Aspergers/Autism/Sensory Integration Chatter #3

[deletedit]

As I've said elsewhere, I'm a bit of a discipline nazi (for the important stuff anyway, I'm also a messy person so I don't give two hoots about mess as long as it doesn't smell, isn't sticky and you can still walk around the house without injury - and it does actually get cleaned up occasionally not be permanent) so DD#1 is quite well behaved, very good at school, etc etc. The little one has picked up what we try and impart better than the big one so she's politer and more helpful but she's two so it comes with tantrums It helps that DD#1 doesn't generally ask questions, so she doesn't ever nag for anything (she hints and complains instead), and this makes her look extremely well behaved. So none of her teachers have ever flagged an issue. They use words like 'intriguing' about her stories of people being murdered in horrible ways, with illustrations to match (her life-long favourite topic).

I have a feeling that if I just let DD#1 get away with everything she wants to get away with and not give her any boundaries, or make idle threats that aren't followed through (all of which happen sometimes when she is visiting other people), she'd be really horrible, as she often is when she comes back from holidays. But this applies to any child.

[Lulu]

I'm reading all sorts of (awesome) books lately - but I still haven't worked out the death/kill thing! DS is currently reading a book on tanks in the military.

mrsmac, he did go to preschool and I worked pretty closely with the teacher (spoke to her nearly every session etc), she didn't give me any indication he wouldn't be ready for school.....but then again I missed the last parent/kinder interview. I since find via the psych who did his assesment that she felt he wasn't ready. We spoke often about my choice of school etc so I was a bit surprised to hear that. Tbh, I don't think it would have made a difference as to how things turned out.

What else would I have done with a 5.5 year old if he didn't go to school? I just never considered an alternative tbh. He seemed pretty good in so many other ways....

[mrsmac]

I just wondered if the pre school had picked anything up, not very good that she never informed you he wasn't ready for school! As you say what the hell else would you do with him, its not like you can just decide to skip it!
How is he going at the new school? Is he there yet ?
I am feeling very down about it all today, doesn't help that my class have been off their faces because of the wind and I had staff meeting and now I have to tutor.
Anyone want to run away with me for a while?

[Lulu]

Not yet, hopefully next term. The principal is really dark on my homeschooling and really puts me off. I'm trying to keep up his letters and numbers but the neuro chick just laughed her ass off and said he'll pick that up in no time.

What I'm loving so much is now I have FINALLY managed to start off with specialists is the strength and reinforcement they give me. I don't write so much about his progress in here, cos no one else would get a word in edgewise so I started a blog (in my sig) just for DS and I. And so I can blat it all out and keep track. I'd better update tonight actually....

ETA - hell yeah, where are we going???

[murraysmum]

we have 2 set days for daycare now im so excited tuesday mornings 9am to 12.30 and thursdays 12.30 till 4.30
hes getting better with words no sentances
and the meltdowns well nothing i cant handle

hoping to get him ready for kindy next year but i dont want to send him if hes not ready its so hard to know when tho

[Lulu]

its always good to hear from you MM. Is young Murray seeing any specialists yet??

Cheers for a bit of a break and well done for handling those meltdowns. I didn't think I'd ever be able to handle it somedays. I felt like a fricken champion for getting though the day...now sometimes I am meh about it.

[murraysmum]

when he gets too much i take him to my mums and she takes over i think ild go narnas without my mum
the daycare are wonderful as its a verry small daycare he dosent get overwellmed on his days there are onlly 7 kids
atm they are setting up his early intervention and he needs to see his pead again soon for a review i moved house in may so the whole changing over of services has been slow verry slow still no OT or Speachy yet

[Lulu]

Oh that's great about daycare!

Bugger about the OT's and stuff. My dream off running away to the country have taken a back seat, I'd never be able to access any services for DS. I'm lucky to get into the ones we have. Everything gets full really quickly.

[murraysmum]

i was in esperance if u google it haha its a long 10 hr drive to perth for services or a 4 hr trip to kalgoolie
so i moved back to harvey where my mum is its rural but only a 2 hr drive to perth and i quallify for alott more then i did way out in woop woop
oh i love his daycare they meet all his needs perfectly and cause its a small town atleast most of the mums know me so i dont cope that oh that child gosh hes awful gospip
atm im trying to change his diet any pointers atm all he eats is cereal lamb chops apples and pasta dosent varry much wonder how i could introduce some new foods without wearing most of it

[Lulu]

All great news!

Got nothing on the food though. Have you tried Pentavite? I hide vegies where I can. DS has gotten really really fussy again. Driving me nuts.

[mrsmac]

Riley just ate an apple/strawberry puree!! Not much in the scheme of things but huge for us!The OT has made him a star chart for trying new foods, its been an uphill battle but he's up to 4 new things in 3 weeks LOL
Murray's mum- I hear you with the not many foods, Riley likes white or beige food (or mcnuggets LOL and he can tell if they aren't from McDs)

[murraysmum]

oh i try to trick murray with chops and for some reason he knows if ive cheated and got them fromt eh supermarket and not the butcher its weird
muz likes his food to be cutt up small devided on the plate and served in small portions at a time really frustrating cause i have to feed him first then eat after hes gone to bed cause i have no time to eat myself unless i wanna eat it cold
i have to say he is really good with bubba he hasnt hurt her yet but keeps trying to feed her pick her up and everytime shes asleep he screams at her till she wakes up poor bubba

[deletedit]

DS has gotten really really fussy again. Driving me nuts.

DD#1 is having the reverse at the moment. She's rather proudly listing all the things she likes now that she used to hate. Chips, jeans and tomato sauce top the list. And we had some really long discussion about something really weird and technical last night WITHOUT ARGUING and I can't remember what it was now ...

Ah that's right. Interstellar travel, the effect of no gravity on the human body, the speed of light, the speed of sound, lightning and thunder, and of course it always comes back to her favourite topic - the way you are most likely to die if you are hit by lightning. But no arguments!

Pinch me!

[Yeddi]

DD was diagnosed with her PPD last year. Over that time we have incrementally tried new things/therapies. Osteopath was one, which made a big difference because he put her on a GABA supplement. It not only changed some of her behaviour, but it also stopped her from having fits whenever she went over 37 degrees. Before that, if I thought she was going to have a temp I'd have to stalk her. Since starting she's had temps up to 39 degrees without fitting and I've seen the difference in her eyes and the smell of her breath because they were normally the give away of an impending fit.

Then we started (about six months ago) doing Sensory Integration Therapy and Extra Lesson through our local psychologist Marriane Judd. The differences were obvious, but mainly only to us in an everyday context. After the initial period we are now doing the at home program as part of our homeschooling Integrated Listening Systems Australia. Sound Learning Systems. Auditory, Listening Program, Sound Therapy, Australia which has been super beneficial. I can really tell the days when we have done our music time and when we haven't. (We do ENKI for homeschooling btw, if anyone is interested. It's expensive for a homeschool curriculum - about $800 a year to ship from America - but it is awesome and well worth it.

But the biggest change was with the diet, which was the GAPS (Gut and Psychology Syndrome) diet created by Dr N. Cambell-McBride, who has an autistic son herself. Very interesting reading, and makes lots of sense. I since come to truly believe that yeast-overgrowth is evil, particularly for my child. Balancing her good gut flora and removing yeast and yeast feeding foods from her diet has made the world of difference. Everyone comments on it. Those who don't know her would never guess she has any issues anymore. In fact, her public psychologist and therapy team have warned me that when they do the review in 6 months time, they're most probably going to have to take her off the spectrum. And I agree. She doesn't really belong there anymore. She still has some issues (like chewing metal and licking strange things), but it's worlds apart from where we were.

I encourage you all to look into some of these resources because they've made such a big difference in our lives, and having tools always helps.

[maz]

ya all

long time me no post. Hope everyone is well and dandy.

I have an appointment tomorrow its so I can get a scoail worker for me its only taken 3 years but Im finally going to get one. I had waited fo rhte lady from Hume services to get me one once Mario left their 'care' but was sick of never hearing from them so did it myself. Friday I have 2 social workers coming here to help from another organisation for if we need help, funding ect for Mario and Tank..HUGE step forward for us.

Mario had a speech therapist at school the other week...and instead of ringing me to chat she send home a picture chart for us to 'follow' and use...um if she would have taken the time to ask me she would have known we dont use them. So Ive left a message for her to contact me so we can discuss my son and 'our' teaching ways. Love how someone who doesnt know you try and change the way you do things that work in your house....grr one simple phone call and a min chat would sooo be better.

Hope everyone has checked out the other thread I popped up about getting a career's card and companion card. I received my application in the mail today so can take it tomorrow when we see our pead

[Lulu]

Why don't you use the picture chart Mazzie?

Does anyone know how much Boardmaker is?

[maz]

I saw quiet a few kids who were non verbal using the chart and refused to say a word after using them for years, even after showing signs of being verbal. I knew that Mario was verbal but was echolaliac so I worked on getting him to speak correctly rather then copy. It took me a long time but by the time he was at kinder he was able to comminicate verbally. I had ever dame specialist tell me what I had to do without either listening to me or brush off what I had to say as I was only a mum and hadn't studied the specturm.... I had an OT come here one day telling me I should do this and that (should is a pet hate word for me) and when I said brushing doesnt work for us she laughed at me and asked me what I would know....it took me alot not to punch her in the face. Her supervisor went very white (supervisor know's me personally) but I stood up...looked her in the eye and told her I llived it every ****ing day..is that not enough??!! Then I politely thanked her for coming but asked her to walk back out the front door she had walked in and forget were we lived.
I spoke to our pead about Mario and he said I know what works as the proof was infront of him. He has supported me so much with what Ive done and agree's the board is sueless for mario.

[mrsmac]

Lu- I am going to post you the cards Christy made! (just talked to her about it today in fact). The early intervention unit at my school has boardmaker but I don't know how much it costs- do you get Facsia or Dadec money?? I know my pupil's mum was looking at buying one with one of those allowances.

Maz- I am learning so much about the sensory stuff every day and I see how one thing work with one child and not another- YOU are your child's primary carer and know him and what works best.

Finally convinced school to pay for me to go to an inservice on ASD with Sue Larkey next week ! I am really excited to find out more info to help the boy in my class and any other spectrum kids I teach in the future. I think the dept ed is very lax in not providing these courses for all teachers. I will grab every handout I can and send them to anyone who wants them.