Thanksgiving on the Autism Spectrum: How's It Going?
Thursday November 22, 2007
Thanksgiving comes with plenty of issues before you add in a pinch of autism.
But sometimes Aunt Mary can manage to NOT ask why your son is flapping his hands. And sometimes even Uncle Bill can say something pleasant like "you're doing a great job - your kids are lucky to have you in their lives."
Sometimes, they can't.
Having a great day? Having a not so great day? Feel free to vent here!
Comments
We are having a great day! We spend Turkey Day at home and Christmas away…then I make it a point to let everyone know the latest updates on my son, then they can comment on it after I have broke the ice instead of beating around the bush about it! We all love our families, BE LOUD AND let them feel comfort too…it is the holiday, all parents know that their child can handle…it is our job to make sure that they are protected, but also our job to inform. Thanks and Happy holidays!
We decided to stay home this year. I made my first full Thanksgiving meal and our boy had a “Thanksgiving Pizza”. It was a hit! No meltdowns, no stress. Just relaxation and the only people there were family members that see C often enough to know what’s going on anyway. I think I will be doing our own T-day fraom now on. I also broke the news to my family that this Christmas will be the last we will spend with them. From now on, we will be going on vacation somewhere.
Grandson was diagnosed in Feb as having autism, it has been up and down the hill. Hid mother is not in his life although she lives here in the same state. has been challenging, but hopefully will in time get a little better. As far as Thankgiving had a quiet day not too many temper tantrums, and the ones Brandon had i think was because he has a very bad cold and lingering cough, started running a fever, and became cranky later, I try not to get frustrated , again all of this behavior is new to me so i and my youngest daughter try to handle as best we can. Any sugesstions ,on behavior calming methods. We decided to spend this holiday as a three family member family, why because i am always the person who drives to pick up anyone who comes for the holiday and drive them home again and do all the cooking, so i decided that this year, all concerned needed to fend for themselves, and you know what i actually had a nice day minus the tantrums.
My three year old step son has many autism symptoms but his behaviour seems much worse when he is around his mother. Does anyone ever tell you “he doesn’t act like that around me or us”? Can it really be autism if the tantrums and hitting and biting and cursing are done the vast majority of the time in front of mama?