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I had a seizure I had a seizure. I don’t even remember it. What does ‘seizure’ mean? First, I need to understand how my brain works. Messages in my brain are sent like packages of information. They go to other brain areas or to my body to tell it to move. These packages follow strict rules, just like when mom and dad drive. There are stop and go signals just like stop signs and stop lights. Sometimes the signals stop working right. All the messages go crazy! They go everywhere and don’t make any sense at all. This causes chaos in my brain. My thoughts stop working and my body jerks. I fall to the ground. After all this crazy activity stops, my brain has to reboot. Just like a computer has to restart after the power goes out. I sleep while my brain reboots. After I wake up, my thoughts may seem slow and my body seems clumsy. My arms or legs might hurt from all the jerking during the seizure. Or I might have a headache I can tell dad to get me a pill. Sometimes
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Super Easy, Butt-ugly Mask for People who Flunked Home Ec

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Seeing too many people using materials like polyester knit) to make masks, I felt it was important to try to put together an easy to make mask out with materials that you can both find at home AND may offer some protection for you and those you come in contact with.  I used a tightly woven cotton shirt and a flannel shirt, which offer more protection than other materials.  OF NOTE: if you are going to be using the mask for more than 20-30 min, bring a second mask to change into. Having moisture collecting on the mask increases your risk of contracting viruses, according to a study published by NIH. 1. Mark a 9x6 area on the cotton shirt, cut out a rough oval. 2. Using the oval as a template, cut another oval out of the cotton, and one of the flannel.  3. You now have 3 ovals. sandwich the flannel between the two cottons 4. Mark the center of one long side of the oval and draw 2 ellipses towards the sides, as shown. 5. cut off the ellipses 6.
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Making a duckbill mask

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There seems to be no agreement on the best materials to make a mask. I made mine with quilting cotton for the outer cover. Quilting cotton has a dense weave and will hold up to many washings. I have tons of scraps and used these. I used a Hoover HEPA vacuum bag for the inner layer. It seemed like a good material for blocking nasty stuff. One thing I read is that some cotton masks increase the risk of getting influenza-like illness. They postulated that it was because moist material holds the virii against the face increasing the risk of transmission to mucus membranes. So, I feel it’s important to change your mask often. Because the HEPA doesnt hold moisture, and it’s not irritating (unlike some materials) I was happy to use it against the face. Avoiding having the mask against the face is also why I chose the duckbill type. Because the outer mask will carry fomites (virii) from patient to patient, you should attempt to change it often for that reason also. I used pipe cleaners f
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Keeping it together

A glass shell Fragile, cracked every bump, every jolt widening like a windshield in a cold snap stellate, star-like each ray lacerating the organism within blood pooling dripping through the cracks outsiders avert eyes give wide berth don't be contaminated The shell is all that keeps it together.
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What to Expect From Autism - The Unexpected

There are lots of things you expect from autism. You expect difficulty making friends.  Sensory issues.  Eating problems.  Not sleeping.  Late talking. There are books written about the common symptoms of autism. But, we're getting outside the common blog topics and chapter headings now. What about deciding that hard rock is THE new obsession.  AC/DC, Led Zeppelin, Pink Floyd.  Not that I mind!  I'm cool as long as Justin Bieber is not among the purchases.  We could have Sam write the Encyclopedia of Rock history, chapter one. Strangest ways to make money:   - Selling raw products to Ikea.  Frankly, cotton will not grow well in Pennsylvania.  I know, I made him research the latitude and conditions at which it grows.  Did you think that all those flat boxes are made in Sweden?  Most products are outsourced to third world countries to save money.  I made him look that up as well.   - Copying all those hard rock albums onto reel-to-reel tapes and reselling them.  Ignor
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Autism is a Moocher

Today, I read that one way I am damaging my children is by sometimes saying I 'dislike' autism.  This is just one of many ways I contribute to their future mental health issues, I'm sure.  I've reiterated on this blog that one of the recurring themes of parenthood is the requisite guilt. I honestly believe that parents contribute to the world economy by ensuring the continued health of the antidepressant and therapy markets. Thus, I am contributing to the recovery of world markets. I see parents who support this premise of damaging their children instead remark on their lives with sarcasm.  Instead of saying 'I dislike autism because we never fucking sleep,' they instead make a pithy remark on yet another sleepless night. To me that is akin to saying 'Gosh darn, I hit a deer and my insurance is going up' instead of saying 'God dammit , that damn deer jumped out and left a fucking great dent in my car.'  It is the same statement, but said wi
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Words and Words

When Sam started acquiring unprompted language, through our careful programming, I wrote each one down in one of those blank books you get at Barnes and Nobles .  I started with 'ice cream' when he was around 3 and stopped when he got to word #300 at about age four.  It started with a trickle.  And turned, if not into a waterfall, into a (dare I say it) babbling brook.  I stopped when I realized I just couldn't keep up. Nathan was never like that. He has rarely had unprompted language.  Around age 10 we realized he had language stored in his brain.  Words he could read.  Words he could understand receptively.  Words he could use prompted (Do you want cheese sandwich or chicken?  Chicken.)  Words he could be prompted into using on Proloquo2Go - 'I want to eat...Chicken'). A few years ago we were in a craft store and he saw a restroom.  "Toilet!"  He had to go.  I was so hopeful.  But still he requires scheduled bathroom breaks to prevent soiling himse
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