CafeMom aurorabunny is back with another edition of Special Needs Living.

aurorabunny's 3-year old son Brody was diagnosed with classic autism at one year, falling on the severe side of the spectrum in terms of development. At present, Brody is still mostly nonverbal, using a few words, sign language, and PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System) to communicate.

Each week, aurorabunny discusses the everyday struggles and triumphs of raising a child with special needs and an invisible disability.

Photo by astralweeks

A sick toddler is no fun and with the cold/flu season looming, we need all the help we can get:

A toddler diarrhea cure?

My pediatrician tells me not to give my kids real Pepto Bismol or Kaopectate for their upset tummies or when they have a virus for the same reason we're told to avoid giving them aspirin -- the main ingredient is bismuth subsalicylate, which is linked to reye's disease.

Too bad, because it works so well for grown-ups.

So what's a mom to do when diapers are exploding all over the place and she just can't "wait it out"?

Feed them magic poop-hardening foods, of course. Some of the more unusual food choices that CafeMoms suggest:

Photo by marthasnail

I just lived (barely) through FOUR long and oozy days of caring for a tot with the stomach flu, only to get double whammied one day into "wellness" when my oldest got the flu next.

Calgon, take me away!

In the first official death reported in the U.S., a 23-month old toddler from Texas has died from the swine flu.

"This is definitely SCARY!," says Mami9207  in Advice for Moms this morning. "I have a 21 month old who loves the outdoors, but I'm taking precautions and staying home. He's sick, but has been since before the flu came out. I was paranoid about it, but the doctor says he's fine. Ladies, keep your children safe!"

According to the Associated Press, the toddler arrived in Texas from Mexico on April 4 and developed flu symptoms four days later.

The Texas Department of State Health Services said Wednesday the Mexico City boy had underlying health problems when he traveled to Brownsville, Texas to visit relatives. He was admitted to a Houston hospital a few days after developing a fever and other flu symptoms and died on Monday night.

KidKupz.com; $7 for 6

I haven't used this product -- my kids are already way too addicted to candy and don't have much of a problem taking medicine anyway, so this one is not for us. But I'm curious as to what you all think about the idea behind KidKupz, disposable medicine dosing cups rimmed with candy to entice your tykes to down their liquid meds.

Because no matter how much the pharmacist flavors the amoxicillin, it still doesn't taste anything like cherries or grapes!

The cups (why can't I get the image of a margarita out of my head?) which feature "all naturally flavored candy" come in several different flavors -- sour cherry, blue raspberry, green apple, and watermelon -- and sell for $7 for a box of 6 cups.

Photo by Peajewel

My son is 5 and still can't blow his nose. So when he's suffering from a cold and all clogged up, I wait till he's sleeping and squirt some Ocean drops up his nostrils.

The aftermath is not pretty, and the screaming sometimes wakes my daughter, so tomorrow I'm planning on opening up The Cafe Cynthia Nose Blowing Academy for both my kids, based on this advice from Answers.

-- Tell him to close his mouth and practice blowing on his hand like he is blowing out birthday candles with her nose. -- Prrecious

Photo by joleensboys

My son woke up with a cough last week. So the first thing he declares to me, of course, is: "I have to stay home from school today because I'm sick, Mommy."

Well, no, I explained. Plain old coughs don't qualify for sick days. Not according to the school nurse and not according to my rules. If that were the case, my kids would never go to school and preschool!

It's funny how you lower your standards for how sick your child has to be to stay home the older they get. Nataly Kogan of workitmom.com says when her daughter started pre-school, two years ago, her bar was really high — a runny nose would be reason enough to keep her home. Today it's if she has a fever or is just generally miserable.

Photo by Heart_Mommy

When your toddler is sick and has to take antibiotics or fever medicines, how does it go? Is your child anything like this one?

"My 3 year old son absolutely hates to take medicine. It doesn't matter what flavor or form. We have tried chewable, liquid, nasal sprays, grape, bubblegum, orange, cherry, raspberry. I have tried putting it into drinks. He won't eat applesauce or yogurt, and never seems to want to eat ice cream when I want him too. It's exhausting, any ideas?"  -- ChevelleGirl

Wow, if ice cream won't work, I don't know what will! But here's how other moms chatting in The CafeMom Newcomer's Club get those critical meds down:

My husband had to go to the doctor this weekend for a sore throat -- negative for strep, just a virus. Phew.

Now that our kids are toddler and older, strep bacteria loves our house. It wasn't an issue when our kids were babies. Babies rarely become infected, probably because the antibodies they receive before birth are still at work and most babies have very small tonsils.

Did you know that strep sometimes shows up in different forms and on different places of the body other than the throat? I didn't until I read this article from the March issue of Parents that I wanted to share:

Step Impetigo

How to spot it: A rash, usually around the nose or mouth. It starts as red sores that rupture within a few days and form yellowish crusts.