FEELING GUILTY

WELL I HAD TO LOG ON JUST BECAUSE I AM ACTUALLY FEELING NEGECTFUL OF MY NEW PROJECT.TUESDAY IS A DAY THAT IS FILLED WITH LOTS OF SCHEDULES AND ROUTINES AND LATELY THE STRUGGLE WITH THE BEDTIME BEING EXACTLY 10PM HAS REALLY PUT A DAMPER ON MY "MIDNIGHT OIL"!

TONIGHT I WATCHED AN EPISODE OF JANE PAULEY THAT SHE DID ON OBSESSIVE COMPLUSIVE DISORDER AND ALTHOUGH YOU CAN BE RELATIVELY NEURO-TYPICAL AND SUFFER FROM   OCD  I REALLY SAW AN AMAZING SIMILARITY OF SYMPTOMS THAT OUR KIDS SUFFER .IT APPEARS ALMOST IMPOSSIBLE TO SEPARTE THE AUTISM FROM THE OCD. THE PERVASIVE THOUGHTS THAT INVADE THEIR BRAINS AND GO ON AND ON, THE LINING UP OF OBJECTS IN CERTAIN ORDERS OR RITUALS, REPETITIOUS BEHAVIOR,AND THE ADJATATION THAT PEOPLE SUFFER WITH THIS DISORDER AND TOO THINK THAT THE MAJORITY OF AUTISTICS DONT HAVE THE WORDS TO TELL YOU THAT THIS IS WHATS GOING ON IN THEIR BRAIN. ITS KINDA LIKE ALZEHEIMERS HAVING SIMILAR SYMPTOMS BEING THE SHORT TERM MEMORY LOSS AND THE PHASING IN AND OUT BETWEEN REALITY AND RECOGNITON OF PEOPLE AND SURROUNDINGS. TO THE POINT THAT SOME OF THE SAME MEDS ARE USED FOR BOTH. PROBABLY SOMEWHERE DOWN THE ROAD WE WILL FIND OUT THAT ITS NOT JUST THE BRAIN THAT MAKES THESE RELATED.

I GOT A CALL TODAY FROM THE REGIONAL CENTER TO SET UP AN INFORMAL HEARING AND FROM WHAT THE LADY SAID THAT THERE ARE LOTS OF PARENTS CHALLENGING THIS DECISION. I WAS ELATED TO KNOW THAT I WAS NOT THE ONLY ONE BUGGED ABOUT THIS DECISION AND THAT THERE WERE MORE THAN JUST A FEW PARENTS WHO WERE QUESTIONING THIS. SHE ONLY HAD ONE APPOINTMENT OPENING FOR ME BECAUSE OF THE VOLUME OF APPEALS AND I URGE ANYONE ELSE TO PICK UP THE TORCH AND FILE AN APPEAL ALSO THE MORE PEOPLE THE BETTER THE CHANCE TO OVER TURN THIS SCREWY DECISION.

DAKOTA FOR THE MOST PART HAD BEEN ON THE COMPLIANT SIDE THIS PAST WEEK.THE ONLY TIME WE HAVE ANY EXPLOSION IS WHEN I PUSH THE ENVELOPE AND CHALLENGE A ROUTINE THAT HE IS HELL BENT TO KEEP INTO PLACE. TRUTHFULLY IT COMSUMES WAY TOO MUCH ENERGY MOST OF THE TIME TO FIGHT IT---ITS ONLY WHEN YOU CAN" RALLY THE FORCES OF LIFE" TO MOUNT A CHALLENGE FOR HIM TO CONSIDER CHANGING A BEHAVIOR. USUALLY THE MORE YOU PUSH TO CHANGED THE MORE HE DIGS HIS FEET IN-- SO YOU FIND THAT REVERSE PYSCHOLOGY  OR  IGNORING THE BEHAVIOR TENDS TO BE THE BEST PLAN OF ATTACK! 

ITS STILL PRETTY EARLY AND I  SHOULD WRITE MORE BUT I WILL CLOSE FOR NOW JUST A REMINDER "WITHOUT A TRACE" AIRS THIS THURSDAY 10PM CHANNEL 2 THE STORY LINE IS ABOUT AN AUTISTIC BOY WHO GOES ON A FEILD TRIP AND BOLTS WHEN HE BECOMES OVERWHELMED    ALSO CHANNEL 4 AT 815AM  AND  915AM BETWEEN FEB 21 ANDN FEB 25 WILL HAVE A SERIES ON AUTISM HOPE THAT LOTS OF PEOPLE WILL SEE!