We're moving!!
Mike has been transferred to the Manchester store and began working at the new store 5 days after the transfer was presented to us. The kids and I will not be moving until the end of September for various reasons.
We are so excited for this time to come and for it to be to an area of the state that we are familiar with! Both of our families are going to be within an hour of us, Manchester also has a pediatric therapy clinic at their hospital similar to the one that Brycen receives therapy from currently, and we found a fabulous and huge rental home in Strawberry Point where the kids will have their own rooms, as well as a large yard and a play room!
With all this excitement also comes a lot of stress. It's no secret that Brycen does not embrace change and transitions are very difficult for him. We've decided that Brycen will not see the rental house until we have all of our stuff moved in and his room and toys are set up. We also decided it is not a good idea for him to be here the couple days before and while the movers are here to prevent him from stressing about his stuff being packed up and taken onto the truck. The first two days of Daddy being gone were fine...didn't even seem like Brycen noticed (no offense, daddy!). The last several days have been difficult. He is more aggressive, not sleeping as well, throwing tantrums...just not adjusting well to all the change around him. Little does he know that this is just the beginning!
Oh, I almost forgot to mention my phone call to what will be his new school in the Starmont school district! When I called, they immediately transferred me to the principal which I was so impressed with (note I have never even met, nor talked to the principal at his current school). She is taking care of everything for me! All we have to do is have Mike go in to fill out registration papers and give them a copy of his vaccination dates and latest physical. Before I made this call, I was dreading all the work that will be involved with transferring a child with an IEP and special needs to a new school across the state. It is such a relief to know that AEA and the school takes care of those things! Brycen will continue in a classroom that is half general education and half with IEP's with about 12 children total once there. The most wonderful thing the principal said to me during this conversation is when she asked "Should we take pictures of the classroom and teachers to send to Brycen ahead of time for the transition?" I immediately fell in love with this principal and her obvious knowledge of Autism and difficulty transitioning. For her to offer to do this specifically for him is so encouraging to me of the type of district he is going into! I look forward to meeting her and seeing him thrive in the new school!
"When one door of happiness closes, another opens;
but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us."
Helen Keller
Tuesday, August 24, 2010
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Autism and Our Family
"Autism"----It's one word that can change the life of a child and family in so many ways. Autism Spectrum Disorders are being diagnosed at a rate of 1 in 68 children currently. If you do not already know someone that has been diagnosed, the statistics say it won't be long before you do.
Our son developed typically until around the time he turned 2 years old. We heard words...we saw him play with other kids...we watched as he played with his toys appropriately...we made eye contact with him...overall we understood his wants and needs. In a matter of a few months, that was all taken away from him. He began lining up toys, lost all of his words and signs except for one word "ball", ignored other kids, could not sleep through the night, lost eye contact and the ability to follow directions, and he had no way of letting us know what he wanted or how he felt. It was heartbreaking to see something happening to our child that we couldn't stop!
Brycen began receiving home therapy 1-2 times per month for about 6 months before we realized it wasn't just developmental delays. We knew it was Autism...we just didn't want to say it outloud to anyone. He was officially diagnosed with Autism (classic form and regressive), as well as Mental Retardation in August 2009 by the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.
We continue to learn as we make our way through this journey with Brycen and we will continue to share this journey with you on this blog! The blog has been a great therapy for us to be able to vent our frustrations and struggles with accepting that we have a child with special needs, while sharing how blessed we are to have a child teach us what life truly means. It has also been a great way to inform others of his progress and changes over the last couple of years.
Thank you for your support of Brycen and our family! We hope you are able to learn something through this blog no matter if you are a parent of a child with special needs or a neurotypical child, a teacher or therapist, a family member, or just someone that is interested in the journey that a family goes on as they learn their child is battling a life-long disorder.
Our son developed typically until around the time he turned 2 years old. We heard words...we saw him play with other kids...we watched as he played with his toys appropriately...we made eye contact with him...overall we understood his wants and needs. In a matter of a few months, that was all taken away from him. He began lining up toys, lost all of his words and signs except for one word "ball", ignored other kids, could not sleep through the night, lost eye contact and the ability to follow directions, and he had no way of letting us know what he wanted or how he felt. It was heartbreaking to see something happening to our child that we couldn't stop!
Brycen began receiving home therapy 1-2 times per month for about 6 months before we realized it wasn't just developmental delays. We knew it was Autism...we just didn't want to say it outloud to anyone. He was officially diagnosed with Autism (classic form and regressive), as well as Mental Retardation in August 2009 by the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.
We continue to learn as we make our way through this journey with Brycen and we will continue to share this journey with you on this blog! The blog has been a great therapy for us to be able to vent our frustrations and struggles with accepting that we have a child with special needs, while sharing how blessed we are to have a child teach us what life truly means. It has also been a great way to inform others of his progress and changes over the last couple of years.
Thank you for your support of Brycen and our family! We hope you are able to learn something through this blog no matter if you are a parent of a child with special needs or a neurotypical child, a teacher or therapist, a family member, or just someone that is interested in the journey that a family goes on as they learn their child is battling a life-long disorder.
Oh Melissa and Mike, I am also SOOO impressed with the new principal! I am happy for you! This move is such a blessing for your family! Congrats!
ReplyDeleteMonica