Angel in a red dress at 5 years old.

Some Monday’s we shoot these videos with a basic idea of what we will discuss, as Maddie is sweating me on what she will talk about on the next one, as soon as we finish the latest one. (If you weren’t aware, Maddie loves doing these videos:). I wanted go into today’s video not having any pre-planned subject to see what she would say. As you will observe, when it comes to topics, Maddie likes make like House of Pain and jump around .

POSTNOTE: Usually when Maddie says she isn’t feeling well, she is telling the truth, but it can be a bit psychosomatic if you mention the ailment first. She has complained of headaches the past week and has been extra tired, which we think has to do with her being on a strong anti-biotic which we are hoping will help her kill the sinus infection she’s been battling for the past month. She just finished the medicine this weekend. As of 2pm this afternoon, I haven’t heard of anything going on at school that is bothering her, so that’s a little victory. 

In regards to the police officer comment. A Facebook friend, Richard Stripp, Sr. showed one of Maddie’s Happy Monday videos last week at a seminar he was giving to police officers called “Autism Awareness and the First Responder.” People on the spectrum do not react in the way a typical developing person usually would, as yelling out a command might create a full-fledge meltdown to the system of someone like Maddie. It’s An Autism Thing–Let Me Help You Understand is a site designed to help others better comprehend the similarities and differences we have with people on the spectrum. I appreciate people like Richard who are out there bringing education to the public.

Sales Pitch: My new comedy cd came out last week called Good Dad…Not a Great Dad.  While it’s still based in my typical irreverent style, it’s a different approach to standup than you usually get as I have a couple serious moments where I discuss things in my life that wouldn’t exist without having Maddie. Hit this link and you can get a signed copy of it for 15 bucks (plus s&h) or get it for 20 bucks (plus s&h) when you buy one of the awesome t-shirts on the right-hand of this site. I will donate 5 dollars to the special olympics for each one I sell at the site. If you don’t want to mess with paypal, you can put it on your card at this link. (Sorry, but since these cds come directly from the record label, they are not signed and 5 dollars won’t go to the special olympics for those cds.) This makes a great holiday stocking stuffer! Act Now! Operators (me) are standing by!

Scott’s Latest Comedy CD!

Maddie and Madison

Madeline had been agitated the past couple days every time she thought of her upcoming book fair. She was excited to get her books, but the thing which gave her apprehension was having to pick the books. Many kids on the spectrum have a hard time making choices when they have too many options. Maddie will often have a minor meltdown when it comes down to snack time and she has to choose between a few items in the pantry.

So I ended up going to school to help her through this process. At the end of the video is her friend Madison. Madison is a sweet girl who has been in Maddie’s classes since kindergarten. While Maddie has a hard time connecting with any child her own age, she always feels more comfortable when Madison is in the vicinity. If you asked Maddie who was her best friend, she would tell you Madison.

NOTE: My newest comedy cd was released this week. If you buy a shirt (on the side of the website) you will get Good Dad…Not a Great Dad free. They make great stocking stuffers.

Maddie at 7.

I have wanted to discuss with Maddie what autism means to her since I started this site, but I felt it was important first to show all sides of her to the readers/viewers at itsanautismthing.com. I believed this was the best approach because I didn’t want it to come off exploitive of her. Now that she has come to really LOVE this site and is extremely proud of it, I thought the time was right to approach this topic.

I want to mention that I really had no idea of what she would say about it. I had guessed that just like how autism is hard to describe to others, it’s also difficult to understand for someone like Maddie. She hears the word some, but that doesn’t mean she has a good grasp on how it impacts her life.

If you enjoyed this video, I would suggest you revisit the one that I did with her sister Mallory this summer. I asked her about what autism meant to her and it’s one of my favorite things at this site.

Finally, let me echo Maddie’s thoughts. Please share this site with others who might find it illuminating. Thanks.

With our awesome neighbor Sean. Read below for the story behind the photo.

One of the things that happens when you have a child with a developmental disability is that you are going to get to know your doctor very well. Kids on the spectrum are more susceptible to getting sick because they are more likely to have immune deficiencies. Maddie definitely would qualify on this front.

Maddie has battled asthma since she was very little. It was hellish to deal with because this was a little girl who couldn’t speak to tell you how she was struggling and it seemed like an asthma attack would just instantly happen. We went through a good portion of our savings taking her to the emergency room to combat these attacks during her toddler ages.

As she has gotten older, we have been able to stay on top of it more. It has lessened a little and she is able to communicate with us better. Susan is like a nursing machine, making sure that Maddie gets her breathing treatments. I promise you that when you add a cold to Asthma and Autism, it’s a wicked ass-kick to your house.

Maddie never fails to get a cold. If it’s there, she will find it. No matter how hard we try, Maddie doesn’t have good hygiene skills. It just isn’t a natural instinct for her. She will sneeze and just let it hang there like a runny rope dangling from her nose.

It seems like she is on an anti-biotic every other month during the cold months of the year. We try to push on, since each doctors visit is 75 bucks out of our pocket, but eventually the cough gets too junky or her breathing becomes too weezy and we make the call.

Fortunately, Maddie loves going to the Doctor. This is not the case for a lot of kids with disabilities, so we know we are lucky on that front. As long as she doesn’t have to have a blood draw, she’s totally down with making a visit. Her choice for Halloween outfit says it all, right?

On this visit we find out that the sinus infection she had last month is back. More broken pills smashed into applesauce are in her future. (Maddie can’t swallow pills, so it has to be served up this way.) It’s mentally, physically and financially tiring, but we know there are plenty other kids out there who have more health problems than our girl.

Remember, if you have your health–that sure is better than feeling like shit.
–Scott Long–

Behind the Scenes of the Photo above

As I’ve outlined in the past, Halloween can be a night of horrors for Maddie. She likes the dressing up and candy part, but totally freaks out over the idea that each house might have a dog. A couple of years ago, this was too much for Maddie, so I had to bring her home, so I could finish taking her brother and sister around. What happened from there was pretty great. Our neighbor, Sean, heard about this and decided he would take Maddie around. Sean is a walking security force and Maddie felt safe walking around with him. She asked if he would do it again this year and it appears we have a new tradition. When Sean found out that Maddie was going to be a doctor, he decided to go as her patient. Pretty inspired idea from a great dude.

Maddie 4 years ago.

I thought it would be fun for the readers to see Maddie in her classroom and meet her teacher, Miss DeKruiff. Maddie loved the idea. So join us today after her parent/teacher conference.

**Sorry about the old projector video. I thought it might give the segment today a different flavor, but I think it’s distracting, so back to the basics next time.

BONUS: If you buy an itsanautismthing or cornstalk ghetto t-shirt, you will get a free copy of my just released CD, Good Dad, Not a Great Dad. Awesome Holiday Gifts!

Maddie on a field trip.

The main goal at my itsanautismthing.com site is to show the many sides of my girl Maddie. To help people understand that people on the autism spectrum are filled with all the same emotions that don’t have developmental disabilities. While I want to protect the love of my life at all costs, I don’t want to make it seem like being on the spectrum is just some cloud-free existence. This video is a little tougher, but if you reach far enough inside yourself, I think you will be moved. Plus it has a funny ending.

A little background on this video is that Maddie has a behavior sheet she brings home every day which discusses how her day went. On this day, Maddie had some bad marks on it, so I wanted to find out what was the problem. What I learned from this video is that I sometimes forget that despite her being 10 years old, she developmentally can often be more like a 4 year-old. If you look at the video with that in mind, it doesn’t seem that atypical. 

Halloween Doctor

Maddie is off today for a field trip. She breaks that down and as you can quickly tell, she’s excited to be going.

Maddie loves rollercoasters. She actually loves all amusement park rides as it gives her the sensory rush she craves. I like rollercoasters, too, which works out well. She just likes them even more than me.

Maddie with her baby sister Mallory.

Maddie stands in the front yard to give a flavor of Fall. She discusses her trip to Williamsburg while waiting for the bus.

Maddie at 2.

A pretty consistent element that impacts people on the spectrum are sensory issues. The lights and sound of a store can be overwhelming. Maddie loves to go shopping, but things can turn at any moment, so you have always be able to improvise.

One of Maddie’s all-time favorite people is her school bus aide, Lynn. She is awesome with Maddie and has been having drive home conversations with her for a year now. Earlier this year, we surprised Maddie by going to Lynn’s other place of employment, JC Penney. Maddie had been discussing with us that she wants to work at Penneys someday. We guessed this had mostly to do with her wanting to be by her friend, Lynn.

When we got there, Maddie was stemming like crazy, as her body seemed like it was ready to burst at the seams. When we got to the makeup counter, we had to be slow about having her see Lynn, as the excitement was initially too much for her to take.

After Lynn did a makeover of Maddie’s sister, Mallory, it seemed time. Unlike Mallory, Maddie has little interest in makeup, but Lynn was able to apply some lip gloss to her lower lip. As you have read here, any event like this takes major planning, as it can all go wrong quickly. This one went well, as we got out of there soon after.

It’s not like going to Disneyworld, but Busch Gardens is about the 2nd place my girl would want to go to.

Madeline goes on Spring Break on Wednesday. Daddy doesn’t get vacation pay so I booked myself in Williamsburg at the comedy club there so we could make a family vacation out of it. Big reveal in this episode for Maddie, which she responds with excitement about.

Maddie goes over to her neighbors house to hold a baby for the first time. She is joined by Sam, Mallory, and baby Grace’s big brother, Nathan.