Severe Autism Reality: Wisdom Teeth Extraction At the Hospital

Conor and Mom had some fun with a couple of selfie shots above while waiting for further processing at the Oromocto Hospital today.  In the car picture below Conor multi tasks giving Mom "five" while having fun on the Kindle and waiting for Dad to get the show on the road. It was not as easy as it looks though. We prepared Conor for the experience as best we could in advance letting him know a week in advance and talking about it in detail, including putting a list of stages for the day up on the kitchen wall. As usual the day ends with some Jeopardy fun with Alex Trebek. 

Teeth extraction is one of the ways severe autism disputes the irrational notion that autism is "just a different way of thinking" not a disorder.  Extractions for most involve a visit to the dentist office.  For many with severe autism it requires full sedation in a hospital.  Freezing the gums, sticking a needle in Conor's mouth, pulling out teeth, cutting and stitching up gums while Conor is conscious is impossible and would result in serious injury to Conor with considerable risk to the dentist. 

These pictures show of the preparation and interaction we did with Conor who is now stretched out comfortably on the couch watching CBC New Brunswick News with Harry Forrestal (in the morning its Terry Seguin).  Return to routine is, as always, the base for return to normal for Conor.  

2 thumbs up for our buddy Conor who did a great job remaining calm and cooperating with hospital staff today!

Shards of Severe Autism Reality

We were cleaning books and papers out of the "China Cabinet" in our kitchen today.  We had never stored China there only photos, albums and papers.  Like other China Cabinets though there were glass doors on the front through which you could view the China.  Over time Conor had, on different occasions, while suffering meltdowns,  put his hands through the glass windows.  I thought I had gotten all the glass  out on each occasion but today after moving a group of albums I found some shards of glass, shards of severe autism realities.  

Such events are not talked about by those alleged "thinking persons" and others who talk breathlessly about the joys of autism and criticize parents, and grandparents, of children with severe autism disorders and intellectual disabilities who talk honestly about the severe challenges faced by their own children, the children they love.  Personally they will not stop me from talking honestly about the severe autism disorder from which my son suffers and yes he does suffer from it.  I will continue to speak the  truth about these serious neurological disorders and if my words seem to them like shards of glass then so be it. 

Great Autism News: 15 Year Old Boy With Autism And Intellectual Disability Found Safe

As the father of a 17 year old young man with severe autism, intellectual disability and epileptic seizures I am very happy to read that 15 year old autistic boy Louis Martin was found safe in Montreal after being reported missing by his father (who also tweeted his son's disappearance).  

Wandering is a very serious problem for persons with autism, particularly when they also suffer from "comorbid" intellectual disability. It is long past time that everyone including mainstream media, Hollywood, television and autism "experts" stopped glorifying those with exceptional talents and started presenting full,  honest pictures of autism disorders.

As reported by The Montreal Gazette:

"Montreal police have located a 15-year-old boy with autism who went missing from his Outremont home early Saturday morning. Louis Martin was spotted near the Lionel-Groulx métro station after police had asked the public for help in finding the boy, who has the mental age of a 4-year-old.

Pierre Martin, the boy’s father, sent out a message on Twitter saying his son is safe.Martin, a political-science professor at the Université de Montréal, had tweeted his son’s disappearance on Saturday.

Police officers spent much of Saturday searching metro stations, parks, streets and alleys trying to locate the boy."