There's an app for that!

                Realizing that every child with autism has a journey to travel unique to them was a hard to digest. This essentially meant that there is no text book one size fits all answer to the struggles that we were to face. I went on a mission to try to find as many resources that could help him find his way through life in the most comfortable way. I have quickly learned that this is done strictly by trail and error. In the past few months alone I promise we have found those errors along the way but I am very happy to say that I believe we found apart of Mannys gold mine. The iPad! I had heard that there were some apps geared toward autistic children; honestly i didnt know weather to jump on it or not. So I did what I do with most anything else I got on google and did some homework on it. And to my surprise it was factual and backed with studies. So I began with just trying the apps one by one and oh boy his  world opened up in so many ways. I was so excited. It was like I began to see light at the end of the tunnel. We started with an alphabet writing game. And he would just look at me trace the letters with my finger and his brother do the same and for several weeks did not want to even touch it, but then today he pulled for the iPad and began to do it. I just started to cry. I was just so overjoyed that he was doing it. And not just doing it but by himself. And he got through "K" and said No and pushed it away. And to be honest I was excited as if he had done the whole alphabet. I tell you autism has really gotten me to a point where i stop and Thank God for the small things in life. It has humbled me and help me notice the things I would have normally taken for granite . I'm so proud of manny I can't stand it..

A Window In My World

People say ,"oh he has autism?!" He must be high fununtioning it must not be so bad.. Your lucky! I smile and just walk away. Because no matter if you see me in the grocery store, church or McDonald's you only have a window into my life. You see glimps of my life not my life as a whole. The things that we live though on the daily basis at times all I can do is sit and cry . You don't see the melt downs that might not stop for a hour. Or the times that he punches and bites us when he is so angry about just having a toy taken. The times he just sits in the corner and won't let no one come near. It hurts when you say oh he is not that bad . I hate to even admit that this is our life. Because I want you to think that it is not that bad, that he is really well off and in more ways than one he is. AUTISM is not a death sentence. He will live and most end up being really good ; extremely good dare I say genius at one thing or another. He will make it. But I can't tell you that this is a walk in the park because it is not what you think. It is not what you see. We need prayer. The only way I can get him out of a melt down at times is to grab him hug him really tight so he can't hurt himself and begin to pray and at times all I can say is JESUS . But it's whAt works . There is power in the name of JESUS . Manny has become comfortable around most church people. Which has made our lives at church a great deal easier. Oh how I am thankful for this. Autism has really made me stop and thank God for so much more. You know the small things I am so greatful for . So when you see me out at the store, at church, or AT McDonald's realize you only see a window in our life. And this goes for all families with special needs children, passing comment or judgement is not the thing to do a simple I praying for you or Im thinking about you does so much . Because lets be honest God is the only one that can help us.