CauseAidan…. (Autism and acceptance)

// March 28th, 2009 // My Life

Aidan

Aidan

I recently realized that in all of my blogging I was unintentionally leaving out an enormous chunk of my life, my family. The subject of my family is rich with so many moments of joy, fascination, revelation, exasperation..the list goes on… all of these experiences are often the motivation for the things that I write.

I was meant to be a daddy. From an early age, I wanted children of my own, to hold and hug and put to bed at night… there is nothing in the world like looking into the eyes of your children and seeing the unwavering trust and love of a heart that is fully devoted to you. It is the blessing of being a father.

Aidan my 6 year old is Autistic, he is the most perfect child you can ask for… he is perfectly loving… perfectly adorable… and perfectly frustrating! Autism spans a wide range of symptoms that are too numerous to name and vary from child to child. From about the age of 7 months Aidan began to show signs of delayed development… and has consistently fallen further and further behind the development curve over the past 5 years. He has struggled with communication and sensory issues and has yet to gain more than a few pounds per year… topping out at 32 pounds this year, the size of a healthy three year old.

We coined a phrase not long back that effectively captures the spirit of things in our household… “CauseAidan…” It seems odd at first look… I admit… but try it on just a little. “Honey where is the stack of CD’s that I set here a minute ago?” the answer… ” I have no idea! I am sure they are destroyed somewhere CauseAidan….” I think you get the idea… Lots of things happen Cause’Aidan!

Well recently Aidan received the official diagnosis of ASD (Autistic Spectrum Disorder) which hopefully opens up several opportunities to connect with foundations that can give us tools to learn more about Autism and be prepared for the dangers ahead… and beleive me there are dangers! In just reading through a few Autism websites they are full of stories about Autistic children wandering off and getting lost… leaving the house at night while everyone is asleep.. Crazy stuff… we have to give information to the police now so that “when” Aidan wanders off they can more efficiently find him quickly…I am getting stressed out just thinking about it now!

There are so many things to do… we currently rent so we must soon buy a house that we can modify so that he has a room that is a “safe place” for him and to properly protect him from wandering off… we also want to purchase a service dog that will stay with him and will assist him in making good choices, and prevent him from wandering off.. he needs special toys that help him learn… and we need special classes just to keep up with him and deal with discipline and emotional issues… the amount of things to do and information to absorb is absoulutely staggering! to complicate things the costs of these things are far in excess of what my salary can provide… so we must depend on the provision of God… through hard work and determination and faith we know that Aidan will have what he needs. Our lives are rich with unique experiences and challenges… CauseAidan!

Jason Carroll

Jason the bald guy
jasonthebaldguy.com

Tags: anger, Art, Autism, beleive, blog, choice, choices, dad, dog, Faith, Family, God, Love, sin, spirit, stress, the past

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9 Responses to “CauseAidan…. (Autism and acceptance)”

  1. Momma*Aidan's Granny says:
    March 28, 2009 at 11:29 pm

    And he is my perfect little lamb!!!!
    What a handsome boy he is! I don't tell you & Kim often enough how very proud I am of the way you nurture and love him even the difficult moments. I know there are far more than you ever share with me.

    Reply
  2. Mulled Vine says:
    March 29, 2009 at 12:58 pm

    You know, there are lots of dads in this world, many of whom would spout romantic, soppy notions of parenthood, but when the going gets tough they run like the wind. You however, are a true daddy, and God bless you. :)

    Reply
  3. Larry Clark says:
    March 29, 2009 at 3:35 pm

    Jason

    The heart of a true father. The times I have been around Aidan it is I who feel like the one with the handicap. Your whole family is one that flows with love and acceptance. I am honored to know your family personally and to have you as a friend.

    Reply
  4. Bubba says:
    March 29, 2009 at 3:55 pm

    You guys were ment for each other. I pray for ya’ll daily. Keep up the rewarding work, and looking to the Lord.

    Reply
  5. Annie Cook says:
    March 29, 2009 at 8:21 pm

    I forgot how lucky I am to have a beautiful daughter. I had placenta privia and had to deliver her at emergency ceasarian section. It was life and death situation for me because I had bled suddenly. Yet, my daughter was delivered safely and she is growing very beautifully.

    Your kid is a very handsome lad and I imagine he will inherit his dad’s talents for music and art. Autistic children demonstrate special qualities in certain discipline. Follow the child, allow him to reveal his hidden potentials.

    Reply
  6. pumpkin seed says:
    March 29, 2009 at 10:39 pm

    I love you

    Reply
  7. Jason The Bald Guy says:
    March 30, 2009 at 10:56 pm

    Thanks everyone for the great comments! We are blessed to have such good friends to support us!

    Reply
  8. Twitted by Hetty4Christ says:
    April 22, 2009 at 2:49 pm

    [...] This post was Twitted by Hetty4Christ [...]

    Reply
  9. Karen says:
    April 27, 2009 at 7:38 am

    Hey Jason and Kim
    Thank you for sharing your challenges and struggles with Aiden. I’ve had the priviledge of spending time with several kids with Autism. One thing I have noticed is they are incredibly gifted in a specific area and they are keenly intuitive in specific ways. They all have much to teach us about what is really important in life. They didn’t come into this world “having to please” anyone. They are really free to be who they are. They won’t follow the cultural norms and that can be really challenging as well as a really good example for us. We all have much to learn from the Aiden’s in this world. God open our eyes to see you!!

    Reply

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