Halloween Tricks and Treats.

A good example of how different it is to be a child with Autism or Asperger's would be the beginning of the Holiday Season.  When you were a child don't you remember being so excited about the holidays and looking forward to picking out your costume for Halloween and all the candy you can get?  For Austin it means too much noise, people, change in routine.  For example this morning Austin did not want to go to school, it was a very difficult morning but thankfully he did go and had an okay day while there.  He came home and had a decent afternoon, of course he didn't go trick or treating but he did hand out some candy, yea.  Then as soon as the evening winded down we went into meltdown from the change of routine and it took 30 minutes to calm him down and then 15 to get him to bed.  All of this of course is happening while our daughter Grace is trying to finish out her Happy Halloween with a smile.  Sometimes I wish I were able to split myself in two to be able to be there to comfort her when Austin is in the middle of a meltdown and of course be able to give him his deep pressure at the same time.  My heart hurts for both of them at times like those.  It is now almost 10pm and I am happy to say both are asleep and I am sipping my tea, waiting for sleep too.  Maybe next Holiday Season will be different and there will be someone by Austin's side at all times making it just a bit easier to deal with all the changes and challenges that they bring for him.  Thank you to everyone that is helping to make that a possibility.