot. I myself do not like being around other mothers with regular children Wil's age anymore. Ifeel like Iam preaching a sermon,sorry. Please know that you are not alone and thanks for sharing your feelings.jellen46
luckystar
07-30-2007, 05:29 PM
I know I have said this on other post, a lot probably. It does get easier. I think :rolleyes: My son now almost 16, has come so far. If you read other post from people on here that have AS you see that they are happy and well. I learned long ago not to dwell on what my AS child could not do but what he will do and does do. I know this is hard to do on a daily basis. I know there are days I have felt like giving up. I will say my son is an amazing teenager. Who thought those words would ever go together. He is not self-fish, he does not get caught up in the highschool drama, he is kind and caring. He is such a joy to be around. For me I know that your children will be great. It will get easier. The tantrums will lessen etc... I know I can only speak from my experience, but I just wanted you to know " it does get better"
:angel:
:angel:
datgrlstef
08-02-2007, 10:05 AM
My son will be four next month, and I have been saying for ever that the only real major problem (as I see it) is his behavior. The yelling and screaming, the growling or grunting, crying in fits of rage.. I have to tell you that it's very emotionally draining. He has OT on Saturdays, and I dread it for the simple fact that this place seems to throw his emotions into a tizzy. I sit there in the waiting room listening to him spend an hour yelling at his therapist, and cringe. I wait for them to tell me they can't see him anymore. (Some days are fine, some are not. Guess it just depends on his mood). I think to myself how the heck can I possibly send him to a typical school, when there's no way any teacher would put up with it, while trying to teach the rest of the kids in his class? I wonder to myself if the fact he's reading and writing (and just generally smart as a button) isn't good enough- does he need a special school? I realize a lot of his problem is that he's just not emotionally mature enough to handle what life throws him. So when the heck is he going to grow out of it? That's what I want to know. I asked a mom at his OT's office, whose son is probably 2-3 yrs older than my own. She said she didn't know, and she'd let me know when it happened. :(