A Will of Iron
For a very long time, we would do whatever it took to prevent Aidan from becoming dysregulated. And when his triggers ramped up, and it became virtually impossible to prevent a tantrum or meltdown, we would do whatever it took to bring the behaviours under control as quickly as possible. We genuinely believed that we […]
Pillows!
What are your child’s comfort items? I love asking this question in online autism support groups, because the answers are sometimes very weird and wonderful! There are things that make sense, and a few that are pretty unusual – like pieces of fruit, stacks of coloured paper, or kitchen utensils! Aidan’s are not too odd, […]
The Cot
Aidan was a baby that needed contact to nap or sleep. He needed to feel the warmth of your body, and be able to hear your heartbeat at all times. Though we battled with this, we weren’t aware that anything was unusual about it, until other moms with bubs of a similar age, were transferring […]
The Secret Costs of Autism
Remember when you were young and fun, well-rested and energetic, and you couldn’t decide between two pairs of shoes so you just got both? How long ago does that feel for you now? Because to me, it feels like a lifetime ago! I kind of feel as though every single parent on earth was wholly […]
Spinning Wheels
Aidan’s love of cars, trains, and automobiles, started at a very young age. He was absolutely obsessed with Hot Wheels, and every time we did a shop at Checkers, we’d stop by the revolving stand of them to buy him one. We had a little tradition of opening them while we waited to pay, and […]
The Program
Aidan was just two years old when his home-based ABA program started. He had only just dropped his naps, and had been spending happy days playing at home, in the garden, visiting parks, and attending a small number of toddler classes we’d enrolled him in. He’d had relative freedoms, little structure, and was a little […]
No Time To Lose
Following in the footsteps of other autism moms I follow online, I will be keeping the details of our service provider private, to safeguard my family’s privacy. But I will be talking in depth about Aidan’s ABA program, how we set it up, how it works, its benefits and complexities, and hopefully my readers can […]
Does the FBI Know About Me?
When a new rigidity or trigger pops up, or an established one changes ever so slightly, we are all caught unawares. Our son is right of centre on the spectrum and completely nonverbal. He can’t tell us what he’s thinking or feeling, except by crying. He will be absolutely fine for weeks, and then suddenly […]
Levels of Support
This is such an important thing to talk about. Because wherever our kiddos are on the spectrum, our families need support. And the kind of support we need varies at different times along our journey. And that support falls into five different categories: Emotional support can be provided by friends, family, our partners and other […]
The Diaper Drama
My amazing OBGYN, Dr Paula Penkin, always marvelled at Aidan’s length whenever I went in for a prenatal check. She told me she thought he was going to be a basketball player! Though he came early, at 37 weeks, he was an impressive height and weight when he was born – 56cm long and 3.98kg’s. […]