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Now Reading: A quick post about how good things are on my Autism Avenue right now…

A quick post about how good things are on my Autism Avenue right now…

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I’ve written recently on my Autism Daddy Facebook Page that I didn’t want to jinx anything. Kyle has been AMAZING behaviorally recently. Really happy, really related, following directions better, etc, etc, etc. The list of positive things could go on & on. All really small things that if you know Kyle you’d know how HUGE they are.

And I know this won’t last forever. I’ve written blog posts about how my grass may be greener now, but how I always seem to be waiting for the other shoe to drop.

But I’ll admit that we’ve been coasting pretty darn good these past few weeks and really been enjoying him.

And yesterday I was waiting at the pharmacy for a prescription to be filled and it was taking a little longer than I thought.  And then it dawned on me.  I’m not stressed right now.

When things are going bad, or when we are in a rough patch with Kyle something as simple as a prescription taking longer than normal can send my brain into a tizzy.  “I wonder if I’m gonna get a text from the wife.  I wonder what’s going on at home.  Should I text her and let her know this is gonna take a while?  I wonder what kind of disaster I’m gonna walk in to when I get home?  Maybe I’ll take the LONG way home.”

Those are the kinds of things that would go thru my head during the rough patches.  And yesterday?  I was just sitting in the pharmacy reading espn.com without a care in the world.

And when I got home everything was ok.

I mean we still have some issues with Kyle. 

ISSUE #1
He has a few pee-pee accidents a week and they are a doozy cuz his bladder is getting bigger so when he goes it gets everywhere.

ISSUE #2
He still doesn’t eat well.  And if you’ve read this page for a while you know that’s a constant concern cuz he’s got a history of losing weight.  (you can read more about his weight issues HERE).

ISSUE #3
He’s still holding his breath CONSTANTLY.  He’s been going to see a behavior therapist for MONTHS about this (thank god for the medicaid waiver!) and they are slowly working up a plan of attack.  But Kyle’s breath holding case is very unique.  Sometimes there’s 3 specialists in there with him.  I think they may be able to write a book when they are done with him!  (you can read more about his breath holding issues HERE & HERE).

ISSUE #4
He attacks the elderly.  🙂  He cannot be around my in-laws without trying to bite my father in-laws forehead or pulling my mother-in-laws hair.  He also likes to rip off jewelry & glasses off your head.  But mostly with his grandparents.  My wife likes to say that “he loves the crap out of them”

ISSUE #5
At other people’s houses he is much less related and really zones out sometimes.  We’ll be telling relatives about how great Kyle’s been and then they’ll finally see him and he’ll be wandering around their house, holding his breath A LOT, and oblivious to most of what is going on. 

But besides those 5 issues, all is right in our world right now.  He is sleeping well.  He is laughing.  He is happy.  His receptive language seems to be a bit better.  He has moments during the day when he seeks our attention…takes us by the hand and plops us on the couch next to him, as if to say “watch tv with me dad”…  He’s engaging in peek-a-boo games sometimes.   Basically, when he is in our house, in familiar surroundings, he has been a PLEASURE! 

And I hope it continues.

That’s it… The end.  This is kinda a bizarre post.  I just wanted to tell the pharmacy story and I wrote all this crap.

Oh well…

Enjoy…


Written by

Frank Campagna

I’m a 48 year old neurotypical dad with a 14 year old son with severe, non-verbal autism & epilepsy. I created this blog to rant about autism & epilepsy while celebrating my son who I affectionately call “the king” :-).


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9 People Replies to “A quick post about how good things are on my Autism Avenue right now…”

  1. My son is rough with elderly people and kids smaller than him. Wonder what it is?!

  2. My mother reminds me he is calmer when I am. We recently came back from a long vacation and I told my mother how deliciously good and calm he was on vacation. I didn't see one hand flap for almost two weeks! Her reply "sure, you're calm, so is he"

  3. I am not stressed right now either! Its a great moment when you realize it. Right now there is nothing particularly special going on. And, then again nothing awful has happened either. 🙂 Both kids are accounted for and hubby just stepped out to meet his good friend for a drink. "How sweet it is."

  4. Dude, you keep making me laugh.. You have a gift! Sometimes I have to tickle Michael when Im pushing him around in the shopping cart because when he gets in a good mood he will start moaning this contented but not very intelligent sounding noise which Im not sure how to type. mmmmmmmmmmmm or is it uuuuuuuuuu. Its sweet to me because I know thats his happy sound but not the coolest sound to make in a grocery store. The tickling forces him to laugh, thus disengaging the moan..

  5. happy for you and your family 🙂 thanks for sharing this 🙂

  6. Yay! Yay! Yay! for you. Just enjoy it. Don't question. Forget about the other foot.

  7. Anonymous

    Hey Autism Daddy,so glad your life is all smoothe sailing,I wanted to let you know after the Goodnites for young kids who wet the bed,there are mens Depends, size small, that really absorb well.Of course along with either of those you can add an absorbent pad, (a bladder control pad) to it to absorb a lot more.That's what we do for Mr.Pee Pee in our house.

  8. diane

    I hear you! We're in the middle of a really good spell behaviour wise, he was up at 3:15 today for the day, but if Jake's behaviour is good, all is good!! I'm much less stressed, and going to enjoy it for as long as it last!

  9. So glad things are going well! It's amazing how we count the smallest things as blessings when you're so used to everything going to hell! Happy for your family!