Our son went into a fog called Autism. Every day, we are finding him.
Real family stories about our life with Jackson.
Wow…we left this blog on a downer for three whole months. Yikes. Thank God we’re back with hope in our hearts. It’s been a rough go, but Jackson has indeed risen again. He is using more spontaneous language than ever before. Hurrah! Continue reading “I Hear Your Voice”
So, how do you have a real gutty, honest conversation on a blog? I’ve been grappling with this lately, because I think Sara and I are generally a hopeful pair. Naturally, then, on this blog, the glass is always three-quarters full. But I have to be blunt: this has been a BAD couple of months with Jackson. His words are gone, the humming-bird speed hand-flapping has become almost constant, and he is hardly responding to us the way he was in the Spring. We’ve told you about the waves of progress and regress. This is the bottom of that cycle. At least I hope it’s the bottom. Continue reading “Pressed, but not Crushed”
I have a confession: I have a secret rebellion I cannot seem to reform. I bring it out into the open here in a desperate attempt to convince myself of my folly. I CANNOT FOLLOW A RECIPE to the letter. This has worked out surprisingly well, further encouraging the rebellious tendency. But my creativity has proven disasterous on several occasions like the time I was left staring at the sad puddle of goo stuck to the bottom of the pan that was supposed to be beautiful, moldable marzipan to lay atop my son’s birthday cake. Continue reading “New Yummy GFCF Bars and My Secret Rebellion Revealed”
A few weeks ago, I dipped my toe into rougher waters in the world of autism. I attended a parent advisory meeting at Jackson’s school. The discussion had turned to providing more training for parents, equipping them to reinforce their children’s training at home using the same methods employed in school. One mom’s response revealed a new side of the autism debate of which I had been blissfully unaware. Continue reading “Autism debate”
I’ve only had a handful of migraine headaches in my lifetime, just enough to feel sympathetic to those who deal with them all the time. All of them begin the same way: I suddenly realize that movement is lost in a strobe-light effect, lights flash, black spots dance across my field of vision, and I have a hard time concentrating, and sometimes my speech is slightly slurred. This lasts for 20-30 minutes, then the pain begins and lasts for about 5 hours. Last week, as I struggled through visual distortions of an ophthalmic migraine to concentrate on Jackson making a breakfast request, I wondered if my visual symptoms are similar to what he experiences.
I am able to focus on Jackson’s left eye, but the rest of his face is fluid, moving, jumping. My brain feels mushy, and my lips thick. I focus hard on that left eye, trying to hear what he’s whispering, “I want….” What is my prompt again? So hard to concentrate.
Is this what you feel like most of the time, love? I wish I knew. I’m glad I had a headache today if only to remind me to slow down, be patient, wait for your response. Remember that your efforts are valiant. Your victories worth celebrating. You’re a tough little fighter, buddy.