Wind Beneath My Sail | Autism PDD
Curious? When my daughter, Abby, was first diagnosed on the spectrum with PDD/NOS back in May of 2007 I actually felt so much energy and fight. I talk to so many people, read so many books, purchased at home materials to work with at home. When it came time to get her services with our city which is Philadelphia I was always on my toes making sure these officials stayed on top of Abby's case. I was always making appointments with private therapist in the interum , always wanting to be the best advocate for my daughter. Let's face it some of us our are kids only advocates.
Recently, I don't feel that fight anymore, I feel like that wind beneath my sail is gone. I am not giving up, but it is almost like I just needed to take a step back. Sometimes at some of Abby's classes I listen to the other parents and the seem alot more aggressive and on top of things then me. Right now were are waiting for alot of Abby's services to start, things get delayed because of the summer. But has anyone else ever just stopped fighting for a little bit? WAITING FOR A BIG BREATH OF FRESH AIR!!!!!
Absolutely!
Trying to get info out of teachers more routinely ... in my otherwise-copious spare time. I think some of us get to the point where we think we ALWAYS have to be
"doing something" for our kids, you know?
I say resting when you need it, is doing something! 
Self-care and
just taking a break are important so we can be better parents.
We don't have to fight all of the time, just when it's necessary. I say
keep doing what you're doing--replenishing your well of energy. Oh yes. I stopped fighting over the summer. We did one hour of private OT/Speech combo a week for the both of them and that was it. I fought so hard for appts and private therapies and it was a wait game I thought we all needed a break. So we kind of relaxed this summer and went to the beach alot and just had some fun. And guess what they progressed anyway. Also when I am feeling like I am drowning in all of this I take a Sat off. DH stays with the kids and go out alone. Take a break, you will come back ready to fight again.
THANKS EVERYONE!
This summer has been one big, long break. We moved at the beginning and I was all for giving ds a break from therapies. We didn't necessarily stop doing stuff at home - but did more fun things. We have done swimming lessons (daily in July and the last two weeks of August) and horseback riding lessons. Also worked on writing a bit, and other stuff for school - but made it fun! We worked on shoe-lace tying (about half-way at this point) and doing things like buckling. I somehow figured out how to do it in a way that didn't seem like I was TEACHING him. He often came to me and asked how to do something, so we would sit down and do it. I took advantage of every opportunity that presented itself.
Also, we have been very fortunate to have twin boys move in on the same day as us and they are going to kindergarten (in the class next door) to my ds. They have played together almost every day and his social skills have greatly increased!
I think taking a break was JUST what he needed. We had been running around like chickens with our heads cut off this last year and we all needed some down-time!
I had to wait 6nyears after a PDD-NOS diag. only to find it a misdiagnosis. My child has SMS or Smith-Magenis Syndrome. It acts sooo closely to Autism. It sure put the wind back in my sails. I ask you to check it out at www.prisms.org If it dosent sound like your child,maybe it will sound like another child and you could help another person like I was helped. Six years late I was helped!!we took 2 whole months off this summer. I have not done anything except enjoy him and put off thinking about anything to do with anything.
I got tired and out of sorts .I think it comes and goes sometimes we have to just step out and take a breather.
I know I feel more able to make decisions and more able to figure all this out than I felt before the summer.
Yup, here too. Things still happen but I take breaks, it helps me see what has improved, what they can do on their own and what direction I need to go in next.We took a break over the summer. I even stayed away from here for 3 weeks.I kind of know what you mean. My dd started speech at 27 months (but the speech worry started around 20 mths) so I feel like I have been off and on worried about her forever now. She just got her PDDNOS dx so I am in the stage where I am reading everything, but sometimes I wonder if I overworry. She is actually doing really well in K and we are starting to see some social interactions.I've had two people with FEAT tell me I should get her going on ABA, and now I am debating that. It sounds so intense and opposite of how I operate. I don't know. Just another thing to worry about.
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