Thursday, November 19, 2009
Wednesday, November 18, 2009
A short essay
Recently our family was asked to submit a short write up about Little Bug's biggest accomplishment and how Early Intervention has helped him. I expected this to be easy- I would know what it was and get it done. It was incredibly difficult for many reasons.
The first I struggled with is that it is hard to make people see the amazing in the struggles and accomplishments our children have. For example, Little Bug took his shirt off for the first time ever last night. That's huge! He has to sequence the events in order to get it off. He had to use motor planning in order to ensure that his arms, torso, neckm and head all worked towards that common goal. To most people, it would be assumed that our children can do this. We know that isn't always so.
Secondly, it was hard to pick out his biggest. We had a hard time looking at all the work that he has done and picking one part. How do you pick out the most amazing change? I know that no matter what our situations are, our children are constantly moving forward.
Lastly, we really wanted to make sure that we gave credit. While Nick and I work hard to help Little Bug achieve his highest, we have had a lot of help.
I would like to share our essay with you.
“Woooo-wooo! Hi, Thomas!” Little Bug said. He drove Percy past the shed so that he could say hello to Thomas. He then drove Percy to the freight yard in order to pick up a mail car. “Let’s go get Thomas!”
He lined up his trains and then began to count, “One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, TEN!”
We used to count the words Little Bug had. Each one is a gift that is treasured. Each word is met with exultation. Each word is a foot hold on a mountain getting us one step closer to Lennon’s highest potential- whatever that may be.
Little Bug was diagnosed with Autism and severe speech delays in July of 2008. At that time, he had 10 word approximations- Da (dad), la (water), go, ca-ca (car), Yu (yes), bu (bus), bo (boat), no, pu (puppy), fish. He never played functionally; instead he spun wheels, lined things up, and rolled cars back and forth. He couldn’t tell us if he was hurt, scared, tired, or hungry. Every day was plagued by uncertainty for us.
We were recommended to contact EI by our Primary Care Physician. Through our FRC, we were connected with the Birth to Three Development Center School. Little Bug was assigned a play group, a one on one Therapist, as well as an Occupational Therapist. When he first started, he tried to bite the therapists and other children. He would hide from his FRC and his therapists when they came to the house. Out of an hour of therapy, up to half would be spent getting him to work up to them. It paid off.
With them, he flourished. Every week, they would challenge his repetitive behavior- moving cars out of line so that they would be driven. Stacking blocks were made into bridges. Trains were used to make deliveries rather than spinning wheels. They broke down playing into sequential steps and made it click for him.
They endlessly strove for personal contact between Lennon and everyone else. They taught us how to get him to look at us. They hid toys around the room so that he would look and point to request. Nick and I were challenged to make every interaction an opportunity to teach Little Bug a skill- saying hello when someone greets you, pointing to what you want, making a car pretend to drive, tolerating bathing and dressing, and a million other tasks that are assumed to be achieved but that we knew were not guaranteed.
We have lost count of words. Little Bug says so many that we can’t keep track. He plays- really plays with trains, cars, puzzles, and us. He says hello to his peers and is learning to share. Nick and I have learned to be the kind of parents Little Bug needs because of Birth to Three and our FRC. They have given Nick and I the tools to begin to do this independently. They have given us future resources for help.
His therapists and FRC will always be dear to our hearts. Their dedication, talent, and love for our family is amazing. They do things that people find impossible. They deal with families who are suffering and struggling. They deal with children who can be aggressive and have meltdowns that last for hours. They treasure rewards that other people would overlook- the joys of seeing a family succeed, messy hugs, and sticky kisses. We will always be grateful for what they have done for us.
The first I struggled with is that it is hard to make people see the amazing in the struggles and accomplishments our children have. For example, Little Bug took his shirt off for the first time ever last night. That's huge! He has to sequence the events in order to get it off. He had to use motor planning in order to ensure that his arms, torso, neckm and head all worked towards that common goal. To most people, it would be assumed that our children can do this. We know that isn't always so.
Secondly, it was hard to pick out his biggest. We had a hard time looking at all the work that he has done and picking one part. How do you pick out the most amazing change? I know that no matter what our situations are, our children are constantly moving forward.
Lastly, we really wanted to make sure that we gave credit. While Nick and I work hard to help Little Bug achieve his highest, we have had a lot of help.
I would like to share our essay with you.
“Woooo-wooo! Hi, Thomas!” Little Bug said. He drove Percy past the shed so that he could say hello to Thomas. He then drove Percy to the freight yard in order to pick up a mail car. “Let’s go get Thomas!”
He lined up his trains and then began to count, “One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, TEN!”
We used to count the words Little Bug had. Each one is a gift that is treasured. Each word is met with exultation. Each word is a foot hold on a mountain getting us one step closer to Lennon’s highest potential- whatever that may be.
Little Bug was diagnosed with Autism and severe speech delays in July of 2008. At that time, he had 10 word approximations- Da (dad), la (water), go, ca-ca (car), Yu (yes), bu (bus), bo (boat), no, pu (puppy), fish. He never played functionally; instead he spun wheels, lined things up, and rolled cars back and forth. He couldn’t tell us if he was hurt, scared, tired, or hungry. Every day was plagued by uncertainty for us.
We were recommended to contact EI by our Primary Care Physician. Through our FRC, we were connected with the Birth to Three Development Center School. Little Bug was assigned a play group, a one on one Therapist, as well as an Occupational Therapist. When he first started, he tried to bite the therapists and other children. He would hide from his FRC and his therapists when they came to the house. Out of an hour of therapy, up to half would be spent getting him to work up to them. It paid off.
With them, he flourished. Every week, they would challenge his repetitive behavior- moving cars out of line so that they would be driven. Stacking blocks were made into bridges. Trains were used to make deliveries rather than spinning wheels. They broke down playing into sequential steps and made it click for him.
They endlessly strove for personal contact between Lennon and everyone else. They taught us how to get him to look at us. They hid toys around the room so that he would look and point to request. Nick and I were challenged to make every interaction an opportunity to teach Little Bug a skill- saying hello when someone greets you, pointing to what you want, making a car pretend to drive, tolerating bathing and dressing, and a million other tasks that are assumed to be achieved but that we knew were not guaranteed.
We have lost count of words. Little Bug says so many that we can’t keep track. He plays- really plays with trains, cars, puzzles, and us. He says hello to his peers and is learning to share. Nick and I have learned to be the kind of parents Little Bug needs because of Birth to Three and our FRC. They have given Nick and I the tools to begin to do this independently. They have given us future resources for help.
His therapists and FRC will always be dear to our hearts. Their dedication, talent, and love for our family is amazing. They do things that people find impossible. They deal with families who are suffering and struggling. They deal with children who can be aggressive and have meltdowns that last for hours. They treasure rewards that other people would overlook- the joys of seeing a family succeed, messy hugs, and sticky kisses. We will always be grateful for what they have done for us.
Tuesday, November 10, 2009
Words
Its is raining wonderful and glorious words at our house and I wanted to share some:
hullabaloo
delicious
wonderful
awesome
flamingo
beautiful
amazing
great
Correct use of I, you, me, etc.
his/her
His speech is blossoming. Sentences are running out of him faster than I can keep track. He now comes up to you and says, "I want to talk." He then will pick a random topic- snow, frocidols (crocodiles to you), the dog, the school bus, and talk about them.
He can now answer questions like- What do you do when it is cold? What is a bed for?
hullabaloo
delicious
wonderful
awesome
flamingo
beautiful
amazing
great
Correct use of I, you, me, etc.
his/her
His speech is blossoming. Sentences are running out of him faster than I can keep track. He now comes up to you and says, "I want to talk." He then will pick a random topic- snow, frocidols (crocodiles to you), the dog, the school bus, and talk about them.
He can now answer questions like- What do you do when it is cold? What is a bed for?
What makes you special?
Little Bug, Nick and I have been having lots of conversations regarding boys and girls and moms and dads. It started last Wednesday when Little Bug looked at me at dinner and said, "MOMMY!"
I didn't get upset. I didn't get angry. I simply asked, "What do you mean?"
"...says you are a girl." Interesting. Apparently, someone has taken it upon themselves to discuss with Little Bug who really is a daddy and who isn't.
Now, I am not naive- I know that Little Bug and I will talk about this a lot- to the point of making me crazy. I know that he may hate me for a while when he gets older and his friends give him shit. I know that he will always know, above all else, Nick and I love him more than our own lives and that is what matters. I believe that he will accept it and be proud of having two daddies- even if one is a special daddy.
What I do mind is that someone took it upon themselves to get into this with my son. While he has told us who said this, they deny it. It's a tricky situation.
But I digress and want to get back to the really cool part of all this mess. As I said, we have been talking about daddies and mommies and parts etc. I explained to him that I was born a girl, but am a boy. Whether he understands that at 3, I don't know, but I want to be honest with him. Regardless, he seemed unphased and went back to calling me Daddy Blake.
Yesterday, he brought it up again. He began counting the number of boys and girls in our house. He stated, "4 boys- you, me, Fink, Nick. 1 girl- you."
I looked at him and asked, "Am I a special boy?" I asked this hoping that it would ease us back into the whole transgender thing.
Little Bug looked at me and beamed, "Yes! Me special too!"
"I know you are, bug. You will always be special and amazing to Daddy Nick and I. What makes me special?"
He looked at me and beamed again. "Because I love you."
I am happy to special that way above all others.
I didn't get upset. I didn't get angry. I simply asked, "What do you mean?"
"...says you are a girl." Interesting. Apparently, someone has taken it upon themselves to discuss with Little Bug who really is a daddy and who isn't.
Now, I am not naive- I know that Little Bug and I will talk about this a lot- to the point of making me crazy. I know that he may hate me for a while when he gets older and his friends give him shit. I know that he will always know, above all else, Nick and I love him more than our own lives and that is what matters. I believe that he will accept it and be proud of having two daddies- even if one is a special daddy.
What I do mind is that someone took it upon themselves to get into this with my son. While he has told us who said this, they deny it. It's a tricky situation.
But I digress and want to get back to the really cool part of all this mess. As I said, we have been talking about daddies and mommies and parts etc. I explained to him that I was born a girl, but am a boy. Whether he understands that at 3, I don't know, but I want to be honest with him. Regardless, he seemed unphased and went back to calling me Daddy Blake.
Yesterday, he brought it up again. He began counting the number of boys and girls in our house. He stated, "4 boys- you, me, Fink, Nick. 1 girl- you."
I looked at him and asked, "Am I a special boy?" I asked this hoping that it would ease us back into the whole transgender thing.
Little Bug looked at me and beamed, "Yes! Me special too!"
"I know you are, bug. You will always be special and amazing to Daddy Nick and I. What makes me special?"
He looked at me and beamed again. "Because I love you."
I am happy to special that way above all others.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
New Skills
This has been an amazing week for our family. We have gotten to see some truly amazing things come from Little Bug. For example, we were at Hama and Bumpa’s and were able to show him how he does simple subtraction. I asked him how many pumpkins you would have if you had three pumpkins and took away 1 pumpkin. He didn’t even blink before saying, “2 punkins!”
Later, Bumpa and Little Bug were drawing on their chalkboard and Bumpa was trying to get him to spell his name. That didn’t take much work. Bumpa started with L and paused. Little Bug looked at him and said E…N…N…O…N. Hama and Bumpa were just amazed. So were Nick and I- we had no idea that he could do this.
His drawing skills are blooming as well. This week he has drawn the following- a jellyfish, a recognizable happy face- eyes (with pupils) nose, mouth, teeth, ears; and a correctly drawn pumpkin.
Finally, he impressed the hell out of his teacher and us yesterday. At the end of their day, the staff in his classroom goes around to each child and asks them what they did today. When his teacher asked Little Bug, he said, “I played outside with my friends- J, M, and L. It was fun and they make me happy.” First of all, those are the longest unprompted sentences that I can think of. But more importantly and impressively, he spoke about feelings and friends- something that he almost never does.
Later, Bumpa and Little Bug were drawing on their chalkboard and Bumpa was trying to get him to spell his name. That didn’t take much work. Bumpa started with L and paused. Little Bug looked at him and said E…N…N…O…N. Hama and Bumpa were just amazed. So were Nick and I- we had no idea that he could do this.
His drawing skills are blooming as well. This week he has drawn the following- a jellyfish, a recognizable happy face- eyes (with pupils) nose, mouth, teeth, ears; and a correctly drawn pumpkin.
Finally, he impressed the hell out of his teacher and us yesterday. At the end of their day, the staff in his classroom goes around to each child and asks them what they did today. When his teacher asked Little Bug, he said, “I played outside with my friends- J, M, and L. It was fun and they make me happy.” First of all, those are the longest unprompted sentences that I can think of. But more importantly and impressively, he spoke about feelings and friends- something that he almost never does.
Want Potty Feet Pease!
Little Bug had a huge break through this weekend- voluntarily putting on his Thomas the Tank Engine costume in order to go trick or treating. We tried asking him and that didn’t go well. Nick and I had already decided we weren’t going to make it an issue, because at that point, it would be for us and not him.
Well, it took 3 trick-or-treaters before he changed his mind. You could see his little brain turning it over again and again- ridiculous outfits and saying tick or feet gets me candy… I can do that. As soon as he broke this down, he grabbed his costume and but bolted out the door.
We had a great time doing this. He went up to the doors on his own free will. He knocked on the door and, at first said, “TICK OR FEET PEASE!” Gradually, he forgot that you should say trick or treat and began to say, “Want potty feet pease!” Some people wanted to know what the heck he was asking for while others just laughed hysterically and gave him huge handfuls of candy for being cute.
Nick and I had a great time. It was amazing to see him do this. We felt lucky because we were able to witness a huge milestone for our child. Something we weren’t sure would ever happen. Something that we gave up. We are so grateful for this. We are given opportunities to appreciate milestones and events that everyone assumes will always happen.
Well, it took 3 trick-or-treaters before he changed his mind. You could see his little brain turning it over again and again- ridiculous outfits and saying tick or feet gets me candy… I can do that. As soon as he broke this down, he grabbed his costume and but bolted out the door.
We had a great time doing this. He went up to the doors on his own free will. He knocked on the door and, at first said, “TICK OR FEET PEASE!” Gradually, he forgot that you should say trick or treat and began to say, “Want potty feet pease!” Some people wanted to know what the heck he was asking for while others just laughed hysterically and gave him huge handfuls of candy for being cute.
Nick and I had a great time. It was amazing to see him do this. We felt lucky because we were able to witness a huge milestone for our child. Something we weren’t sure would ever happen. Something that we gave up. We are so grateful for this. We are given opportunities to appreciate milestones and events that everyone assumes will always happen.
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