I don't know if any of you watch South Park, but yesterday's conversations with Little Bug reminded me of the Chewbacca Defense. Here's the link, but be ware that there are plenty of bad words in it...
http://www.southparkstudios.com/clips/103454/?searchterm=Chef+Aid
Little Bug has been having difficulty with eating again, but more in a "I'm finally 2 developmentally and I am going to push your buttons" way then in a sensory way. This of course means that at dinnertime there are tons of negotiations. I put food on his plate and he immediately yells Yucky and pushes the plate away. We eventually divide up the plate to the point where I get him to eat what he wants and he doesn't complain so much.
Last night, he used a beautiful argument- HIPPO! This was shouted, whispered, and said every time we asked him to eat. What might you ask does this have to do with dinner? NOTHING! That is what makes it a beautiful argument. It distracts you from the point at hand and is ridiculous and forces you to not be so frustrated. All the while, the child gets to not eat his dinner as you are mulling what Hippo could mean- was there a hippo on his plate, did we talk about hippos, is it animal month at school?
Nope, just Hippos. Much like the Chewbacca Defense, it has *nothing* to do with the subject at hand, and yet is hard to argue with.
One day, Little Bug may well create a new defense- the HIPPO defense. Heaven knows that he thoroughly distracted me with it many times last night. Now, if I could only use the Hippo defense as a grownup....
Thursday, May 28, 2009
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
That's what I said!
On January 30th, I wrote a post about the Transporters. The short of it is that while is it great that people are looking into creating more resources for the social emotional development of children with ASD, why are we reinventing the wheel? I talked about how we use Thoas the Tank Engine to help Little Bug work on emotions.
Apparently, we aren't the only ones:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/05/27/autism.thomas.engine/index.html
Autism Spectrum Australia (Aspect), a nonprofit that provides services to people diagnosed with the developmental disorder, unveiled the game on its Web site Tuesday.
The game asks players to recognize which engine has a sad face, or which is happy or angry.
Children with autism often have a difficult time distinguishing different facial expressions.
Each time a child plays the game, he/she is presented with a different sequence of emotions. In doing so, the game takes advantage of the single-mindedness of autistic children to assist in their development.
"It's a great way to help develop social and communication skills," said Anthony Warren of Aspect
A study conducted in the United Kingdom found that autistic children were far more fascinated by the television series, "Thomas and Friends," than they were with other fictional characters.
The study, by the National Autistic Society, summarized that the show held such appeal because of the clear facial expressions of the characters, the pacing of the program and the easy-to-follow story lines.
"We got those results down here, and we thought, how could we leverage that strength and give a little back to the community?" said Tom Punch with Haven Licensing, the company that handles licensing for the characters in Australia.
I have often joked that a singled minded obsession with Thomas should be added to the DSM for ASD.... maybe I wasn't that far off.
Apparently, we aren't the only ones:
http://www.cnn.com/2009/HEALTH/05/27/autism.thomas.engine/index.html
Autism Spectrum Australia (Aspect), a nonprofit that provides services to people diagnosed with the developmental disorder, unveiled the game on its Web site Tuesday.
The game asks players to recognize which engine has a sad face, or which is happy or angry.
Children with autism often have a difficult time distinguishing different facial expressions.
Each time a child plays the game, he/she is presented with a different sequence of emotions. In doing so, the game takes advantage of the single-mindedness of autistic children to assist in their development.
"It's a great way to help develop social and communication skills," said Anthony Warren of Aspect
A study conducted in the United Kingdom found that autistic children were far more fascinated by the television series, "Thomas and Friends," than they were with other fictional characters.
The study, by the National Autistic Society, summarized that the show held such appeal because of the clear facial expressions of the characters, the pacing of the program and the easy-to-follow story lines.
"We got those results down here, and we thought, how could we leverage that strength and give a little back to the community?" said Tom Punch with Haven Licensing, the company that handles licensing for the characters in Australia.
I have often joked that a singled minded obsession with Thomas should be added to the DSM for ASD.... maybe I wasn't that far off.
Wednesday, May 20, 2009
The IEP Saga continues
We received the email from the school district that we have been dreading- the testing and IEP dates and information. Little Bug's evaluations will be done independent from the normal cattle call affair on June 5th. They usually have 10 or more families come in and run the kids through stations. Because we have requested the ASD specialist for the district attend, Little Bug will be tested by himself.
We also received the date for his IEP meeting- June 30th. We were originally concerned that because this occurs after the last day of school it would result in a generic IEP and another meeting specific to Little Bug's needs in the fall. Luckily, it won't.
Unfortunately, that is where the bad news comes in. The attendees will include the evaluators from whatever area Little Bug qualifies in as well as the ASD specialist and the teacher from the our last classroom visit. The classroom that we hated. The classroom that was utter chaos. The classroom that made us feel it would be better to leave Little Bug with wolves for 5 hours a day than the school district.
The school district has tipped their hand. By including this teacher, they have shown us that in their eyes, Little Bug is destined for an ASD environment. You see, the teacher the student will have is the teacher who helps create your child's IEP.
Nick and I are at a loss. This doesn't match with what we want for him. It doesn't seem like the most appropriate environment for him. It also doesn't match what his current therapists are recommending. They feel that because of how far Little Bug has come and the amount of work and follow through that Nick and I put into this, Little Bug should be able to do the Special Education classroom as well as see a behaviorist every other month. He will need weekly speech and OT.
We are trying to wrap our heads and hearts around this and come up with a plan.
We also received the date for his IEP meeting- June 30th. We were originally concerned that because this occurs after the last day of school it would result in a generic IEP and another meeting specific to Little Bug's needs in the fall. Luckily, it won't.
Unfortunately, that is where the bad news comes in. The attendees will include the evaluators from whatever area Little Bug qualifies in as well as the ASD specialist and the teacher from the our last classroom visit. The classroom that we hated. The classroom that was utter chaos. The classroom that made us feel it would be better to leave Little Bug with wolves for 5 hours a day than the school district.
The school district has tipped their hand. By including this teacher, they have shown us that in their eyes, Little Bug is destined for an ASD environment. You see, the teacher the student will have is the teacher who helps create your child's IEP.
Nick and I are at a loss. This doesn't match with what we want for him. It doesn't seem like the most appropriate environment for him. It also doesn't match what his current therapists are recommending. They feel that because of how far Little Bug has come and the amount of work and follow through that Nick and I put into this, Little Bug should be able to do the Special Education classroom as well as see a behaviorist every other month. He will need weekly speech and OT.
We are trying to wrap our heads and hearts around this and come up with a plan.
Saturday, May 16, 2009
Honesty
Please click through the link below and read the article. While it isn't a pretty or happy reality- for anyone involved Noah, his parents, and his brother- it is incredibly honest.
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1898322-1,00.html
I am touched by the honesty of the author. He realizes that this resolution isn't a happy or ideal one. He acknowledges that he may not always be able to be the stable influence that his parents were. He acknowledges that his brother will never recover.
Another article that I found this week that left me reeling was this one:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090509/ap_on_he_me/us_med_autism_recovery;_ylt=ApAU33Cxt5qcB.l52vsO4hjgcbYF
I couldn't help but read it and wonder at my own view. Do I not believe in recovery because of my fear of hope? If you haven't realized yet, I am a realist- that means that I deal with the facts and try to squash any hope as I don't want to delude myself into wishing for something that may not happen.
In reading the article, I found one line that I couldn't let go of-
Many also have above-average IQs and had been diagnosed with relatively mild cases of autism. At age 2, many were within the normal range for motor development, able to walk, climb and hold a pencil.
While Little Bug isn't diagnosed as mild- he is in the middle of that bell curve of the spectrum- everyone who meets him talks about how bright he is and how is able to do all those things listed above.
I know part of me is afraid of the idea of recovery as I don't know if people can change that much. While a tremendous amount of change has happened, my argument has always been that a person is never cured from Autism. It never leaves them, but simply changes. The severity lessens and the manifestations changes.
Could I be wrong? Should I hope for recovery? Or prepare for nothing to change?
Knowing me, I will most likely trudge on without hoping for a change. Without planning for a recovery. We will prepare for Little Bug to never be independent or get a job. We will continue saving for his future while neglect our own. We will continue finding resources for after we are gone. I would rather be the ants who are prepared for winter and be pleasantly surprised when winter never comes.
http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1898322-1,00.html
I am touched by the honesty of the author. He realizes that this resolution isn't a happy or ideal one. He acknowledges that he may not always be able to be the stable influence that his parents were. He acknowledges that his brother will never recover.
Another article that I found this week that left me reeling was this one:
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20090509/ap_on_he_me/us_med_autism_recovery;_ylt=ApAU33Cxt5qcB.l52vsO4hjgcbYF
I couldn't help but read it and wonder at my own view. Do I not believe in recovery because of my fear of hope? If you haven't realized yet, I am a realist- that means that I deal with the facts and try to squash any hope as I don't want to delude myself into wishing for something that may not happen.
In reading the article, I found one line that I couldn't let go of-
Many also have above-average IQs and had been diagnosed with relatively mild cases of autism. At age 2, many were within the normal range for motor development, able to walk, climb and hold a pencil.
While Little Bug isn't diagnosed as mild- he is in the middle of that bell curve of the spectrum- everyone who meets him talks about how bright he is and how is able to do all those things listed above.
I know part of me is afraid of the idea of recovery as I don't know if people can change that much. While a tremendous amount of change has happened, my argument has always been that a person is never cured from Autism. It never leaves them, but simply changes. The severity lessens and the manifestations changes.
Could I be wrong? Should I hope for recovery? Or prepare for nothing to change?
Knowing me, I will most likely trudge on without hoping for a change. Without planning for a recovery. We will prepare for Little Bug to never be independent or get a job. We will continue saving for his future while neglect our own. We will continue finding resources for after we are gone. I would rather be the ants who are prepared for winter and be pleasantly surprised when winter never comes.
Tuesday, May 12, 2009
Second School Visit
Yesterday, we visited a school that is part of the Autism program. It was utterly depressing.
There were 15 children ages 3 through 5 there- this didn't include typical peers who hadn't arrived yet. There was a teacher and three aids for all of these children. We arrived at free time, which apparently was taken literally- as in you can feel free to do whatever you want as long as it doesn't hurt someone.
There were two children who were very severe and they were allowed to spend the morning stimming. One sat on an improvised sea saw and stared at the ceiling. The second held a doll that talked and shoke it over and over. No one made an attempt to involve these childre in any activitites. No one talked to them except when it was time to go potty.
The remainder of the children also did exactly what they wanted. There was a girl who was in the process of taking her shirt off. Another girl who was taking of her socks and shoes and screaming. Two boys were at the water table flinging water every where. Another set of boys were scribbling on the white board and the wall and themselves.
While this was supposed to be tailored to children with ASD, I can't imagine leaving Lennon there. Nick, Lennon, and I have worked *so* hard for the improvements he has made. I can't imagine dropping him off in a setting that is so obviously set up for failure. There are too many demands on the staff and too little resources.
I no longer know what to do. Part of me wishes I could quit my job and teach him. I know that isn't the right answer because he *needs* outside people- in order to gain social skills and have a healthy life. It isn't healthy to have your parents so involved in every facet of your identity. Eventually, they have to do it on their own.
Nick and I were hoping for the Autism Preschool to speak to us and make us excited for this change. I can't speak for Nick, but I was absolutely terrified for our son and his future. To me, it felt that by choosing either program, we would be sentencing him to mediocrity where no one challenges him or expects anything from him.
There were 15 children ages 3 through 5 there- this didn't include typical peers who hadn't arrived yet. There was a teacher and three aids for all of these children. We arrived at free time, which apparently was taken literally- as in you can feel free to do whatever you want as long as it doesn't hurt someone.
There were two children who were very severe and they were allowed to spend the morning stimming. One sat on an improvised sea saw and stared at the ceiling. The second held a doll that talked and shoke it over and over. No one made an attempt to involve these childre in any activitites. No one talked to them except when it was time to go potty.
The remainder of the children also did exactly what they wanted. There was a girl who was in the process of taking her shirt off. Another girl who was taking of her socks and shoes and screaming. Two boys were at the water table flinging water every where. Another set of boys were scribbling on the white board and the wall and themselves.
While this was supposed to be tailored to children with ASD, I can't imagine leaving Lennon there. Nick, Lennon, and I have worked *so* hard for the improvements he has made. I can't imagine dropping him off in a setting that is so obviously set up for failure. There are too many demands on the staff and too little resources.
I no longer know what to do. Part of me wishes I could quit my job and teach him. I know that isn't the right answer because he *needs* outside people- in order to gain social skills and have a healthy life. It isn't healthy to have your parents so involved in every facet of your identity. Eventually, they have to do it on their own.
Nick and I were hoping for the Autism Preschool to speak to us and make us excited for this change. I can't speak for Nick, but I was absolutely terrified for our son and his future. To me, it felt that by choosing either program, we would be sentencing him to mediocrity where no one challenges him or expects anything from him.
Wednesday, May 6, 2009
Sensory Intergration
This weekend we attended a Sensory Integration class on both Saturday and Sunday. While it was taught be an extremely educated and passionate OT, unfortunately, we already had the information. We could have taught the class. That said, if you are new to SID or haven't read up much about it, take a class- it is worth it.
Grandma- or Hamma as Little Bug calls her- stayed with Little Bug and they had a great time both days. Apparently, our dog had a harder time with us leaving than Little Bug did.
Unfortunately, Little Bug had a typical day on Monday- self injuring, screaming, hitting and a whole host of sensory issues. Hamma got to go to school with him and see what he works on and the hard work he puts in. She also got to see what a day in the life is like for us.
Its not that it is all bad, just that when it is bad, it is really bad. Little Bug was almost feral Monday night- screaming for hour after hour and attacking his toys and people. We finally just resolved to have him lay down and watch a movie and chill.
His sensory issues with clothing, bathing, and diapering are coming back full force. He now will attack you and scream when it is time to do any of the above. I don't know how to help him at this point. Hopefully, our OT can begin to help us get this wrangled back in.
Grandma- or Hamma as Little Bug calls her- stayed with Little Bug and they had a great time both days. Apparently, our dog had a harder time with us leaving than Little Bug did.
Unfortunately, Little Bug had a typical day on Monday- self injuring, screaming, hitting and a whole host of sensory issues. Hamma got to go to school with him and see what he works on and the hard work he puts in. She also got to see what a day in the life is like for us.
Its not that it is all bad, just that when it is bad, it is really bad. Little Bug was almost feral Monday night- screaming for hour after hour and attacking his toys and people. We finally just resolved to have him lay down and watch a movie and chill.
His sensory issues with clothing, bathing, and diapering are coming back full force. He now will attack you and scream when it is time to do any of the above. I don't know how to help him at this point. Hopefully, our OT can begin to help us get this wrangled back in.
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