Posts Tagged father of son with autism
Where’s the Cheese?
Posted by Larry Blumenthal in Daily Life, Silly Behaviors on July 8, 2011
Clay has been banned from our bedroom.
Well, not completely. Just during those times when we can’t be there to keep an eye on him. I’ve mentioned before that one of his favorite pastimes is to slam his body onto our bed. He already has broken the frame. (I’ve got it rigged with duct tape and basset hound saliva to hold together for now.) I may not have mentioned that he also strips off the bed covers, pulls clothes and shoes out of our closets, scatters night-stand books, yanks the not-so-precious gems out of my wife’s jewelry box and generally makes quite a mess.
There are times—a lot of times—when the room looks like a burglar came through the window followed maybe an hour later by a tornado. Then a swarm of rabid, underwear chewing wolverines stopped by. So, we said, “Enough. Wreak your havoc elsewhere, oh Lord of Chaos, oh King of Collateral Damage. The Dark Knight of the Achy Lower Back Shall Abide Thou Foul Knavery No More.”
Here’s the problem. Read the rest of this entry »
Sixteen Candles
Posted by Larry Blumenthal in Communicating, Daily Life on July 6, 2011
When the phone rang early Sunday morning, we didn’t need to check the caller ID. Clay’s Grandpa Tony (aka “Goots”), an early riser, is invariably the first to serenade the little guy with a rousing version of Happy Birthday, a tradition on my wife’s side of the family. Moments later, his Aunt Ann called, leaving her own version on voicemail.
Clay’s 16th birthday was underway. And we had some decisions to make. Read the rest of this entry »
Searching, Always Searching
Posted by Larry Blumenthal in Daily Life on June 24, 2011
Unbelievably, we are once again looking for an afternoon sitter for Clay—our ninth in the past two-and-a-half years. At least we knew this one was coming. Our current sitter is headed back to college in mid-August, so we have a little more breathing room than normal.
I recognize that I’m letting loose the shriveled, scabby-headed curmudgeon that stomps around inside my head, but as I read through emails on Care.com, I just want to offer four pieces of advice to prospective sitters:
1) Try to keep the number of misspellings and typos to less than, say, eight or nine. Per sentence. It just doesn’t inspire confidence, especially if you have a graduate degree.
“i have hade many experience with disable kids.” Read the rest of this entry »
Dancing Waters
Posted by Larry Blumenthal in Communicating, Daily Life on June 2, 2011
On a Sunday afternoon a few weeks back, Clay was bored and getting agitated, so my wife decided to take him to a petting zoo we used to visit at a nearby farm. A sad collection of arthritic goats and dirty, balding sheep. A few oddly colored rabbits with swollen feet. A guinea pig the size of a small dog. Clearly a trip born of desperation.
Turns out the petting zoo had been closed who knows how many years earlier (possibly by the local Health Department). But then a miracle occurred, proving that good things happen to those who at least take a shot. Read the rest of this entry »
Sweet Mysteries
Posted by Larry Blumenthal in Daily Life, Silly Behaviors on May 27, 2011
About two weeks ago, my wife began leaving the paper towel roll on the window sill in our kitchen, in clear view of Mr. Busy Hands. I have no idea what prompted this obviously insane action by a normally sane human being. But, through some miracle beyond explanation, the paper towel roll has remained there—untouched by the little fellow—ever since.
For many, this may seem like a minor occurrence. Trivial, even. A topic unworthy of a blog of this stature. For these two veteran autism parents, however, it represents a milestone comparable to men walking on the moon or the invention of gluten-free bagels that taste and feel like, well, bagels. Let me provide you with a short history. Read the rest of this entry »
All dressed up …
Posted by Larry Blumenthal in Communicating, Daily Life on May 23, 2011
On the day of his first formal high school dance, Clay got up at 4:00 a.m. with no intention of going back to sleep.
“So sorry,” he typed for his Mom on the keyboard he uses to communicate. “Can’t sleep.”
It wasn’t the first (or probably last) time he’s gotten up that early. He has pulled a few all-nighters in his day, as well. So, off to school he went, while we crossed our fingers that we wouldn’t receive the dreaded call that he needed to come home.
At that point, it was anybody’s guess whether we would be going to the prom being held by the Autism Cares Foundation at 7 p.m. that night. Or, if we went, how it would turn out. Read the rest of this entry »
Two Bits
Posted by Larry Blumenthal in Daily Life, Silly Behaviors on May 17, 2011
Last Sunday night, I gathered the equipment, let my wife know the time was at hand, and herded a shirtless Clay into the downstairs bathroom. The dog whimpered in the hallway as I locked the door.
Yep. It was time for Clay’s monthly haircut.
My son’s unruly crop of dark brown hair often looks like it was cut by a one-armed blind man riding in a bumper car at the carnival. No surprise since that is exactly how the experience feels when we attempt the monthly hair fest.
We’ve been through many scenarios. When Clay was younger, and a little more prone to sit still, we would brave the local barbershop. While his behind would stay planted in the chair, his head would bob and weave like a prize fighter. I’m sure some of the barbers took extra long with the person they were working on when it was clear that Clay’s turn was next, hoping they didn’t draw that number. We finally gave that up after a few years when one unlucky soul managed to cut his own finger during the mayhem. Read the rest of this entry »
Silly Farm
Posted by Larry Blumenthal in Communicating, Daily Life on May 2, 2011
Clay had not been feeling well all week. Agitated and crabby. Lightning-quick mood swings. Typing on his keyboard “so sad so sick” whenever we asked what was wrong. (Allergy season takes a toll on the little guy.) But by Sunday afternoon, he seemed to be feeling a bit better—and we all needed to get out—so we decided to roll the dice.
This past winter we joined a local farming coop, and they were having an open house Sunday afternoon. I have visions of juicy strawberries and raspberries as big as your fist. I suspect Clay is imagining plump red tomatoes and peppers. Two of his favorite summer foods.
We asked the crabby one if he would like to go to the open house.
“Sure,” he typed.
Off we went, ready to turn around at the slightest sign of dark mood clouds on the horizon. Read the rest of this entry »
Man Eaters?
Posted by Larry Blumenthal in Communicating, Daily Life on April 7, 2011
I was standing in the middle of our backyard a few weeks back, when I felt a shadow pass overhead and heard a noise like a hovering helicopter.
I looked up, fully expecting to see the National Guard landing on the patio. Instead, I caught sight of the largest bird I’ve ever seen sitting on our chimney. A moment later, I heard the noise again and watched a second one come out of our garage window to join its friend.
Gigantor and friend just sat there like they owned the place. This was news to share with the family. It was a Sunday afternoon, so I ran to get Clay and my wife to take a look. Of course, by the time we got back outside they were gone. But my wife did confirm an earlier sighting of these monsters, so I know I didn’t imagine the whole adventure. Read the rest of this entry »
Jumping Bean
Posted by Larry Blumenthal in Communicating, Silly Behaviors on March 21, 2011
With just a few minutes left in our recent visit to a nearby bounce emporium, Clay was showing no signs of slowing down and little interest in our warnings that we needed to leave soon.
A local group, the Autism Cares Foundation, has been funding a once-a-month session at a Bounce U, which is filled with huge sliding boards, mazes, moon walks, every kind of blow-up-bounce-on-me-type of equipment you can imagine. We joined them for the first time last week.
Clay was having the time of his life, jumping and flinging his body around on one piece after another. All 10 or 12 of the kids were doing the same. It’s amazing to watch kids with autism go at this sort of equipment. Clay is particularly insatiable, bouncing with abandon. Doesn’t matter whether you are supposed to be sliding or climbing, he finds a way to fit in some pinball action. A couple of times I had to shoo him out of the basketball area, where he was rolling around on the padded mats. Read the rest of this entry »
Life With Clay 