Sensory Processing Disorder
Autism and Bed Stripping
My son Cooper has stripped beds since he was two years old. This means that he will remove the blankets, pillows, top sheet, bottom sheet, mattress pad and even the mattress. This also means that every single day of the week I make three beds from mattress up. Mine, Coopers and Sawyers. I want to tell you that of all the ‘behaviors’ that my son exhibits…bed stripping is the worst in my book.The behavior is exhausting and frustrating. I know he is doing it for sensory input. I understand that.…
Read MoreSensory Balloons
Sawyer and I spent the morning making sensory balloons for Cooper. HE LOVES THEM SO MUCH. I totally recommend making these if you have a kiddo that likes to hold objects. They are super squishy. Cooper will carry these around until I eventually have to throw them in the garbage and make new ones. And making them really entertained Sawyer too. Of course I let him make a huge mess because it bought me 20 minutes to write this blog. Winning. First, cut off a bottle. I used an old…
Read MoreI Am Not Above Bribery
Over the weekend I made a plan. I prioritized my mountains and I decided to put personal things on the back burner for a bit. I don’t need to exercise right now. I don’t need to paint Sawyer’s pink room. I don’t need to unpack every single box in this new house. All of that can wait. PS. How cute is that room!?!? What I need to do is figure out Cooper’s diet. I decided that he is going to join us at the dinner table for all meals when…
Read MoreMy Little Destructor
Cooper had a long couple weeks off from school. Rather, Cooper had a break from school and mom lost her mind. And so did dad. I think we were both actually excited to go back to work. And I see it more and more how much Cooper needs structure. I also need structure. Cooper would watch movies ALL DAY if we let him. And oddly enough there is an emotional strain on me when he does that. I feel like such a failure. I was looking through pictures getting ready for this…
Read MoreThe Age Old Spectrum
I spent last night thinking about the autism spectrum. I went to bed fine but Sawyer woke us up around 11 with the flu. No good. Vomiting and sleep deprived parents is never good. So, as I lay there waiting to sleep I started to think about the spectrum and Cooper. I always picture it as a straight line with high-functioning on one end and low-functioning on the other end. And the inevitable question….where is Cooper on that line. And an even bigger question…does it really matter where he lies…
Read MoreThe Frantic Sweat
It happened again this weekend. The frantic sweating. And I know every single mom out there with a kiddo like Cooper can relate. Cooper and I spent a lot of time at the beach this past weekend. When we first got there I noticed another mom who looked a lot like me. My age, blonde, 3 young boys, camping. She was me. If I had to guess I would say her boys were probably ages 7, 4 and 2. I am a super observant person and I watched this mom a lot. First,…
Read MoreI Call That A Victory
We had a victory and an epic fail today. And all in the 3 hours after work. Nothing like cramming a full day in a few hours. Cooper is afraid to ride our lawnmower. It’s hard to explain. He loves it and wants Jamie to drive it. He even wants Sawyer to ride with Jamie. He gets super excited and amped up when it is going. But the second you try and put him on it he loses his shit. Lately I have been noticing that he is afraid of…
Read MoreThrowing
We are having a SERIOUS problem with throwing. And by serious I mean dangerous and annoying and frustrating and exhausting. Cooper throws everything. Whether it be a toy, food, sand or rocks. I have determined that this is 100% a sensory thing. He likes the sounds these items make when they hit stuff. And usually the sounds evoke huge laughs from Cooper. He NEVER throws out of anger but he is strong so often other kids (Sawyer) get hurt. We try to discipline this but honestly we would be saying…
Read MoreWith The Good Comes The Sad.
Certain things are getting better with Cooper and certain things are getting worse. And because of that we can’t seem to get our bearings. We NEED a language breakthrough so badly. Anything really. Just something to show us that it’s going to get better. I have lots of positive from the weekend. Cooper will now sit at the kitchen table in an actual chair and eat a meal. This. Is. Huge. Up until this point Cooper would never ever sit still unless he was in a booster seat. I am…
Read MoreJust Be Patient Mama. It Will Get Better.
I mentioned yesterday that my whole family is sick with a cold….including one of our dogs. I think our house should be quarantined at this point. The boys stayed home from daycare with Jamie and he text me around 10 that something ‘questionable’ was draining out of Cooper’s right ear. First, I am not surprised. He has been acting like a lunatic lately. I wish he could just tell us when something hurts. I hate the thought that he is in pain and I don’t know it. Second, what next? And…
Read More