Wednesday, November 12, 2014

When Meltdowns Destroy The World

Thanks to Defying the Spectrum for this infographic
We've been up, down, and all around. We skirted a head cold just before Halloween. James has had good days, and ones where self care issues are still interfering with school. He's decided food is evil and refuses to eat foods he's enjoyed for years. I've resorted to constant snacks and calls to get help from a nutritionist.

I've found out that James has not been receiving his 2x weekly speech sessions at school over the past 3 weeks, as the therapist has been out on medical leave. I had to ask if he was getting them to find this out. Now I am asking what the make-up plan is. Communication and speech continue to be struggles for James. Sources of frustration.

There's been a run of healthcare issues that involve more angst and cleaning labor than illness. My eczema is having a fine time and is currently well on its way to splitting open the skin on all my right fingertips.

I am helping my daughter work out that the badly worded math word problems are asking for. Oh the irony. I long to answer "who cares?" for many of said word problems. James and I are working on his reading log. There is not a lot of free time in the day. At night, James has been waking up regularly at 11pm, crying. I help him to the bathroom and he starts hicupping, which makes him furious. I coax him back into bed and he crashes. I am wrung out.

Through it all we've been hanging in there. Discouraged and tired at times, but plugging along. Until this afternoon. When James decided to bug his sister while she was finishing her homework. He ignored requests and warnings to stop. He earned a time out. A meltdown ensued over the next 90 minutes.

Oh. No. All the plans I had for the afternoon (write a letter, bake some breakfast muffins, do some cleaning) went right out the window. Everything narrowed down to helping my daughter finish her math and staying calm while trying to get James to calm down. Both eventually happened. By the time James calmed down, homework was finished and he'd lost iPad privileges for the rest of the day. Most of the afternoon had gone.

I am sapped. And worried. James is going to be a big guy. He gets very upset when people attempt the shush him or restrict him. I am worried about his teenage years and beyond. I want James to have words and tools to express how he's feeling and try and get what he needs  ... not have meltdowns.

I finally figured out James needed to eat. His mood improved quite a bit after he ate something. I am still worried. Hoping we have a good night's sleep, and tomorrow is a better day, with no meltdowns in it.

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