Just wanted to pass on a tidbit of information Brycen's teacher just called me about! Matt Lauer is doing a 1 hour special on the controversy of vaccines and Autism this Sunday night on Dateline. Though I do not feel that vaccines had a role in Brycen's Autism, I do think there is merit to this in some cases and feel it is definitely worth watching! Even if you may disagree with the topic of this hour long special, I still think watching this may be very useful for those who would like to know more about autism as I'm sure the people being interviewed share more than just details about the vaccine controversy.
http://insidedateline.msnbc.msn.com/archive/2009/08/25/2044554.aspx
Friday, August 28, 2009
One week of school down, many more to go!
What a fabulous first week of school for Brycen! He has adjusted so much better than we ever thought he would and we have definitely realized starting school is the best decision we have made for him so far.
Here is a rundown of the progress he has made in the last week:
-He is spontaneously asking for juice "ju" by going to the fridge and saying the word on his own
-He pointed to the changing table at school when he had a dirty diaper to tell the teachers he needed changed!
-He carries and tries to hang up his backpack each day at school and at home (this afternoon without any prompts too!)
-He is willingly stopping at the "work" table when he gets to school to check in his name tag and lunch card, though he needs hand-over-hand to actually put the cards in the baskets
-After 4 days of protesting the "greeting circle," he actually participated today! The teacher said he sat down and very discreetly waved his red flag...huge progress in just one week!
-He is not eating very well at school and then comes home and climbs into his booster wanting a snack right away. We are trying to determine if it is the noise or distractions in the cafeteria or if he doesn't like the food. We'll try some cold lunches next week!
-He has been imitating the word school- comes out like "hoo" but we know what it means and it's another word approximation to add to the list!
-He has been washing his hands and picking up his toys way more willingly than before since he has these expectations all day long at school also.
-We have not had a huge temper tantrum all week and he even slept all night on two different nights this last week!
I am excited to see what progress the upcoming weeks will bring! These things may seem very small to other parents of 3 year olds, but to our family, these are signs of the right direction and bring so much excitement and many smiles to our face!
Here is a rundown of the progress he has made in the last week:
-He is spontaneously asking for juice "ju" by going to the fridge and saying the word on his own
-He pointed to the changing table at school when he had a dirty diaper to tell the teachers he needed changed!
-He carries and tries to hang up his backpack each day at school and at home (this afternoon without any prompts too!)
-He is willingly stopping at the "work" table when he gets to school to check in his name tag and lunch card, though he needs hand-over-hand to actually put the cards in the baskets
-After 4 days of protesting the "greeting circle," he actually participated today! The teacher said he sat down and very discreetly waved his red flag...huge progress in just one week!
-He is not eating very well at school and then comes home and climbs into his booster wanting a snack right away. We are trying to determine if it is the noise or distractions in the cafeteria or if he doesn't like the food. We'll try some cold lunches next week!
-He has been imitating the word school- comes out like "hoo" but we know what it means and it's another word approximation to add to the list!
-He has been washing his hands and picking up his toys way more willingly than before since he has these expectations all day long at school also.
-We have not had a huge temper tantrum all week and he even slept all night on two different nights this last week!
I am excited to see what progress the upcoming weeks will bring! These things may seem very small to other parents of 3 year olds, but to our family, these are signs of the right direction and bring so much excitement and many smiles to our face!
Friday, August 21, 2009
First day of Pre-school
The wait is finally over! Mommy & Aubree took Brycen to school this morning at 8:30. I learned a lesson to not park within sight of the playground...this resulted in a backpack thrown on the ground and Brycen refusing to get up and walk into the school until he was reminded of the fish in the classroom. Not much acknowledgment when we said goodbye to him either...but I honestly didn't expect him to get upset or to even care that I was leaving as they have so many cool toys and a huge fish tank!
After coming home, Aubree just wasn't sure what to do by herself. She sat in her rocker for a few minutes and then slowly started to play with a couple toys, but would frequently come over to me where I was working on the computer to check in with me. I did find out just how productive I can be with work with only one child at home...I accomplished all that I wanted with some time to spare before having to go back to pick up Brycen. Daddy was able to join us to pick him back up at 11:00 since they only had 1/2 day for the first day. Brycen greeted us with a huge smile...he was walking around outside with one of the IA's after the other children had gotten on the bus. He even wanted the teacher to walk with us to the door to leave!
The teachers told us he picked up toys well, fed the fish, and ate breakfast with them with no hesitation. There are only 5 children in the classroom with different special needs so I have no doubt that Brycen will get plenty of 1:1 attention for what he needs, as well as he will learn to socialize in a small group with others.
We are all looking forward to next week when he will have 5 full days!
After coming home, Aubree just wasn't sure what to do by herself. She sat in her rocker for a few minutes and then slowly started to play with a couple toys, but would frequently come over to me where I was working on the computer to check in with me. I did find out just how productive I can be with work with only one child at home...I accomplished all that I wanted with some time to spare before having to go back to pick up Brycen. Daddy was able to join us to pick him back up at 11:00 since they only had 1/2 day for the first day. Brycen greeted us with a huge smile...he was walking around outside with one of the IA's after the other children had gotten on the bus. He even wanted the teacher to walk with us to the door to leave!
The teachers told us he picked up toys well, fed the fish, and ate breakfast with them with no hesitation. There are only 5 children in the classroom with different special needs so I have no doubt that Brycen will get plenty of 1:1 attention for what he needs, as well as he will learn to socialize in a small group with others.
We are all looking forward to next week when he will have 5 full days!
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Curious about your thoughts...
I've posted many links to sites that describe Autism, but I realized I have yet to post a link describing "regressive autism." This is where Brycen's autism falls...he developed within the typical range until about 2 years old, and then all of a sudden he starting "losing" words, social skills, and eye contact. Just like many other kids, he always had different "quirks" that was a symptom of Autism...lining up toys, seemed to ignore us when we called his name, fascination with ceiling fans, OCD behavior, etc. But unlike those other kids that also display this early on, Brycen's "quirks" became more profound after the age of 2 and his obsessions last longer and disturb his and/or our daily lives. Some people still have the perception that all Autism starts at birth...children with autism are mute, never speak or babble, seem oblivious to the entire world, are content just sitting there staring into space, won't hug or kiss, and all other "stigma" symptoms. This is far from the truth! That is why it is called a spectrum disorder...there are all types and symptoms of Autism...including children that do display the symptoms I listed above.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regressive_autism
So, here is the question I propose to you. Having a child with any delay or disability is difficult as we all know...whether this was known already when the child was still in utero, shortly after birth, or 2 years down the road. Each parent grieves the loss of the "typical" child they thought they were having no matter when they found out about the child's delay or disability. Do you feel that it is more difficult to find out before your child was born that they would have a disability or to find out a few years down the road after they had already began to develop typically? There are no wrong or right answers to this question...but I am very curious on how others feel about this.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regressive_autism
So, here is the question I propose to you. Having a child with any delay or disability is difficult as we all know...whether this was known already when the child was still in utero, shortly after birth, or 2 years down the road. Each parent grieves the loss of the "typical" child they thought they were having no matter when they found out about the child's delay or disability. Do you feel that it is more difficult to find out before your child was born that they would have a disability or to find out a few years down the road after they had already began to develop typically? There are no wrong or right answers to this question...but I am very curious on how others feel about this.
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