Coping with Autism

We're back to our potty training routine. Out main sewer line didn't want to fix itself so we had to call a plumber. Four hundred and eighty-five dollars later (now I know I'm in the wrong business), we had a working washer and toilet. Peter is doing well if you ask him if he has to use the toilet. Nathan sometimes remembers on his own and sometimes forgets. He's much more random about it. M&Ms are kind of working as rewards but Mentos are a much bigger hit. My mom is the queen of Mentos and the kids know it so they've become huge fans of the fruit flavored version of the candy.

Uh, yeah. Well, suffice it to say that potty-training under the best of circumstances is a bear. Add two trying to train at the same time plus the added complication of autism and you have the basis for a new reality show. Let's put it this way, I am so glad we've replaced most of the carpet in our house with laminate flooring. Clean-up is a breeze. Peter will be five in a month and this is probably the third time we've attempted potty-training. He seems to take an interest in it and then regresses. Nathan on the other hand is taking to it like a duck to water. His developmental delays have gotten in the way some so he is still struggling to tell me he has to use the restroom. Like most kids, he also forgets about toilet training when he's really involved in something. But slow progress is still progress. Oh, and M & Ms make great incentives.

Peter actually told me he had to go "potty" today. Again, this is a big deal-- so far I've had to ask him, he hasn't initiated anything. We're making progress but this is often how Peter does things. Once he achieves a level of confidence in something he doesn't look back. We are very fortunate that he doesn't regress or hasn't shown any tendency to do so. Our biggest struggle so far (and there have been many) seems to be with his allergies. He has the stereotypical autistic look (frail upper body, often dark circles under the eyes, etc.) and the wretched laundry list of allergies. So far, Peter is allergic to soy, beef, potatoes, birch, oak, walnut, grass, dustmites, cats, dogs and. . . I'm forgetting something. Nathan tried to say "fish" again yesterday and if you haven't already guessed, we have a fish and two cats -- and yeah, I know, with Peter's allergies, etc., but the cats are getting old so we won't be replacing them ...