So much to do..so little time!!

I hope by writing this blog I can open everyone's eyes on the real story of Autism. No sugar coating it.  I want everyone to know the good, the bad and the ugly. I'd like to stress that Autism is such a broad spectrum that everyone is different. With Reilly being very young to be diagnosed, the typical age is 3 years old to be assessed. Reilly is only 2 1/2. I remember before we got the official diagnosis, I researched constantly to get as much information on it as possible. Let me tell you, living it and reading about it are two totally different things. Nothing I read in books or online even came close to the reality of living it. With that said, their are tons of amazing qualities to Reilly that are hidden among the struggles. We have started to realize that we have to live day by day, sometimes hour by hour. Life changes so fast with Reilly lately. One minute he can be fine and the next he is set off by something unexpectedly. It could be a sound, the look of something, anything. His meltdowns are becoming more frequent and intense. Meltdowns with Reilly are totally different than with another typical child his age. Once in meltdown mode, thier is absolutely no reasoning with him. Not a treat, toy or drink or hug can stop him. Their are no warning signs, for us anyway, and they aren't just for a minute or two, they sometimes last 10-15mins.

Reilly had a meltdown in Safeway today and he was unconsolable. He was yelling "stop it, stop it" and kicking and screaming and screeching very loud. He refused to go back in his stroller and was using as much physical strength he could to stop me from putting him in it. This last for 10 minutes as other shoppers stared at us trying to figure out what to do to calm him down. How unfair to a child who couldnt' understand.

With all that said, we did make some good progess recently. We have an appointment in a few days to meet with a Disability Social Worker to meet with her to discuss therapy etc. We also have a meeting with Reilly's Infant Development Consultant right afterwards to talk about our struggles lately and get some tips on how to cope with everything. In a few weeks we have an appointment with the Centre Reilly goes to so we can discuss what Reilly's therapy team has in store for him for the next year. Also in a few weeks we have an appointment with Reilly's physical therapist to discuss orthodics for Reilly's shoes so he can try to be more stable and balanced on his feet when he walks. We notice he is falling alot more lately and getting more bruises and cuts on him. Thier is alot more to share that we have going on in the next few weeks but it's been such a long day!