An Update and Why I’m Writing Again

It’s been a while since I’ve posted. Life got busy and complicated, as it often does. But this blog has been a real comfort to me during some of our hardest seasons, so I’m committed to showing up here and writing more regularly again.

Living with Autism in Our Family

I’ve shared before about some of the challenges we’ve faced as a family since learning that Isaac is on the autism spectrum. It’s an ongoing journey to help everyone—ourselves included—truly understand what being on the spectrum means. Even his nurses sometimes struggle with misconceptions, and I’m still learning too. People on the spectrum continue to grow, adapt, and change over time. Their needs and strengths can shift, and what works at one stage may look very different later. Of course, I can only speak from Isaac’s experience and our perspective as his family.

School, Therapies, and Daily Support

Isaac is now in 7th grade and attends school online. Choosing online school has been one of the best decisions we’ve made for him. Online learning lets us: • Monitor his progress closely • Step in and support him in real time when he needs help His nurses stay with him during school hours, and his ABA therapist helps him with homework in the afternoons. We still go to the clinic for his physical, occupational, and speech therapy sessions. Isaac actually looks forward to these visits. He loves his therapists, and we’ve been fortunate to connect well with every single one of them. That has truly been a blessing for our whole family.

Looking Back and Moving Forward

I know I’ve missed sharing a lot from the past few years—my last post was in 2023, and so much has happened since then. I won’t try to catch up on every detail here. Instead, my plan is to post more often and focus on the milestones and challenges that have shaped our journey. My hope is that these updates will feel meaningful, honest, and relevant to your own experiences, whether you’re walking a similar path or simply want to understand it better.

Medical Updates: Keeping Isaac Healthier

I’ll start with medical updates, because managing Isaac’s health has been a major focus for us. For years, Isaac would get sick about every three months—sick enough that he needed steroids and antibiotics each time. His pulmonologist recommended trying a biologic, given as a monthly injection. For about a year and a half, Isaac stayed healthy while on this medication. Over time, the medication’s benefit declined somewhat. To help support him, we added: • A low-dose daily antibiotic • Another inhaler These changes have made a real difference. Along with his medications, we watch him very closely. We’ve become “detectives,” always on the lookout for early signs that he might be getting sick. Because of this careful monitoring and his current treatment plan, we’ve been able to keep him much healthier overall.

What’s Next and How You Can Connect

There is more I want to share about the other challenges we’re working through, but I’ll let those stories unfold over time in future posts. If you have questions or experiences you’d like to talk about, please leave a comment. I’d love to hear from other parents, caregivers, and anyone who relates to this journey. If you find this helpful, I’d be grateful if you’d share my blog with other parents who may be facing similar paths.

Remember: information is power.