Monthly Archives: September 2011

Tuesday

September 27, 2011 in adhd, Asperger's, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Balance, Parenting, Uncategorized

It’s week 3 of school for Squidget and week 2 for Princess Jellybean. While settling into our routine has not been particularly easy, it has been fairly predictable. Then along came Tuesday. Sure she sounds sweet and charming but she brought with her a schedule of new events that left me feeling both nervous and excited. Tuesday also conjured up some shenanigans that left me scratching my head.

Today PJ started her very first ballet/ movement class. It is such a joy to watch her.  Although PJ has moments of shy, she usually gets right in there and lights up a room. Today was no different. She had tons of fun and it was a blessing for me to spend some time with her without having a care in the world. It was an autism free moment, for her and for me and it was something we both enjoyed and something we both really needed. I am thrilled to no end that we get 9 more weeks of this AND a recital at the end to boot! I feel giddy oh so giddy.

In other extra curricular news, both kids started swim lessons this past Saturday. PJ got in with the catfish group and Squidget got in a semi-private group for kids with special needs. Swimming has always been the sweet spot for both of my kids so this was another big highlight in our week. Both kids had an exceptional experience and we have something to look forward to every Saturday until December. The only taint on that was my misdirection of 6 year old Squidget into the girls locker room. My buttocks were hand fed to me by an angry mom. I completely understand where she was coming from, and I know that being new is no excuse; I was just so wrapped up in trying to make it all happen smoothly that it never dawned on me that nakedness would be an issue I would face on that day. So now that I know better I will care for my stinging buns and prepare for the lecture I am bound to get come November when I usher my kids outside wrapped in a wet towel through 30 degree weather into the car to drive the whole 4 blocks home. Preparation is everything.

Now back to Tuesday. Upon picking up Squidget from school, I learned that he had a fight at school today. What the…did you say fight? Yeah. Good times. Two kids were following him around calling him names repeatedly. He asked them to stop. They kept following him around calling him names repeatedly. He walked away. They kept following him around calling him names repeatedly. He hit them both in the stomach. They stopped. He apologized. I have to admit, this one is kinda tough for me internally. Now we all sat down and talked about what we can do differently. In this case, his next step would be to tell a grown up. While I agree that we should not handle things with our fists (or sticks, swords, guns etc); there is this little part of me that is understanding of his behavior. Is there another way to handle it? YES. Do I also think that a 6 year old has a breaking point after being taunted? YES. There did not seem to be a lot of drama around this incident, no principal visits for any of the kids (which I am a little surprised by) and it sounds like all of the kids worked it out with some assistance from the teacher. I hope with all of my heart that this is an isolated incident that does not repeat itself, at least not until I resolve my internal conflict over the whole thing.

The newest thing to hit Tuesday is that Squidget started a Social Group this afternoon which is  run through the center where he sees his Occupational Therapist and Developmental-Behavioral Pediatrician. I got to observe the whole gig today and all I can say is that I hope and pray our insurance covers this (I should find out this week). Immediately I could see the enormous benefits that could come of this group. We have waited four months for a slot to open up and I would love nothing more than to see this run its course. To finally see strategies working; to finally have the practical help that Mr. T and I have sought from the beginning; to finally look into his future and find a balance of hope and worry rather than consumption of the latter. It feels good. I feel relieved; not complacent, but realistic in a way that isn’t terrifying.

So today was Tuesday. It was interesting, it was new, it was a little off; I can’t say I didn’t like it.  I’ll see you next week.

Ruby Tuesday

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Moving Forward

September 20, 2011 in adhd, Asperger's, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Balance, drug therapy, Parenting, Uncategorized

Since my internet expertise does not include how to fix a “Database Error, Page Not Found”; I was forced to skip last weeks blog post while I spent hours chasing my tail and begging for help until my site was restored. Thankfully I was victorious and the last two weeks weren’t so bad either.

Princess Jellybean started going to her new preschool, and while I was still feeling  a little guilty/ sad that she could not remain at her previous school, I have come to grips with the fact that sometimes we just have to make difficult decisions. The guilt/ sad just comes from knowing I am not giving her the best tools to work with (her old school has an exceptional educational and self awareness/ body regulation model). While her new school may not have the very best tools, it  has very practical, strong, and useful ones; it is a joyful environment that is teaching great social skills and the Kindergarten prep does not fall short. She is so excited when she gets to go to school and equally happy when I  pick her up. She is anxious to share what she has learned and accomplished, and it is clear that she is growing up appropriately so it is clearly a win! We are moving forward.

Squidget’s school days have been going fairly smoothly. He is making it through the full day, and he has managed to get some assistance in the classroom (although I have yet to determine how long this will last). So far, I have not received one phone call nor have I been asked to attend any emergency meetings. I do however have close and constant communication with his teacher, his (temporary) aide, and his case manager so that we can continue to improve our methods. The downside of this equation is that Squidget comes home exhausted. It takes a LOT of physical and mental focus to “keep it together” all day and it is no doubt a constant struggle for him. Adding to that is the reality that his ADHD medications start to wear off in the mid afternoon. By 4pm Squidget is falling apart at the seams; some days are worse than others. It hasn’t been insurmountable, but I can’t deny that my physical and mental focus is challenged as well.

Fortunately we are learning new things every day. Between occupational therapy, his educational team, my own research, and ideas that have sprung from the great minds in my circle of family and friends – we are finding ways to mange with small measures of success. The size of the success is not important, the success itself is what matters. With more time to adjust to our new schedule, its is fairly likely that we will find little bits of nirvana in our evenings. For now, nirvana is holding steady on the weekends.  The biggest blessing for me is knowing that we are leaps an bounds ahead of where we were at this time last year. That was a dark and scary place and I am a girl who likes a lot of sunshine. Lucky for me I seem to have a number of breaks in the clouds.

“If everyone is moving forward together, then success takes care of itself. ” ~ Henry Ford

“March on. Do not tarry. To go forward is to move toward perfection. March on, and fear not the thorns, or the sharp stones on life’s path.”  ~Khalil Gibran

 

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Back to School!

September 6, 2011 in adhd, Asperger's, Autism Spectrum Disorders, Parenting

First thing this morning, I asked Squidget if he was excited for his first day of school and with a mighty grin, he replied,  “double excited!” Getting up, ready, and into the classroom went super smoothly; then after we got him settled we smothered him with hugs and wished him, his classmates, and his teacher well.

Today’s highlights include the fact that Squidget had an aide for most of the day; we also received news that the aide will stay with him through the end of the week meanwhile we are still working on the permanent aide situation. Squidget also made it through the whole school day which has been our goal since the start of last year. You may remember that last year we started off going about half day and worked our way up to a full day which we achieved the last two weeks of school. I spoke to his teacher and while he did struggle a bit after lunch, his overall day went fairly well and that makes me extra proud of my little dude. 

Meanwhile, Princess Jellybean is anxiously awaiting the start of her preschool next week. Thankfully, she’ll get a sneak peak of all the action at tomorrow’s open house :)

While it is far too soon to determine how our school year will play out, we are all rejoicing in the overall success of the day! And as an added bonus, I get to celebrate the fact that as parents Mr. T and I got to have a “normal parenting experience” by means of simply enjoying Squidget’s first day of school without it being overshadowed by autism. That is a hefty gift and one I am truly grateful for.

Many thanks to Squidget for giving an A+ effort; many thanks to his teacher Ms. C for having an open mind and open heart; many thanks to Squidget’s educational /professional support team for guiding us through our journey; and many thanks to our family and friends for keeping us focused, calm, supported, and with a healthy dose of perspective. I love our people, I love my kiddos, and we all loved this day.

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