ABA Services - A True Gift that is Worth Every Penny

Hi There, and welcome to Friday,

I don't get much time to write before I leave to become a taxi-driver for a few hours.  So I will make this is short but sweet.

BP has good days and bad days but don't we all.  I feel like the bad days are becoming less of an issue.  One reason is: ABA Therapy sessions, if you are able to get those services, then I say "GO for it!"  I know that some families, depending on your situation, insurance and all the endless red tape, it may be difficult.  It actually took me about three years to convince people that we really needed someone to come in as a weekly tutor for BP.  Maybe convince is not the right word to choose.  Many people who worked with BP at school knew he would benefit from such services, but it just took way to long to get where we are.  He has one session a week for 2 full hours.  We go out outings, learn life skills, work on his behavior, etc.  It has be incredibly beneficial for BP.  He has made such strides, that I can't begin to tell you.  That would take another post.  It such a benefit for me as well.  These sessions teach me so much and also my oldest son has benefited. Our tutor who is awesome, by the way, has become somewhat of a mentor for our family. A few weeks ago, due to all the insurance mumbo-jumbo, the new Autism Insurance law, I thought we would lose our services.  I was absolutely devastated, it's truly a gift we have been given for Brendan to have ABA services.  I would certainly be sad if those gifts were ever taken away.

I will post more on BP and C's progress in future posts. Have a great weekend.
  

About Me!

Happy Thursday Everyone,

Hope you are having a good week!  I have written a page about who I am. I figured for the first time visitors and others, it would be a help to know who I was.  Head on over if you like.  Just a warning:  It's written by a very scatterbrained person:  Me.

About Me

Take Care,
~ Karen

My Triumphant Return...take 2.

In looking back at my very first post a little over 4 years ago, I talked about my oldest son turning 10.  Well, that chapter of life is done and gone.  BP is now ten and I have come such a long way from those very first posts.  I am actually truly amazed at myself for the progress BP has made. Almost a year ago I wrote this post.

This time I am not going to apologize about my long absence.  I keep reading so many great posts from Moms of Special Needs children that I felt I needed to reconnect again and share with others.

Truly I am not sure where to begin again.  I can't make any promises that I will write every week, but I can certainly make the effort. I think I am going to change my focus just a little bit as well. This time I want to share with you what I have learned over the years. I would like as well to get feedback. It so nice to hear from other parents.  As I have mentioned before, I have all these ideas swimming around in my head, but organizing them is quite the task.  I think I have mentioned before that I am ADD.  Well now you know. No official diagnosis but my thought process constantly shoots in about 50 different directions.  I can put my keys down and five minutes later have no clue as to where I put them. Forgive me if I start to repeat myself. That tends to happen. :)

Next. See what I mean?

I have a few ideas for posts that I want to write about.  Those are food, diet, autism and how they are related. By the way, just so you know, behavior plays a huge part on how you manage your children's diet.  It has been quite an important journey for us as a family.  So that's an issue I will focus on.  I want share BP's progress, maybe share recipes.  I also want share the some stories regarding my oldest C.  This is a family blog by all means.  He is actually getting braces in the next few days!  That is a journey in is self.  Stay tuned and welcome back. It certainly feels good.

 

Happy Labor Day Holiday!

Happy Labor Day everyone.  Please make it best of what ever you choose to do today. Even if it just sitting down with your family to play a simple board game.  Our family will just enjoy a mostly relaxed day.  We usually don't do much.  Doing something socially is a big outing that needs to be planned and told to BP way before. Over stimulation is a biggie.  Also where we reside, EVERYONE usually heads to the beach.  Crowds of people and BP don't mix. I don't think I works for me either. Tip for today: If you do go out and if your child is like mine, don't extend your welcome.  When they have had enough, it's time to go. 

I guess I should reintroduce myself, since it's been so long.  I am a 40-something Mom of two wonderful boys, My oldest is starting his first day of High School tomorrow and BP (I will refer to my son using his intitials for privacy reasons) who has ASD is in the 4th grade now. He is verbal and a very funny boy who loves the computer,Godzilla, and other monstrous creatures.   That is just a shorten version.  I started this blog back when Brendan was just beginning Kindergarten.  He has been in the same school district and I know I am fortunate when I say that his school district is Awesome.  I feel for many of you parents that are constantly struggling with all the red tape of trying to place your children in a school that will suit them and you!  My advice:

• Please don't give up. 
• Be an advocate for your children.
• Do your research.

Enjoy the Holiday with your family today because tomorrow is just another day. Take care.

My Triumphant Return is coming...

I am not new to blogging nor I am new to procrastination.  I am on facebook daily and I would like to post about my experiences of raising a family.  I want my blog to be a reflection of who I am, not have to minimize my feelings and try to connect again with other Moms and Dads of special needs families.  Being a mother of a child with Autism is quite the challenge and I need a place to vent, share experiences, and maybe help some other parents who are new to the world of Autism.  On my personal FB page I am careful not to whine or complain, but man some days are just (insert word here).  So with that being said I soon will be up and running.  Forgive my long absence.  I attend to make a FB page for my personal blog as well.  Please be patient and excuse the mess. :) Have a great evening.

It's that time of year...

 Yep, cold and flu season.  You know when something's up when BP just wants to snuggle with you on the sofa.  That happened on Sunday.   I asked him of he wanted a blanket. "yes" and from then on he stay there curled up and gradually becoming warmer.  I told my other half that I thought he wasn't feeling good and coming down with something. 

It's a strange notion when children with autism become sick.  As parents we are so used to heightened activity, constant movement, that really we don't what to do with ourselves!  So this week he was out of school Monday and Tuesday.  Ouch.  We all know what that means.  Returning to school is a major accomplishment.  It's quite funny, BP doesn't do Mondays, Tuesdays are just okay, Wednesdays are an improvement, Thursdays are good and by Fridays he is ready to start the week.  Maybe it is because they have fun Fridays at school in his class. Do you think?

 We do struggle with school issues, but I must say that this year is much better than last year.  Change of teacher and change of school might have something to do with his improvement.  I have problems here at home with homework.  He simply doesn't want to do it.  Don't mention the "h" word, but he usually beats me to it!  He flat out tells me, "no homework!"   

Meltdowns: those happen less now, but we still have many issues such as food, scheduling, overstimulation, potty issues, communication (I find that the most frustrating part for me).

 Since my year long absence we have working on the food issue.  This summer I was able to have an Nutritionist from our Regional Center here and evaluate BP.  He is overweight and needs to loose some pounds.  Sometimes I wonder why he doesn't loose weight easily.  BP is CONSTANTLY moving and loves to play outdoors.  His favorite activity at school is adaptive PE.  The food issue became a problem when what I gave him wasn't enough.  He would still be hungry and ask for more.  It got to certain point where if I didn't give him the food he wanted, major meltdown would occur.  Of course being the Mother, I was tired of the meltdowns and gave in to his wants. MY BAD.   The Nutritionist suggested I reduce the amt of food I serve him and see what happens. She also suggested trying to sneak in veggies with the meal.  BP is very picky as most children with Autism are.  He likes about 5 different kinds of food and won't try much else.  We don't deviate much from his meals on the weekends, but he is good about some foods at school.  His weekend lunch will consist of White cheese(cottage cheese), cheese crackers, fruit snacks and juice.  Lately he has been on this kick of replacing the white cheese with those yogurts with the Oreo cookie crumbs. 

 This particular post is just shortened version of things to come.  He's been invited to a birthday party, it would be his first one to attend, but I am not sure whether he will go.  Being sick this week has made me have second thoughts. Not sure I want him bouncing for two hours and becoming over stimulated.  Becoming tired his behavior tends to escilate.  I will let you all know what the outcome is.

Welcome Back!

Welcome back to Earth.  I have returned from my long absence from this wonderful blog that I have so neglected.  I have to apologize for being gone so long.  It's one of those long list of "got to do's" that just wasn't done.  How is that for contractions?

I decided that I need to reconnect with the people, places of my son's journey with Autism.  It's something that holds so strong in my heart and I want to share my thoughts, feelings and seek advice from those who taking the same journey.

It is nice to be home.  My life is different from whence I came.  So is my BP (for privacy purposes) I have to decided to call my son (BP) in this blog.  He has made much progress, but still has many milestones to go. Officially diagnosed at 7, he is nine now and is doing well in public school in a Special Ed classroom.  As most of you can relate to, special education means changing schools frequently.  Just to find the suitable school for your child.  That is another journey and another post.

Me, I am still figuring out this parenting thing. Nor will I ever.  My motto still stands as,  "One Day at a Time" 
Chaos is my middle name.  Sometimes I wonder why I still have hair left.  Any of you wonder the same?

BP and company (my eldest son in middle school, that could be another blog :)) are the center of my world.

I am back now and I am happy to make connections, friends and share my daily musings with everyone.  Please comment of you like and stop by to say "hi".  I love comments and enjoy any you have to say!  Declare the love. 

Have a great day,

It's finally coming together

After three long years of truly not having an "official" Autism diagnosis, we finally have one.  It's such a relief.  Now that he has been diagnosed everything is starting to come together,  I can start the long process of trying to get services for BP outside of the educational realm.  I have to thank thank his school for helping, but I think it was do to the fact that I contacted the local Regional Center here.  My phone call began it all and with the help of a referral from BP's doctor I might have not gotten anywhere.  So it begins:  more assessments, tests, etc.  I have IEP's up to my neck and I am swimming in paperwork.  About two weeks ago I met with a case worker and they wanted to bring BP so they could observe and ask him a few questions.  I was SO nervous because the fears of having to take Brendan out of his comfort zone would drive any Mother of a child with Autism anxious.  This was the first step of several to see if he will even qualify for services.  Isn't that a laugh, he is clearly qualified but of course they must deal with all the other parents who apparently abuse the system just to get services.  Anyway, that is another story in itself.

On Monday I had what I thought to be his triannual IEP.  Not the case, it served two purposes: first, this was just a LONG two hour addendum to his IEP we had in May. It also served as an excused to fax all the documentation I needed to detemine elgibility for the Regional Center.  Come to find out that they have recommended he be moved to a different school and of course a different class.  I will touch more on a future post. But I walked out of there truly brain-fried.  Nothing like putting a dent in your day, eh?

I'd better write something (she smiles)

Please don't come running after me with a stick. I know I have been out too long. I am having some battles in my life and surprising enough it has nothing really to do with my children. But I just wanted to make note of the National News and the latest story regarding Autism. I am sure you have heard all the hub-bub about the dreaded "V" word , relating to the "A" word. Me? My honest opinion is that if your Son or Daughter has Autism, it's a true blessing in disguise. I wouldn't have it any other way and I have never given it a second thought. But that's just my opinion and I am stickin' to it.

On the lighter side: I have a nasty cold that my both my kids gave me and I took a Merit exam for employment with a school district this morning. We will see how that turns out. I also have an interview with another School District next Thursday. Wish Me Luck!

Refreshing Fridays and the Rain

Well it's Friday and I look forward to Fridays. It's not like I have something big to look forward to for the weekend, but I know that Saturday is coming, it's refreshing and it is also rainy and wet outside. Not a heavy rain, but a very light shower. The smell of the rain hits the air it is such a nice feeling.

Brendan had a good week. Staying on the positive end of the spectrum. Maybe because the rain finally came today. The forecasters have been predicting it for a few days now. I believe someone in the Autism world stated that there might be this odd connection between rain and Autism. Brendan is a lover of the rain, the cloudy sky that comes with it and most of all tornadoes. Yep, tornadoes. He's the family meteorologist. Every time there is a cloud in the sky that resembles something of a funnel cloud. Brendan will burst with excitement and claim "Mommy, look it's a tornado!" In far clear language then he speaks most of the time. We reside in Southern California and we do not receive much rain here. The closest thing that resembles a tornado is their bedroom. Imagine though if we lived in the mid-west, our life would be taken straight from "Twister." The majority of us would be running for our lives towards the nearest shelter and Brendan would want to stay outside and "watch" the tornado approach whatever building it seeks to destroy in its path.

On that note, Brendan is very happy and excited when it rains and seems content to stand outside for hours if he could in the rain and watch the sky. Welcome Friday and the rain. What a happy feeling it is for all. :)

Awesome Days

Ever since the return to school, everyday for Brendan has been more than positive. He seems to be learning by leaps and bounds! As I wait for Brendan outside his classroom (I don't feel it necessary to walk inside the classroom and become a distraction for him) and he comes bounding out yelling "Mommy, mommy", with his arms open wide, I never know what kind of day he had. For the past two weeks his Aid has said, "He had an awesome day today!" He seems to be willing to do his work, no meltdowns, (we did have a little instance where someone in his class was too close for comfort and he decided to throw a pencil at them.) With Autism you never seem to know what kind of a day your child will have. But at this moment things seem to be moving along nicely. We are even getting the concept of telling time. He may not be able to write an appropriate looking hour/minute hand but he understands the concept rather well. For awhile there I thought nothing was working, he simply refused to do much of anything for me or at school. The homework battle has become much better. He is understanding now that if he does his homework he will be able to play on the computer, play his DS or Wii.

Such awesome days at school make awesome days at home.

My place in life is maybe my shortcoming. "A blessing in disguise."

Have been reading posts today of other Autism blogs and it got me to thinking..., I did look up information on "Traditional Irish Soda Bread" and we are doing it all wrong. But that's another post.

My story is actually pretty ironic. About seven years ago I had this inclination to work in the schools to grab experience for my eventual teaching credential, that I have yet to obtain. So I decided to become a Substitute teacher and I found it to be quite overwhelming. At this time my first Son C was about 2 or 3 years of age. But I didn't stop there, I decided to become a substitute Special Education Aid and see what it might be like and it was more consistent. I did enjoy it and eventually after months of working as a sub I had an interview and ended up in a Kindergarten through First Grade classroom full of Children with Autism. My eyes were wide open and I learned something new everyday. Half of the children were not potty-trained, we had one student who would have frequent melt-downs, throw chairs cross the classroom, knock down water coolers and kick teachers. Everyday was a surprisingly unique experience. I learned about all the therapies and their histories, helped them in ways that were very odd to me at the time. Six to eight months later I became pregnant with BP and I was not allowed to be in that environment due to safety issues. So I worked in the summer school program at the Special Ed preschool next door. Later on when the new school year began I to work one-on-one with a second grade boy with Autism Spectrum everyday. December rolled around and it came time for me to leave because BP was arriving soon.

Years later BP was diagnosed with Autism/Autism Spectrum. The reason I decided to write this story is because life can hand you some surprises. Who knew that when I worked in the classroom with Autistic children that I would have one of my own. I see BP and he being my own child I can't seem to place why he reacts to certain things and I can't fix them. It may be that I see my son differently than I would other children that I worked with.

It could be the teacher/mother thing. I don't claim to be an expert and I never will. Most of you who have children with special needs do a wonderful job and I actually learn from most of you. :)
Sometimes I don't feel I teach him enough and I certainly don't use much of what I learned in the classroom. There again that may be my high expectations of my parenting skills.

My childhood background is kind of related. My mother was born was cerebral palsy and from an early age I had to help my mom on a daily basis. I was an only child and I watched her fall daily because her coordination and balance were off. I had to constantly be apologetic and repeat the story of why she falls to everyone who witnessed it. She also was extremely hard of hearing and I had to deal with those issues as well.

So maybe it's my place in life. I never intended to be involved in Special Ed and because I never gave it a second thought I simply pushed it aside. This may be path in life that I have been given and who ever knew when I stepped foot into that classroom. I think BP's Autism has been a blessing in disguise.

Thanks for letting me share.

Monday Afternoon and Food Obsession

Well, I am still in my bathrobe. Now with a bowl of cereal (Special K) trying to consume more healthy foods. I bring this topic up because lately I have noticed that BP has had this veracious appetite for food. To the point of almost obsessive. I am not sure if it has to do with oral sensory issues, but he wants 2-3 bowls of cinnamon toast crunch for breakfast. Last week I made his favorite meal for dinner: Spaghetti and he packed away three helpings. I am concerned. He has favorite foods of course and it's limited to:

• Chicken McNuggets
• Mac n' Cheese
• Spaghetti
• Fish crackers

The chicken thing seems to be popular amongst the Autism population. I remember when I was working in the classroom of K-1st Autistic kids, the staple of their lunch was McNuggets!

I just recently heard a story at my local Supercuts. The stylist told me that they had a boy with Autism come in to get his haircut. She was guessing he was of Middle School age. The child was very overweight. In order to boy to calm down during the process of getting his haircut his Mom would keeping feeding him burritos. The entire time that child consumed a total of five burritos while cutting his hair.

I truly don't want to feed my son in order to change his behavior, but I am not sure why the sudden obsession of food. Anyone come across this in your children?

The Joy of Autism: San Diego

I found a great Autism blogger. The Joy of Autism: San Diego: I thought I would share it. I am guessing this is my blog for the day. :)

The journey continues...

I haven't written in a few days. I have good intentions to write everyday. Uh...it's not happening as planned but at least I am sitting at a computer typing away. That's a good sign.

I had an job interview this morning with a local school district. It's for a Special Education Aide, full-time with benefits. Of course the moment you sit down with the panel of individuals who interview you, they ask if you would be willing to accept a position part-time. I graciously said "yes" but the voice in the back of my mind said, "ouch, I need the money." Apparently there are numerous candidates to interview and there's a higher likelihood of me being hired on part-time. I am fully qualified, but who knows what the world will bring. Part-time simply won't pay my rent.

Well I have my iced vanilla latte and hopefully that will sooth things a bit. I just have to keep plugging away.

As far the original point to my daily blogs. I have a page or two written and I will share it:

I simply don't know where to begin. BP,(not his real name, but changed for privacy purposes) who is my youngest son, began his journey January 7, 2002. I think he entered this world reluctantly and it showed on his face. Moving ahead a few years, we knew that BP some how was not progressing normally. At two years of age, he hardly spoke a all. Things just didn't seem right. My oldest son, C (his name is private as well) who at time was 6, far excelled what he was supposed to do. Many times I felt like BP would eventually grow out of his "delays" and we could move on to the next chapter of childhood. That didn't ever happen. After a few years of research, contemplation and observation, I decided that I needed to take the next step. I needed to go back to work, but where would I find a daycare provider who would be willing to take on the challenge of a 3.5 year with special needs and wasn't potty-trained? That is the next step on the journey for tomorrow...

It's the beginning of the end...

As I sat underneath an umbrella at the pool today watching my two sons swim in the pool, I decided to jot down words regarding my life and theirs. It's only a few pages so far. But I have several more to go. Today was an okay day. I live in a ideal climate so the weather rarely never changes. It's actually kind of boring and we pay to live here because the sun always shines and everyone else wants to reside here. So in the next day or two, watch for my blogs on my roller coaster ride of life. Watch for my son's blogs as well. He is ten and is an avid fan of WoW and has his own blog http://www.notawiigamer.blogspot.com/