Not a competition

 This.

Having a disability is not a competition as to who has more struggles than another.

Every individual who has a disability, regardless of what their disability is, has their own strengths and their own struggles that are unique to them.

I've actually been told in the past that an individual with a physical disability is more disabled than someone with a neurological disability, so therefore they have more struggles.

I had to walk away.

A neurological disability is hidden, and often we have to constantly prove that we do have a disability.

Please stop making everything a competition and just be you. 

Safe place

 We've always received compliments on how well behaved and well mannered both little superheroes are at school, child care, at friends houses etc. Yet at home, they can be the complete opposite.

We've come to realise that home is their safe place. We are their safe place. If they're having a rough day, they will usually keep all the frustration inside and release it at home.

When I talk to others about this, they usually say that they'd never thought about their own children's behaviour like that, but that it is so very true.

So the next time that your children, or young adults are showing you their most challenging behaviour, know that you are their safe place where there is unconditional love and no judgement ❤❤

Masking

 This is masking to a tee.

If you are a teacher or an educator, and an Autistic student says something like this to you, please give the student a break away from whatever they are doing.

Masking is incredibly detrimental to an Autistic individual.

Thankfully L has a few amazing knowledgeable teacher aides who recognised that L was not okay. And when he said this to them, he was a given a break and we received a phone call.

Normal? Nope!

This was said to me a few weeks ago by a person that I occasionally work with. Myself and a third person stared them down!

My normal obviously isn't their normal! 

It's taken me a long time to accept who I am and not be concerned how others see me.

This person also said that they don't disclose their child's neurodivergence unless absolutely necessary because a label is a bad thing. And as a result their child is embarrassed by their neurodivergence.

I wish I'd known when I was younger that I was Autistic!

So no, I can't just be normal!! Because there is no normal. And besides, normal is boring.

Autism Journey

What has Autism taught you?

Let me count the ways...

❤ That the world is beautiful and wonderful when viewed through a different lense.

❤ That there is no "normal."

❤ To celebrate every milestone reached, every accomplishment, no matter how big or small.

❤ That I am emotionally and mentally stronger than I thought I was.

❤ That I'll never stop learning on our journey.

❤ That our tribe is worldwide.

❤ That love doesn't need words.

❤ That life is wild and calm and I wouldn't have it any other way.

Why don't they walk those dogs themselves?

 

"Why don't they walk those dogs themselves?"

It's a great question. You'd think that a teenager would be able to walk their dog by themselves. However when said teenager enters into emotional or sensory overload and need their Assistance Dog to redirect behaviour and assist in emotional regulation, said teenager, at that moment in time, cannot keep themselves safe yet alone an Assistance Dog.

There is absolutely nothing in either the Queensland Guide Hearing Assistance Dog Act or the Commonwealth Disability Discrimination Act, that states the minimum age of an Assistance Dog handler. 

But it's morally unethical to expect a teenager (or a child,) to be the handler for their Assistance Dog and keep themselves both safe when in emotional or sensory overload.

Both L and O are the primary handlers for Henry and Alaska and they are both very capable as handlers. But for the moment both Mum and Dad are the additional handlers.

#teamhenry #henrythehero #teamalaska #alaskasjourney #autismassistancedogs #seizurealertassistancedog #medicalalertassistancedog #assistancedogofsaustralia #workingdogsofaustralia #assistancedogawareness #seizurealertdogawareness #autismawareness #epilepsyawareness #hypermobilityehlersdanlossyndromeawareness #adhdawareness #ehlersdanlossyndrome #generslisedanxietydisorderawareness #connectivetissuedisorders #sensoryprocessingdisorderawareness #workingdogsbooks #assistancedogsofinstagram #educatingfamilies #inspireyoungminds #inspiringyoungminds #readgrowinspire #childrensliteracy 

Pupper Memes!!

We love memes. Coffee memes. Autism memes. Even puppy memes. So here's a few!

Downtime!

 

Hi hoomans!

Tis us Henry, and Alaska!

Just like you hoomans, us working dogs need a healthy balance between work and down time. Us Assistance Dogs need days off just like you do so that we don't burn out.

No one, including Assistance Dogs, can work 24/7 without burning out!!

A day off for an Assistance Dog could look like many things - resting or having a sleepy day chilling at home. Having a pupper play date. We might go on a sniffari walk to our favourite place. Playing pupper games at home.

At home if our children needs us, we will still work. But when we're not in coat, we can just be puppers.

Our hooman family always make sure that for every day that we work, we have a day off at home.

It's almost your weekend, so take some time over the next two days to chill out and relax.

Henry and Alaska out! ❤️

H/AH .... or Before Henry/After Henry!

 

H/AH .... or Before Henry/After Henry!

We had these moments on a very regular basis when Henry first joined our family. Four years on, we still have BH/AH moments.

Before Henry, leaving the house, L's safe place, and venturing out into the world, the unknown, was difficult for L.

New experiences, new sounds and smells, the busyness of the world, the unknown were very overwhelming.

If we visited new places, we had to prepare L (and O,) in advance of where we were going, what we might see and hear, how busy or loud the place might be. We'd have to take a bag of sensory items such as fidget items, block out ear protectors, devices, multiple charging blocks for said devices. And we might have lasted only an hour or so out before L (and O,) entered sensory and/or emotional overload and we'd need to come home.

And don't get me started on medical/specialist appointments!! If you have children (or yourself) who have complex disabilities or medical conditions, you probably understand just how overwhelming these appointments can be.

After Henry .... he opened up an endless world of possibilities.

We don't need to prepare either child if we're planning to go to a new place/experience. We don't need as many sensory items.

We can do new places, new experiences, noisy places, busy places because L knows he has Henry by his side.

Where have we been? 

We surprised both children with an outing to Australia Zoo with Henry, and we left after five hours because both kids had sore legs from walking! Sealife. SeaWorld. Movie World. We did two Gold Coast theme parks in one day! Unheard of Before Henry! Full day outings into the City to visit GOMA, the Museum, Southbank and exploring the city. A school excursion to an unknown venue for L. Day long outings where we've had no real plan of what we're going to do. Movies where we haven't needed to leave half way through or go out for a sensory/movement break. Longer shopping outings, but who loves shopping anyway. People, ugh! Haircuts are easier and calmer. Blood tests! Catching up with family at new places. A full season of soccer, going to different soccer clubs each week and L spending more time on the field participating than off the field. Lock downs! Flooding! Cyclone!

We're still working on medical/specialist appointments but they are much calmer for L and he's now verbally communicating with the staff. 

The positive impact that Henry was having was the sole reason we decide to buy a puppy to train as an Assistance Dog for O.

When we say Henry, and Alaska, are life changing, they really are life changing for their children and us as a family.

#teamhenry #henrythehero #teamalaska #alaskasjourney #autismassistancedogs #seizurealertassistancedog #medicalalertassistancedog #assistancedogofsaustralia #workingdogsofaustralia #assistancedogawareness #seizurealertdogawareness #autismawareness #epilepsyawareness #hypermobilityehlersdanlossyndromeawareness #adhdawareness #ehlersdanlossyndrome #generslisedanxietydisorderawareness #connectivetissuedisorders #sensoryprocessingdisorderawareness #workingdogsbooks #assistancedogsofinstagram #educatingfamilies #inspireyoungminds #inspiringyoungminds #readgrowinspire #childrensliteracy 

How to be Respectful

Things to do (there's a lot of don'ts!) when you see an Assistance Dog - regardless of the type of Assistance the dog provides.... 

● Don't tell your child just to go and pat the dog because Assistance Dogs are always friendly. Yes, Assistance Dog's are meant to be friendly however this doesn't mean that you should just send your child over for a pat. 

● Don't pat the dog. There's a badge on Henry's jacket that says "working dog, do not pet." The badge is there for a reason. Ask before you pat the dog. If the handler says no, they've said no for a reason. Respect them. 

● Don't give the dog a treat, ie some of the food you're eating. Number one, Henry and Alaska aren't allowed human food. They eat good quality dog food, twice a day. Number two, Henry and Alaska are trained to not to beg for food at all, or even sniff at food that might be on the floor. This is a distraction for the dog when they're working and depending on what you're offering, could make the dog unwell. 

● Don't try to give the dog commands that you use with your own dog. Working dogs have set commands that they are used to. If you start giving other commands, the dog will become confused and lose focus.

● Don't go and start to take the halti, harness, leads and so on off the dog, because you think the dog looks uncomfortable or because you don't believe the dog needs it. The dog is a working dog and is wearing the halti, leads, jacket and so on for a reason. And yes this did happen to us when Henry was in work mode, the elderly woman's reason was because she thinks dogs need to be spoilt. If you want to spoil a dog, spoil your own pet. 

● If the handler says that you can pat the dog, pat the dog when they say to and where they say to pat the dog. When in work mode, the only people who can give Henry and Alaska pats at any time is L and O, and the pups doesn't have to "earn" the pat. Anyone else, the Pups need to do a trick to earn the reward and even then, the pat is on the back of the pups head.

And lastly please be respectful towards us and our hoomans.

#teamhenry #henrythehero #teamalaska #alaskasjourney #autismassistancedogs #seizurealertassistancedog #medicalalertassistancedog #assistancedogofsaustralia #workingdogsofaustralia #assistancedogawareness #seizurealertdogawareness #autismawareness #epilepsyawareness #hypermobilityehlersdanlossyndromeawareness #adhdawareness #ehlersdanlossyndrome #generslisedanxietydisorderawareness #connectivetissuedisorders #sensoryprocessingdisorderawareness #workingdogsbooks #assistancedogsofinstagram #educatingfamilies #inspireyoungminds #inspiringyoungminds #readgrowinspire #childrensliteracy 

Book!

Books! If you haven't realised yet, we love books. Any kind of books really.

Yesterday, my copy of this book arrived. And I've finished it already.

If you are a parent or carer of a school can't child, or if you are a teacher, teacher aide, support staff or educator, please please get yourselves a copy of this and read it a few times.

If your child masks their neurodiversity at school, you need to get a copy of this book to read.

We've had almost 18 months of on and off school can't days. And this book could have been written about both my children.

It is absolutely brilliant and a must read.

WTF moments!

This was actually asked and I did say FFS.

Additional needs do NOT have more say nor do they have more dominance over any other student in any school setting.

All students deserve to be included in school, to be given opportunities to learn at their pace. They deserve to feel safe at school.

Yet all of the above rarely occurs.

Oh and ADHD, Autism, dyslexia and so on have always been present. Those students were left behind or excluded.

Hidden Disabilities

 This is so very true!

Autism is a hidden disability, but not so hidden that other students pick up on those differences and bully those individuals.

I didn't know I was Autistic until I was in my 40s. But the students I went to school sure picked up on those differences.

Please teach your children that bring different is okay.

And if they see another child being bullied because they're different, step in and say something. Or at least inform a teacher.