Flying nightmare

http://abcnews.go.com/GMA/story?id=5238571&page=1

Did everyone read this story?

Sickening I tell ya. What is more sickening is reading the comments some readers have left.

Wow! One thing is a crying toddler; another is a crying toddler with autism.

As a parent, one of the first things I learned was how awful it was to be on the crying side getting the looks. As an parent of a child with autism it is that x 10 because you cannot explain to your child what is going on! That is the part people just don't get.

My son is wired differently. He reasons differently. My goodness, people need to have a little more patience and not be so judgemental towards others. Had that woman kept coming over to my son and told him to calm down or try and touch his seatbelt, well, let's just say it would not have been pretty. Had my son been on the runway just taxiing around for an hour before taking off, yes, he would have been pissy. And you what? He cannot control what he feels and his reactions? Especially not at 2!

Autism has taught me to try never to assume and question any feelings I have before pointing fingers. Who wants to listen to a child scream at the top of their lungs? Certainly not anyone! If you know autism, you know more than likely the parent is trying to keep things under control, but it is tough.

I stopped reading the ABC board comments halfway down because it hurt. It did. One person even going as far as saying that flights are for peace, quiet and sleeping. Sigh. Geez, I thought they were to get from point a to b.


So I think, from now on, since you all know I don't sugarcoat things, I will wear this pin on flights for all those people who refuse to be a little understanding of a frantic parent trying to control their child:



And I INVITE any airline to try and throw me out of a plane. I just might hit the jackpot with that one.

It's broken! and other news...

Yes, that's what my son said to me. He brought over a toy laptop, lifted it with his little muscles and claimed "IT'S BROKEN!" with the sweetest voice.

What wonderful two words! I could not believe it.

I took the laptop, replaced the batteries and proudly showed him that "it was NOT broken" anymore!

He has never said that. In fact, something running out of batteries or broken means a catastrophe at home because he does not understand why it happened. He usually throws himself on the ground, screams and repeats what he wants over and over. I tell ya, I wanted to run into his room and break all the toys so that he would come out and confirm to me that he knows now! lol

Then, his grandma said that while urging him to play with his computer the other day, he kept saying "BROKEN!" and my mother (who has limited English) did not realize he was saying so because his PC speakers have been broken on and off for the last month! We figured that was his way of answering her as to why he was not playing with the PC!

Yeh!

In other news, he started ABA last week, 20 hours weekly. We decided that instead of a typical summer program, ABA would be his summer goal.

I have also concluded that I will be pulling him out of speech. Two times a week is not good enough and especially what we are paying for it! He needs consistency in his therapies if they are going to work. Once summer concludes, I might put him in daily ABA sessions after school and add something else that he does 2x or 3x a week.

For now, we have high hopes for ABA and this summer.

Happy Birthday! I think...

Today is my son's birthday. He turns six.
He is beautiful and other than autism, very healthy.
I am grateful for that, I really am.
I love him soooo much it hurts.
This little thing that I carried with me and who showed me how to love unconditionally.
The one who still cuddles with me at night and prefers mommy over everyone in the world.

That's my boy!

"I bet your son loves birthday's, huh?" says my hairdresser to me today.

"Sure," I said halfheartedly. Better than the answer I always want to say " Nope, really, he does not even know today is his birthday, what a birthday means and that it's his turn today. Nothing, nada, zilch. Today is just another day for him."

It was hard last night when I put him down to bed. So many thoughts. I can't believe he is not five any longer. Six just sounds so old to me now. I cried and got all sentimental about it. 

But, here we are. No special plans today. Just a little bit of family coming over to sing happy birthday on a cake he can't and won't eat anyway even if it was diet approved. I don't want to be so somber, I swear. It's just reality though and covering it up with all the fake "focus on the bright side" crap won't help, and I just don't feel like it.

We officially celebrated his birthday last week at Pump it Up. He had an absolute blast, and the only autisms that happened were # 1 when he had to watch a video before entering the inflatables area # 2 during the "eating" portion of the party. 35 kids in a little room eating pizza and cake and he wanted to leave with both mommy and daddy. Of course, that could not happen so we had a tantrum. # 3 when daddy was still inside while he waited in the car for him # 4 when a toy he received on his birthday ran out of batteries and there were no more and nowhere to find more at 8pm on a Sunday. But other than that it was a blast to jump on all the bounce houses and slide a zillion times. He really did have a fantastic time.

So, today, a week later is his real birth date. When will he look forward to a birthday and get all excited? Request a theme party? Ask for a gift? Eat cake? Blow out a candle properly? Open gifts? Is that ever going to happen?

But, when did I ever get this depressing? Oh, I know! must have been sometime between planning his first birthday and now. Yeah! The first birthday when I booked Barney to come, and he cried while we sang. Hmmm, maybe it was the second one when we had something small at home, and he was in another world the entire time. Of course, crying during the happy birthday singing. Oh wait, maybe it was the third when I figured the way to go was a water park he loves so much. Nah, that can't be it. That's the one that he was spaced out while we sang happy birthday to him. That only leaves the fourth and fifth. The fourth gathering at the My Gym I so carefully planned with the beautiful farm cake. That one was actually the best one. He blew out the candle because we practiced it a thousand times, and it took him that many to do it that day as well, but he did it. But still clueless as to what he was doing there. Lastly, the 5th when I decided there would be no party, and we would go to Disney instead. On his real birthday, we sang happy birthday, and he ran away from us. That leaves this year. It's no wonder I am all exhausted with this birthday business and the expectations that come with it.

It must be that his seventh birthday will be the best one yet, right?Yeah, that must be it.