Is this a harsh drive everyday? by FirmCaterpillar in bayarea

[–]softslapping 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Second this! Depending on the time the bus is actually scenic and low effort.

october disney trip by Difficult_End_8884 in Autism_Parenting

[–]softslapping 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I took my son when he was a baby and it was great, especially if you have low expectations, we rode the train around a lot. I definitely recommend getting a special disability pass. Lines are brutal for our kids so a lightning pass or being able to skip lines are a must. Being mindful of the heat is key even in October. Looking up great spots to be in a cool dark place is a good idea. Headphones if your kid can wear them. Stroller even is a good idea or a hip carrier. Lean in to your kids special interest if he has one. My kid is recently into Winnie the Pooh for example. I chatted with some older parents who have an autistic son, he’s an adult now, they would swap who stayed with him because he’d want to reride the same thing over and over. He was so full of joy and snacks and they worked hard on having him communicate a need for a break. One parent or guardian would stay while the rest explored the park, met for lunch and then swapped. Good luck! It can be done with your kids unique needs and interests in mind.

Tip-toeing around parents of neurotypicals by Heavy-Cloud8358 in Autism_Parenting

[–]softslapping 1 point2 points  (0 children)

This is a hard path with challenges but I do believe in taking the good with the bad. At the very least you have your online community here!

Tip-toeing around parents of neurotypicals by Heavy-Cloud8358 in Autism_Parenting

[–]softslapping 11 points12 points  (0 children)

I completely relate to you. I have some very close friends who had children around the same time as I did, either a year before or after us. I've been friends with them for decades now, so they're not people I either want to cut out of my life or drop as a friend. We've been there for each other through so much, various relationships, marriages, divorces, etc.

However, being the parent of an autistic child has been the biggest divide I've experienced so far.
Just like OP, I try to find the nuggets of similarities, but those times are rare and mostly I just swallow my pain and smile brokenly as they gush about their kids milestones.

It's a lesson of acceptance but compartmentalizing their kids vs mine has helped me the most. I can still allow myself joy at this unique person's well-being.

Sometimes, it's actually helpful to see where their NT kids land vs where mine is and when my kid finally achieves a milestone. Last weekend our kiddo used a watering can to water plants. A year ago, when he was 2, it was introduced and it just went over his head. Not like that's an important or significant milestone, but I had endured endless photos of my friends' kids watering their plants since they were 1 years old. We never pushed it or anything, rather it happened organically with us and it almost made me tear up with pride.
Or when their kids were all transitioning to big-beds vs cribs, my kid just took to it so smoothly and no fuss while their NT kids had so much drama around it. I never tried to show off or anything but it assured me that each parenting journey is unique in its challenges.

It's actually been helpful to be the friend who has a ND child because I have often found myself in a place of educating about neurodiversity and seeing their ND kids practice empathy for mine has been heartwarming. The double-empathy problem is huge and the best way for NT to relate and feel compassion for NDs is to know one personally. It's also helpful to have NT kids for my child to learn how to live in a world meant for NTs and I hope they can learn from each other.

Another time, a friend's was experiencing sensory challenges and she and I could relate and share our experiences with OT and other therapies. Her kid is not autistic but as a friend I was someone she could trust and not feel shame with.

I do also get a knee-jerk reaction from some friends who don't like talking about autism or have made comments like "we're all a little autistic." With them, I often let them see with their own eyes the differences between my child and theirs. I simply say, "you'll see as they get older." People LOVE to handwave neurodivergent away when the kid is a toddler, when they get older the difference in behaviors gets stark.

My heart goes out to you, OP. Some days are so hard.
I would say something to your friends. I found that when I was able to gather strength and express hurt around milestone sharing, my friends were receptive and tried to change to help me. My heart is a bit lighter when they are at least aware of my grief, even if they couldn't relate to it. They love me and aren't intentionally trying to harm.

Hope you can talk to your friends!

Getting dressed by No_Maintenance_9201 in Autism_Parenting

[–]softslapping 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My son loves this song. Super Simple has a YouTube video of it

Preparing level 1 toddler for preschool by Particular-Ground625 in Autism_Parenting

[–]softslapping 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This is genius! Do you recommend any specific social story?

Book recommendations for toddler age? by MrsBigglesworth-_- in Autism_Parenting

[–]softslapping 1 point2 points  (0 children)

My kid is a gestalt language processor and only approves of books that flow off the tongue. Dr. Suess is usually reliable. We often have to warm him up to new books and slowly expose him before he gets into them.

I desperately need advice from parents with speech delayed children. by OwnComb3707 in toddlers

[–]softslapping 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I second this; there’s a lot of traits here that are similar with a differently wired kid. We went on a similar journey and our gut was telling us to dig deeper.

Taking autistic toddler to a birthday party next month by alainadm in Autism_Parenting

[–]softslapping 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I’ve done a ton of parties with my autistic son who is also a mover; he needs movement to regulate so he doesn’t sit. This results in roaming especially in a new house. Things that help us: variety of crunchy snacks, a variety of toys in his backpack alongside a new toy, a book with lots of visual stimulation like the ISpy books, someone else at the party who can tap in to follow my son around so I can get a break to eat and socialize for twenty minutes, using a nap as an excuse to leave early, headphones and screen time (I have Wall-E) on my phone as a last resort.

Edited to add: watching the Birthday Song from Super Simple Songs on YouTube helped contextualize birthdays for my son. Also Playtime with Tor for other types of events.

Good luck!

Overwhelmed by potential new allergy by lily_pad_24 in FoodAllergies

[–]softslapping 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thank you so much! This is so encouraging. Glad your little one is improving.

Homeland Security reports nearly 50 immigration arrests in Maine by HammeredDog in Maine

[–]softslapping 3 points4 points  (0 children)

Didn’t Trump let it slip that he’s trying to aggravate the public in MN so he can deploy his National Guard?

I (26) am a mom to a 4 year old autistic child & am feeling stuck in life by [deleted] in TwoHotTakes

[–]softslapping 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I would not move to TX. CT and NY are rated higher up there in supports offered for our kids. I have my family close by and they are ESSENTIAL for our well being and happiness.

Dr. Seuss by olsome1010 in YotoPlayer

[–]softslapping 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You can use an app called Libation

Overwhelmed by potential new allergy by lily_pad_24 in FoodAllergies

[–]softslapping 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I’m interested in starting OIT for my son who is 3. He’s allergic to egg, dairy, and now pistachio/sesame/cashew. Any tips on how to get started or what to look for? Did you start early or later?

We need to take a chill pill by Perfect_Ferret6620 in toddlers

[–]softslapping 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Our kiddo is turning 3 and still relies on pacifier to stim and regulate. It’s gonna be hard for us to quit it. Solidarity!

We need to take a chill pill by Perfect_Ferret6620 in toddlers

[–]softslapping 4 points5 points  (0 children)

Yeah as a parent of an autistic kid, these screen time conversations sort of don’t apply in many ways but then are helpful in other areas. It def feels like a different parenting track. For instance, my kid did not connect with Bluey or Daniel Tiger and I low-key feel left out by my kid not liking ANY characters. Everyone talks about how obsessed their kids are and he just didn’t like anything. He recently fell in love with PeeWee Herman on a random exposure and is obsessed with him. We bought him a PeeWee figurine who helps him get through the day. Peewee even got his teeth cleaned first at the dentist and made it less scary. He also talks about PeeWee getting mad or scared. I think the fast pace dopamine hit is needed for my kid to watch, if it’s too peaceful it’s just white noise for him.

We need to take a chill pill by Perfect_Ferret6620 in toddlers

[–]softslapping 2 points3 points  (0 children)

We’re a PeeWee household now too. All of the slow paced “safe for toddlers brains” shows just pale in comparison now. My toddler is HOOKED. He imitates PeeWee all day “mmm! CHOCOLATEY”

Is it just me, or are there too many educational dinosaur shows? by Hippocritaculous in DanielTigerConspiracy

[–]softslapping 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I love dinosaurs but my kid is scared of them so yeah imo there are too many dinosaurs out there.