Focusing on Emotional Health and giving the right supports to our kids.

Our Backyard, the perfect surrounding, Nature at its best.....

Emotional health is the personal experiences relating to self-esteem, self-respect and resilience. It is the experience of acceptance, and happiness that helps to naturally move you to a state of emotional wellness.

As I begin on this topic I wish to firstly address the fact that everyone in some form or another can, has, or will face one of the many different forms of Mental Health.

Whether it be stress, anxiety, or something more severe; so for this reason we all need to be vigilant in being aware of changes in moods or sudden unusual behaviours of our loved ones, as this could be the early warning signs of underlying issues.

Thought I'd share with you …... A.J.'s “Topic Rants of the Day”......

Many parents and carers with Autistic kids will understand when I say that it is very common to be confronted with some unusual and ritualistic obsessions by our kids.

These moments have come about for A.J. as well, although his obsession isn't a specific item or thing, it consists of his verbal expression as he continually asks questions about anything and everything; becoming fixated on a specific topic, ideal, or word, and needing to know all there is to know and then not being satisfied there wanting to gain more, questioning every angle and point.

This can go on for days, weeks or months, until one day he will come out chatting about another topic and the cycle continues again.

Acknowledging the ‘Person’ behind the label and helping them to gain their best potential.......

all life skills connect together as supports
(picture found on google images)

We as human-beings are 'all' different in many ways.

Everyone together cannot fit a one-mould life, and we all deserve the right to enhance our own personal being. To truly gain the best potential from any child/person we should allow their unique personality to shine through.

“All children deserve to have the best life possible” 
To achieve this they need guidance with the freedom of personal expression. To stifle ‘their’ style of creativity would mean the possibility of losing future initiatives and achievements. 

having a 'want' to learn and an acceptance to continue can be found in us all if we try

both come from unique experiences,
we all need to embrace them to truly understand

One thing I've learnt along this journey regarding Autistic and special needs kids is their inability to possess the “Filtering System” needed to automatically decipher what is important and what can be discarded, relating to Sensory input such as lighting, noises, smells, textures, tastes, and more.

Soaking in everything around them this can be the cause of many overload and meltdown moments as they struggle to understand and cope with the bombardment of data input that continually swamps their sensitive nerve endings and emotional being.

For A.J. from the day he came into our full-time care at almost 3; long before we knew of his diagnosis or any understanding of his differences; his physical being was totally highly strung and emotionally wired.

Stress and Anxiety with-in the family network.

All children (and adults) at some point in time regardless of their situation, be it a ‘long-term or short-term’ capacity will struggle in relation to excessive nervousness, stress, agitation, restlessness, sleep issues, muscle aches and pains, and many more…..

Being aware of how all medical and physical conditions can be debilitating in many different ways, we can also be understanding of the ongoing support and adjustments required to help assist the ailing person.

When a family network includes an autistic child, there are additional considerations that need to be addressed, some may cause stress and upheaval not only to that child, but also to other family members.

If we are able to validate and understand 'all' emotional experiences that could occur, we have a better starting point for setting out a plan, based around each personal situation and needs.

every little moment counts........

A.J. having fun with props at a family 21st party

Enjoying the last day of holidays, chilling out and relaxing and taking in the day, I start preparing some school snacks treats and a great dinner of silverside and veges with white sauce.
The weather has started to become quite warm for this time of year so I'm prizing hubby off the lounge where he's watching some American football, to hopefully have him clear out and wash the car, but also in the hopes of getting him and A.J. outside to enjoy the beautiful day. 

Realising how much of this year has already gone, term 4 of the school year is about to begin and not one single issue to be dealt with, I would never have imagined this ever possible.

It is so humbling to face a great team of educators that can actually “get” A.J. and be able to handle the little hick-ups that are a part of his make-up and personality.

realise what is truly important.

A.J. in his favourite place, his room, 

and the computer on his desk.

Each and every day we take simple steps in the hopes of doing the right thing for our little ones, and in our case the not so little one. We become more and more concerned regarding their daily struggles, and while we may not always be able to physically help out with everything, we can still work on finding ways to minimise their stress and anxiety in any way with what we can do.

Mental Health Issues are a real......

help others before the clouds cover the real issues

Mental Health Issues are a real and true disability that needs addressing and accepting at the core levels.

Many families face different situations that can cause stress in everyday life, from becoming anxious and nervous for no apparent reason, when everything becomes so overwhelming you just want to scream and hope it will just go away.

Think about the different feelings you may face, when waiting for a job interview, meeting a new person, trying to start a new project, wanting to get all your chores finished but the kids are screaming and fighting and won't settle down.

That feeling in the pit of your stomach, butterflies, or a tight knot feeling that won't go away.

Now try magnifying it by thousands and even positive thoughts can't bring you back to calm!

The reality of seeing a loved one with what we now call “Mental Health Issues” This diagnosis can cover a vast array of medical issues.