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.
Monday, August 17, 2009
A Turning Point?
This week started with Brycen's last speech therapy appointment at home and will end with the start of pre-school on Friday! The speech therapy went fantastic this morning and was one of his best sessions ever...we hope his first day at school on Friday will go just as well!
Here's a rundown of his great accomplishments during his therapy session today:
-He became excited when he looked out the door and saw the therapist and the Early Childhood Coordinator arriving (he used to ignore, hit, yell etc at them)
-He sat down at his kid's table willingly and looked through a book about colors with very minimal resistance.
-When we asked him to point to the kitty-cat in the book, he matter of factly said "I did!" (the only phrase he spontaneously says), even though he didn't...he received tons of praise anyway!
-He waited patiently for next toy to come out with physical prompting to put his hands in lap
-He spontaneously said "choo choo" when he saw the puzzle piece of the train
-He would sign "please" with a verbal imitation of the word also spontaneously (after a minute or so of waiting for him)
-He took turns with the bubbles outside...also spontaneously signed "please" and "more"
-He transitioned from activity to activity with NO resistance!!! (This is huge as just a couple of months ago, he would not allow this if he was enjoying an activity too much).
-These are the words he imitated (considered word approximations as he does not say all the sounds, but we can decipher it still) multiple times throughout 1 hour session: boat, car, help, cracker, more & bubbles
-Waved and said "bye" to them when they left with verbal prompt from me
When comparing these to the first few sessions back in the winter, huge steps have been made! We went multiple months with very little or no progress and Mike & I really weren't sure what to do...but it seems like we have reached a turning point! We have high hopes that going to school will encourage the social interaction and following directions...and we are encouraged by the 1:1 speech therapy! Unfortunately he will not be receiving this from the school district at home anymore, so we are looking into other possibilities that our health insurance may cover. According to BCBS, the doctors will need to recommend the 1:1 speech in order for them to cover it, and they also limit the number of sessions covered which may not be as much as Brycen needs. I try not to dwell on the financial aspect of all of this and just focus on what he needs and what is available to us right now...but my recent conversations with DHS and Social Security regarding Medicaid insurance has not been very encouraging.
Although Brycen's speech, nonverbal communication, and social skills are still far behind the average 3 year old, the MOST important thing is he has made progress! And we have no doubt that this progress is going to be even better once school starts!
Here's a rundown of his great accomplishments during his therapy session today:
-He became excited when he looked out the door and saw the therapist and the Early Childhood Coordinator arriving (he used to ignore, hit, yell etc at them)
-He sat down at his kid's table willingly and looked through a book about colors with very minimal resistance.
-When we asked him to point to the kitty-cat in the book, he matter of factly said "I did!" (the only phrase he spontaneously says), even though he didn't...he received tons of praise anyway!
-He waited patiently for next toy to come out with physical prompting to put his hands in lap
-He spontaneously said "choo choo" when he saw the puzzle piece of the train
-He would sign "please" with a verbal imitation of the word also spontaneously (after a minute or so of waiting for him)
-He took turns with the bubbles outside...also spontaneously signed "please" and "more"
-He transitioned from activity to activity with NO resistance!!! (This is huge as just a couple of months ago, he would not allow this if he was enjoying an activity too much).
-These are the words he imitated (considered word approximations as he does not say all the sounds, but we can decipher it still) multiple times throughout 1 hour session: boat, car, help, cracker, more & bubbles
-Waved and said "bye" to them when they left with verbal prompt from me
When comparing these to the first few sessions back in the winter, huge steps have been made! We went multiple months with very little or no progress and Mike & I really weren't sure what to do...but it seems like we have reached a turning point! We have high hopes that going to school will encourage the social interaction and following directions...and we are encouraged by the 1:1 speech therapy! Unfortunately he will not be receiving this from the school district at home anymore, so we are looking into other possibilities that our health insurance may cover. According to BCBS, the doctors will need to recommend the 1:1 speech in order for them to cover it, and they also limit the number of sessions covered which may not be as much as Brycen needs. I try not to dwell on the financial aspect of all of this and just focus on what he needs and what is available to us right now...but my recent conversations with DHS and Social Security regarding Medicaid insurance has not been very encouraging.
Although Brycen's speech, nonverbal communication, and social skills are still far behind the average 3 year old, the MOST important thing is he has made progress! And we have no doubt that this progress is going to be even better once school starts!
Friday, August 7, 2009
Research, research...and more research
Friday nights have become my time to research everything I can about Autism...the kids are in bed and Mike is at work until after 10, so I take full advantage of the quiet to compare websites, information, and statistics.
I had the privilege of getting to know a very knowledgeable mother yesterday at a new referral meeting for work. She is a special education teacher and has a middle-school aged son with Autism. We had a great talk about similarities between our children, how we have accepted change in our lives, our family, and of course therapy. I'm not sure I will ever have a need to join a support group as it seems like these wonderful parents and grandparents that I meet with are my support...they have "been there, done that" and can give me the best advice out of anyone in my life right now. I don't usually bring up the situation with Brycen intentionally as I am there to do my job and support them with our services...but about 75% of my meetings have included the parents asking me what my experience is with children with disabilities and then about half of those parents ask if I have a child with a disability. This is where I take a deep breath...always starting with a brief run-down of my work experience and education, then ending with "my 3 yr old son has been diagnosed with Autism and is waiting for his official diagnosis and suggested treatment plan from the IA City team of specialists on Aug 31."
Now, some of the kids on my caseload have Aspergers, Rett Syndrome, and a few fall under classic autism....but quite a few of the kids have a variety of diagnoses such as what is considered Mild Autism/PDD-NOS (which I personally feel this is where Brycen falls, but will know for sure in a few weeks), ADHD, Epilepsy (which has a very high correlation with Autism), OCD, and MR. Each of these children are completely different...different rates of speech, different ways to communicate, different ways to play, etc. I cannot stress enough that there are no two children that are alike on the Autism Spectrum...which is what makes it so much more difficult to diagnose and treat and educate about.
I attached yet another website I found that gives some great background information! I really don't feel there is enough research one can read when faced with this disorder. I recently ordered several books from half.com to have on hand for those that are interested (after Mike and I read them of course). I will definitely be sending a couple to my wonderful Grandma in Waukon, who has taken such an interest in how this disorder is affecting Brycen and our entire family!
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/autism/detail_autism.htm
I had the privilege of getting to know a very knowledgeable mother yesterday at a new referral meeting for work. She is a special education teacher and has a middle-school aged son with Autism. We had a great talk about similarities between our children, how we have accepted change in our lives, our family, and of course therapy. I'm not sure I will ever have a need to join a support group as it seems like these wonderful parents and grandparents that I meet with are my support...they have "been there, done that" and can give me the best advice out of anyone in my life right now. I don't usually bring up the situation with Brycen intentionally as I am there to do my job and support them with our services...but about 75% of my meetings have included the parents asking me what my experience is with children with disabilities and then about half of those parents ask if I have a child with a disability. This is where I take a deep breath...always starting with a brief run-down of my work experience and education, then ending with "my 3 yr old son has been diagnosed with Autism and is waiting for his official diagnosis and suggested treatment plan from the IA City team of specialists on Aug 31."
Now, some of the kids on my caseload have Aspergers, Rett Syndrome, and a few fall under classic autism....but quite a few of the kids have a variety of diagnoses such as what is considered Mild Autism/PDD-NOS (which I personally feel this is where Brycen falls, but will know for sure in a few weeks), ADHD, Epilepsy (which has a very high correlation with Autism), OCD, and MR. Each of these children are completely different...different rates of speech, different ways to communicate, different ways to play, etc. I cannot stress enough that there are no two children that are alike on the Autism Spectrum...which is what makes it so much more difficult to diagnose and treat and educate about.
I attached yet another website I found that gives some great background information! I really don't feel there is enough research one can read when faced with this disorder. I recently ordered several books from half.com to have on hand for those that are interested (after Mike and I read them of course). I will definitely be sending a couple to my wonderful Grandma in Waukon, who has taken such an interest in how this disorder is affecting Brycen and our entire family!
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/autism/detail_autism.htm
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