Visiting School!

Wow, it's been a few weeks since I updated Brycen's blog!  We've had some good and some not-so-good moments in that time.  I just need to keep reminding myself that the stressful days seem fewer and farther in between compared to a year or two years ago...but it still really brings me down when we have a morning like we did on Monday this week.  I really think the hardest part of dealing with Autism with Brycen is the lack of communication.  I know some kids with Autism slowly begin talking, but it's just not looking so positive for Brycen in this area so our main focus is to encourage ANY kind of communication such as sign language, gesturing, or his voice-output device.  It's not that we are giving up on him ever being able to learn to vocalize, it's just there is not time to wait around because we are all getting frustrated not understanding his needs and wants.

Today, I went to the school to visit Aubree's classroom during their Halloween party.  Those 3 yr olds were so adorable in their costumes and were so excited to show them off!  Oh, to be young again:)  When her class visited Brycen in his room, he actually seemed excited to see them...and Aubree of course was excited to see Brycen "There you are, Buddy!".  She loves her brother so much despite some of the trauma he puts her through!

I decided to spend some time in Brycen's classrooms as well while I was there.  I have held off doing this as I'm never sure how he'll handle me being in his school space.  Because he is so literal, I expected him to not understand why his mom was coming into his classroom for awhile.  But he did fabulous!  I saw him briefly during the costume parade and then snuck into the Kindergarten room when they were doing a group activity on the rug.  He didn't even know I was there for the first few minutes!  Some of you that have been following Brycen's journey over the last 2+ years probably remember me talking about how he wouldn't even sit on the rug during circle time during the beginning of his first and second years of preschool.  I'm not sure the teachers/associates understand just how exciting it was for me to see him actually on the rug, watching the activity, and even taking his turn to participate willingly...because I compare it to two years ago when he just wanted to wander around the room or line things up and not join the circle time.  I watched him wash his hands when he was told to, sit down and do a worksheet like all of his other classmates, stand in line for lunch...all HUGE accomplishments.   Just like Mrs. H told us at conferences...he really does seem like one of the kids and not different in so many ways like I had imagined. 

I then followed him over to his sp. ed. room to get his lunchbox and wait for his classmates there to get ready for lunch.  I had heard yesterday from another mom at the therapy clinic (pretty much all of the kiddos in this room also attend outside therapy at the same clinic) that Brycen has taken a liking to her daughter "M."  I watched as Brycen waited for "M" and he got close to her and looked back at me like "Here's my friend, Mom!" and then helped push her wheelchair down to the lunchroom.  What a big helper he is!  Then he proceeded to get his own lunch items out and begin eating, opening up his sandwich container and chip ziploc bag with NO HELP!  I even commented about this and of course was reminded "He's in kindergarten now."  But I still see my little baby who just one year ago would NOT have sat in that lunchroom with all the other kids/noise, would NOT have had the patience to help push "M" down to the lunchroom, would NOT have sat at group time on the rug for 10-15 minutes, would NOT have stood in line without pushing/shoving, and definitely would NOT have tolerated having Mom in his business.

It was a wonderful experience to visit him at school for that time and I know it probably seems like such little things to some parents, but seeing him in this environment, being independent, and THRIVING is wonderful...of course comparing where we were two years ago...even one year ago.  I am thankful for all of the patient teachers and associates that give him the attention he needs over these last couple years.  I am thankful for the students who seem to accept him as just one of them.  I am thankful that even if he is not communicating verbally like we really hoped he would start doing, he seems to be succeeding in so many other areas that two years ago seemed impossible!

Sneak Peek into Conferences

Here's a little "sneak peek" into some of what will be discussed at Brycen's school conference next week with both of his teachers, OT, and SLP:

These two graphs were sent home this week in Brycen's Progress Report envelope.  The top picture is the graph showing progress on Goal #3 which includes 1-1, counting sets, patterning, initial sounds, and read/identifying words.  The second picture is the graph for Goal #4 which includes following directions, completing work, routine, social interactions, and play cooperatively.  He is assigned a certain number of points for how much he can do in those individual areas...and then the points are added together to get his total number for each goal. 

You can see that the goals are showing a start date of mid-September because we did an informal meeting a few weeks ago to adjust the graphing/documenting of some goals.  The gray line going vertical with the blue dot shows the baseline that was taken at that time...then you can see the red broken line slowly going upwards as the months go on.  That is the progress we are aiming for.  The best part of these is the blue dots a little higher...that means the data that was just taken shows that Brycen is already above the "aim line", therefore exceeding our expectations in overall points for each goal.  The documentation is set up where some of the items in each goal may be hard for him, therefore getting a lower point value for that one...but others may be easier for him which means that would have a higher point value.  So the general consensus is he is doing great, but of course there are some low scores in some areas that will need more attention to keep this going!

After conferences next week, we will update you on what those areas are and how everything else is going at school!