Hi,
I have had some interesting and challenging jobs in my life, a concierge, chased shoplifters, made surfboard foam, driven limousines, but none of those skills has prepared me for the hardest job i never applied for.... Raising an Autistic child. Although no job could ever prepare you unless you were once a hostage negoitiator or a hand to hand combat expert, a cleaner preferably experienced in the removal of dried weetbix from the ceiling, a gyprock repairer, a nurse, a doctor, a psychologist and probably wouldnt hurt if you own a chip factory, if this sounds like you i have got the job for you. Now i'm not here to complain or make anyone feel sorry for me because like raising any child there are rewards, none i can think off the top of my head but i know there are. Raising children of any age without a disability or "normies" as we like to call them is difficult enough any way. But when you add 2 hormonal teenage daughters and an austistic boy thats a "perfect storm" of parenting.

Most days for me start the same like groundhog day, i am woken by the sound of our bedroom door flying open with enough force to blow the sheets of the bed, then he sings the morning song like a pack of sheep "Dah, Dah Dah Dah" until he gets to my beside and starts the negoitiation process by sitting on me and yelling those 2 words i hear about 100 times a day "Im hungry". Now in a split second i have to summize what the time is, is the sun up, and also try and forsee the future of how this exchange is going to play out because its different everyday. Like im on autopilot i usually suggest one of the following to him, "can i have 10 more minutes sleep" or "can you come back when the sun is up" or "you can make you own breakfast, you're a big boy now" said like an encouraging dad. Now this is where it gets interesting, what will his response be and as important how good of a game am i going to play today. Am i going to be able to be calm and nuturing today? or has my patience been tested to many times this lifetime and "LETS GET READY TO RUMBLE". His response today is..... (drum roll) one the classics his go to move, slapping and pinching. Now keep in mind the last paragraph has happened in about 10 seconds and my eyes are still closed, well until the slapping and pinching that is. My game today is hostage negoitiator, "Come on mate, why dont you lay with me for a bit and then we'll get up and make some toast". Reply.." I can't my doctor told me, mum said, i left it at school" followed by more pinching and slapping. A metaphoric line has been drawn in the sand with his gibberish. I'll reach out to him one more time.... "You go and put the toaster on and i'll be down there in a minute (or 30)". Reply.... pinch, pinch, slap, slap, pinch and then run around to mums side of the bed and start crying " I can't live here anymore, dads annoying me".
Oh stuff it ill get out of bed.

As i mentioned before please dont feel sorry for me this is meant to fun and enlightening and make you all feel a little bit better about the morning you have had. I have 2 very good psychologists who help me cope with the day to day struggles of bringing up an Autistic child, Dr Jim Beam and Dr Jack Daniels. One day i'll tell you what happens after i've got out of bed, but not now, too tired.