Autism Awareness Month

At the age of 20 months, my middle son was diagnosed with autism. He is nonverbal and exhibits a lot of the behaviors that are thought of as common. He hand flaps when he is happy, he rocks sometimes(not a lot but some). He has meltdowns that have subsided a lot since he has grown older. However, when he does have a meltdown, they aren't pretty. We really have tried to learn the triggers for meltdowns, but sometimes they just happen. A meltdown is NOT a tantrum. There is no redirecting an autistic child in the middle of a meltdown. We can only try to calm him with things that work for him. Sometimes, a bath will work and sometimes we end up with a flooded bathroom because he decides to throw water everywhere. The meltdowns are the ugly part of autism. 

He hates having his picture taken and was pushing me away. :)

The cool part about autism is the unconditional and innocent love he has for his family and others. He knows and loves his teachers, paraprofessionals, and many others that he has come into contact with. Some of my friends could tell you how sweet and loving he is and that he lights up a room when he walks into it. He views the world in a very different way than most of us do. He is learning to communicate with his iPad but he has a really difficult time focusing on it because of his sensory needs and the fact that his senses are always in hyper drive. 

I also wanted to share my newest dolly outfit. I run a dolly group on Facebook and we are having a Project Runway Inspired Dolly Challenge this week. Our theme is "What April Means to Me". Naturally, I incorporated Autism Awareness Month into my outfit. I used Cole's Creation's Dolly Raglan and Made for Mermaids Bonny leggings pattern without the leggings..LOL If you're interested in joining our dolly group, search Sewing for Dolly's Closet and request to join. We have a lot of fun!

I found the autism design on Etsy and just loved it!

Leave a comment. I love to hear from you!!

Follow me on Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter too!