Living with Autism

I am not a tattoo kind of person. Firstly, I cannot imagine spending money on something that I can't change, and secondly, while I'm sure they look great on people with plump firm skin, I fear I may turn out to be a saggy old lady with indecipherable wrinkly tattoos. So no "ink' for me.

 But if I did get a tattoo, I would get this:



Because I often forget. And I fear it is often at the root of so much of my children's, my husband's and my own often indecipherable behaviour.

It is hard, because I am a pretty gutsy person. I like change, I like a challenge. I get bored VERY easily and like to flit from one new thing to the other. Hell for me is being stuck in one place, doing one thing.
But my hell is someone else's heaven. Some people like consistency, the familiar, stability.

Anything unpredictable makes them anxious and it is important to be empathetic to this, to understand that very real anxiety about the unknown. 


Because if I remember my high school m…

Well folks, it is only a matter of time before the next stage of Gracie's development as a Lay-dee begins. First, a little music to set the scene:




And we have only just begun..
to see the mood swings, a lot of crying for no reason that we cannot console. We also have the change in body shape and um, please click away if you are easily freaked out but..things are growing.

Luckily for me, I have had the support of the Saplings Educational Director, Supervisor and some very dedicated tutors to get me through this next step.
Grace has actually been following an ABA Task Analysis of a "Pre Menstruation" program for over a year now. There was an unfortunate gap when the Department of Education and Skills.. *coughs* ...took over our school and Gracie's personal care program was literally, sent home..

But I got some good advice and with the backing of EPSEN and the NCSE booklet on my rights regarding the implementation of an existing Individual Education Plan, I got the pro…

28th July 2009. Second Year in Saplings. Sportsday


 Glenroe Farm, 2008
 Dublin Zoo 2008?
 Brisbane 1999
 Ballarat 2010
 Singapore Zoo 2010

Hamleys Dundrum, Irish Autism Action Fundraiser 2008/9
Stephens Green Shopping Centre, Dublin 2009  O2 Grafton Street Samsung Autism Fundraiser 2009 (From when I did promotions and Social Media for Autism Ireland)
 Hamleys Triceritops 2009
 Devils Glen, Wicklow

Mao Dundrum  Army Soldier Facepaint by Hamleys Girls in Dundrum

This week I tried out an alternative to the Otterbox Defender iPhone cover which I have been in love with since I first bought one 2 years ago. After 15 different types of case, and 3 very expensive repairs of 1, Glass screen 2, inner LCD screen and 3, BOTH (Liam was acting out the scene from Phone Booth where Colin Farrell smashes the handset of the phone)

I finally had a case that could be literally thrown down the stairs (and has been)

So I was intrigued to see this the link to this video on the Zismo Facebook Page 





"The folks at G-Form have brought the fury once more with a brand new case for Apple devices with a death-defying test in the hockey arena......blah blah blah...
These slim and lightweight cases act like armor to safeguard your iPhone when you need it most by momentarily stiffening to absorb over 90% of the force from an impact, and then immediately returning to their natural flexible state
This case is being released in two forms, the first being the X Protect…

My beautiful girl has beautiful hair



However, as anyone with a daughter knows, it is pretty high maintenance. Cutting it short would be pointless as she would not tolerate a hairdresser and short hair has to be cut regularly.
I would not do it myself as I think that it would be unfair, I mean just because she has autism, doesn't mean she has to look like her Mum cut her hair.
And it suits her long, as my friend Joanne often says; it gives her a certain Catherine Earnshaw quality. Although if Gracie was crying at the window I am pretty sure that Heathcliffe would have no choice but to let her in.

So Bronte heroine look aside, the hair has to be brushed regularly.Gracie does not like this. It has been a lifelong challenge which used to involve me chasing her around the house. As she got older she has got a lot cuter*, and now tries to style me out of the way by putting on hats or hair bands before she comes downstairs. However, thanks to the power of ABA; we now have her doing this…

So it is World Autism Awareness Day and here I am without a blog post.

I am feeling very autism aware as Grace decided last night that she needed a Letterland phonics Video which has been out of production for about 15 years. So I had a small girl stomping her feet saying "I want AAY, BEE, CEE, PURPLE, VIDEO" and then putting on her hat and coat and demanding to sit in the car until 2am.
Today, when we were all a bit calmer, I helped her to make this sentence using google images:


so we were able to work out exactly what video she wants and where it is - School! 

which doesn't reopen for another 2 weeks. Ebay it is then.


Autism Awareness for me is about making everybody else in the world aware that we exist, we are here to stay and you better get used to us. It's a chance for family, friends and acquaintances to catch up and realise that their sister/brother/son/daughter needs them to be aware of autism and perhaps be a bit more supportive. It is about being accepting…

In the next few days I am going to write a long article about Niamh Cadogan. At the moment it hurts too much to think about it for too long. I have been looking at her emails she sent me, which included a lot of photos and this one just made me smile. I think we were both trying to get Liam to look at the camera and say "cheese" and he just kept on saying "Camembert" in his deep teenage voice and playing with the iPad.



This was the day she came to Dublin with the Munster Lions Club for the judging of the All Ireland Lions Club Youth Ambassador. I brought her 2 props; one was my giant "iFoam" with the Grace App on it and the other was Liam, my 14 year old son who sat and played with the iPad while Niamh and I chatted to William from the Lions club and her mum Jean.

While I adore and cherish both my autistic children; if I ever get a bit of time off I have to confess that the very last thing I want to do is meet other people's autistic children.
(forgi…