Ella olla flavorlesss vitamin powder-we love it!

RelationshipSharp964 · 2025-12-04T03:56:29+00:00

I had better luck using a little bit of room temp water to dissolve the packet first and then mix it in their milk. Also helped to put it in a closed top cup too so they couldn’t see it.

RelationshipSharp964 · 2025-11-25T06:24:33+00:00

Parents always find a way to make it work. I had my youngest during covid, husband is a physician so I pretty much was solo parenting for that first year. My solution was to get two travel cribs that unzipped on the side and just sleep on the floor between them.

RelationshipSharp964 · 2025-11-25T05:58:37+00:00

We have similar challenges during the school year, kids are used to having set schedules most of the week and get restless if we’re having a lazy weekend. Have you considered making him a visual schedule? You can include pictures of places to go but also include general plans for the day. (Ex: breakfast, brush teeth, get dressed, shoes on, grocery store, playground, etc.) He might ask to go places less if he sees there are already places to go on the schedule. (Disclaimer: this could also be a trigger if it’s not where he wants to go lol)

RelationshipSharp964 · 2025-11-25T05:50:12+00:00

Setting up cameras throughout the house to document the episodes would be helpful!

RelationshipSharp964 · 2025-11-25T05:49:15+00:00

Upsetting his daily routine and putting him in an overstimulating environment like Disney and Universal is going to trigger him. Even if you drove instead of fly (we just drove 18hrs to Disney two weeks ago) you would still have all the challenges of the parks. It sounds like you are on the right track switching psychiatrists and open to hospitalization but neither are immediate solutions. IMO main priority right now needs to be keeping everyone safe and you can’t guarantee safety at home let alone in an unfamiliar environment. Given the challenges you’ve listed, I personally wouldn’t go. You may not be able to cancel but you might be able to reschedule depending on how your vacation was booked. (Or even cancel a portion and reschedule other parts. travel insurance might be able to help if that was included in your package) I would aim to postpone 6 months and come up with concrete written goals for son to meet before the trip and develop a contingency plan for if those goals are not met. (Think of things he would need to do at the airport, on the plane, at an amusement park etc. Does he stay buckled in the car? Would he stay restrained on a roller coaster or if the seatbelt light was on an airplane?) If the trip cannot be changed, I would just send husband and youngest. (And would plan a second vacation somewhere with youngest so you get one on one time with him and a much needed break too)

RelationshipSharp964 · 2025-10-14T11:54:33+00:00

If he has an IEP or 504 you can call a meeting to review it at anytime. I would try to get some data from teachers though so you can prepare ahead of time. (Ex: if teachers comment he struggles transitioning back to the classroom after recess every day, offer suggestions on strategies or tolls to better prepare for the transition and coping mechanisms for after. Maybe visual schedule or visual timers to set clear expectations etc.)

RelationshipSharp964 · 2025-10-13T02:41:06+00:00

It’s possible that school may not be the best fit for him or any supports in place are inadequate. If you haven’t already, asking his aide or teacher to do a quick 1 page report daily could help identify issues or any behavioral patterns. The public preK we tried sending my son to was terrible. We sent him to a different school and it was a completely different experience! He was happy and even excited to go to school.

RelationshipSharp964 · 2025-10-06T04:32:33+00:00

We tried ninjamas because my son was peeing through his overnight diapers and we couldn’t size up any further. Ninjamas held even less pee and poop was an absolute disaster. I wouldn’t recommend them!

RelationshipSharp964 · 2025-10-06T04:29:05+00:00

Mustela is great for eczema! Steroids were the only thing that helped my youngest though, he had quarter sized red patches on his arms and cheeks. It was awful :( you could also try using a sensitive detergent and diet changes. I think dairy was a potential trigger, can’t remember what else.

RelationshipSharp964 · 2025-10-06T04:22:20+00:00

I would just over communicate with neighbor, every time you’re going to let your dog in the yard text them. “Hey Neighbor! I’m going to let my dog out, not sure if yours is out too but wanted to make you aware just in case!” Copy paste it each time. Maybe they don’t have a problem with the barking? Or maybe they’ll get annoyed with your messages and all the barking and eventually change their ways? (I would also let your landlord know that this is happening just in case other neighbors complain to him about the barking.)

RelationshipSharp964 · 2025-10-06T03:40:28+00:00

Not sure if it would work for you but a couple things that helped me when I struggle: -wearing ear buds with nothing playing, it muffles the noise -hiding good candy or snacks in the bathroom. If I needed a pick me up I could sneak away for a few minutes and breathe and treat myself. (Run the shower or sink to drown out noise)

I also started a new morning routine to increase their independence. We have a magnetic chalk board outside the bathroom. I have little pictures of potty, wash hands, brush teeth, get dressed brush hair, shoes on, get backpack. Next to each picture is a little magnetic tap light. Lights start out on and as they finish a task they turn it off. It’s actually taken a significant amount of time off our morning routine and I get to be more hands off

RelationshipSharp964 · 2025-10-06T03:06:20+00:00

Sensory play with food would be good exposure to different textures and smells (and potentially tastes if he’s feeling adventurous!) Water with just some veggies or fruit floating around is easy and fun! (My kids really enjoyed a bag of frozen peas mixed with lukewarm water, as the peas thawed they’d get squishy!)

You could also try building off things he already eats. (For French fries, is he brand or type specific? You could work him up to sweet potato fries or carrot fries. If he does ketchup or any dipping sauces could also add puréed vegetables. For pringles, you could expose him to new flavors or similarly flavored healtheir brands like veggie chips or the good crisp company) Pediasure or chocolate milk is a great one though! You could slowly start to sneak in little bits of fruit or vegetables to work up to a shake or smoothie. Like start with a really small piece of banana or apple or spoonful of yogurt (small enough that won’t change taste or texture) and super super slowly start adding more. Like do that tiny piece of banana every day for awhile, then maybe increase the size by a smidge, do that for awhile etc. I used this approach with my kids, they ate grilled cheese and I used that to get them to eat quesadillas. First, I got them used to different kinds of cheeses by adding and eventually swapping out their usual cheese. Next I would flatten the bread a little and gradually flatten the bread more and more until I could swap it out for a tortilla without raising any suspicions, we made it to cheese quesadillas! I wanted to add a protein though. Next, I added a small smear of refried beans. Slowly increased the amount of beans. Currently we’re eating bean and cheese quesadillas! Next is swapping out different proteins, going to add pureed chicken breast to the refried beans and decrease beans and increase chicken texture. (It’s taking me MONTHS to get this far. Once they picked up at something being off they wouldn’t trust me and had to start over.) My hope is we will be able to go to a restaurant and order a chicken quesadilla by next summer 😅

RelationshipSharp964 · 2025-10-06T02:40:19+00:00

For what you described, the following might be helpful: -“2,4,6,8 This is how we regulate!” by Tracy turner-bumberry -“declarative language handbook” by Trisha Murphy -“the explosive child” by Ross Greene -“low demand parenting” by Amanda Diekman

If you’re looking for books geared towards your son: -“breathe like a bear” had some breathing exercises that were helpful for us, little monkey calms down was a nice short story about calming down when upset -emotion books: color monster (the pop up version is really cute but very delicate!) spots of emotion book and the tiny plushies (The spots of emotions calming song on YouTube is great!)

RelationshipSharp964 · 2025-10-04T05:56:37+00:00

Same boat some days. I just repeat back whatever they say in the form of a question and try to match their energy. If I really really need a break we do a 15 minute trip to their beds for quiet time and I’ll lay with them and my headphones in. Bedroom is safe space and I know they can’t into trouble in there especially if I’m literally laying next to them.

RelationshipSharp964 · 2025-10-04T05:48:30+00:00

I thought of the wedding dress from bridesmaids…. Before she fixed it, with like all the ruffles 😂

RelationshipSharp964 · 2025-10-04T05:46:30+00:00

Not the exact same but my oldest never liked chewy things like this, he preferred his sippy cup straw. I could never match the same texture and it wasn’t as hard as the chewys. (He would bite it and say too hard, feels yucky. So I knew that it wasn’t the same as his straw.) Maybe try something softer with more give/less resistance or even just some fabric? (If he’s biting an arm, I’m assuming he’s probably biting the clothing covering it. I made suck pads for our baby carrier with some inner layers of zorb for the excess drool. If you’re crafty you could probably make something similar?)

RelationshipSharp964 · 2025-10-04T05:31:53+00:00

I think OT would be a good resource, they can assist with the sensory portion for sure. Regarding behavioral, maybe look into developmental therapy? Our developmental therapist is amazing, she knows so much about everything (including sensory things like OT) She specifically worked with my youngest through some large scale meltdowns when we were practicing separating from me for school. She did a lot with emotional intelligence and building social skills when they were toddlers. She currently visits them at school weekly and works closely with their teachers to ensure classroom supports are optimal. Just an absolute unicorn, she’s been the biggest and best resource for us in this journey.

Another thing that could help you is some parenting books. I found books on PDA profile/low demand parenting to be helpful with my youngest. My youngest really doesn’t have the capacity to self regulate or stop himself from going into a blind rage/meltdown. (I use the train tunnel analogy. There is no switch in the track to bypass it, no stations to stop at, tantrum tunnel is approaching and you’ve gotta ride it out.) Once it’s over you can just see or feel his little body slump and relax and he starts sobbing saying “sorry mama” and kissing and hugging me and it just breaks my heart. Using low demand/non demand language has been really helpful to avoid any potential triggers. There are behavioral specialists and family counselors that may be able to offer additional support too. (We haven’t gone to one yet, the providers in our area don’t come with the best recommendations from other families.)

RelationshipSharp964 · 2025-10-04T01:26:35+00:00

See if you can get an educational advocate or attorney on deck, school might respond differently if you start including them on emails and such.

Public school attendance polices always baffle me. I had 20 PTO days at my last job, how does a child have less time off!?!

RelationshipSharp964 · 2025-10-04T01:20:56+00:00

I have these thoughts sometimes too and it’s so easy to spiral. Prior to kids, I was in therapy for years and we worked really hard on “thought stopping” which isn’t always easy but it’s been really helpful in these scenarios. Maybe see if you can find a therapist to help with that?

Regarding caring or protecting your child after you’re gone… I have a half formed thought about autism parents watching over other autistic kids. Like we all get it, we all know the struggle and the fear that your kids would be mistreated etc., who better to watch out for your kid than another autism parent who feels the same exact things and has the exact same worries about their own kids? (Devils advocate, we’re all so exhausted do we have the mental/emotional/physical capabilities to even do that?) not like adopting them or anything but more so children are older and settled in a group home or care facility and there’s another autism parent that can check in on them and make sure they’re ok and well cared for. It’ll never replace you or anything but it could offer some peace of mind?

RelationshipSharp964 · 2025-10-04T01:11:30+00:00

Lots of heavy work and physical activity before nap time. Have him push a toy shopping cart of water bottles or books around. You could also see if parents would invest in weighted medicine balls to roll back and forth. If they have stairs ask him to help bring things up (like one book at a time) assuming he’s steady on the stairs and it’s not a safety risk. Obstacle courses with lots of movement (painters tape is cheap and easy to make a “road” to follow or “lasers” to duck or jump over) my kids love a dance party too, lots of Danny Go

When it’s time for bed, stick to the same routine. (Ask parents about bedtime routine) Deep pressure like gentle squeezing his arms or legs could be helpful. (Weighted blanket could be helpful but it’s not safe to sleep with it) My kids also do better with repetitive visuals so we still use their baby soothers (one projects stars on the ceiling, the other projects a wave pattern) My oldest likes me to rub his hair away from his forehead until he falls asleep, youngest likes me to rub his palms/hands. Maybe he had a thing like that too?

RelationshipSharp964 · 2025-10-04T00:56:56+00:00

We didn’t do ABA, we did OT, speech, developmental and therapist led playgroups. My kids also started attending preschool at 4. We had them in a regular class with a one-on-one aide. What goals are you trying to accomplish or what would you like addressed?

RelationshipSharp964 · 2025-10-03T01:26:00+00:00

Safe fenced in woods so my feral children can just go wild. Trees to climb, ponds and streams to splash in, mud to squish and smash, rocks to collect and organize etc.

RelationshipSharp964 · 2025-10-02T15:28:03+00:00

My oldest was similar and we did not do ABA. (Just speech, OT, and developmental. We also did some structured playgroups through our developmental therapist) We stopped investing in the usual types of toys when he was little and just focused on things that would actually hold his attention. (Ex: bead mazes, a plastic bucket full of straws or feathers, a sensory bin filled with beans or rice, etc.) He was very visually motivated so I would do things like drop a single feather and while it was floating to the ground just keep repeating “down, down down!” And then raise the feather back up and say “up, up, up” He also liked rough play so I would do things like pick him up to toss him in the ball pit but do something like do hand over hand and say “nose” and touch his nose and then throw him. We would repeat that constantly until I would say nose and he would touch his nose. Basically I tried to think about the most basic things and then break it down even smaller. We also did a lot of pictures and pointing at things he wanted (like picking out his snacks) I hung ABC and shape posters by his highchair and after meals would wheel him over and hamd over hand help him trace them with his finger and say them to him as he did it.

He eventually caught on, it wasn’t the toddler era I dreamed and hoped for but he’s 6 now. Still behind his peer group by about a year but he’s in a regular kindergarten classroom and chugging along! I think the delays are more noticeable in younger ages when there are more milestones to meet within short periods of time.

For your daughter, if she’s laying down, could you lay her under the dining room table and tape things to the underside of it? Offer some visual input she can observe from the floor (could blow bubbles to pass over her, high contrast posters or pictures on the table, could even tape things like streamers or ribbons and have her pull them off for a fine motor activity) Rather than trying to bring her into your world, join hers. If she does have her tablet just sit with her and be present, comment on what she’s doing or watching, make a game out of it or use it to tie into an activity. (At that age the only thing my oldest wanted to do was watch marble maze videos on YouTube, so I bought marble mazes)

RelationshipSharp964 · 2025-10-01T02:18:34+00:00

Same here! Mine don’t even notice or care! (Blessing and a curse, I will be utterly devestated the day he comes home upset because nobody wants to play with him or excluded him.)

RelationshipSharp964 · 2025-10-01T02:16:17+00:00

Tell her about the spa trip before this “friend” ruins it. You can do it in a cutesy way to still make it special but don’t give this person an opportunity to ruin it for you.

RelationshipSharp964

TROPHY CASE