Posts
Please read the first one if you want to know how TYler is doing. The article didn't come through well so I'm posting it again in better color.
Here's the article I was talking about. Please take the time to read it, it's really good. Autism Awareness Month begins tomorrow. Thank you all for being a part of Tyler's life.One CNN manager recently learned -- at 48 -- that she has Asperger's syndrome, a form of autism. Today she shares an inside view of life with the condition.ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Recently, at 48 years of age, I was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome. For most of my life, I knew that I was "other," not quite like everyone else. I searched for years for answers and found none, until an assignment at work required me to research autism. During that research, I found in the lives of other people with Asperger's threads of similarity that led to the diagnosis. Although having the diagnosis has been cathartic, it does not change the "otherness." It only confirms it.Unraveling the mystery CNN reports on the world impact and latest science concerning the developmental syndrome of autism in a global investigation.All day Wednesday, April 2 see full schedule » When I talk to people about this aspect of myself, they always want to know what it means to be an "Aspie," as opposed to a "Neurotypical" (NT). Oh, dear, where to start . ...The one thing people seem to know about Asperger's, if they know anything at all, is the geek factor. Bill Gates is rumored to be an Aspie. We tend to have specialized interests, and we will talk about them, ad infinitum, whether you are interested or not. Recognizing my tendency to soliloquize, I often choose silence, although perhaps not often enough. Due to our extensive vocabularies and uninflected manner of speaking, we are called "little professors," or arrogant.WHAT IS ASPERGER'S? Asperger's syndrome is a developmental disorder that is part of the autism spectrum. Signs and symptoms of Asperger's syndrome include:Engaging in one-sided, long-winded conversations, without noticing if the listener is listening or trying to change the subjectDisplaying unusual nonverbal communication, such as lack of eye contact, few facial expressions, or awkward body postures and gesturesShowing an intense obsession with one or two specific, narrow subjects, such as baseball statistics, train schedules, weather or snakesAppearing not to understand, empathize with, or be sensitive to others' feelingsHaving a hard time "reading" other people or understanding humorSpeaking in a voice that is monotonous, rigid or unusually fastMoving clumsily, with poor coordinationHaving an odd posture or a rigid gaitSource: MayoClinic.comI don't quite understand small talk, and early in my adult life, solecisms were frequent. At meetings, I launch into business without the expected social acknowledgments. It's not that I don't care about people, I am just very focused on task. Do you have to rehearse greeting people to reinforce that you should do it? I do.I am lucky to have a very dear friend who savors my eccentricities. She laughs, lovingly, about one particular evening at a restaurant. Before she could get seated, I asked her what she knew about the golden ratio and began to spew everything I know about it. I re-emphasize how lucky I am to have her as a friend, because this incident occurred long before I was diagnosed.A misconception is that Aspies do not have a sense of humor. It is true that we can be very literal, so we often miss the humor in everyday banter, but we can and do enjoy even subtle humor. Our literal interpretations, however, can be problematic.In first grade, whenever someone made a mess in the classroom, the teacher would ask a student to get the janitor. The student would come back with Mr. Jones (not really his name), who carried a broom and large folding dustpan. When I was asked to get the janitor, I looked all over the school and reported back to the teacher that I could not find it. After all, the person was Mr. Jones, so the janitor must be the object, right?I lack the ability to see emotion in most facial expressions. I compensate for this deficiency by listening to the inflections in people's voices and using logic to determine emotional context. The words people choose, their movements, or even how quickly they exit a meeting can provide clues to emotion.I also have intensified senses -- touch, taste, smell, sight, and sound -- so I am attuned to lights, noise, textures, and smells. In a "busy" environment, I will eventually go into sensory overload and my mind will go blank. When this happens, I have to "go away" mentally for a brief period to regain focus. When I "return," I have to piece together what occurred while I was "away." The additional mental processing I must do to function every day is fatiguing, and I don't handle "ad hoc" very well. Being asked to respond quickly in the midst of all this other processing is difficult, sometimes impossible.I am so sensitive to touch that a tickle hurts me. This is the hardest concept for most people to understand. How can a tickle hurt? All I can tell you is that it does, so I avoid being touched except by those who have learned how to touch me.Hugs are dispensed infrequently, but if I do hug someone, I resemble Frankenstein's monster, arms extended to control contact. When my dad (who I suspect is an Aspie, too) and I hug, we both have "the approach." We sometimes miss and have to re-approach a couple of times until a brief, awkward hug is achieved.In school, other children noted my differences, and I was bullied (and tickled into fits of despair) for years. Already needing extended periods of time alone, my response was to become even more of a loner. Uh oh. When you are weird, you are a joke. When you are a loner, you frighten people. It's always the quiet ones. ...I am married (wow!), and my brilliant husband is an absolute sweetheart. I don't know any other man who has the self-confidence to be pushed away (sometimes sharply), both physically and mentally, as often as he has been. He has been gentle and patient (and, yes, frequently emotionally depleted) as we both worked through my need for space, tendency to go so deep into my own world that the real world and everyone in it cease to exist, and sensitivity to touch during the 26 (soon to be 27) years of our marriage.I live with anxiety, because the world can be overwhelming and people have expectations that I always, sooner or later, fail to meet. I cannot begin to tell you how many times I have been told that I am rude, inaccessible or cold, yet I have never purposely tried to harm anyone, nor do I mean to be, well, mean.I could tell you so much more, but instead let me share one last insight. Don't pity me or try to cure or change me. If you could live in my head for just one day, you might weep at how much beauty I perceive in the world with my exquisite senses. I would not trade one small bit of that beauty, as overwhelming and powerful as it can be, for "normalcy." E-mail to a friend
Monday, March 31, 2008
03/31/08
If you are reading this today, I apologize for the length. There is an article attached at the bottom that I'd like you to read. I am always interested in reading stories from adults with autism in regards to how they feel, etc. Tyler can't tell us how he feels or what the future holds so I am always fascinated to hear about adults.
Ok, so here are the most recent Tyler update. Tyler did very well at the clinic on Friday. He was engaged for long period of times in activities. We are going to try to get a copy of the session on DVD so people can see how we work with him since it was such a good example.
Tyler is really doing well on vocalizations and receptive language. This weekend he made the "m" sound for his milk when I was giving it to him" and he also made the "d" sound when I was waiting to get him down from his chair until he made some sort of vocalization. I just kept saying down and motioning "down" with my hand and he made that sound so I let him down. In terms of receptive language... I said "let's go bye bye" on friday and he headed for the door without any prompting on my part. He did the same thing yesterday when it was time to take a bath. I said, ok we are going upstairs, Tyler let's go up, and he headed to the gate. This is huge. Steve is sick right now and spent most of hte weekend in the bedroom so Tyler didn't see him much. Steve came into the boys room last night so I could get some laundry out of the dryer to make their beds and as soon as Tyler saw him he said "da, da, da,da" which is the first time we've been sure that he's usuing that sound with meaning. Yeah Tyler. His overall language skills have really improved over the last few months.
On a therapy note.. Tyler and I visited the beauty salon on Saturday as recommended by Carrie to get him used to the people, sounds, lights, environment, etc. He did very well. I had him sit on the chair with me and play with his phone while I messed around with his hair, etc. We are hoping to do this again at least one more time before his appt and hopefully all will go well with the next hair cut.
Here's the article I was talking about. Please take the time to read it, it's really good. Autism Awareness Month begins tomorrow. Thank you all for being a part of Tyler's life.
One CNN manager recently learned -- at 48 -- that she has Asperger's syndrome, a form of autism. Today she shares an inside view of life with the condition.
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Recently, at 48 years of age, I was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome. For most of my life, I knew that I was "other," not quite like everyone else. I searched for years for answers and found none, until an assignment at work required me to research autism. During that research, I found in the lives of other people with Asperger's threads of similarity that led to the diagnosis. Although having the diagnosis has been cathartic, it does not change the "otherness." It only confirms it.
Unraveling the mystery CNN reports on the world impact and latest science concerning the developmental syndrome of autism in a global investigation.All day Wednesday, April 2 see full schedule » When I talk to people about this aspect of myself, they always want to know what it means to be an "Aspie," as opposed to a "Neurotypical" (NT). Oh, dear, where to start . ...
The one thing people seem to know about Asperger's, if they know anything at all, is the geek factor. Bill Gates is rumored to be an Aspie. We tend to have specialized interests, and we will talk about them, ad infinitum, whether you are interested or not. Recognizing my tendency to soliloquize, I often choose silence, although perhaps not often enough. Due to our extensive vocabularies and uninflected manner of speaking, we are called "little professors," or arrogant.
WHAT IS ASPERGER'S? Asperger's syndrome is a developmental disorder that is part of the autism spectrum. Signs and symptoms of Asperger's syndrome include:
Engaging in one-sided, long-winded conversations, without noticing if the listener is listening or trying to change the subject
Displaying unusual nonverbal communication, such as lack of eye contact, few facial expressions, or awkward body postures and gestures
Showing an intense obsession with one or two specific, narrow subjects, such as baseball statistics, train schedules, weather or snakes
Appearing not to understand, empathize with, or be sensitive to others' feelings
Having a hard time "reading" other people or understanding humor
Speaking in a voice that is monotonous, rigid or unusually fast
Moving clumsily, with poor coordination
Having an odd posture or a rigid gait
Source: MayoClinic.com
I don't quite understand small talk, and early in my adult life, solecisms were frequent. At meetings, I launch into business without the expected social acknowledgments. It's not that I don't care about people, I am just very focused on task. Do you have to rehearse greeting people to reinforce that you should do it? I do.
I am lucky to have a very dear friend who savors my eccentricities. She laughs, lovingly, about one particular evening at a restaurant. Before she could get seated, I asked her what she knew about the golden ratio and began to spew everything I know about it. I re-emphasize how lucky I am to have her as a friend, because this incident occurred long before I was diagnosed.
A misconception is that Aspies do not have a sense of humor. It is true that we can be very literal, so we often miss the humor in everyday banter, but we can and do enjoy even subtle humor. Our literal interpretations, however, can be problematic.
In first grade, whenever someone made a mess in the classroom, the teacher would ask a student to get the janitor. The student would come back with Mr. Jones (not really his name), who carried a broom and large folding dustpan. When I was asked to get the janitor, I looked all over the school and reported back to the teacher that I could not find it. After all, the person was Mr. Jones, so the janitor must be the object, right?
I lack the ability to see emotion in most facial expressions. I compensate for this deficiency by listening to the inflections in people's voices and using logic to determine emotional context. The words people choose, their movements, or even how quickly they exit a meeting can provide clues to emotion.
I also have intensified senses -- touch, taste, smell, sight, and sound -- so I am attuned to lights, noise, textures, and smells. In a "busy" environment, I will eventually go into sensory overload and my mind will go blank. When this happens, I have to "go away" mentally for a brief period to regain focus. When I "return," I have to piece together what occurred while I was "away." The additional mental processing I must do to function every day is fatiguing, and I don't handle "ad hoc" very well. Being asked to respond quickly in the midst of all this other processing is difficult, sometimes impossible.
I am so sensitive to touch that a tickle hurts me. This is the hardest concept for most people to understand. How can a tickle hurt? All I can tell you is that it does, so I avoid being touched except by those who have learned how to touch me.
Hugs are dispensed infrequently, but if I do hug someone, I resemble Frankenstein's monster, arms extended to control contact. When my dad (who I suspect is an Aspie, too) and I hug, we both have "the approach." We sometimes miss and have to re-approach a couple of times until a brief, awkward hug is achieved.
In school, other children noted my differences, and I was bullied (and tickled into fits of despair) for years. Already needing extended periods of time alone, my response was to become even more of a loner. Uh oh. When you are weird, you are a joke. When you are a loner, you frighten people. It's always the quiet ones. ...
I am married (wow!), and my brilliant husband is an absolute sweetheart. I don't know any other man who has the self-confidence to be pushed away (sometimes sharply), both physically and mentally, as often as he has been. He has been gentle and patient (and, yes, frequently emotionally depleted) as we both worked through my need for space, tendency to go so deep into my own world that the real world and everyone in it cease to exist, and sensitivity to touch during the 26 (soon to be 27) years of our marriage.
I live with anxiety, because the world can be overwhelming and people have expectations that I always, sooner or later, fail to meet. I cannot begin to tell you how many times I have been told that I am rude, inaccessible or cold, yet I have never purposely tried to harm anyone, nor do I mean to be, well, mean.
I could tell you so much more, but instead let me share one last insight. Don't pity me or try to cure or change me. If you could live in my head for just one day, you might weep at how much beauty I perceive in the world with my exquisite senses. I would not trade one small bit of that beauty, as overwhelming and powerful as it can be, for "normalcy." E-mail to a friend
Ok, so here are the most recent Tyler update. Tyler did very well at the clinic on Friday. He was engaged for long period of times in activities. We are going to try to get a copy of the session on DVD so people can see how we work with him since it was such a good example.
Tyler is really doing well on vocalizations and receptive language. This weekend he made the "m" sound for his milk when I was giving it to him" and he also made the "d" sound when I was waiting to get him down from his chair until he made some sort of vocalization. I just kept saying down and motioning "down" with my hand and he made that sound so I let him down. In terms of receptive language... I said "let's go bye bye" on friday and he headed for the door without any prompting on my part. He did the same thing yesterday when it was time to take a bath. I said, ok we are going upstairs, Tyler let's go up, and he headed to the gate. This is huge. Steve is sick right now and spent most of hte weekend in the bedroom so Tyler didn't see him much. Steve came into the boys room last night so I could get some laundry out of the dryer to make their beds and as soon as Tyler saw him he said "da, da, da,da" which is the first time we've been sure that he's usuing that sound with meaning. Yeah Tyler. His overall language skills have really improved over the last few months.
On a therapy note.. Tyler and I visited the beauty salon on Saturday as recommended by Carrie to get him used to the people, sounds, lights, environment, etc. He did very well. I had him sit on the chair with me and play with his phone while I messed around with his hair, etc. We are hoping to do this again at least one more time before his appt and hopefully all will go well with the next hair cut.
Here's the article I was talking about. Please take the time to read it, it's really good. Autism Awareness Month begins tomorrow. Thank you all for being a part of Tyler's life.
One CNN manager recently learned -- at 48 -- that she has Asperger's syndrome, a form of autism. Today she shares an inside view of life with the condition.
ATLANTA, Georgia (CNN) -- Recently, at 48 years of age, I was diagnosed with Asperger's syndrome. For most of my life, I knew that I was "other," not quite like everyone else. I searched for years for answers and found none, until an assignment at work required me to research autism. During that research, I found in the lives of other people with Asperger's threads of similarity that led to the diagnosis. Although having the diagnosis has been cathartic, it does not change the "otherness." It only confirms it.
Unraveling the mystery CNN reports on the world impact and latest science concerning the developmental syndrome of autism in a global investigation.All day Wednesday, April 2 see full schedule » When I talk to people about this aspect of myself, they always want to know what it means to be an "Aspie," as opposed to a "Neurotypical" (NT). Oh, dear, where to start . ...
The one thing people seem to know about Asperger's, if they know anything at all, is the geek factor. Bill Gates is rumored to be an Aspie. We tend to have specialized interests, and we will talk about them, ad infinitum, whether you are interested or not. Recognizing my tendency to soliloquize, I often choose silence, although perhaps not often enough. Due to our extensive vocabularies and uninflected manner of speaking, we are called "little professors," or arrogant.
WHAT IS ASPERGER'S? Asperger's syndrome is a developmental disorder that is part of the autism spectrum. Signs and symptoms of Asperger's syndrome include:
Engaging in one-sided, long-winded conversations, without noticing if the listener is listening or trying to change the subject
Displaying unusual nonverbal communication, such as lack of eye contact, few facial expressions, or awkward body postures and gestures
Showing an intense obsession with one or two specific, narrow subjects, such as baseball statistics, train schedules, weather or snakes
Appearing not to understand, empathize with, or be sensitive to others' feelings
Having a hard time "reading" other people or understanding humor
Speaking in a voice that is monotonous, rigid or unusually fast
Moving clumsily, with poor coordination
Having an odd posture or a rigid gait
Source: MayoClinic.com
I don't quite understand small talk, and early in my adult life, solecisms were frequent. At meetings, I launch into business without the expected social acknowledgments. It's not that I don't care about people, I am just very focused on task. Do you have to rehearse greeting people to reinforce that you should do it? I do.
I am lucky to have a very dear friend who savors my eccentricities. She laughs, lovingly, about one particular evening at a restaurant. Before she could get seated, I asked her what she knew about the golden ratio and began to spew everything I know about it. I re-emphasize how lucky I am to have her as a friend, because this incident occurred long before I was diagnosed.
A misconception is that Aspies do not have a sense of humor. It is true that we can be very literal, so we often miss the humor in everyday banter, but we can and do enjoy even subtle humor. Our literal interpretations, however, can be problematic.
In first grade, whenever someone made a mess in the classroom, the teacher would ask a student to get the janitor. The student would come back with Mr. Jones (not really his name), who carried a broom and large folding dustpan. When I was asked to get the janitor, I looked all over the school and reported back to the teacher that I could not find it. After all, the person was Mr. Jones, so the janitor must be the object, right?
I lack the ability to see emotion in most facial expressions. I compensate for this deficiency by listening to the inflections in people's voices and using logic to determine emotional context. The words people choose, their movements, or even how quickly they exit a meeting can provide clues to emotion.
I also have intensified senses -- touch, taste, smell, sight, and sound -- so I am attuned to lights, noise, textures, and smells. In a "busy" environment, I will eventually go into sensory overload and my mind will go blank. When this happens, I have to "go away" mentally for a brief period to regain focus. When I "return," I have to piece together what occurred while I was "away." The additional mental processing I must do to function every day is fatiguing, and I don't handle "ad hoc" very well. Being asked to respond quickly in the midst of all this other processing is difficult, sometimes impossible.
I am so sensitive to touch that a tickle hurts me. This is the hardest concept for most people to understand. How can a tickle hurt? All I can tell you is that it does, so I avoid being touched except by those who have learned how to touch me.
Hugs are dispensed infrequently, but if I do hug someone, I resemble Frankenstein's monster, arms extended to control contact. When my dad (who I suspect is an Aspie, too) and I hug, we both have "the approach." We sometimes miss and have to re-approach a couple of times until a brief, awkward hug is achieved.
In school, other children noted my differences, and I was bullied (and tickled into fits of despair) for years. Already needing extended periods of time alone, my response was to become even more of a loner. Uh oh. When you are weird, you are a joke. When you are a loner, you frighten people. It's always the quiet ones. ...
I am married (wow!), and my brilliant husband is an absolute sweetheart. I don't know any other man who has the self-confidence to be pushed away (sometimes sharply), both physically and mentally, as often as he has been. He has been gentle and patient (and, yes, frequently emotionally depleted) as we both worked through my need for space, tendency to go so deep into my own world that the real world and everyone in it cease to exist, and sensitivity to touch during the 26 (soon to be 27) years of our marriage.
I live with anxiety, because the world can be overwhelming and people have expectations that I always, sooner or later, fail to meet. I cannot begin to tell you how many times I have been told that I am rude, inaccessible or cold, yet I have never purposely tried to harm anyone, nor do I mean to be, well, mean.
I could tell you so much more, but instead let me share one last insight. Don't pity me or try to cure or change me. If you could live in my head for just one day, you might weep at how much beauty I perceive in the world with my exquisite senses. I would not trade one small bit of that beauty, as overwhelming and powerful as it can be, for "normalcy." E-mail to a friend
Thursday, March 27, 2008
3/27/08
Well looks like both the boys are catching colds. Tyler's has had a little bit of a runny nose for a day or two. Ben woke up this morning and said "nose is bothering you" ha! He still is trying to figure out the "I" "you" and "me".
Floor group went well today. one of the other toddler's took a preferred toy away from Tyler and he remained regulated, didn't really seem to care which is excellent! Also, the floor group leader (sheri) had a faux hair cut chair, etc. set up so Tyler could practice getting his hair cut. That went really well too. He had a chair, cape, scissors, a comb, etc. We had him sit in the chair for a minute or so to practice. We'll also be taking him into the salon a few times before the actual hair cut so he can get used to the environment. Big thanks to Sheri for helping us get Tyler ready for the real thing.
Today's session also went very well. Tyler was very well regulated today in spite of his cold. He signed for milk very clearly at snack time. I said milk and reached for it and then he signed it, fantastic! We'll continue this strategy where I say it and wait for him to sign, if he does not sign, I'll do hand over hand signing (making his hands sign it) and then give the milk.
He's really come a long way on puzzles. He used to not be intersted at all and now not only is he intersted he's matching up the pieces with their appropriate location. Next we'll work on receptive language and asking Tyler to point to cat, or cow, etc. We'll work up to this by pointing out the names and sounds of all the animals or whatever is in the puzzle. This is a wonderful foundation to build upon for all of his learning.
Carrie and I talked a lot today about how far we've come with Tyler, believe it or not, we are now entering the 6-month of the study. The last 2 video's, Carrie realized how well all the routines are coming along and how well regulated Tyler has become. So we are focusing on "up'ing the ante" We really need to push Tyler to make eye contact and sounds and push for that communication. Now instead of only forcing communication one out of every four times, we are going to wait for T yler to do it one out of ever two times (when well regulated). We are also going to focus more on independence, i.e. brushing his own teeth, throwing away his diaper, pulling up his pants, putting away his dishes, etc. Now that it's getting nicer out, we'll be working on some outdoor activities as well.
Feedback from last weeks session/Session notes:
We discussed strategies to make snack time more exciting to Tyler which included changing the locatino of Tyler's chair and having Tyler pick out a toy to bring to the table before he's put in his chair as we do with diaper changing time. We struggled last week with just getting Tyler to sit in his chair.
Car Routine: Looked good, Tyle rprovided consistent eye contract and vocalizations. He also did a job nice of following hte receptive direciton of "push" on several occasions. Caregiver uped the ante by holdoing out for more consistent eye contact coordinated with vocalizations. The caregiver did a good job moedling gestures "go" with an arm extension and point.
Book Routine: Since Tyler is now interested in books, but not always intersted in letting you participate with him in the book, we are going to work to each have a book and be pointing and talking about the book we have and then hope that Tyler eventually sees how fun our book is and wants to participate too. This may seem like a long shot but......he often brings us toys or wants us to see toys that we don't necessarily play with, he just wnats us to be around him as he plays so he is really starting to want that social interaction or at least having us near.
General feedback on all routines is that the caregiver is doing an excellent job of beginning and ending routines.
Signing, signing, signing..... very important to continue to model the signs since he's really picking up on imitation.
Floor group went well today. one of the other toddler's took a preferred toy away from Tyler and he remained regulated, didn't really seem to care which is excellent! Also, the floor group leader (sheri) had a faux hair cut chair, etc. set up so Tyler could practice getting his hair cut. That went really well too. He had a chair, cape, scissors, a comb, etc. We had him sit in the chair for a minute or so to practice. We'll also be taking him into the salon a few times before the actual hair cut so he can get used to the environment. Big thanks to Sheri for helping us get Tyler ready for the real thing.
Today's session also went very well. Tyler was very well regulated today in spite of his cold. He signed for milk very clearly at snack time. I said milk and reached for it and then he signed it, fantastic! We'll continue this strategy where I say it and wait for him to sign, if he does not sign, I'll do hand over hand signing (making his hands sign it) and then give the milk.
He's really come a long way on puzzles. He used to not be intersted at all and now not only is he intersted he's matching up the pieces with their appropriate location. Next we'll work on receptive language and asking Tyler to point to cat, or cow, etc. We'll work up to this by pointing out the names and sounds of all the animals or whatever is in the puzzle. This is a wonderful foundation to build upon for all of his learning.
Carrie and I talked a lot today about how far we've come with Tyler, believe it or not, we are now entering the 6-month of the study. The last 2 video's, Carrie realized how well all the routines are coming along and how well regulated Tyler has become. So we are focusing on "up'ing the ante" We really need to push Tyler to make eye contact and sounds and push for that communication. Now instead of only forcing communication one out of every four times, we are going to wait for T yler to do it one out of ever two times (when well regulated). We are also going to focus more on independence, i.e. brushing his own teeth, throwing away his diaper, pulling up his pants, putting away his dishes, etc. Now that it's getting nicer out, we'll be working on some outdoor activities as well.
Feedback from last weeks session/Session notes:
We discussed strategies to make snack time more exciting to Tyler which included changing the locatino of Tyler's chair and having Tyler pick out a toy to bring to the table before he's put in his chair as we do with diaper changing time. We struggled last week with just getting Tyler to sit in his chair.
Car Routine: Looked good, Tyle rprovided consistent eye contract and vocalizations. He also did a job nice of following hte receptive direciton of "push" on several occasions. Caregiver uped the ante by holdoing out for more consistent eye contact coordinated with vocalizations. The caregiver did a good job moedling gestures "go" with an arm extension and point.
Book Routine: Since Tyler is now interested in books, but not always intersted in letting you participate with him in the book, we are going to work to each have a book and be pointing and talking about the book we have and then hope that Tyler eventually sees how fun our book is and wants to participate too. This may seem like a long shot but......he often brings us toys or wants us to see toys that we don't necessarily play with, he just wnats us to be around him as he plays so he is really starting to want that social interaction or at least having us near.
General feedback on all routines is that the caregiver is doing an excellent job of beginning and ending routines.
Signing, signing, signing..... very important to continue to model the signs since he's really picking up on imitation.
Tuesday, March 25, 2008
3/25/08 Update
Tyler was doing very well this morning until he hit his head on the corner of the table. It took a good 20 minutes to get him back into the swing of things. The Easter bunny got him some new books which he really is intersted in. We've had trouble getting him engaged in book time or even looking at books so this is really good news. We are going to continue to work on books and try to make it one of the routines.
He was making really good eye contact and eye gazes today, i.e. look at toy, look at you, look back at toy, etc. He's also still doing really well at making sounds and you can tell he's working so hard to talk. Sometimes it's heartbreaking to think about the struggle he must be going through wanting so badly to talk and not being able too.
On a lighter note, Ben had jelly beans for the first time this weekend and was very insistent on having them for dinner last night. It was quite humorous watching him place this demand in a demon like fashion... It was all I could do to contain my laughter. Steve was at class so he missed it. But never fear, mom won that battle. Ben settled for a fishstick at the table before he could have any jelly beans.
He was making really good eye contact and eye gazes today, i.e. look at toy, look at you, look back at toy, etc. He's also still doing really well at making sounds and you can tell he's working so hard to talk. Sometimes it's heartbreaking to think about the struggle he must be going through wanting so badly to talk and not being able too.
On a lighter note, Ben had jelly beans for the first time this weekend and was very insistent on having them for dinner last night. It was quite humorous watching him place this demand in a demon like fashion... It was all I could do to contain my laughter. Steve was at class so he missed it. But never fear, mom won that battle. Ben settled for a fishstick at the table before he could have any jelly beans.
Friday, March 21, 2008
3/21/08 Happy Easter
Hello Everyone,
Yesterday, Tyler said Uh-Oh at least 3 times after I modeled the word for him. So hopefully soon he'll start connecting the meaning with the phrase. Make sure to use it anytime the phrase is appropriate, i.e. drop something, say uh-oh, etc. let's help Tyler reinforce the phrase.
Other news.. Tyler did fantastic at the clinic today. For the first time, he paid attention to the little pretend kitchen. He's never noticed it before and frankly it's a very hard concept to grasp since it involves pretend play which is very hard for a toddler with autism. Tyler has also begin throwing balls in the past weeks which is new.
Tyler's communication is really coming along. Please remember that kids go through many stages of communication, they just usually go through them so fast you aren't aware they are happening so when I tell you the progress Tyler's made, please know that it is very signifincant to have happend in 4 months even if it doesn't seem that way to an outsider.
Yesterday, Tyler said Uh-Oh at least 3 times after I modeled the word for him. So hopefully soon he'll start connecting the meaning with the phrase. Make sure to use it anytime the phrase is appropriate, i.e. drop something, say uh-oh, etc. let's help Tyler reinforce the phrase.
Other news.. Tyler did fantastic at the clinic today. For the first time, he paid attention to the little pretend kitchen. He's never noticed it before and frankly it's a very hard concept to grasp since it involves pretend play which is very hard for a toddler with autism. Tyler has also begin throwing balls in the past weeks which is new.
Tyler's communication is really coming along. Please remember that kids go through many stages of communication, they just usually go through them so fast you aren't aware they are happening so when I tell you the progress Tyler's made, please know that it is very signifincant to have happend in 4 months even if it doesn't seem that way to an outsider.
- At the beginning of the study, Tyler had very limited eye contact and was not using any sounds to get what he wanted or using any gestures, etc.
- First step: Tyler began improving eye contact to get what he wanted and then began using the hand pull.
- Tyler began using the handpull very consistently along with the eye contact.
- Just recently (last two weeks), Tyler has been using the hand pull, eye contact, and a sound to get what he wants. This started with the cars,.. i.e. we'd go Ready, Set, and then hold out for go (pushign the car) until he made a sound (he also makes gestures) and then we'd let the car go. We'd only do this one out of every 4 times so he didn't get frustrated and the game was still fun.
- Now that sound is beginning to generalize in all aspects of getting what he wants. For example, we played with a tub of water today at the clinic and I was pouring water from a cup. I'd say one and pour then stop and then say 2 and pour and then stop and then hold out on 3 for a sound and of course he' d make the sound. THen I elminated the one, two prompt and wouldn't start pouring (after I initially filled the cup) until he made the sound. He did this very well today and was very engaged for a full 10 minutes.
Yesterday's session went well too> We worked more on bathtub. The Bath is a very preferred for Tyler so we have to work hard at helping him transition out of the bathtub to prevent frustration and this went well yesterday. We make sure to have a clear ending by starting to drain the water while we have bubble play. This is consistent and indicates to Tyler that bathtme is coming to an end. Then we make the dring off time very fun with peek aboo with the towel. Once we are done drying, we have a video for him playing so help him get through "dress time".
So along with that we worked on snack time. And talked a lot about how to handle keeping Tyler regulated and eating while he's at the table. We talked about supports and having a lot of supports at the beginning and then slowly beginning to provide less exciting prompts to ensure the beginning of snack time is successful and then we can slowly work to get him less focused on the prompts and more focused on me. Example: On days we know Tyler is not likely to eat and is having a hard time staying regulated we start by putting in a video to help keep him engaged.. on day's he's not eating well but fairly well regulated, we use other prmopts such as a small car rolling back and forth and asking him to look once in a while or make sounds while eating or we also are just beginning to introduce finger puppets. On days when Tyler is well regulated and eating well, we'd start with just giving him his milk and then makign snack time fun with lots of songs, peek a boo, etc.
So that's about all I ahve time for right now. We do get a consultation (on a monthly basis) to have Carrie help Tyler and us with pretty much anything. So, we are going to use our March consultation to get Tyler's haircut which is a very painful process. Everyone can help initially get prepared for this by just occasionally touching Tyler's ears (softly) and rubbing his head, pullign up his hair like they woudl if he was going to cut it. We'll be getting out scissors so he can hear th sound over and over which he is very sensitive too (the sound of the scisssors actually cutting). So we are going to be doing all this for the next week (please help) so we can get him prepared for the actual haircut.
HAPPY EASTER ALL!
Monday, March 17, 2008
Happy St. Patricks Day!
Happy St. Patricks Day,
Not much to udpate here. We were full of birthday festivities this weekend. Thank you to everyone for everything.
Friday, March 14, 2008
3/14/08
Autism News from Director of Judson Center:
Many of you asked me to let you know what happened with the vote last night, and I am pleased to report that IT PASSED! They voted around 11:30 pm and we heard comments from the senator’s offices that there were an overwhelming number of callers from Michigan- the phone lines were jammed up for hours- and I truly think that we made a difference! Here is what Autism Speaks said:
“Autism Speaks sends heartfelt thanks to our many supporters in the Senate for their steadfast support of autism research funding. Senator Chris Dodd and Senator Susan Collins offered an amendment to the FY2009 Budget Resolution to increase funding for autism research, education and early detection by $197 million. This increase authorizes doubling of autism research funding. Additionally, Senator Arlen Specter and Senator Tom Harkin offered an amendment to increase research funding at the NIH by 2 billion in FY2009. Both amendments passed overwhelmingly. Thank you, Senators, for your efforts on behalf of children, adults, and families affected by autism.”
“Autism Speaks sends heartfelt thanks to our many supporters in the Senate for their steadfast support of autism research funding. Senator Chris Dodd and Senator Susan Collins offered an amendment to the FY2009 Budget Resolution to increase funding for autism research, education and early detection by $197 million. This increase authorizes doubling of autism research funding. Additionally, Senator Arlen Specter and Senator Tom Harkin offered an amendment to increase research funding at the NIH by 2 billion in FY2009. Both amendments passed overwhelmingly. Thank you, Senators, for your efforts on behalf of children, adults, and families affected by autism.”
Session Updates: I was quite sick yesterday so all of Tyler's normal activities were cancelled so mom could get some rest. However, we did resume the normal clinic appt today and Tyler was wonderful. Carrie commented on our video tape from Tuesday and how good it looked. Tyler is really doing well on imitation (sounds, gestures and actions) which is how children learn, so it is fantastic that he is now doing so much imitating! We are going to be able to teach him so much!
Things we are working on: Making sure Tyler throws away his diaper after each change. We also are starting to work with him on pulling up his pants after diaper change. During diaper change we are going to work on song time to try to keep his engagement (while giving him something to do with his hands).
I had both boys in the chair with me last night and Tyler was sitting still and Ben was the squirmy one! We couldn't have believed it either if we weren't there!
The whole reason I created this website was so that you would all be able to keep up with all of Tyler's treatments and progress w/o me having to talk to everyone individually. Plus this helps the therapists know what the other therapists are doing. However, just wanted to give a quick update on Ben.
Ben is really talking now. For the most part he's talking in sentences. When he gets really excited about something it can be hard to understand sometimes but he amazes me all the time. He's really quite funny!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY BOYS! Can' t believe they turn 2 already!
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