Posts Tagged ‘hoarding’
Everything I Prayed For
I’ve been called negative. Depressing. Dark. I’ve been accused of not loving my child. Of being weak. Of being a bad mom. All for saying severe autism is hard. And scary at times. I’ve spoke up. Spoke out. And refused to give up. And I’m here to say it’s paying off. This kid. This amazing, funny, smart, kid. He’s thriving people. Anti-anxiety medication and an amazing ABA team have helped him more than I can even put into words. But I’ll try. Because that’s what I do. He’s so happy.…
Read MoreI’ve Never Heard I Love You
My son is eight. And he’s never once said I love you. He can’t. And maybe he won’t. He doesn’t know how. And maybe he doesn’t want too. There are so many reasons why or why not. I don’t know the exact one. I just know that I would give anything to hear it. He has autism. And he’s nonverbal. He also has Apraxia. Add all three of those reasons together and hearing the three words, I love you, can feel impossible. I actively waited for a long time. I…
Read MoreControlling the Hoarding
A few days ago, Jamie and I spent the day, 10 hours to be exact, going through our son’s hoarding piles. We were absolutely shocked by the amount of stuff we found. Honestly, we had no idea it had gotten so out of control. We found piles under every bed, in every closet, under dressers, couches, bookshelves, entertainment centers and even the fridge. Almost every item was damaged and couldn’t be salvaged. By the time we were done we had thrown four garbage bags. In this video I touch on…
Read MoreWhat Regression Means in Our World
I want to talk about regressions in our autism world. That word. Regression. A loss of skills. A set back. Starting over. If I didn’t live it I wouldn’t believe it. I know there is a clinical definition. Those never seem to sum it up for us though. A regression is like having the rug pulled out from under you. It’s two steps forward and three steps back. It’s working every single day on using a straw. Mastering it. And then one day, waking up, and not knowing how to…
Read MoreLiving with Hoarding, OCD and Anxiety
Lately the stress of being home is wearing Jamie and I down. Our autistic son’s most challenging behaviors have really ramped up again. He is stimming on his Kindle, lining up objects, hoarding favorite items, tearing apart beds, destroying rooms, screaming, etc. T hese behaviors stem from anxiety. They also cause anxiety for everyone around him. I know this will pass. I know it will pass because it has before. But I also know that it will return. If we let our guard down for one second, leave doors unlocked,…
Read MoreHoarding and My Autistic Son (VIDEO)
Hoarding. It’s a very real behavior in our autism world. Take a peek at what our son hoards and the sheer amount. I have a feeling a lot of parents will relate, smile (and cry) at this one. Photos, DVD cases, DVD’s, VHS tapes, books, receipts, pieces of paper, etc. He gathers them all up and visually stims on them. And then once done, he chooses his favorite few, and the rest get stuffed behind dressers, entertainment centers and under beds and couches. Every Saturday I clean up his piles.…
Read MoreWhen Your Home Isn’t Your Safe Space
I am a home body. I always have been. I love being in the comfort of my home and it’s definitely my first choice when it comes to weekend plans. And I guess in a way, that’s a good thing, because Cooper’s autism brings a high level of isolation. Some could say I even settled into the isolation faster than my spouse. He is a social butterfly. Just like our other son. Lately though, the stress of being home is catching up with me. And it’s not just the isolation…
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