Surviving The Holidays

The cooking. The decorations. Gift giving. Holiday movies and hot cocoa.

I have always loved holidays. The sense of family and togetherness. The beautiful lights and delicious foods. Christmas trees and pumpkin pies. Curling up on the couch and watching Rudolph. The feeling of warmth and family.

Before A's diagnosis, we would pack our bags and visit multiple family members. It had always resulted in a very cranky A and very cranky parents. Some would think he was rude when exclaiming "this is not what I asked for from Santa" or that every single food prepared was not what he liked. And the puking. Oh the puking. Sensory overload!!!! And I always thought he was just being difficult. Little did I (we) know......

Lights.

Music.

Long lines.

For an autistic child (and parent), Christmas isn't always as magical as those lead you to believe. A is beyond excited that his elves, Sal and Spinner, have returned. The thought of new toys has him beaming ear to ear. But there is so much more to deal with during the holiday season.

"Want to tell Santa what you want for Christmas"?

"No mom, I'll send him a note" (not just an autism thing).

Now let's throw in 10 days off from school. There goes his routine.

Holiday pictures? Not for the kid that can't bear to wear anything other then sweatpants and a t-shirt.

Pizza for Christmas? Of course!!! This is the only thing he eats lately (well, add corn dogs, pizza rolls and pizza bagels to the list).

Now we are going to visit family and everyone wants a hug and a kiss. Well A doesn't hug or kiss anyone but mom and dad.

Oh and my favorite.....A is honest about everything and will blurt it out. Give him a gift he doesn't like. He's going to tell you. I can feel my cheeks getting red just thinking about it.

To keep the magic alive, please don't be offended by our holiday pictures with the kids in sweats. If I show up at your house with a frozen pizza, don't be insulted. We won't have a picture to post of us with Santa and A may not give you a hug (a high five you can count on though).

Our magic may not be the same as everyone else's but it's our magic and we love it!

Merry Christmas, Feliz Navidad, Happy Hanukkah and Happy Festivus!

The "C" Word

I am not referring to that big bad word I have used on occasion to describe a woman that has stared as A has a meltdown in the store. Not that word.

While A is diagnosed on the spectrum he also has other diagnosis'.

These are called comorbidities.

These can be hard to diagnosis because many comorbid traits overlap with autism.

They can range from ADHD to epilepsy.

A has a handful of comorbid diagnosis' that can make determining issues difficult at times.

• ADHD - Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

I feel as though nowadays a lot of people have heard of ADD or ADHD. Basically if your child is hyper and won't sit still, they probably have ADHD. WRONG!!! Many kids (and adults) that are ADHD are not hyper. They may have difficulty paying attention or focusing on one thing for a length of time. A has a combined type. He has difficulty focusing, is fidgety, talks excessively and doesn't know how to play quietly.

• Generalized Anxiety Disorder

A worries.  He worries about not having friends. He worries about if they decide to change the lunch at school from pizza to something he hates. He worries if mom goes away. He worries that he won't be able to get through the school day without getting in trouble. He worries. He worries a lot.

• Sensory Processing Disorder

Do you go to Target and open packages of socks to try on till you find the right brand? Does your kiddo wear noise cancelling headphones in the lunchroom? Maybe they don't hug anyone other then you and dad because the touch is uncomfortable. A loves the color orange...specifically neon because it is visual appealing and gives his senses a good feeling. He needs to jump or crash a lot. It makes him feel good....almost complete.

So while autism is a big part of our life, we acknowledge that there is so much more going on in that beautiful mind of A.

Why We Camp

We became campers in 2011 after purchasing our first pop-up camper. Both hubby and I grew up as campers, myself being a tent camper and hubby traveled in an RV. We love the outdoors, campfires and traveling so it made sense. Little did we know A would be diagnosed autistic and this would be our main means of vacationing. We now travel in a 35' travel trailer that sleeps 8+ people. It's A's home away from home. Here are a few reasons why 99% of our vacations are camping:

• Camping allows A to enjoy traveling with us all while having the comforts of home.

• We always stay at a campground with cable. He needs his Cartoon network.

• He has his own bed, with his own blankets and his favorite stuffed animals from home.

• We don't have to eat out. A is pretty predictable when it comes to food. Turkey and cheese with mustard. Ellios Pizza. Pancakes with sausages. That is pretty much it. Throw in an occasional chicken finger, burger and bag of chips.

• He doesn't have to shower daily. We are camping.The minute A takes a shower, he's back outside in the dirt. We figure the daily hop in the campground pool = bath time. Winning!

• Camping has built up his independence. Allowing him to ride his scooter around with his big brother or just morning walks to the park. He is learning how to be a big boy.

• Camping is quiet (even though A is still loud). For a kid with major sensory issues, this is a blessing. No large amusement parks, loud airports or busy restaurants.

• Flip flops!! A hates socks (surprise, surprise) so a week in flip flops or even barefoot saves me the hassle of hearing "Mom!! It doesn't feel right"!!! 

I am sure we will travel one day by plane or maybe cruise ship but at this very moment we have found our source of vacationing that works for our family.