vaccinations...............

Honestly, I am conflicted. To vaccinate or not to vaccinate- that is the question. OR to wait and stagger the shots. Robbie had over 25 vaccinations by the time he was 18 months, I feel that is excessive. With Lexi, beginning at 9 months, the vaccinations have been staggered. ( Just at the time Robbie was diagnosed.) She is just about up to date- with 2 additional 5 year old boosters she will need to get. It's funny that the pediatrician tries to scare you into getting all the shots at once by saying your child will not be allowed in school. This is NOT true. In the state of NJ there is a law regarding religious freedoms. Vaccinations fall under that category. If you give the school a letter stating this- your child does not have to be vaccinated. That being said- we did receive a note yesterday discussing a chicken pox outbreak in Lexi's class. The note said your child must have the varicella immunization. Interestingly enough, the child who came down with the chicken pox was vaccinated. I mentioned this to our pediatrician this week and was told children could still get the disease but it would be a milder version. I had the chicken pox growing up. It was something you wanted to get at a young age- so you didn't have to worry about it later in life. I am not saying I want my children to get the disease but they have been vaccinated and may get it anyway. Seems crazy. Same goes with the flu shot. Those just make me nervous. My parents get them every year and then many times get the flu. Possibly a different strain I am told- but still sick. The bigger question is- is there a link between vaccinations and Autism? There have been studies discussing the MMR vaccination and the Hepatitis B vaccination in particular. A newer theory has also possibly linked flu shots to Alzheimer's disease. Do I think there is a link? Yes I do. Don't misunderstand. I do not think vaccinations cause Autism, however I do think they play a role in how it presents. Just as I think food allergies have many of the same "symptoms" as Autism. Think about when we were growing up. We did not receive half of the shots children get now. In 1974 the CDC recommended 12 vaccinations by age 6. In 2013 it is up to 35 by the same age.If you never get sick how do you build immunities on your own? For younger children the theory is they either get sick from daycare- if they attend or get sick when they come to school for the first time. I am staggering vaccinations with Timmy- although I am not sure where to start. I have declined anything until he is 6 months old and will continue to decline the hepatitis B. I do believe in getting vaccinated for the "big name" diseases, but I don't think he needs to receive 6 vaccinations at his 2 month appointment. I am mentally prepared for the arguments I will get into every time I take him to the doctor, but I will admit it is draining to have to explain myself every single time. Now I know this is a hot topic. For my friends, who have made different choices regarding vaccinations, In no way am I saying you are wrong. This is the right choice for our family. Everyone has a right to their opinion. This is just me voicing mine.

A new year........

Here we are beginning a new school year. Many things have stayed the same. Transitioning from crocs and flip flops to sneakers has always been a struggle. While we have figured out what needs to be done- it is still difficult. We start about two weeks before school talking about sneakers. We ask Robbie to wear them. His response is a shrieking "no", running away, kicking and biting as you try to put the shoes on his feet. He will take them off a number of times and be as difficult as possible. We go through this drill ( or really Dad does as Robbie has gotten too big for me to physically manage) about three times and then it's over. He puts the sneakers on without incident. It will be a similar experience when he has to wear warmer clothes. Knowing what it will take does make it a little easier- but I can't lie- It's still extremely stressful. Robbie is in the same classroom- a self contained room with 8 other boys- all of whom have Autism. Additionally 5 aids, 1 teacher, speech therapy, occupational therapy.......etc. The kids range from kindergarten to 3rd grade. (Robbie is considered 2nd grade) Last night was back to school night and I learned a few things. My son can read! That was something I did not know and his teacher seemed surprised. He is excelling at math. That I did know. He has a group of friends that he is really interacting with. I am happy to hear that!!! While looking at the pictures of 8 smiling faces I noticed a change in the students from the prior year. One student who had been in the class the last 3 years was gone and another who had been in a different classroom took his place. The little boy that left was mainstreamed into first grade- with an aid. The little boy who is an addition to the class is completely non verbal and communicates with a device. I cried on the way home. Why? While I am so happy for the family of the boy who is mainstreamed, I am jealous. While I adore the little boy and his family , who was added to the class I am concerned about adding an additional nonverbal child to the mix. I am hoping to push Robbie this year. I am hoping other kids will push him to communicate more. I know he is not ready to be mainstreamed and have been told he never will be. And still, every year I hope and pray this will be the year. The year that he magically speaks in full articulate sentences that are meaningful and show his personality. The year that the autism will be gone. Yes I said it. And I know better. So that being said , hopefully some things will change..... or progress is a better word. I spoke with his teacher about helping Robbie be more engaged in our dinner conversations as a family. We always ask everyone what the best part of their day was. Everyone has a turn to explain. Lexi loves this, especially now that she is in kindergarten. Robbie struggles but seems to want to contribute to this family ritual. His teacher is sending home a paper with pictures of different activities he had completed through out the day. This will hopefully make it possible for Robbie to engage in the conversation. I mentioned to her- my biggest wish for Robbie is for him to have the ability to tell us about his day. What he did, who he played with, what he didn't like, etc. We will see how it works- fingers crossed!!