Updates

First update, I may have made the wrong call in trying to comfort Nathan by lying down with him.  He had another awful night where he was up every hour or ninety minutes with bad dreams.  Something has frightened him badly and I've got no idea what it could be.  He refused to go to his karate class tonight, even though he was excited beforehand.  He just started screaming and refused to go.  We put him to bed early and I got him calmed down enough to say he was afraid of a monster which would throw him through the glass.  I know there's usually a grain of truth buried somewhere in the fantasy but I'm hard-pressed to figure this one out.  The staff at karate are great, very sensitive with the children and someone has been with him at every single class.

But no matter how this goes, I may be in for a long set of nights.  Last time we got into this pattern, I ended up sleeping in his room on an air mattress for three months.

For a more positive update, it looks like I'm returning to the world of gainful employment.  One of the therapy groups we work with was looking for some part time help for their administrator.  The best part is that it looks like I'll be able to help out working part time from home.  If this works out, this could be the solution we've been looking for.  I'm pleased at the idea of being able to help out a company which has done so much for us, as well as being able to help other parents during those scary months after hearing the word "autism" for the first time.

Final update, everyone is now home from the cottage.  Alex came home today with some scratches and bug bites but generally in a good mood.  He's a little more tired than normal but that's to be expected after a vacation.

Now the focus shifts to our upcoming family reunion and back to school preparations.  At this point, there won't be a steady routine until school settles into its normal pattern.  That's almost six weeks total of upheaval.  My kids handle change fairly well for children with autism but this could end up overwhelming them.  But I'm keeping my fingers crossed and hoping Nathan's outbursts aren't the early warning signs.