ABA at Full Capacity

 For the first time in many months, almost a year, James is back at full programming for applied behavioral analysis, or ABA, therapy. It has been so long in fact that I am finding myself having to adjust my schedule to accommodate it. 

For one thing, I will have to up my housekeeping game. The ABA therapists need to have space to work with James. They also will be working with him to make sure he is done his chores in his room and  bathroom, so I need to work more with James to make sure that this goes as smoothly as possible. 

It does have its good side. Right now I am on the back porch looking at the garden and the trees above the creek. 

Even better, I know that James is in good hands and he is interacting with people, which is really what he is enjoying these days - making connections outside his family and getting the chances for new kinds of conversations and playing card games like Uno, Guess in 10, and Would You Rather.

Back to the Classroom?

 Should I? Shouldn't I? -- Adults and parents struggle with this quandary. Autism parents, doubly so. 

Most recently, whether or not to allow James to return, part-time, to campus. 

Nay:

• While staff may be vaccinated, the students probably are not. 
• I am not comfortable allowing him to ride the bus until he has been vaccinated. 
• Change in schedule and routine, at a time when he resists both bedtime and morning wake ups.
• Food. What to pack and will he eat? Oh nos.
• Bathroom. Sigh ...

Yea:

• Get him back on a schedule. It will be hard no matter what. Slowly but surely will help.
• James has already received his first vaccine shot. 
• Staff are trained and used to James.
• I can drive him, as the campus is maybe 10 minutes away and I do not have do leave the car.
• It's only 5 hours a day, 2 days a week, with only 1-2 other students in the room.
• We get a break from each other.

Result?

Despite receiving notification that there was a COVID-19 positive discovery on campus (the first week back), it was reassuring to be able to talk with the school and learn it was not related to his program. The staff is so positive, I feel confident he is in good hands. Proceeding with caution and hope.

Ready To Go ... Well, Some of Us Are

James emerged out of his room at 3:30 this morning and loudly announced that he was ready to go to school today. Oh, don't I wish!

His sister's been sick while I've been trying to help them both finish up Valentines for their classes, do some web work, and finalize an update presentation for another website that I am supposed to present to a Board tomorrow.

Between the two of them, I was routed out of a sound sleep at 11, 3:30, 4:30, and 5:50. It's like they can smell me heading for a work-related deadline with important meetings ahead.

I know the kids can't plan ahead and deliberately get sick just when I really need them not to, but dang -- I am getting tired of this! Seems like it's been the story of my life since we moved up here, 7 years ago. Even though I had to leave my job, there is still work to be done. And in this economy with our income slashed in half, every bit of contract work I can get done is a very good thing for us indeed.

Scheduling Dilemma

I am not a fan of shoe-horning activities into a child's day. That said, James is getting the last of several services this month. Preschool for special needs kids. SHAPE assistant hours (with constraints but also with a fabulous woman).

M-Tu-F, James has a decent schedule, with only preschool in the morning. W-Th, he has program for most of the day, with a 2-hour gap of doom in the middle. In theory, he can rest in that interval. What it actually does is push him. Sometimes that's good. But other times, he gets pushed over the edge and:

He gets sick. We had carsickness last Friday, followed by a summer cold, which he gladly shared with me.

It's so scarily easily to just sit and do nothing. That's not good for James' growth with speech and development in general. I am constantly striving to balance. A formula for success has so far eluded me.

Everyday Lunch

Pardon me if I wax verklempt over the next few weeks. This morning James and I toured a kindergarten class that I think he'd do well in next year. It's just hitting me harder that we have only 8 more days of his preschool program with his regular schedule and teacher. Wow. Two and a half years has flown by so much faster than I ever dreamed it could.

To keep me from crying, I am trying to capture the everyday things I've come to take for granted that might disappear before I've realized it. Things like lunches. You are looking at James' average lunch. As he is a v. picky eater, this does not vary much. There is an extra milk and yogurt for his sisters' snack -- her lunch was up next to be packed.

James has taken this lunch bag, ice pack, and other items to school every day for over 2 years. He has gone from not being able to handle a spoon (let alone a squeeze-up tube), wiping large portions of his lunch on his shirt, and jumping up constantly to having nice table manners for a 5 year-old boy. A boy who can handle a yogurt squeeze-up. A boy who smiles over his cat cookies and says "No, thank you" when he is offered something new to eat.

I am trying to keep breathing over here. It's an everyday lunch. Still.

Special Exp./Wordless Weds: Bouncing Back on 09/09/09

What did we do before we had our indoor trampoline?


James' cold has actually gotten a little worse and it's thrown his schedule and mine off kilter. He's missed some school and some program, and this week I am picking him up a bit early from both so he can hopefully at least get used to what days he's doing what things. Luckily, James has been willing to go forth and try. Except when he is really not feeling well. Then he is truly at home, in bed, and sleeping.

Homework has started to ramp up for both James' sister and myself, and I am just starting to feel like I am getting the hang of things. Help! I can't imagine what I'd do if I didn't already have several years of post college (before kids) experience under my belt to keep me a little calmer and a tad more confident in my abilities.


For more great images or to join in the fun, Visit Special Exposure Wednesday at 5 Minutes for Special Needs.

and ... Wordless Wednesday

Weekend Forecast: Cloudy, w/ Upset Tummy

James has had an exciting week. He loves being back at school with his teachers and friends. the different classroom puzzled him at first, but now I think he really likes having the familiar things in new configurations.

We are having problems with the bus. Again. The driver forgot to come to work and pick them up one afternoon and is just not seeming like a good match for special needs kids. We are trying to resolve this situation.

James was puzzled and a little anxious about going to the second preschool on Wednesday afternoon, but he recognized it from when Big Sister went there and knew some of the teachers there a bit. His regular teacher and SHAPE person were reassuring and I was able to melt away in less than half an hour. I heard that he played well with others and sat and listened to a longish story at story time.

On Wednesday, James topped off a very long afternoon with his last Music Together class. He sang along with every song and tried to beat time with his hands and instruments. He was having a ball! The teacher seemed disappointed that we were not re-enrolling. I'd love to, but all their classes happen when he is in school.

James came down sick yesterday afternoon. Poor guy! He's been resting, but I can tell that he's not feeling well. His temperature shoots up a couple of times a day and I've pulled him off milk. He's had water, popsickles, and some tortilla chips.

He asked for PB&J sandwich tonight so I made him one. He commented "Dat's a *brown*" while I spread the peanut butter and "Issa RED!" when I smoothed out the strawberry jam. He hovered over the counter, watching the ingredients being assembled and said "Is fo James!" He also counted the knife cuts that I made(3) and the slices of sandwich they made (4) -- all triangles, because he dislikes the crusts. Tonight James ate the entire sandwich and kept it down. I hope he feels better tomorrow.

Planning for Next Year

James' preschool teacher came over this afternoon to talk about plans for summer school as well as preschool and SHAPE sessions for next school year. He will have good people, whom he knows and likes, working with him this summer -- yay!

The thought for next year is to have him continue services and academics with the preschool four mornings a week, then do a daycare two afternoons a week with a SHAPE person, and continue with a SHAPE session Friday mornings. I am liking the sound of this. My homework is to scope out day care places and possible costs involved.

James is making good progress, already completing 3 of his 5 IEP goals set in November. His teacher reports he is a little more agitated while at school, but otherwise continues to reach new achievements, particularly in speech and toilet training areas.

For a while today, James was overwhelmed: His teacher, AV, E, and his Daddy were all in the house at the same time. Nana and his sister popped in & out. Grand Central Station, that's us. Normally, I bring James home for an hour or so of down time before SHAPE starts with just one other person. It took a while to calm him back down and get him to focus on his tasks before I could melt back down the hall to the home office and close the door.

And I'll bet James is still not happy that his Daddy took him to school this morning in the van, not the blue car! Buddy, I know you like your patterns and habits, but it's time to flex a little. Love ya!