It has been a roller coaster year. A bucket load of change for our family, a massive shift in lifestyle and some curve balls thrown in just for fun.
Lets wrap up this year with a tally of some of the things that we’ve seen in our beautiful lives.
- Changed schooling – twice.
- PDA profile manifestations – 200 times.
- Sensory Overload – 158 times.
- Tried new foods – 8 times (all successful integrations).
- Made new friends – 12 times.
- Identified a thinking space – 2 times.
- Found a love for the outdoors – 15 times.
- Faced first exams with flying colours – once.
- Hygiene challenges – reduced by 60%.
- Stress levels – reduced by 60%.
A few of the things I’ve learned this year.
Our kids are more resilient than we think they are. They don’t need as much bubble wrap as we think (emotionally and physically).
There is endless amount of support and advice from veteran parents in the Autism world. Even professionals are willing to go the extra mile to make sure our kids get the therapy they need, and they’re not afraid to be honest about extra needs, or telling us our child has reached their milestone and no longer needs the therapy.
The mama bear is real, and we will literally do anything to make sure our children get as much of what they need to regulate, sleep, be educated and to help them enjoy the world around them.
My intuition is more important than I knew. I know my children and can tell when things are “off” even if others don’t notice.
I learned that making big moves for our children (moving schools) isn’t as difficult as it seems, and as disruptive as it feels, it can be the BEST thing for our children. The proof is in the resulting peace, regulation and drop in anxiety levels for the whole family.
Not every educator KNOWS how to deal with our children (even if they say they do), and sometimes we need to speak up. Even if nothing changes, we continue to advocate for our children. Then if nothing changes a second time, move the children to an environment with professionals who understand, exhibit the kind of methods that your child needs, and truly believe in teaching in a way that nurtures your child’s individual needs.
Medication is sometimes the answer to get everything onto a level playing field. To help get the emotions regulated and to enable our children to live their best lives.
My son, after changing schools and watching his stress levels decrease exponentially, has tried new foods, tried new activities and developed a confidence within himself and an understanding of his Autism and how it works for him.
Enjoy this gallery of the year in chronological order and see the shift happen before your eyes.
