Frustration

Robbie has been making tremendous progress- and for that we are grateful!! We still face challenges- and sometimes are not sure how to deal with them. A schedule is so important for any child- this we all know. For an Autistic child- it seems to be that much more crucial. Our frustration lies on how much is too much and how much is necessary? We want the life our friends and family members have- bringing your kids to family functions, friends houses, birthday parties- without the real concern for a "major meltdown." ( By major meltdown- I mean crying uncontrollably, throwing things, and possibly getting sick,) The most frustrating part is not knowing what caused it. Did he eat something that he shouldn't have? Is it the change in routine? Does he have a headache, stomach ache- etc that he can't communicate? The reality is we will probably not know for a long time what causes these "meltdowns". I am hopeful that one day he can communicate what's wrong or we will have a better sense of his issues. In the interim we hope that our friends and family will bear with us- while we figure out how much is too much.
We went to Disney last March. One of the pictures is posted- Robbie at 2. We decided to see Sea World instead of the theme park because he was so young and for all that money would it be worth it? . What an awesome time!! Robbie was great on the plane ride there- slept through every night in his own bedroom and really enjoyed (most of) the trip. Looking back he did spike a really high fever on the way home- and was sick for a few days after. Did that trip attribute to his Autism? Did he have some virus? Did he have a late reaction from vaccinations? We'll never know. But I do know that Sea World at 2 years old was a great trip. Sea World at 3 years old- scared to death. It could go either way. But isn't that the case for most parents????
I am posting my most fearful picture. This is a picture of Robbie in late may- early june- just before his diagnosis. It is one of those things you look at and think--- OH MY GOD-- how could I not see this. But if you look at other pictures posted prior times and around the same time- you may feel our frustration. Fyi- only the red balls were allowed in the water table that day. If any of us- Lexi included- tried to add another color- Robbie threw it out immediatly.