On Hold - we are growing up

Just a 'last' post, for a while at least, Jono is getting older and we are finding our lives more enriched, less stressful and as a family we are coping better and better. The rollercoaster is still there, but less highs and lows. Thanks for reading, I may open for more chapters down the road, but for now at least.. it's time for a break. Love to all.

Autism means Literally...

I had forgotten how much Jonathan takes things literally, until recently.
I had asked him to change the TV volume, to number 40.

He jumped up quickly to fix it for me, and accidentally overshot, he ended up at 44. I told him this was fine, but no he had to lower the volume back to the number I had asked for, because that was 'right'.

Mind you, this is also a good source of humour.

The other day there were many rainbows around, and Jonathan asked if he could go to the rainbow.

I offhandedly replied, no we can't go to a rainbow, our eyes would go on fire and our heads would explode.

I didn't think much of this, and said it in jest... he took it literally.

After 10 minutes of giggling at the image he had conjured in his head, he asked again, "Can I go rainbow?"

This time the rest of the family picked up the response and played with him.

3 days later we lost interest in the rainbow, but the whole family enjoyed having something to interact and verbally play with Jono together.

This has now expanded to other things, he asks a silly, but genuine question... we respond with complete silliness and he collapses in a pile of giggles.

What's this word say?

Jono has recently developed a great interest in words... again.

He doesn't want to read books - they belong on the bookshelf, but he does want to know what words are.

We recently got Sky TV which allows us to record shows, live pause, rewind and so on. Jono figured this all out very quickly, and takes care of the controller for us all.

When there are ads on TV he constantly pauses it (as this is where the most words are) and asks... in a loud voice... "MUM... WHAT'S THIS SAY?"... I check the TV, read him the words, and then he lets the ad move forward... as soon as there are more words, he pauses again, and loudly requires my attention again.

Some of the words he knows himself and will tell them to me, he is growing agin in his learning and I am proud of him and his progress.


Gone are the days of wondering if he will speak, now we are simply wondering if he will start reading books happily without tearing them up :)

Clouds in New Zealand!

We are getting into winter, and the foggy misty mornings are now commonplace here in Auckland.

Jono, is all his wisdom and expanse of the english language calls it clouds. Whenever it's a foggy morning and we are heading to school, he says "Mum Look! The clouds on the ground!"

I think it's lovely, he is finding his way to explain things in a fashion that we understand.

More recently, we had some Subway for dinner. I got a salad bowl, with hot teriyaki chicken. The top of the salad bowl has a clear lid, and once closed the steam from the hot chicken gathered very quickly at the top. 

Jono pipes up from the back ground. "Mum look, clouds your dinner!'

So cute!!

Mobile Phones Cause Cancer...and Vaccines Inflame Autism

Ok... here we go, down the path of things I have choose to not take too much notice of because of the way people discuss it.

This week the World Health Organistion has admitted that phones cause cancer. Excessive use, of course, and they don't understand how it happens... but it's finally been admitted.

Last week I saw a video and chatted with Laura Colby @AutismSolutions on Twitter about the link between Vaccines and Autism.

I have somewhat refused to chat or research much about it as I know for a fact there is the genetic tendency for Autism within my family as there are many members through many generations who exhibit this.

But... I have never heard a doctor say that the brain of Autistic people can have Neural Inflammation caused by the ingredients in a vaccine.. or that we should test people for allergic reactions to the chemicals of the vaccines rather than blindly give them to everyone. Until this video.

See from around 2 minutes 30 seconds if you don't want to watch it all.

Finally the medical community is speaking out.

Did the vaccine cause my sons Autism, I still say no... but did it inflame the situation?... Well, that's a whole other question, which may never be answered in my lifetime.

Cupcakes!!

CUPCAKKKEEESSS!!!!!
Made by Jono.

I managed to get one to eat ;)

Can I Cuddle a Koala?

The other day after school, Jono hops in the car and says to me almost immediately.

"Mum, can I cuddle a Koala?"

I thought that school may have been learning about Australia, or watching a video, or talking about going to the zoo... or something.

So I repeated it back to him to make sure I had heard him right, then asked him "Where is the koala? Is it in a Zoo?"

"No Mum"

"Is it in Australia?"

Slight exasperation "No Mum"

"Where is it then?"

Shoving it into my face to be sure I could see it " This one!"

After that he attached it to his school bag and it has stayed there ever since.