An Autism Journey to Independence
Recently Jolee has been having difficulty formulating her thoughts and holding conversations with us. From preschool through her teen years, Jolee attended weekly 1:1 speech class with the same phenomenal speech therapist, Ms. Jennifer. We reconnected with her and planned to have Jolee go in for some refresher sessions to get back on track. Jolee, however, was adamantly against the idea.
Most parents I know try to get their kids to watch less television. It seems nearly everyone struggles with their kids watching too much ‘content’, whether on YouTube, TikTok, or Instagram. The interesting revelation for us was that today’s youth, including our children, have very little patience. When given the choice, a 30-minute sitcom is not something they willingly sit through. Throw in that our kids also don’t understand realistic drama or romance stories and they genuinely dislike violence and harsh language. We found ourselves wanting them to gain experience and some tolerance for life by watching a bit more TV.
Vanity aside, do you really like to look at yourself in the mirror?
Our son Dylan does not like mirrors. For many years, we found he did not brush his hair very well, often leaving it wet or looking like he just rolled out of bed. He also rarely shaves his facial hair. We have been discussing this with him for quite a while, getting on his case to consistently perform both these basic habits. It was a source of frustration to us why he chose not to participate in these basic grooming activities that are expected by societal norms.
Raise your hand if you know how window blinds are installed or hung. Anyone? Me neither. So, it is hard to complain when we stopped over at our kid’s apartment and looked strangely at their window.
Nearly everyone has vices. These are the things that we rely on to relieve stress, improve our mood, or perhaps even seize the day. Certainly, some vices can be negative, unhealthy addictions that are detrimental and may require help to overcome. Other times, however, they can be just what the doctor ordered, a positive experience or shot in the arm to keep you moving forward and living your best life.
As mentioned last week, we are adding some shorter segments called Jolee Minis and Dylan Shorts to provide some further insight into the incredible minds of our kids. With that said, here are two from our girl.
Breakfast anyone?
Jolee was just over 21 years old when she moved out from under our roof and into the apartment with her brother Dylan. She can be anxious about change, so you can imagine how proud we were as she spent that first night in the new apartment. We were on standby for any texts, phone calls, or even a late night visit from her, but the night passed without event. As nervous parents, we actually walked Junior by their apartment a few times to secretly check in. The next morning, I was awakened very early with a rap tap tap at our door. As I wearily looked through the peephole, I saw Jolee standing, smiling, and knocking away. I opened the door and with her brightest smile heard her ask just one question… “Hey, where is my breakfast?”
As a precursor, we thought it would be fun (and easier on those of us with day jobs) to include some short, pithy posts. We hope these often-humorous Dylan Shorts and Jolee Minis will provide some further insight into the creative, intelligent, and unique minds of our kids. With that said, here is the first installment.
Every year, King Flamzer observes the Annual Toon Battle. On this day, the toons battle each other to determine who is the most powerful warrior. The champion becomes the leader of the team. This year, Taur is battling Lionclaw to remain the leader of the Super Six.
The Festival of the full color moon is special fun for everyone. There is plenty of food, games, rides, and dancing to entertain the toons as they await the special rainbow full color moon to rise. The full color moon symbolizes the good fortune and future for the Cartoon World.
I love traditions! Every year, as a family we watch Christmas Vacation and Elf on Christmas Eve. We each open one present that night and the rest from Santa and extended family on Christmas morning. To me, anything that repeats, and I look forward to is a value-add to my life.
Dylan is a big kid. Sorry, I guess I have to start saying young adult. He is about 6 feet tall and has a much larger frame than I ever had. He has, however, never been interested in sports or even moving around much for that matter. His weight has fluctuated over the years based on growth spurts, eating habits, and certainly stress. With our move to the apartments, we now have a very nice gym with free weights, machines, elliptical, bikes, and treadmills.
Our family has always had pets. When our first dog, Buster passed, Jolee asked when we were going to “replace” him. Since we didn’t want to teach her that you can replace someone who dies, we told her that we would not get a new dog right away, but she could pick another type of animal.