What Works

Over the years we have had to try a lot of different things to help Charlie and to help us.  And when I say a lot, I mean hundreds, if not thousands of ideas.  This could be things to help him regulate his emotions, help him sleep, help us sleep, ways to get him to eat, how to ride in a vehicle without going completely berserk, or even ways to get him to recognize other people's emotions.  Sounds like simple stuff, right?  Well....not to Charlie.  These are a handful of things he struggles with on a daily basis.

We use things like a weighted blanket, joint compressions, bear hugs, Wilbarger's brushing, and Charlie Burritos (rolling him tightly in a large blanket) for deep pressure activities that help him feel calm and whole.  We use things like Aaron's Thinking Putty, carrying heavy grocery bags, pushing the ottoman around the living room, and stretch bands, and we have a giant "crash pad" downstairs that he can jump and fall into to help with heavy work activities that can also be calming and help with strength and stabilization.

These things are all Proprioceptive activities.  Proprioception is the concept of knowing where your body is in space.  We have a bag swing mounted from our ceiling downstairs that he uses to calm himself as swinging motions help him to stay organized in his thinking and mood.  And we have plans to put in a climbing wall in our house as another way for him to stimulate his joints (like joint compressions).  But Shhhh....the climbing wall is a surprise!  Yes, our house will be the place to be!  But keep in mind these are all therapy items and are needed daily just to function.  And of course he now has Sunny, who has been such a blessing!

These are some things that work for us.  Something else we use on a daily basis are pure essential oils.  We have been using essential oils in our house for over 3 years now and there have been numerous oils that have been helpful, not only to Charlie, but to all of us for various reasons.  However, there has been one essential oil that has stood out among the crowd lately.  In September, I returned home with an oil our oil company just started carrying, Copaiba.  I started using this with Charlie right away and roll it on the back of his neck and down his spine 1-2 times a day.  

Copaiba works on the endocannibinoid system of the brain.  It's primary constituent, beta-caryophyllene, acts on the CB2 receptor which helps to reduce anxious feelings, reduce neuronal excitability and supports nervous and immune function (yep, totally went all science nerd there).  No, this oil is not CBD or THC oil, although it is a perfect alternative to those oils since Copaiba does not give the "high" that is experienced with those other oils, yet it offers the same benefits. 

Now, in Charlie's case, we have seen him so much calmer since starting Copaiba with him. He is much more regulated, doesn't have as severe of meltdowns as he normally does and his mood is much better as well.  Now, we've also had Sunny for about the same amount of time so I'm going to believe that both of these changes in our home have helped tremendously.  Charlie has even told me that this is his favorite oil and will remind me if we don't put it on right away in the morning.  I have a great post about this oil and Charlie on my Facebook Business Page if you'd like to check it out more.

Now, fingers crossed we can get through the holidays in one piece.  Travel, going to other people's houses, routine disrupted, big groups of people....it's a recipe for disaster and is usually difficult.  But we have our tools and hopefully a plan!

Pre-Halloween Fun

I love this reminder that I borrowed from a fellow Autism mom: With Halloween upon us, please keep in mind, a lot of little people will be visiting your home. Be accepting. The child who is grabbing more than one piece of candy may have poor fine motor skills. The child who takes forever to pick out one piece of candy may have motor planning issues. The child who does not say trick or treat or thank you may be non-verbal. The child who looks dissapointed when they see your bowl might have allergies. The child who isn't wearing a costume at all might have a sensory issue (SPD) or autism.

Be nice. Be patient. It's everyone's Halloween!

Tonight we went to the school's Black and Orange Bash.  They hold this each year at the school for ages birth through age 5 where they have games, activities, trick or treating and snacks.  This will be our last year attending.  But tonight was a great reminder of the  paragraph above.  Charlie has been so excited about his costume.  And this is the first year he has really wanted to and really been excited to dress up.  He came up with his costume idea on his own as well. 

Charlie has bee pretty excited about being a Traffic Cop for Halloween, and in fact, wants to be one when he grows up.  Shoot for the stars, baby boy!

We hadn't been in the doors for more than 5 minutes before he began peeling his costume off.  Oh well, he at least put it on!  After his costume came off, he looked like he does any other day while doing the fun activities.  But you want to know what? He did the fun activities!  He participated and there were no meltdowns.  None!  His trusty police dog I mean sidekick, Sunny, was by his side the entire time.  

Costumes have been hard in the past, and not just for Charlie.  His twin brother Christian has never been a fan of dressing up either.  In fact, last year as we were getting ready to go trick or treating he suddenly refused to wear the costume he had picked out.  Flat our refused, but was so bummed that he wouldn't be able to go out with his brothers if he didn't have a costume on.  So, as a last minute act of desperation, we made him Jake from State Farm.  He was "dressed up" in regular clothes and happy as can be.  This year he has been set on being a puppy.  I finished his costume today and when he got home from school......yep, he refused to wear it! Ha!  But as you can see, we were able to work through it and he was really happy to be a puppy once he finally put it all on.

Easton went as a hockey player, which is awesome because we already have everything on hand.  And I must say, he makes a really cute hockey player!

One of the activities they had was "pumpkin smashing."  It was actually quite genius and so simple! They had the kids pound golf tees into pumpkins with a small mallet.  So easy and they all LOVED it!  Talk about a great motor and sensory activity!

So this week when all the littles come knocking on your door, be gracious.  Some of them may be facing some big obstacles while trying to have some fun.

Cabin Times

This past weekend we spent several days at a cabin with my side of the family.  We've been doing this for 5 years now and it's always a great time.  This year there were 6 boys ages 6 and under.  There was no shortage of noise going on in that house!

In years past it's always been a struggle for Charlie.  Being away from home for several nights in a row, being away from his comfort/safe place is hard for him.  There are usually numerous meltdowns, disregulation, and stress.  While Charlie still had some difficulty, he did very well.  This year he had Sunny.

Sunny did a great job as well.  If Charlie was busy playing, she would sit by and keep watch.

She always knew where Charlie was and kept an eye on him.  If he was playing on the swingset with the other kids, Sunny waited patiently for him to return.  

Throughout the week Charlie did well asking for Sunny when he needed her.  He would ask for her to come sit with him, sleep with him, play with him when he needed her most.  And Sunny willingly obliged.  Every.  Time.  

Any time Sunny had downtime or waited for Charlie she had the opportunity to explore around the cabin, outdoors, went for walks, played fetch or simply took a nap.  She loved sitting outside on the back porch where she had a great view of everything.  

Each day we were at the cabin we had special visitors, friends and family that would stop by and catch up.  One special visitor held Charlie's attention.  Our good friends came by one afternoon with their Diabetes detection service dog, Gilbert.  Gilbert and Charlie have always held a special connection with one another over the years.  Whenever we would be at family gatherings that Gilbert would be at, the two of them would always spend time with one another.  Years ago it was our friends who told us about Autism service dogs and encouraged us to look into it through the agency they got Gilbert.  They knew Charlie had a special bond with our own family dog and could clearly see how connected Charlie was with Gilbert.  We are so grateful for their insight and support over the years.  Unfortunately, Charlie would still be on the wait list with that agency for another couple years if we hadn't found Mike and Sunny.  

We are beyond blessed to have Sunny for Charlie.  Each day their bond grows.  And each day Sunny proves to be more and more valuable to Charlie.  We look forward to seeing their future together.