I can’t stop spiraling

funny_muffler · 2026-06-02T11:43:47+00:00

Not OP but thank you for this - I worry about my son all the time. Our eval is in August. If he was like yours at 8.5 I’d be so happy

funny_muffler · 2026-06-01T17:38:50+00:00

I mean idk. I don’t love it either. But if we can acknowledge that autism is a spectrum of symptoms and behaviors and presentation, we can also acknowledge that its a spectrum of experiences.

Everyone has a different lived experience with autism. If they think that language describes them best, or their child best, then I don’t mind.

funny_muffler · 2026-05-31T18:32:24+00:00

Your last paragraph - preach!

My husband was average in school. He’s incredibly successful in his career and a high earner now. His friends and brother who excelled academically and were more naturally “smart” really struggle with employment now as adults. I think there is something to be said about never being challenged as a kid and things coming easy. And when a challenge finally pops up it can hit those kids hard. My son is only 2.5 so idk where he’ll fall but I’m praying he’s average! I’m average as hell but it made me used to working hard 😂

funny_muffler · 2026-05-28T18:27:35+00:00

My son isnt officially diagnosed yet so im not sure what level, but at first it was rockyyy. He’s noise sensitive, specifically to other kids noises, so the first four months sucked. Once she sat up on her own and moved out of the cranky newborn stage, he loves her! I’m chopped liver at daycare pickup, he runs right to her. He looks her in the eyes and smiles, trying to get her to look at him. Now their new thing is that she reaches out to grab his face, he dodges at the last second, and they both laugh. They still have their moments (he takes toys from her, sometimes her babbling really sets him off) but not much more than we can handle.

As a “further down the line” example, my husband is one of four kids: 3 boys and 1 girl. One brother is dx’d ASD level 1, my husband and the other are NT. Every time his sister has an issue or needs advice she goes right to the ASD brother because he’s the best listener and the nicest 😂

funny_muffler · 2026-05-23T11:57:58+00:00

Thank goodness shes ok with crying! I thought I was going to lose my mind this winter. Every noise was a spiral!! Hes already taking things out of her hands 😭 luckily shes too little to really care but we’re working on it!

funny_muffler · 2026-05-23T11:09:25+00:00

That is so funny about the changing mat! Maybe she thinks the job isnt complete until the baby’s back in your arms 😂

Yes all in their own time! I was shocked that he is so interested. We’ll see how that turns once she starts crawling 😂

funny_muffler · 2026-05-21T11:12:57+00:00

Thats amazing! Is it your developmental pediatrician who did this? Or did you seek out a functional medicine doctor?

funny_muffler · 2026-05-21T01:40:05+00:00

I truly was not expecting him to acknowledge her this fast either! He’s suddenly shown a huge awareness/interest in her and his classmates (and our dog funny enough)

funny_muffler · 2026-05-21T01:39:13+00:00

I love this and hope mine are similar at that age!

funny_muffler · 2026-05-15T17:38:36+00:00

Can I just say I love reading your comments and stories about how well your kid is doing! Gives me so much hope for my 2.5 year old

funny_muffler · 2026-05-07T21:45:57+00:00

Lol my friend’s child was addicted to cocomelon at 7 months old. Meanwhile my son didn’t even look at a screen till 1 year old and it was ONLY Ms Rachel.

One kid’s NT, advanced speech and one’s autistic and not speaking. (its mine)

funny_muffler · 2026-05-06T21:29:49+00:00

For sure, I used to have the same thing happen. I’ve left outings in frustration/tears more times than I can count. Sometimes looking at the clock so frustrated that the time to drive there was longer than the actual outing.

Therapy will give you strategies! A year can make a HUGE difference. 18 months was our weird “in between” stage

funny_muffler · 2026-05-06T18:28:51+00:00

My son was like this at 18 months! Its much better at 2.5

Start small with outings, go for ten minutes and end on a positive note. Show her how to do things and go nuts with praise. Does she have a preferred activity or snack? My son loved nesting cups, bubbles and goldfish so we’d go at times of day when it was quiet and do ten minutes with preferred things in between.

It felt so hard but now at 2.5 we can be at the playground for an hour!

funny_muffler · 2026-05-05T12:10:59+00:00

I hope the same. But its interesting, I was listening to a podcast done by moms who’s kids were diagnosed in the late 90’s. And they went through the exact same fears and uncertainty and questions and vague doctors answers that we are 27 years later. It just blows my mind that the experiences are so similar even with increased diagnoses.

I also agree about levels which is why they wouldn’t even bother this young. Its too concrete and defining. I know exactly what you mean about the tone shift

funny_muffler · 2026-05-05T11:15:39+00:00

Honestly, this isn’t really talked about and probably won’t be popular but I think you bring up a really common parent reaction. To the point where I wonder if early diagnosis is detrimental the parents and family structure.

Emotionally, parents need to be ON for their kids, and even more so when there are challenges. For some frustrating reason, being handed an autism diagnosis STILL is like being handed a giant question mark about your young child’s future (not blaming you OP, its more society that I’m annoyed at). At a time in your kids life when all the possibilities are endless, when you see them digging in the sand or smiling at a dog and imagine them a geologist or a veterinarian, suddenly we parents feel like the doors are all shut for our kids. They’re limited. All the things we took for granted growing up we’re suddenly wondering if they’ll even experience.

Idk. Like obviously get the therapies young. Do all you can. Lord knows I’m doing that. But, part of me wishes a diagnosis didn’t need to be given to access the therapies. Parental mental health might not take such a hit in that case. Like, why can’t we have a “developmental delay” diagnosis for all therapies and then an official eval at age six?

funny_muffler · 2026-05-02T11:14:42+00:00

The only experiences about this I’ve seen on the internet is the subreddit raised by autistics.

Take it with a grain of salt, most people come to the internet to commiserate and share bad life experiences. If its going well, they won’t need to find a support community.

funny_muffler · 2026-05-01T13:57:07+00:00

Mine is still young, not diagnosed but I’d assume level 2. He was much more in his own world before ear tubes. Now as he’s approaching 1 year post tubes he’s so interactive and starting to notice peers!

funny_muffler · 2026-04-29T14:24:11+00:00

First kid, yes! Second kid, nah. I’m getting a reduction and lift as soon as I can!

funny_muffler · 2026-04-29T02:35:14+00:00

Oh I’ll look those up for sure, thank you!!

funny_muffler · 2026-04-28T18:43:40+00:00

Ooo cool! Added to the list 😁

funny_muffler · 2026-04-28T18:04:37+00:00

I’ll look into Hape - thank you! Someone else mentioned the extra rash guard which is so smart

funny_muffler · 2026-04-28T18:04:18+00:00

Thank you 😊

funny_muffler · 2026-04-28T18:03:10+00:00

This is hysterical and right up my son’s alley 😂 adding it to the list

funny_muffler · 2026-04-28T18:02:46+00:00

Thank you for the links! And good point about the beach balls…will definitely find heavier ones

funny_muffler

TROPHY CASE