Daily Life with a Neurodivergent Child: It's All an Adventure! — Lessons Learned from My Days with My 3-Year-Old ASD Son

Hello! I'm a mom currently struggling through raising my 3-year-old son 👩‍👦🌈

My son has been diagnosed with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder), and he also has traits of ADHD and DCD.

I kind of have that feeling where I want to say, "I see, I see... wait, all of that!?" (lol)

But every day with him is truly an "adventure".

No, it's more like a "survival mission" at this point, *sob*

Every day is a full stage! The challenges start the moment we wake up.

The first hurdle of the morning starts with, "the moment he wakes up, he must be carried outside".

This has been his routine since he was a baby, and even now, it absolutely cannot be changed. If I try to do something different... it's a disaster! He'll throw himself on the floor to protest 💥

And then,

gargling -> face wiping -> toilet -> hand washing -> meal prep -> eating -> brushing teeth -> changing clothes -> choosing shoes -> getting in the car

...this sequence is packed with drama every single day.

The problem of having too many landmine zones! The combo of sensory sensitivities and fixations.

gargling

→ Even getting water into his mouth is a struggle. The verbal encouragement to get him to do it is like a 10-turn negotiation.

Wiping his face

→ If I try to touch him gently with a gauze, he rejects it with his whole body. The sensation of being wet is a total no-go.

Toilet

→ If he's not in the mood to go, he won't budge an inch. Even though he's squirming, he adamantly refuses.

Meal preparation

→ If the order of the dishes, the route, or the placement isn't 'just like always,' everything falls apart. A wrong turn leads to wailing.

Getting dressed

→ If the clothes he wants aren't there, he panics. If he can't put them on well due to his DCD-related clumsiness, he panics even more.

Getting in the car

→ If he insists on wearing only rain boots, he'll collapse on the floor just at the sight of other shoes. And after daycare, it's a game of chase 😇

A non-stop rush of missions until nightfall!

And at night, it's...

Refusing a bath → Finally getting in, only to cry hysterically if his face gets wet

Refusing the hair dryer → Running away

Battling over cleaning up toys

Obsessed with watching videos on my phone before bed (Daddy~~!! Grrr)

Refusing to go to the bathroom before bed

No blankets, no shoulder wraps, no buttons...

Yes, putting him to bed is like a final boss battle, haha

Even in days like these, I've started to see a little light

Such is our daily life.

I'd read parenting books and feel defeated, try parenting methods from social media and fail...

While I kept thinking, "this child must have his own way of growing", I still felt like I was in a maze.

However, after his 3-year-old health checkup in March 2025, I decided to look for "developmental support".

That's when I found the "at-home developmental training" I started in May.

It's only been a month or two, but

"wiping his face," which used to make him cry every day, has become a little easier,

and he's started to respond a little when I say, "Shall we go to the bathroom?"...

Those "small changes" have become such a huge joy.

✨Next time, I'll introduce 'Things I actually tried with home-based therapy training'!

This time, I wrote about my realistic daily life with a neurodivergent child.

To be honest, there are still times when it's tough... but I feel like he and I are gradually getting into sync.

Don't push yourself too hard. But don't give up either.

That is our family's motto right now🫡

Next time, I will share what actually worked for us in home-based therapy and the changes I've seen!

#RaisingAChildWithDevelopmentalDisabilities
#ChildGrowthRecord
#ASD
#HomeBasedTherapy
#SensoryProcessingSensitivity
#MomHonestThoughts