Trader Joe's To the Rescue, Again

 Now that James is getting accustomed to bathing more frequently and has started to was his hair himself, I have been looking for ways to make this easier for him. We already enjoyed success with the bathing chair. James picked out a great new hair style that's simplified hair care. Trader Joe's saw us coming:

A few weeks back, I came across this delightful, multi-task enabling soap. It's simplified bathing sessions and reduced time in the shower, which is great in a drought year. James mastered opening the bottle and using it. Thank you, Trader Joe's - another reason to love you.

Moving on From a Chair

One of the few pieces of equipment we've needed and used for James to help with his Autism Spectrum Disorder needs is this chair:

    

This chair was ordered by his North Bay Regional Center case manager for James when he was just over 2, when he was first being evaluated and diagnosed with some pretty severe developmental delays. We've used it every day in this house up until this past weekend -- that's 5 years of togetherness. It became almost like a member of our family.

This chair was awesome, because we could snap James into a 3-point harness, which kept him in his seat (he'd wriggle or fall off a regular chair and was too large for a high chair). The footrest was helpful to keep his feet still at meals and ground him for homework sessions. The seat itself was adjustable, and there were a couple of years where we'd be adjusting that sucker every month or so.

It had its down sides; for a while it got used for Time Outs, until James started to not want to use the chair at all.  We've all suffered painful whacks to our toes on it's splayed legs. Lately, James has gotten too big to sit comfortably on it. It was time to give it back to the Regional Center, for another family to use.

So that is what we did on Tuesday. James said goodbye to the chair and patted it. I loaded it into the van, and we dropped it back off at the Regional Center.  While I dislike saying goodbye to another piece of James' younger years, it also feels good to be giving back.

Zumba Time ... or Not

School begins again next week. Both kids are getting antsy for a routine and some adventure. James' sister made up a picture scheduler for their day. It was sweet, because she conferred with her brother and he rose to the occasion.

Right now it's Zumba Time in her room. I can hear the music going, punctuated with "Yay!!!" and laughter. James is running around in my sweatshirt, his jammies, and rain boots.

 I hope it lasts. James has not only discovered the power of "NO!," he has acquired quite a verbal litany to back up his dissensions. Luckily, he adores the times his sister wants to play with him, so we don't get much of that at when they play together.

And, I have found an excellent way to encourage the kids to go play:

Another reason to love my Jane Austen DVDs!

MyAutismTeam.com - I Wish I'd Known ...

"I wish I'd known ...." is a common lament from those with hindsight and experience ... that comes after the fact. With parents of children on the spectrum, it's a constant. We're all searching for more information, better understanding of our child, and answers that will help us.

It's not just for a diagnosis, root cause of our child's autism, and what to do/not do for our children, it's also where to take them for dental checkups, summer activities, and ideas for how to fill the deadly (for us) Unstructured Time.

After four years of coming to grips with our son's autism, I began emerging from a fog to realize several things that had crept up on me ... including that I was isolated and feeling a keen desire to connect with others. To share what works/does not work.

From my association with the CATS Program, I first heard about My Autism Team this past winter. They are committed group with experience in online communities and referrals that wanted to build an online community of parents of children on the Autism spectrum, so that they could share resources and rate programs and services for their families, in hopes that their hard-earned knowledge could benefit others, and vice-versa.

Login screen for MyAutismTeam.com

When their beta site launched, I plunged in and began building a profile, adding team members for all that had been helpful with a son who was largely non-verbal, developmentally delayed, social, and sensitive with certain noises. People who dealt well with yelling and crying during an office visit and who were willing to act as socializers for an atypical child. I've been reading others' profiles, searching to see if any providers will work for us.

Then there are the posts from other parents. Ones that make me smile, cry, and hurt my heart (both good and bad). The messages from other parents across the U.S., encouraging one another to hang in there, that we are not alone in our despair, frustration, and determination to help our kids and savour the good in life.

Questions, encouragements, advice. It's all there.

There is room for so much more and so many more families.

If you haven't visited already, please check out MyAutismTeam.com, or send an email to a parent you know who might be able to use it. They are also on FaceBook.

If you live in the SF Bay Area, MyAutismTeam.com is looking for parents to come to their office and give feedback on their site.

My Autism Team: Winning For Real!

I wanted to give a shout out to a new online community that has been especially designed for those dealing with Autism. It's called My Autism Team and their goal is to help connect parents and families with resources to help those on the Autism Spectrum.

I was lucky enough to participate in brainstorming session and some early site testing. It's now ready for more people to join. Their goal is to have 1000 people enrolled by the end of this weekend.

One of the things I woke up and realized about myself is how isolated I've become, ditching people and work to give my son as much help as possible during his crucial early developmental years. This is an awesome resource, my friends.

Please check them out and pass it on!
My Autism Team