Living with Autism

A couple of threads knitted together for me today. I have been responding to a number of "Why do they do this?" type queries on the Facebook page for Irish Autism, along with helping someone else to secure the help they know their kid really needs, and helping to celebrate something significant and wonderful for another parent - something that the normies wouldn't really "get".

I was also reading yet another one of these "Autism is an epidemic, we must prevent it/find a cure" type of posts too. That always gets my goat.

And I couldn't help but wonder.....

Could it be said that the kids whose parents have acceptance, tend to have better outcomes  than the kids whose parents get stuck on the denial-blame-curebie setting?

Of course, to accurately compare this you would need to set parameters of just what is a "better outcome".
And it would be very subjective as the "Acceptors" would be noticing and recording little things like:
lear…

From The Iron Giant (1999)
General Rogard: You realize how much hardware I brought out here? You just blew millions of Uncle Sam's dollars out of your butt! 

This is Boo practicing his Halloween Costume for tomorrow's school Halloween dress-up and party.
He made a late switch from Woody (from Toy Story) after the girls from Hamleys painted his face in camoflage on Sunday in Dundrum - Woody doesn't wear make up see?


Hamleys Girls Offering Face Painting as part of as the Centre's fundraising activities supporting the Marie Keating Foundation Breast Cancer Awareness Month!

This was a relief as I have a rule that I only do home-made costumes and the cowboy boots with a cow hide waistcoat were proving difficult to source.

Whereas combat pants, a safari style shirt and camo-raincoat came to €15 in Enable Ireland.

General Rogard is a "Baddie" according to Boo. So appropriate for a Halloween costume and during my Wiki search I found he has the best lines too.

And tho…

We are very sad to hear the news of Stephen Gately's passing today.



I met Stephen  and watched him perform a live concert with Boyzone for my charity; Irish Autism Action and my kid's school; Saplings Rathfarnham,
at The Keith Duffy Masked Ball in December 2008



It was a difficult economic time. The banks were in trouble, companies were going to the wall and no one wanted to be seen spending money. But the promise of a Boyzone concert ensured we sold all our tables and helped keep my kids'school going for another year.
All the Boyz and their families were there for the dinner and auction, just one table away from ours.

I think at one stage they were bidding against each other in the Auction to get the prices up.

And Boy did they put on a fantastic show at the end.



As sad as this is for all of us, our heartfelt condolences must go to his husband, his family and dear friends.
Stephen, may your spirit be in a good place. Thank you for the good you brought to the world.
We wil…

Sorry for the recent hiatus but I am back workin' on the irishautismaction blog, social media AND my secret project.
I would love to tell you, but then I'd have to kill you. So here is a hint:



But I promise I will be back soon

Photo from Life Adventures, Nerja
Every May the Hammie family get on a plane and head for Nerja, a little town about an hour east of Malaga, on the Costa Del Sol.

We have done this every year since 2003 after I swore I would never take an Irish Summer Holiday again.
I know I know - when you get the weather there is no better place.
But my souvenir of our week in Kerry in 2002, was a weather proof jacket.
So Slan to the South West and Cead Mile Costa!



Being an autistic family, we went to the place that the 3 generations of Hammies had been going to for 20 years - Capistrano - And we keep going back.

The first year we booked a package. But after that found it easier to book a villa independently through Owner's Direct, and found that flying on scheduled flights, and renting a car privately at the airport was a whole lot better than the package and waiting experience for our kids.

We usually go in May, because it is pleasantly warm, and not too busy as everybody else is still in schoo…

Bratty enjoying some sensory time in the pool Boo and a hose in the little splash pool in the back garden of the villa


Boo underwater - pretty much the whole time he is in the water, he is under it!



Bratty´s version of LaLa - July 2008
Another Holiday Re-run, from July 2008; Reality is Shaped by our Senses My Year 10 English teacher once said "reality is shaped by the senses" He wanted us to think about how our reality might differ from another, depending on our perception.

And here I am 25 years later, trying to understand it in relation to my kid's autism.

I am not a recent convert to this idea. My Boo's first good teacher tried to explain it to me a bit when we were going through the clothes and shoes stage. Boo was very keen on wearing a pair of riding boots which were at least one size too small, and at the same time preferred to be naked from the minute he walked inside our flat. He would wear clothes to go out, but we had issues with sleeve lengths and types of …

Another re-run: from the webcafe on Ria Monica. Originally published February 08:


I was having brunch with a friend again today; and yes, I do love a good brunch (or lunch).

We were reflecting on how much progress her son had made since diagnosis and the beginning of acquiring "a service".
She was remembering a time when they couldn't go anywhere as a family as they might potentially come across any of the obsessions that her son had, and couldn't prevent him from indulging. Whereas now, with some structured intervention, huge progress in their son's development and an improved understanding of his diagnosis themselves; they had more flexibility in their life.

They were, in other words, a whole lot closer to a grade of normal that most people with typical children take for granted.

I was really happy for her. No matter how mild or severe a child's autism or other needs are, they are the worst that you have ever had to deal with and we must always make allowances f…