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Last night we took the boys out to dinner. We had Tyler's IPAD and Dynavox with us. I asked Tyler what his name was. He pushed a button on his Dynavox that said "My name is Tyler" (and looked at me as it talked for him). I asked him how old he was, he said "I am 5 years old". I asked him what his brothers name is. He said (pushed a button), "My brother's name is Ben", I asked him his favorite color and he said "dark"... hee hee, gonna have to work on the colors. Maybe I should suggest a dark color to him next time.
Although I had once asked him a question about what he did thta day that he liked and answered, I wasn't sure if he was answering me or just playing. Sometimes he'll count for me and show me certain things, but last night I had a conversation with my non-verbal 5 year old son for the first time. AWESOME!
What's even cooler is that he's starting to learn that if he knows how to spell a word, he can say anything with the Dynavox. The teacher was asking him a question about the calendar. He started to type and she went to correct him as he was not on the "months" page of the Dynavox so she was going to redirect him. Then she noticed he had typed a "N" so she paused. Tyler typed out the word November and then pushed the it so that it would speak "NOVEMBER"... we knew he can read many words but it may be word recogniztion vs being able to spell them correctly. So once he learns how to spell a core vocabulary, Tyler will be able to type, i.e. say, whatever he wants. YIPPEEEE... CANNOT WAIT to have more conversations with TYLER!
Also, I gotta say that I am so proud of Ben. He and Tyler have been somewhat fighting over the IPAD lately. We are considering getting an ITOUCH for Tyler ot use for potty training reinforcement that is only played with after potty which also could be used by Ben and therefore no fighting over IPAD. Anyway, it's a hard concept for Ben to understand why Tyler is still in a diaper and can have free reign with the IPAD and he has to earn the usage by not having any accidents all day. Ben typically wakes up early to play on the IPAD while we are getting ready for work and Ty is still sleeping. This morning I come downstairs, Steve is in the kitchen with the boys and Tyler had hopped up to play with the ipad when Ben stepped away for a minute but it was sitll Ben's turn. Usually Ben would start screaming and pulling at him or getting upset. Today, he was so patient and loving and just telling Ty it was still his turn and that Tyler could watch him if he liked, etc.
Thursday, November 10, 2011
Tuesday, November 8, 2011
November 8, 2011
We had a stellar parent teacher conference for Ty last night. His teacher thinks he's either speed reading or scanning for content. They present him with a picture of some sort of activity and then he has to pick out one sentence out of three sentences that matches the picture. The teacher said he's doing it so quickily he cant be reading it all unless he's scanning for content because he's getting it right. The conference went very well, he's doing great. He read Goodnight Moon to his classmates using his dynavox. He told the gen ed teacher to turn back her clocks (last friday in advance to the day to turn them back) and even gave her the proper date to turn them back. He's starting to match music chords from his IPAD to the keyboard at school.
Today however I"m afraid Tylers getting sick. And there is a little girl in his classroom right now that has a stomach virus and as well all know, sensory wise, Ty takes a long time to recovery from stomach bugs. He's refusing to eat today and is drinking very little, very lethargic compared to his normal self. Fingers crossed he'll be ok tomorrow.
Here are the details of the study that both Tyler and Ben will be participating in on Tuesdays and Thursdays after school:
Purpose of the Study: The purpose of this research study is to gain an understanding of the effect of an integrated play group on social skill development in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). In addition, we hope to gain a better understanding of how attitudes toward and acceptance of persons with disabilities are impacted among peers.
Procedure: Should you decide to allow your child to participate, he or she will be involved in a play program for children with autism and their peers. The program involves a small group of 3-5 children who will meet two times per week for approximately 45 minutes over a period of 2 or 3 months. Play sessions will be held primarily during late afternoons to accommodate daycare and school schedules. We are following the guidelines established in a field manual designed by Pamela Wolfberg for Integrated Play Groups. The integrated play group model was designed to support children with ASD of varying ages and abilities in shared play experiences with their typical peers. The model uses natural settings, well-designed play spaces and specifically-selected play materials. Play sessions are organized with consistent schedules and routines that foster familiarity and predictability. Children on the autism spectrum are the novice players while peers are identified as the expert players, serving as role models and guides during the group process. The study is being conducted at the EMU Fletcher Building in Ypsilanti, which houses the Children’s Institute and the Autism Collaborative Center. The study has been approved by the EMU University Human Subjects Review Committee. Approximately 10 children will participate in this study.
Play sessions will be video recorded to evaluate the progression of each session and to note the engagement of the players. All videos and observation records will be secured in a locked cabinet in the investigator’s research lab at Eastern Michigan University. Videos will be reviewed only by the principal investigator or graduate students trained to evaluate play sessions according to a format developed for the integrated play group model. Videotapes will be destroyed when data collection and analysis for the study is completed, within a period of 3 years. All graduate students have completed coursework in research methods and the ethical treatment of human subjects in research at Eastern Michigan University. Graduate research assistants are instructed in the specific confidentiality and data handling procedures for this investigation.
As part of the program, the peers (expert players) are provided with information about the nature of autism spectrum disorders and taught ways to assist children with the condition. Open-ended questions will be used at the initiation and termination of the program to understand the expert players’ feelings Interviews will be done in small groups and last 30-40 minutes. We will ask all parents of the participants to complete a questionnaire about their play styles and preferred activities. The questionnaire should take about 20 minutes to complete.
Confidentiality: Names of participants will not be reported in any findings. Pseudonyms will be used in research reports and presentations at professional meetings to maintain the confidentiality of the participants. The consent form which includes your name and any other identifying information will be stored separately from the results in the principal investigator’s office in a locked cabinet. At no time will your name or the name of your child be associated with the results. All data gathered during the project will be kept in a locked cabinet in the investigator’s locked research lab.
Expected Risks: Children may feel uncomfortable as the program begins. All efforts will be made to assist participants in the transition into the program. Sometimes children with autism become upset and disruptive when they are frustrated. If this happens during the play sessions, there are several adults who will be able to help them calm down and keep them from harming themselves or nearby others. The play groups will include 3-4 adults working with the children who can immediately intervene with and support all of the children.
Expected Benefits: We anticipate that there will be positive effects on the social skills of the children with autism and that opportunities to interact with their peers will increase as all students become more familiar and comfortable with their abilities. In addition, we expect that peers will become more familiar with persons with autism and will feel more comfortable in interacting with them in more spontaneous ways. Research has shown that here are many benefits to the children with autism who develop better social skills and to their peers who are more sensitive to individuals who have learning and performance differences.
Today however I"m afraid Tylers getting sick. And there is a little girl in his classroom right now that has a stomach virus and as well all know, sensory wise, Ty takes a long time to recovery from stomach bugs. He's refusing to eat today and is drinking very little, very lethargic compared to his normal self. Fingers crossed he'll be ok tomorrow.
Here are the details of the study that both Tyler and Ben will be participating in on Tuesdays and Thursdays after school:
Purpose of the Study: The purpose of this research study is to gain an understanding of the effect of an integrated play group on social skill development in children with autism spectrum disorders (ASD). In addition, we hope to gain a better understanding of how attitudes toward and acceptance of persons with disabilities are impacted among peers.
Procedure: Should you decide to allow your child to participate, he or she will be involved in a play program for children with autism and their peers. The program involves a small group of 3-5 children who will meet two times per week for approximately 45 minutes over a period of 2 or 3 months. Play sessions will be held primarily during late afternoons to accommodate daycare and school schedules. We are following the guidelines established in a field manual designed by Pamela Wolfberg for Integrated Play Groups. The integrated play group model was designed to support children with ASD of varying ages and abilities in shared play experiences with their typical peers. The model uses natural settings, well-designed play spaces and specifically-selected play materials. Play sessions are organized with consistent schedules and routines that foster familiarity and predictability. Children on the autism spectrum are the novice players while peers are identified as the expert players, serving as role models and guides during the group process. The study is being conducted at the EMU Fletcher Building in Ypsilanti, which houses the Children’s Institute and the Autism Collaborative Center. The study has been approved by the EMU University Human Subjects Review Committee. Approximately 10 children will participate in this study.
Play sessions will be video recorded to evaluate the progression of each session and to note the engagement of the players. All videos and observation records will be secured in a locked cabinet in the investigator’s research lab at Eastern Michigan University. Videos will be reviewed only by the principal investigator or graduate students trained to evaluate play sessions according to a format developed for the integrated play group model. Videotapes will be destroyed when data collection and analysis for the study is completed, within a period of 3 years. All graduate students have completed coursework in research methods and the ethical treatment of human subjects in research at Eastern Michigan University. Graduate research assistants are instructed in the specific confidentiality and data handling procedures for this investigation.
As part of the program, the peers (expert players) are provided with information about the nature of autism spectrum disorders and taught ways to assist children with the condition. Open-ended questions will be used at the initiation and termination of the program to understand the expert players’ feelings Interviews will be done in small groups and last 30-40 minutes. We will ask all parents of the participants to complete a questionnaire about their play styles and preferred activities. The questionnaire should take about 20 minutes to complete.
Confidentiality: Names of participants will not be reported in any findings. Pseudonyms will be used in research reports and presentations at professional meetings to maintain the confidentiality of the participants. The consent form which includes your name and any other identifying information will be stored separately from the results in the principal investigator’s office in a locked cabinet. At no time will your name or the name of your child be associated with the results. All data gathered during the project will be kept in a locked cabinet in the investigator’s locked research lab.
Expected Risks: Children may feel uncomfortable as the program begins. All efforts will be made to assist participants in the transition into the program. Sometimes children with autism become upset and disruptive when they are frustrated. If this happens during the play sessions, there are several adults who will be able to help them calm down and keep them from harming themselves or nearby others. The play groups will include 3-4 adults working with the children who can immediately intervene with and support all of the children.
Expected Benefits: We anticipate that there will be positive effects on the social skills of the children with autism and that opportunities to interact with their peers will increase as all students become more familiar and comfortable with their abilities. In addition, we expect that peers will become more familiar with persons with autism and will feel more comfortable in interacting with them in more spontaneous ways. Research has shown that here are many benefits to the children with autism who develop better social skills and to their peers who are more sensitive to individuals who have learning and performance differences.
Wednesday, November 2, 2011
!
Halloween was spectacular! Tyler actually let me draw a mask on him...the downfall is that it was waterproof eyeliner and we couldn't get it off with normal baby wash so he went to school on Tues with a mask until we could get some eye make up remover :) Ben was fun this year, he wanted to visit certain houses versus get candy. we had one house in our neighborhood with tons of decorations and to our surprise, they had a haunted house. Apparently this is smoothing they do every year. Ty and I waited outside while Grandma, Ben and Dad went through the haunted house. Shortly after that we all went home. Leah (batgirl) handed out candy for us.
Thanks to everyone who donated to the RunAThon, Tyler completed 3.5 laps for his gen ed kindergarten class and guess what....they won!! There was a winning class in each grade, yeah Ty! We also learned that they raised the 10,000 they needed to buy the playground equipment.
Ty's teacher sends a notebook home of notes each day in his backpack and we are loving all the positive feedback, I wanted to share a little:
10/25 "Tyler had an excellent day today. I had an observation with Dr. DeYoung (principal) and Tyler 'wowed' him like crazy. We did a two way sort activity and he spelled all the words correct before he stamped the letters."
10/26 "During calendar today I asked Tyler how many days we've been in school. Yesterday was 36 and that's what our classroom chart showed. So he answered "37". He "blew" us away."
11/1 "Tyler counted by 5's today (with his Dynavox) up to 40 and then hit "41" to tell how many days we've been in school"
11/2 "Tyler had a good morning. The TA was amazed by his sentence typing during seatwork today."
We are so looking forward to his parent teacher conference next week. If I could have one dream it would be that Tyler will eventually go on as an adult with a diagnosis of Aspergers and be able to live a safe, happy and independent life as a "geeky" adult:) I am so very proud of him.
Our neighbor works at EMU and she texted me today that she saw my speech at the ribbon cutting ceremony at the ACC/Childrens Institute . I asked how and for some reason it was showed during a meeting today at EMU of about 25 ppl. I'm thinking, oh great, everyone saw me crying. But then she said that the whole room was crying when they watched. I'm proud to have made an impact. Promised Ty long ago that I'd do whatever I could to help and well I feel like hearing it first hand vs reading stats on a piece of paper can make all the difference.
Speaking of the ACC, a play group/study opportunity has come up. It looks like both the boys may be involved on Tuesday's and Thursdays and it may help foster a better "playing" relationship between the two boys:) We are at the beginning stages so more to come on that later but the best part as since it's a study it doesn't cost a thing, yeah. We are still trying to recover financially from 3 years of crazy.
So excited because this weekend will be the first time in a year that Steve and I get to sleep in together in our own bed as our kids will not be home, yeah! The boys are staying with Steves Dad and step mom on Saturday so we can go to a wedding reception. SOOOOOO excited, thanks guys!
Happy fall to all.
xoxo
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