Hows about an update thread?

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Registered: 06-25-2003
Hows about an update thread?
11
Thu, 09-22-2005 - 8:40am

Now that most of our kids should be settling back into school/fall routines, I thought it woudl be nice to get some updates.

How are our kids doing back at school (or wherever)?. Aby big changes since last year?

How about outside of school? Any new classes/friends/sports activities?

And just as importantly: How are we moms doing? Was the adjustment to a big one? Any guilty pleasures to get us through the days?

-Paula

-Paula

visit my blog at www.onesickmother.com

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Registered: 03-27-2003
Thu, 09-22-2005 - 9:04am

For us the school year means added stress and an increase in the negative behaviors. Unfortuately I've alreay received a call from the teacher about missing assignments, which my ds says he doesn't know what they are. It's so difficult because he is capable of doing this, and not quite Asperger's enough for an aide, but he needs some sort of help. I'm just not sure how to help him. It's hard when he himself is not motivated to change.

The worst part, I think, is me. I can predict the problems and add to the anxiety of it all. I'm just so frustrated. I try to help him through assignments, but it's like he hears nothing I say and we both get aggitated. I think I'm in need of therapy just to deal with it all.

Okay, so I'm being negative, I am feeling pretty negative. On a more positive note, the church group has begun and I think it's great for him. In addition to the weekly meetings they have a monthly hang out, which he had a great time at. Since he doesn't have many friends I think this will really help him to build some social skills. There are a few kids from school that also go, and it was nice for him to come home and tell me how he saw so and so or how someone asked if he was going and if he needed a ride. He's definatley becoming more aware of social gatherings and activities, which is good. Last year he missed every dance cause he said noone told him about them. Then with the school play last year he wanted to be a part of but kept forgetting abou the rehersals.

Also of total shock he tried out for soccer. He was cut the first day but I was really proud of him for putting himself out there and trying, not to mention actually being aware that there were try outs and remembering when they were and to go.

So I guess it's not all bad.

Amanda

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Registered: 09-09-2005
Thu, 09-22-2005 - 9:39am

Well, we have been in kindergarten for almost three full weeks and yes, we have also had the first phone call home; mainly behavior associated with transition time, 'course the teacher didn't realize this until I mentioned it.

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Registered: 03-26-2003
Thu, 09-22-2005 - 9:57am

Golly, where to start. At the top I guess.

Cait, well middle school is tough. She is in a special asperger's program that is helpful and a good program but not quite up to the level I had been lead to believe. She is regressing behaviorally at home and homework is a particular struggle. I know I have already talked alot about her school stuff here. I called regional center yesterday and am getting a ed consultant again to go in and observe, etc.

Mike is doing STELLAR!!!!!!! He is on his 4th or 5th week of school and all reports are still excellent or good. He had a very slight slip last week when he found out the therapist was ditching him but he is back to doing well. Mainstreaming and all. have I mentioned I LOVE his teacher (same one as last year). He even had a issue with 2 boys in his class that he considers friends. These 2 boys are "mortal enemies" and don't want mike to hang out with the other. They got a bit mean about it at lunch the other day and Mike was obsessing over it. Nearly blew up BUT he regained his composure and had a good afternoon. THATS MY BOY!!! He still has his issues at home but he is not the same boy he was last year. He is MY boy again!

Emily is doing better with reading though I still don't think she is quite up to grade level. Otherwise she is doing well. Lots of boyfriends, lol. She has decided she is a tomboy and plays with the boys. Only wants to wear cammoflage pants. Thing is she is THE most girlie girl tomboy I have ever seen. Oh well, she can think she is.

Dave, WEllllllllll, I just got the first report yesterday that Dave is slipping. Ooops. He was doing perfect so far. Almost to where I was thinking that he really doesn't need any labels or supports. That he was going to grow out of it. REALITY CHECK. Nothing too horrible yet but a definite change and she is definitely getting the true dave. Trouble with transitions, trouble with listening, getting overstimulated by the boys around him, being a bit oppositional. Fortunately his teacher is a dream too. Mentioned it right away. Is huge on positive praise so I am sure we will work it out. He has an IEP and behavior supports if we need to implement them again. It worked for him before.

Me and hubby, well that is still on rocky ground. We had a good weekend last weekend but I think he still doesn't know what he wants. We are being nicer to each other but I am feeling like, dang it is hard to describe with out getting too personal, but there is still lots to work on. There is huge frustration in the therapist dept. Everyone we were recomended to near where he works isn't on our insurance and we have asked and asked and got over 20 names. We are both relunctant to play therapist roulette. His folks gave us the number for this religous weekend for couples in trouble. You are supposed to go meet with this other couple first. Can I tell you how much I DO NOT want to do that.

That actually is the quick version, lol. Well that is my world.

Renee

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Registered: 02-24-2005
Thu, 09-22-2005 - 10:54am

Weeelll, here it goes.

We started out the year with a plan to send Chase half day to minimize the stress a full day brings. He is in 2nd grade this year and I had bought all of his books and intended to teach science and social studies at home and anything he missed after I picked him up early. After just two days of this he had a complete meltdown while doing homework at the kitchen table. He didn't like doing schoolwork at home and was hitting himself in the head and crying. I didn't want to make a knee-jerk decision and respond to his intense emotional response because as we all know these meltdowns pass. But then he said something that changed my mind. He said he wanted home to be home and school to be school.

This made total sense. Home is Chase's refuge from the outside world and all we were doing was bringing all the stress of paying attention and focusing(big stressors and energy zappers) into his clubhouse,so to speak. He has been going full day ever since and doing really well. The only problem is that his new teacher isn't as diligent at making sure he knows what his homework is but we are working on this.

Also, I found a social skills group for him that is like 5 minutes from my house. The group he was going to join was mostly full of ADHD kids but she's going to form a new group around Chase and another AS boy who is also 7. We're really excited about this and I'm hopeful that this therapist is a good one.

Oh, and on our guilty indulgences while the kids are at school; I still have my 3yr old with me but I do generally lie down for an hour nap after dropping the kids off with my little guy. We call it our snuggle time.

Regards,
Vicky

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Registered: 06-25-2003
Thu, 09-22-2005 - 12:20pm

So far so good (knock on wood)

Peter is doing AWESOMELY. He just started 2nd with the same class and teacher was last year. They all just settled right into thir routine LOL. Mr H is very pleased at the progress Peter has made over the summer, particularly with his reading and flexibility (yep, camp out with regular kids will do that). We don't have his full schedule for services -only speech so far, but that should happen soon. Mainstreaming is going to start in a couple of weeks for Math and Spanish (although this is the mainstream plan: Put 3 SpEd boys and two of their aides into the mainstream class of 17, one teacher, one aide: =20 kids, 4 adults LOL!). I think later in the year, they will try to mainstream Peter for science again. -that failed last year.

The bad news: Blood in his urine AGAIN! More tests....

Siobhan *appears* to be doing well in K (mainstreamed with a shared aide in a class of 24 kids), but is showing signs of stress. She has been waking up at night screaming, complaining of nightmares. I sent in a note to the teacher and asked the OT to keep an eye on her for sensory issues. I did start brushing/JCs again before bed and she has not woken again since. Will montior the situation.

I have been interviewing with a NYC company, and according to the recruiter (-grabbing a fistful of salt), It's between me and one other person (assume "guy"), and I am the preferred candidate. We'll see what happens. I will know either way next week.

I think have to change guilty pleasures. It used to be lunch and "Starting Over" on NBC, but the new series is all couples, and I am not liking that as much as the women only show.

Oh and we want to adopt a new cat, but we haven't told the kids yet.

-Paula

-Paula

visit my blog at www.onesickmother.com
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Registered: 01-19-2005
Thu, 09-22-2005 - 12:37pm

Since Eric started pre-k this year at age 3, we are newbies to the whole school thing. But he is doing really well, thriving in the TEACCH oriented LEAP program and really beginning to integrate some of the social things he is learning at school into daily life. For example, he almost always greets people correctly with prompting and his pronouns are starting to get straightened out.

You may remember that early intervention dumped us last spring before Eric turned 3 b/c he "was doing too well." Our insurance, of course, would not cover therapy. But after Eric majorly regressed, we bit the bullet and sprang for private OT and ST and are thrilled with the new therapists. We think we finally have the right combo for Eric of therapy and school setting. He is back on track now. Life is good.

However, when Eric comes home after school it's major stim city. At first it bothered me, but he is not regressing in other ways. I think it is just his way of relaxing. So I let him spin his tops, spin anything in sight, humming continuously, even though it bothers me. He usually quits after a little bit. I used to do "therapy homework" after school, but then decided the little guy needs a break. I am finding the mini-trampoline and "run around outside" time to be more important than ever.

My guilty pleasure: vanilla ice cream with chocolate topping. As we are gfcf, I have to eat it after Eric is in bed, which makes it seem more sinful and satisfying!

Katherine

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Registered: 10-03-2004
Thu, 09-22-2005 - 1:36pm

I've been updating since Day Camp end, but again : Malcolm (age 8, PDD-NOS) is back at ASD school and his anxiety is almost gone, therefore he is doing great! I once again have the fight of getting his teachers to know that he IS an ASD kid, even though very connected and so much more "normal" than other kids he is with, they tend to think he should "get" everything because so often he does... Tuff 'cuz he doesn't LOOK like he doesn't hear. He needs much more challenging math yet again, but I know with a little elbow grease, I can get them on board soon. In the meantime, Malcolm is enjoying his 15 min. homework assignments and being back at school. His new class (mix of some kids he was in class with last year, and some of the older kids he did reading and math with) sounds like eventually it will be a good class for him and he actively likes (as a real friend) at least 2 kids this year in his class, as opposed with only 1 last year.

Outside of school, he is back in talk therapy and sports therapy, Tae Kwondo and swimming (where everyone has noticed huge physical skills strides since the summer, leading me to believe he must have participated more in sports in Camp than I was aware of...) Talk therapist has commented on more disconnection and anxiety but mixed with periods of intense relatedness and humour, so she is not concerned.

He started chess in NT After School program with best pal, and LOVES it. We will enroll him in larger Tae Kwondo class in a few weeks and see how that goes as well. We notice loads more involved conversations going on with both his NT and ASD friends, both on phone and during playdates. Now, when he and friends are talking, they walk out of range so I can't even hear anymore... So so far, all is well.

Guilty pleasure : None, really. OK, chocolate every day, I'm into Thin Mints at the moment. Out of good books (any recommendations, sexy, mystery, funny novels?) and anyways, every time I try to read I fall asleep... Tired, way too tired, working too many hours, need to fix up my apt. but too exhausted and too broke to hire anyone to do more than the every-other-week cleaning I already do have done. Wearing blinders as I walk through my house. Thank God for once a week date with my husband, but I DON'T feel guilty about that! That is the only reason I am still married. Actually, I never feel guilty about chocolate, either, I need something to look forward to in a day!!!

Sara
ilovemalcolm

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Registered: 03-26-2003
Thu, 09-22-2005 - 4:18pm

Good idea Paula!


Well, I think we are off to a good start.

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Registered: 03-26-2003
Thu, 09-22-2005 - 6:18pm

Hmmmm, good books.

Well if you want sexy go for Nora roberts. LOL. ANything by her.

Recently I read a few by Dean Koontz that are awesome. I loved "Odd Thomas" though it was one of those that haunted me for days. "Lightening" was good. I really loved "by the light of the moon" in which one of the main chars is autistic but with or without him the book was incredible.

I have a list a mile long.

Oh and guilty pleasures, did I forget to write that. Heck I think we all know my guilty pleasure. A nice glass of red wine. Trying to lose weight so keeping it to a glass or 2 on the weekends. What a bummer. No fun left in my life. Trying to cut back on caffiene, sugar is not allowed in house. Geez. No wonder I am stressed.

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Fri, 09-23-2005 - 6:52am

mystery/crime: I have recently gotten into Val Mcdiarmid. "The distant echo" is v. good.

My favorite author is Wally Lamb, but he falls into none of your peferred categories.

-Paula

-Paula

visit my blog at www.onesickmother.com

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