A few things i have learn from being a autism mum:

We all have a different idea of what the perfect kid is. The normal expect things that we all want for out kids. But sometime life give you a bump that say stop things are not going to be the way you picture it...


So hear a few things i have learn from being a autism mum:

1: stop thinking about the future we all want those normal thing for our kids. Friends, Good education, job, career, house/home, girl friend/ boy friend / marriage, etc........

Their no point wish or plan for a future that really going to look different from your ASD person and could take alot alot long so their no point worry or stressing about a future that you cant plan or picture.


2: love can look a different way i learn really quick just because my kid cant say "i love you" in word they show it in some many other way. unspoken body language can be a beautiful and interesting thing when you know the signs... It funny we dont think we need or want our kids to say they love us but the idea of the word never came to my mine until i had kids with autism.



3. it ok to cry: it doesn't matter if you show your emotion to the world our kids have to work so much harder to over come or learn new skills and we forget that.. asd kids are little superhero hey my 6year had the hole of his primacy school class mothers crying on school concert night just because he when on stage.

4. be brave learn to stand up for you self and say no this is not working or i want something else... You think that it would be easy to stand up to a therapy or a school teacher when you see something wrong or you want a change for you kid... Sometime you need to be brave and being a loin mum and protect your baby because they dont have a voice yet or they dont understand.



5. Enjoy the now... this is very important because the right now and having fun and enjoy your family time is more important than the diagnosis or the appointment..    

Start a Autism Diary on my youtube channel

Accepting Autism in a New school community

One the biggest jobs a mother, father or carer of a little person with a disability is make a school or a community understand and accept your person into their life's...

Both my kids have Autism and my biggest dream for my kids (6years and 4 years) is for them both to be accepted and to have friends. But it can be very hard to explain to another kids that Michael and Luke have disability that you can not see on the out side.

Autism is a disability that is very miss understood and you can't see it. So it is very hard for people to understand something they can not see.

Michael 6year just start is first year of kinder garden in a new school and this is what i did to best to get the word out to the children at his school and their family's...

This card was send to every family in the school and it my way of saying this is Michael.

learn alot about Luke at the aquarium

Today 4/09/2015 I took Michael 5yrs and Luke 3yrs both to the aquarium as a group with our local playgroup that we go to every friday. This was something new and something that i have never done before with both my autistic children. Yes i had my worry about the new experiences would the boys love it? or hate it?.

But i did what i alway do took my visual cards. Any where new with the boys i alway have my ASD visual aid as back up these card have things like. "Stay with me" "line up" "quite" "no kicking" etc....... the important stuff to know when out in social situations.

We wear ready of course michael and luke had fun going down to stairs to this new place a the beginning they unsure. I start to knowest luke was getting over whelm more than usual hand in his month, quite, not listen full etc........ We keep going and looking around i found a part of the aquarium to sit down out of the way.

But it kinder created a boxed in affect for the boys Michael started to get the needs talking mum mum mum and Luke was getting into is fright mood. You the autism saying for if your kids does the "fright or flight". Michael is my flight kids he hided or run when over whelm but Luke he is my fright kids. So when Luke goes into fright mood the first thing he does is going into attack mood, The target being Michael.

Luke see michael as his big brother and his protector so of course when he over whelm michael should know how to help. Dueing this point people wear already looking at michael and luke and paying a attention i dont know if it was the visual cards that said "look at me".

But as random people do they decide to watch and make not hiding the fact they watching michael and luke attacking each other, crying, laying on the grounded etc...... everything luke need to do to should that he uncomfortable and over whelmed before a meltdown happen luke "triggers".

Normal when this kinder thing happen i would saying something to the people "his autistic", "my boys have autism" but today i say nothing to the people looking at us. I dont know what was different about me today? maybe i just tired of explaning my self to people maybe i dont need to tell these people my boys are different, i dont know these people i will not see them again.

It was a really fun day after the aquarium we when to the park and enjoy hot chips and ice cream. On the way home Michael telling me how much fun he had and what he plan to do once we get home..

Once we got home it was really interesting what happen with Luke with his dad who only has few word that this stage not full talking yet.

So dad "andrew" ask Luke "what did you do today"?

DIY visuals

 One the hardest part about being a Autism mum is getting time to have a the visual for daily life with the kids.. and yes iPad are great they have really helpful app for ASD visual but sometimes you need on hand visual so hear how i made some visual for my boys to use at their nan and pop house..

You will needed: 

1: printed out visuals  

2: book covers clear  $3 at Woolworth or most craft shops

3: scissor

4: cardboard  $2 newsagents

5: stick on Velcro  $5 Woolworth or most craft shops

STEPS

 Step 1: Cut your clear covers to size of visual, half your clear cover and place your visual.  

Step 2: cover your visual with the clear cover Front and back

  

Step 3: Cut your Velcro and stick the hook velcro on the back of your visual. 

 Step 4: size up your board for your visual routine. once you have work out placement and size use the loop Velcro.

 step 5: finished

Autism kids at Octonauts!!

give two little autism boys their dream for a very long time both my boy interest has been "Octonauts" they dance everytime the theme song come on play with the toys. Watch it all day if i let them..

When i found out that Octonauts was doing a live Australia show..


https://www.facebook.com/octonautsliveau?fref=ts
octonautslive.com.au





I was one of the first people i think to buy a ticket for the show.
So i pick some seat nearest to the front door and close to the stage to make sure to have a good view of the show. I want to go all out for them.

Now that i have the ticket the planning need to start.

How will i make sure the boy don't run away and hide from me?
What is the show to scary and dark?
If the noise is going to be to loud?
Is their going to be to many people?
Their going to be both out of routine away from home?
Do i walk or drive to the show?
Are they going to get overwhelm?
Do i need to make visual and social story?


My list goes on for the thing i need to worry about before doing anything with both my boys.

Michael 5yrs and Luke 3 yrs both diagnosed with different level of Autism. I have my work cut out for me but I was positive, with high hope of them loving the show no matter what...

So the week of the show is hear i have book all the hotel and thing we going to do why way to keep the boy entertain. The plan was to stay half way for 2 night and then 2 night at the local of the show it a 3-4 hour drive away and i just want my boy to be comfortable.

Set the routine so the boy knew everything that happen. First thing we did was take the boy to the minion movie to see how they would handle a dark,loud show....Michael did handle wait in line very well and want to take his shoes off just as we need to get inside so everyone had to walk around us. other then that they love every minute of it and Luke feel a sleep..

So now for the Octonuats i keep the morning routine the same only different i put both boys in Octonaut glow in the dark t shirts, and i wrote my phone number on their arm.

I pack a bag full of food, headphones, sensory toy, ipad, and harness and octonaut toys thing that i knew the boy would like and also help calm them at the same time.

We wear ready we had a 1 minute walk to the show, i put a harness on Luke being the younger and have no fear of danger. Their was no line up so getting inside was very easy. Once we all inside at our numbered seat Michael complain that he want to sit at the back. I explain to him that these are our seat and he will not be able to see the octonaut at the back.
he accept that and happily stomped his feet in the rhythm of the waiting music why luke sat with the ipad...

We all happy and good the minute the show start my boy lit up they just over the moon. Luke need the headphone because he was handle the noise but once he was ready he took them off and enjoy the show
my boy spend the hole time dancing, watch and flying their Octonauts toy in the air with the show....... Amazing buy the bubbles it was a out standing show.

I am very proud of both my autistic boy 2 year ago i never could picture my self enjoy a show like that, it would have been to overwhelm for my self and both my boys...

Michael ever spent the time "if he saw a kid drop something" he would pick it up and give it back to them.

I have learn that my hard work as a mum has help a lot and my own personal understand both my boy different sensory need. I cant believe how much both my boy have grow i have a bright further of more family holiday wear we can do main different thing the boy can both enjoy... And i trust my self to do it on my own

I just happy that i was able to give my both the dream of seeing Octonauts live.

Transitions

I currently doing the free autism MOOC hoping to better understand my children and maybe learn something.
This week topic is Transitions  so meaning a kid moving from primary to high school or preschool to primary school.

What is Transitions like for me and michael we it very stressful and overwhelming is the best way to explain it. Everyday is very different transitioning michael from home to preschool for the day.
I would be liar if i said we have a easy time because really we dont. I take a lot of planning and understand to transition a kid. thank god i have a very supportive preschool.

It a guessing game to how Michael will handle going to preschool everyday will this be a  good morning? or a bad morning?


So we start our routine alway the same way getting ready at home that never changes ,
 Then we walk to preschool the same way everyday and talking to him about the day to help him better understand what happening today, tomorrow, etc.........

Once we hit the preschool gates that when our good mood changes Michael anxiety kick in.
Michael first in-sink is to "get away" so this will be him trying to run back the way we came, sit on the ground or fright me through the gate. (so we start off stress).

 
So i normal let Michael hide behind me as we walk in the school gates.


Once in the preschool depending on the morning Michael will sream, run, yell, tell me off, and say he scary and want to go home. these change depending on the day.

sometime this take 10min, 20min to 45min before Michael ever settle to let me leave. this is what happen pretty much everyday

Everything set Michael off from the teacher, the kids, other parents, my self what im doing and his brother...

It still a on going thing for me and Michael now. But a few thing i have put in place to help the morning is:

• we have a school social story for Michael that we can bring out
• Giving Michael a milk box that he drinks
• normal in dark place this in a quite room under a table with a blanket over the top of it.
• telling michael "mummy leaving in 5 mins"

Normal if this has help Michael he happy to go off and play with the other kids
but this doesn't alway work sometime.

Last thing to support michael let me leave him at school for the day is our special goodbye.

Me and Michael have create our own special way of saying good bye.


Well Michael create this and when Michael is ready and accept that it time for me to go we will say our special good bye and he is happy the hole day

but if we don't do this good bye in the right way or when michael want to do it he will scream the hole school down and crying because i have left.

our good bye:

Kiss

Cuddle

saying "boo"

saying "surprise"

wave good bye

and cover our eye like a game of peek a boo

once we have done this he run off yelling bye mum and really happy

i got to say yes everyday is stressful and overwhelm and sometime upsetting but i love our special good bye.