Therapy Swing Savings

 Just some simple, inexpensive ideas for a therapy swing in your home.  We all know the cost of swing in your home can have a price tag of over $200.  This is just not possible for your average family.  Take a look at an easy solution.

Autism & Speech Therapy

      Exciting news outta our household this week.  It's no secret Anthony has speech therapy.  Up until about a year and a half ago he had almost no words in his vocab and dealt with this by having several meltdowns a day.  I can't say I blame him, imagine being five years old and not being able to express your wants, thoughts and feelings.  I started early around 18 months on early intervention with speech and sensory.  He is almost seven and still cannot say a complete sentence.  He repeats back the last word or two of what you say.  

This prompted his speech therapist and I to come up with something a little more creative to motivate his constantly working brain.  He has a fascination of letters and words so we came up with a way he can see the words and expand is vocab.  Therapist and teachers do this daily.  This is nothing new.  Only new to us in our daily activities.  By putting I want on one pec card and letting him pick another card of his choosing for a want, he in turn has learned how to say "I want pretzel."  His actual first motivator was his train card.  I know folks, should have known right?  He loves to read so much it took only three times showing him and he ran with it.

This is when I just about cried.  I didn't have my camera out.  Hearing him put three words together had me in tears.  Then he blew it outta the park with adding please!  How can I explain to you how emotional it is to hear my child put four words together?  I have been dreaming of this for years.  At one point we weren't sure if this would ever happen.  He has worked so hard to get to this point.   This past month he has just exploded with new accomplishments.  I am so delighted to share this with you.  I am striving to get a video up of him doing this on my youtube channel. 

I am pleased to share with you my new store is up and my patreon page is up.  I would love for you to stop by and take a look at both.  Share with me your experiences with speech therapy in your home.  Do you have any tricks that helped your kiddo?  Join me on this journey and please tell me how you liked this blog!

Crazy Autism

Before you say it, I know I have been neglecting my duties as a blogger by not posting accordingly.  I have been swimming in youtube, facebook, google, instagram, and now younow!  My head is spinning and there is no break in sight.  I ended shirt sales two days ago and then started my own online store.  I will leave link for that of course.  I started this journey in hopes to spread awareness and the goal is to help others and maybe get ideas that could help us out from our autism community.  I have in turn found some pretty amazing families out there going through the same but different experiences we are.  It is nice to know we are not alone.  I am excited to start this new journey.  Little man has flourished in the past few months and I couldn't be happier.  We have taken sailing trips, visited splash pads and are starting swimming lessons and baseball up in August.  This summer has been busy so far and I suspect will only get busier.  I am in pure bliss and exhaustion at the same time.  Please take the time to check out AutismRockz Family on youtube.  Check out our online store and continue to show your love on facebook.  Have a great day autism families!



Storenvy

Sailing Angels

    This past weekend we went on a relaxing sailing trip with Sailing Angels.  The opportunity was given to us by my son's speech therapist and it turned out to be amazing!  I started prepping Little A for the trip two days prior.  Mentioning we would go on a boat Saturday.  I was a bit skeptical on how this whole journey would go.  Reason being when I mentioned boat I would get a scream and a "NO BOAT!"  This is where his anxiety kicks in and I have to sit back and let him work thru it.  On the said day the morning went smoothly and we headed to Kemah without a hitch.  He has always been a really great travel buddy so the drive was nice.  

       Things changed when we got there.  It was like a different child exited my car.  He was alert and responsive to my prattling on about the days activities.  I introduced myself to a Sailing Angel Volunteer and she very sweetly asked Little A his name.  Do you know my mostly non verbal child looked at her and said, "Anthony!"  After I picked my jaw off the floor and gained composure I explained to her he has never done that before.  He wasn't done there.  Oh no, he blew my mind again by doing it repeatedly and also responded to me asking what we were going on.  I got boat from him and before you knew it my day was made before we even started off.  

     The whole trip was simply wonderful and the volunteers were amazing. We had so much fun and he was happy the whole way thru.  These people do something so special for our kiddos.   They run off donations so I will leave link. If you are able donate please do so.  The smile on these kiddos faces was evident.  It was nice to get out as a family and do something we all enjoyed.  I really was in awh of the whole day.  The calmness that overcame my special guy was noticeable.  Our kiddos know how to astonish us daily and seeing that smile on his face was all I needed to make my day.  If you would like more information on the organization comment below or email me.  Another reminder shirt sales end in three days so get one while they last. I will leave link for that also.  

  www.sailingangels.org     #AutismRockz Shirts

Autism & Eating

      Hello AutismRockz FAM!  I kinda like FAM, obviously short for family.  I mean, lets face it we are all family, right?  Topic of the day is diet.  What kind of things work in your home an what has or hasn't worked for us.  I am just going to lay the hard core facts out there for all to bare witness.  We fail big time in this area.  I am sure you are aware of your kiddos sensory issues.  My little man has a knack for only eating crunchy foods and none of it healthy.  We have all heard the judgement of others with those spoken words of they will eat what you put out when they are hungry just don't give them what they want.  After I scream into my fist, I then just laugh and laugh!  I was never a overindulgent eater.  In fact, I was always about my health and appearance so eating healthy and visiting a gym was of top importance to me.  I battle with my own health issues so these things were on top of my list.  So the lack of a healthy meal for my child was a blow to my ideals.  His diet right now consist of pop tarts, pretzles, potato chips, apples, crackers, chicken nuggets, fries,veggie sticks, goldfish, dry cereal and Sunny D.  I know, pretty amazing huh?  He literally eats ten pounds of apples a week sometimes more.  I do get gluten free chips and gluten free cereal.  Never said I had to roll over.  He eats these types of foods of course because of spd or sensory processing disorder.  Anything crunchy usually we can get him to try, smell or touch.  He recently shocked me to the core by taking a bite outta pizza and eating a bowl with peanut butter by spoon.  He did that for a week and now won't touch it.  Safe to say getting this kid on a casein free or keto diet is out of the question.  Of course I know this would probably help yet, if you know anything about autism you know we cannot force anything upon them.  How do I adjust him so he isn't loosing out of the nutrients he desperately needs?  I give him probiotics for good gut health and he gets a good dose of vitamins and minerals.  This is the best I can do without him shutting down and starving.  I try my best not to feel as a total looser and I take it day by day.  Let's face it folks, we have so many other things to battle with so I don't make what he puts in his mouth as one of them.
What have you tried?  What diet is best in your household?  Let me hear any suggestions you have.  Please share your experience with me.  Don't forget to click that subscribe button to hear more about what goes on in the AutismRockz family....

Celebrating Milestones

This past week has been something to celebrate.  There has been a million things going on in the AutismRockz home.  Kiddo graduated kindergarten.  We had specialist visits then scheduled more.  I have been working on setting up t-shirt campaign, youtube, facebook, and keeping up with blog.  All awhile attempting to pay bills and run house.  Somehow in the mix of all this kiddo has been flourishing verbally.  

He recently came to me and said, "Apple, cut it, please."  This might not sound amazing to you, but he at age of 6 almost 7 has never said four words together.  This wasn't the end of his mind blowing mode.  No way, he took it further by actually answering me after I ranted on over an accident he had.  I told him we don't potty in shorts only in the potty.  He responded with holding hands up and saying, "Ok, Ok."  I literally almost cried over that.  He has never before answered me when speaking.  He has only ever repeated what I say back.  Usually the last word or two of my sentence.  He just amazes me daily.

  When you think there isn't a light at the end of the tunnel remember there always is.  Our kids are like sponges and are constantly soaking the world up around them.  Every second of the day our children are learning.  Celebrating these little or huge milestones make them want to strive for more.  This week my kiddo received two new cars to go with his collection and finally, we gave in and got him a Thomas & Friends Pirate Ship because, Rrrr.... As I sit here and laugh at that you must know he has been hollering, "Pirate Ship, Rrrrr" for at least a month now.  

 Now the summer will begin for us this weekend and I have many more items on list to be taught before school.  Autism can be difficult to navigate thru, yet the view from our train is beautiful.  I look forward to seeing what new things he will learn this summer.  Keeping busy in our home will be key.  Therapies will continue as will daily learning activities.  Let us bring in this summer break with sprinklers, pool play, sidewalk chalk, bubbles and smiles. Let me know what your planning.  We are all in this together, heat and all!  

I Have A First Grader...

    I always knew this day would come though I was told it wouldn't at appropriate age.  Kiddo worked extremely hard to accomplish this.  It is hard to imagine a child that doesn't talk knows all that's needed to move on up that ladder.  He does shock and amaze me daily.  Recently in a moment of clarity I realized he was counting in Spanish.  I guess this shouldn't blow my mind when he is watching youtube videos in all languages but our own.  Well thanks kiddo, It's not like I already have a hard time understanding you.  Once he came home signing his alphabet so I had to learn my ABC's in sign too so I could understand.  Sorry kiddo I am not sure at this age I have the patience to learn in Japanese, Dutch, German and French.  This is how autism works though doesn't it?

    We started this long journey when he was 18 months.  I knew before that things were different.  I kept holding out thinking maybe he is a little behind.  Let's face it, boys do tend to take it a little slower at milestones then girls.  Finally I knew I couldn't wait any longer in fear I would be hurting him by not getting the help he needed.  When we began this autism life he had no words.  The final diagnosis came in around 24 months.  At that point he didn't speak at all.  Only allot of meltdowns, screaming and throwing himself to the ground.  I know you all get this.  It could be chalked up as the terrible two's if you didn't know us personally. I was told at one point that he would never speak. I got him into ECI home therapy and had him in a PPCD school program at three.  He has spent the last three in a half years doing this program and here we are today.  On time, actually going into first grade just like any other 6 year old.  He still doesn't come chat it up with me.  He may never have a conversation with me or become a famous poet.  That's fine with me folks.  What matters is he keeps fighting, keeps learning, and never gives up.  

My message to you parents or caregivers, is to never give up.  Keep fighting the good fight.  Stay strong and never ease up on those therapies.  I thank God daily for our speech therapist.  Connect with your child's support group and stay involved.  Then sit back with me and smile when you see your kiddo accomplish yet another goal.  

Tell me about your child's accomplishments. Let me know your thoughts by hitting the button below.  Remember we are all in this together!  Have a great day Troop...