My Family

My Family

Monday, October 26, 2015

Autism and Traveling OH MY

Our family is taking in California as much as we can..there is so much to see and do. We don't know how long we will live here, so lately we have been adding in extra trips to make sure we see it ALL! :)  The kids LOVE to travel too, so that helps.

The hardest part are the transitions, which I just don't have the answer to yet, for helping Cohen. The night before we left for our Yosemite trip Cohen was starting to ramble about how he was going to miss his house. He actually stretched his arms out and kissed the wall. He isn't joking he misses the actual HOUSE! :)   So, he was getting anxious about leaving but it was fine, we talk a lot before we leave about how many nights we will be gone, who is watching our dogs and that our things will be here when we get back. But, as always Cohen fell in Love with the "new house" which was actually a small cottage near Yosemite. He decided he loved that house and didn't want to leave. UGH! We can't win, but this is normal we expect it to happen. But, what we know is that we will hear the same sentences the entire way home! This time it was I don't want my old home, I want my new home. Then he decided he wanted to go to the lake house tomorrow on another trip, as long as he didn't go back to his Old house, he would be happy.

We don't understand how his mind works, why he goes there but he does. So, we get home and there was a LOT of screaming until he calmed himself down. He has to be by himself to self calm. Then he went down stairs and started doing his art. He drew his family at the Lake house, himself wakeboarding with his Daddy, and builders fixing our old house, so we could move to the lake house.  Art seems to help him express his feelings, when he can't find the words.

This is just a little glimpse of our lives with Cohen. He is such a joy and we Love him so very much..but it is also very difficult to be the best parent when you just don't understand your child the way you wish you could!   I don't believe in cures for Autism, I believe my baby was born with it and we are learning to parent him the best we can and understand his World!!