Fireworks and Autism/SPD

. Any parent of a child with Autism or Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) knows how difficult noises, especially loud unexpected noises, can be.  It's NOT FUN.   Add into that the factor of getting over stimulated, and a bunch of other factors that could totally send our kids with sensory issues over the edge, and it makes a day like 4th of July - that's supposed to be a ton of fun - just not fun at all.

I know that since Noah was born, we haven't gone to a live firework show since he started expressing sensory issues but a few times.   So that means in 12 years ... we've gone two or three times.   I can think of one off hand.

We usually try to get some of the smaller fireworks that we can do ourselves, sparklers, that sort of thing.  We do those.... but we can't always afford to do that.   Where we currently live, if you sit outside you can see a couple of different displays.  Sometimes not so well because of the trees, but some get high enough for the kids to really see well :)   So the kids who WANT to go outside and watch.   Noah is usually one of them, Nathan is not.  

On 4th of July, for Nathan, it's just like any other day.  We go over to Nana & Papa's for a BBQ and then home and do what we do normally including his bedtime.   The rest of the kids play outside and come in after fireworks.

So one of my really good friends ran into an issued with her SPD child ....  they were out and setting off bottle rockets.  Normally he loves that sort of thing but this year either he got overwhelmed or something.  The over stimulating caused him to go into major (the worst she'd ever seen him in) melt down mode.  It took hours to get him to calm down.

So that inspired me .....  I thought of several things to help make a day like Forth of July run a little smoother....  

that one didn't look real good on facebook so I made this one too ....

For more information and other ideas....  

She found this link...
4th of July and Dealing with Over-Stimulation 

And I found these links.....
Tips for an Autism Friendly 4th of July
Autism Ears, Loud Noises and Fireworks! – Oh, My!

A-U-T-I-S-M .... how it changes everything...

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Today ............. I officially became..........

Isn't it amazing how one word can change your whole world.  Don't get me wrong.... I mean, we've been expecting this for the last 6 months, questioning it for about half of Nathan's life.   About 18 months ago, we suddenly realized that the the funny spinning he does, the hiding in whatever small space he can find... wasn't just him being cute.... that.... his lack of eye contact at times wasn't just him being shy.... that his needing a routine was more then comfort, and that his melt downs were more then just temper tantrums ...

It was obvious to me, even if he didn't have "classic autism" he was somewhere on the spectrum.

It was OBVIOUS .......

And we've spent time just hoping we were wrong........... but knowing, deep deep down .... that it was right....  it fit....

A couple days ago, we were at the DR and he laid down on his back and just started to spin around in circles .....

He melts down, he needs to be wrapped up in his blanket or my blanket and held real tight and he'll calm down, he folds over when he's uncomfortable....... like this ...

Which is what he was doing today, along with being held in his blanket....

Today ... it became official... he is on the low end of the spectrum but he does have PDD .... Nathan has officially been diagnosed with Autism and ......... even though it was expected, it crushed my heart....

Nathan's First Day of Preschool.... again....

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So yesterday (1-10) was Nathan's FIRST day in his new preschool......... he goes in the afternoon!

 Of course, being in the afternoon........ during his possible crash time............ we run into this problem... he... fell........ asleep.... 

 I woke him up and said "Nathan, want to go play... .want to go to school?  It's time to go to school" and he said "NO" and started to cry.  Luckily we had a few moments to hang out before going into his classroom, so there was a lot of cuddling and a lot of reassuring and a lot of coaxing...  but he did NOT want his picture taken......

 And there was a lot of him cuddling into my neck...

Lookie his little backpack.......

 Sitting on the curb pouting ....

 But we got inside and he just cried and cried and cried....  I showed him his picture and name on his hook... and he kinda liked that but wasn't really impressed..

 Nathan's stuff on his hook.....

 He didn't want to write his name, so I helped him trace his name... and then it was time to color, and he didn't want to do that.... so I colored the apple, and I tried to get him to help me color the fire truck, but he didn't want to do that, and his teacher colored his cherries... and ... he wasn't interested at all ....  but when his teacher said "okay, it's time for playdoh" his FACE LIT UP ........ he loooooooooooooooooves Playdoh!

 That was the turning point for him.  He started to have a little fun.  Then it was Circle-time... and music ... and his hands were clasped over his ears most of the time.  I got such a kick out of the days of the week song .... it was in the tune of the Addams Family ...

If you haven't heard it ......... here it is......


I ended up staying for the first hour (it's 2 1/2 hour class) ...  and then I managed to sneak out ... and he apparently had a wonderful time for the rest of the day.

Nathan was worn out when he got home.  He fell asleep with his cuppie of root beer (a treat) ... he slept ALL night too - we woke him up to change him (PJs and diaper) and to give him his pokey - but he went right back to sleep.

Today was his second day of school and Dennis took him.  He said that he got really excited when he saw the little trailer that is the temporary housing for his preschool room.  He went into class... he wrote his name and even did the last N on his own and did it like a champ!  His Daddy was super excited and impressed with that.  (We write his name a lot with him) ...  and just over all he had a great day it seemed.  AND when he went to pick him up, he creeped in and saw him excitedly PARTICIPATING in this song.......


Which is one of my FAVORITE of all time songs from when I was little and in school!  I am so excited that he didn't cry today (like he did everyday at the other school) ...  and that he is participating in the songs...... it's amazing to me and excites me so much!!  I love that he is enjoying school this time around, that we found what I hope proves to be a WONDERFUL fit for him!  So far it seems that it is!!