Last Day of Easter Seals Autism Preschool Program

Today was Ethan's last day of Easter Seals Intensive Therapy Autism Preschool Program. I am currently writing up a post all about this day, what it means for our family, and Ethan's next steps. However, here are some pictures of his last day. I was able to capture Ethan with each therapist except the Director of the program....but we did see her at Walk With Me.

These ladies are amazing, and our family will miss them terribly! Also, we were all very emotional.....my pictures do not portray just how beautiful these women are!!!! Please excuse the blurry lines & red eyes...I was a hot mess taking these pictures! All of my focus was on not crying!

Ethan being presented with his Diploma

Looking at his Diploma

News Coverage for Walk With Me 2013

Picture courtesy of Steve Smedley @ Pantagraph

This blogger was interviewed by a TV crew & a local city's newpaper during yesterday's Easter Seals Walk With Me event. You all know that when it comes to our family's story, I am an open book. Anything that I can share that may help or inform someone else going through something similar, I am going to talk about it!......and often! :0)

So, here is the TV news story...which this gal crying. It is a very emotional event. The amount of support you feel is overwhelming, and they interviewed me right after we had walked our mile. I was all tears. :0)

Also, a couple of people from the city's newpaper walked with our team for a bit. They talked with our family as we began our walk. It was so wonderful to be able to boast about how Easter Seals has helped our Ethan.

To watch the TV News Clip, click http://centralillinoisproud.com/fulltext?nxd_id=336482.

To read the Newspaper Article, click http://www.pantagraph.com/news/local/dozens-of-teams-participate-in-easter-seals-walk-at-corn/article_ae58b602-ec06-11e2-9040-001a4bcf887a.html

Easter Seals Walk With Me 2013

This Saturday, our family participated in our 2nd Easter Seals Walk With Me Event. It was beautiful weather & wonderfully organized....we had a great time. Thanks to all of our family & friends who walked with us or donated to our team. And thanks to our new friends that joined our team...it was great meeting you all! Here are some pictures from the event. Hope you can join us next year!!!!

Join Our Walk With Me Team 2013

This will be our 2nd year participating in Easter Seals Walk With Me! Ethan is an ambassador for this event, and we are putting together a team! Here is a link for more information about our team! We would love for you to join us!!!

http://es.easterseals.com/site/TR?team_id=126429&fr_id=3216&pg=team#.UbspbOe1FJs

I asked Ethan why he loves Easter Seals so much.

Here's how that conversation went....

Puzzle Piece Rewards System

Weeks of sticker charts!
DLTK's Custom Chore Charts!

For a long time, we have been doing the typical sticker chart to encourage Ethan to use manners, maintain good hygiene and become more independent. After a sticker chart was completed, Ethan would get $1 for his bank. That worked for awhile but then the novelty wore off. Getting a sticker for brushing his teeth was no longer worth it to him....and the battles returned.

So, we began to up the ante! Each night, we would count his stickers & he would earn 1 coin per sticker. And when his sticker chart was full, he would still earn a dollar.

Want to know a secret? I would just re-use coins already in his bank, so it didn't cost us any extra money. Shhhh....don't tell Ethan!


Well, that worked for awhile, but soon that began to wear off too. The battles were beginning to start again....fighting to brush teeth, fighting to self dress, and I was losing my currency with Ethan!

24 piece puzzle from Dollar General. 

And, once again, the Changing Challenging Behaviors Workshop from Easter Seals came through for us!!! Ms. Dona, leader of the workshop & Ethan's ITAP program, showed the class several strategies & examples. Corey & I immediately knew that we had found our solution.....puzzles.

How do puzzles work in place of a sticker chart? For every demonstration of desired behavior, Ethan earns one puzzle piece....instead of one sticker. Once Ethan has completed a puzzle, he gets to pick a prize/toy out of the prize bin I've put together. Things from the dollar store, happy meal toys, garage sale finds....nothing that costs more than $1 each. ETHAN LOVES IT!!!!

In the middle of a puzzle!
Almost time for a trip to the prize bin!

It has been working longer than anything we have tried before! He loves gaining a puzzle piece, loves putting the puzzles together, loves digging for toys in our prize bin! Initially, I was cutting up the cardboard boxes of his fruit snacks, cereal, pop tarts, and other recognizable logos. But once Ethan got the hang of it, we needed to go to more puzzle pieces so he wasn't earning a toy EVERY day. 

I am thrilled to report that this is STILL going VERY well, and he loves earning puzzle pieces!!! Now our battles are diminishing! Picking up toys, brushing teeth, turning off the computer, trying new foods, behavior in new places, and other issues are able to be a managed so much better with this new form of "currency." HOORAY FOR PUZZLES!

Easter Seals ITAP Interview

I talk A LOT about the Easter Seals program that Ethan has been a part of since last summer. If you would like to see it in action & learn more about it......you can! Our local news station recently interviewed an Easter Seals Staff member about this program, and they have video of the program in action! Although it's not Ethan's actual class, the video does include his teachers & therapists! I hope you can watch it! This program is WONDERFUL! Click here to watch it!!!!

Therapy Dog, Payton, Helps Ethan

Ethan attends a 2 Day a Week Preschool at Easter Seals called ITAP (Intensive Autism Therapy Program). Several months ago, a paper came home with Ethan....a permission slip to include a therapy dog, Payton, into Ethan's class. I was excited for this opportunity because Ethan has a slight anxiety regarding dogs. But I knew if anyone could help Ethan overcome this fear, it would be Easter Seals.

Since then, Payton has made several appearances to Ethan's classroom. Not only has Payton helped alleviate his fears regarding dogs, but something else amazing has happened....

Ethan is riding the elevator at Easter Seals!

Ethan with Payton on the elevator.

Why is this amazing? Ethan HATES elevators. If I could think of a stronger word for hate, I would use that instead. Every time we walk up to one, Ethan WIGS OUT & climbs me like a tree. Once on the elevator, he screams the ENTIRE time. It's awful. Last fall, we went to visit my grandpa in the hospital, and the route to his room included 3 different elevators. We managed the first one, but after that....Ethan was NOT having it. He became impossible. So, we took the stairs. By the time I got to my grandpa's room, I was EXHAUSTED...physically & emotionally. Thank goodness my visits with my Grandpa were always uplifting. Man, I miss that man. He would really have enjoyed hearing this story.

My Behavior During A Meltdown....It Needs To Change!

Have you ever had an "Ah-Ha" moment? A moment, conversation, story, or event that opened your eyes to things happening in your own life which changed your behavior/way of thinking forever? I had a very key parenting ah-ha moment last night regarding Ethan's meltdowns.

Last night, Corey & I attended a workshop provided by our local Easter Seals branch. It was entitled, Changing Challenging Behaviors and was taught by the director of Ethan's ITAP program. This woman has so much experience & is so educated.....I wish I could have her on speed dial!!!  But I will settle for spending a couple of hours listening to her talk about this particular topic.

During the workshop, she gave us so many new ideas & resources, and we are excited to try them with Ethan. The woman is truly brilliant! But my big realizaton came almost at the end of the session. All workshop long, Ms. Donna was telling us how to change unwanted behaviors, but thankfully she included a section of what to do WHEN meltdowns occur anyway....despite all our efforts.

I was pretty proud of myself as she was describing how to react to a meltdown....I knew most of them & felt that I was pretty good at them....being calm, don't take it personal, don't use it as a time to teach, and so on. However, one thing she said was, "limit touch or talk during this time. It is like adding fuel to the fire."

He's Eating New Foods!!!

The last several posts (click #1 or #2 to read them) have been leading up to some very exciting news! ETHAN HAS BEEN EATING NEW FOODS THIS WEEK!!!! Pinch me 'cuz I think I'm dreaming!

 The food issue is sooooo maddening to me.....a girl who literally loves all food. I don't understand this "picky-eater" thing AT ALL! And I used to REALLY fight this battle with all my might. But, whether good or bad, I just grew tired of fighting with Ethan at EVERY meal. I just decided to focus on what I could help him with....table manners & sitting at the table LONGER than a minute. We also eat in our living room a lot now because we have an eat-in kitchen & the smells are too much for Ethan. In fact, we have even moved our dining room table INTO our living room!

But THIS WEEK....THIS WEEK ETHAN HAS EATEN & ENJOYED SEVEN NEW FOODS!!!

Beef Stew

Pizza Pocket made with crescent rolls

Pringles

Jelly Beans

Cinnamon Raisin Biscuits

Spice Cake

Chicken & Noodles

Ethan & I "cheesing it up" at dinner!

He also TRIED cheesy scalloped potatoes & LICKED apples slices in therapy at Easter Seals. This is from a child who wigs out whenever he sees apple slices approaching the dinner table! However, when we went to the new Chick-Fil-A restaurant & was served WAFFLE fries, he wouldn't touch them. Fries are not shaped like waffles. Oh, that kid cracks me up!

Now, I realize that all of these foods are not SUPER healthy, but they are foods that he would have NEVER tried in the past....and now he is willingly eating....and loving them!!! CRAZY AWESOME PROGRESS!

This just reiterates that doing sensory play at home as well as having Ethan in occupational therapy is paying off big time! I can't wait to see what new foods he will eat this week! I'M SO EXCITED!!!!

***OH YEAH! One more thing! Ethan's school occupational therapist has told me that Ethan is able to zip up his own coat, but he has NEVER done it for me. It was always a frustration/trigger that would set him off, and I would end up doing it for him. Recently, we dug out a "new to us" hand-me-down jacket for Spring.....and ETHAN HAS ZIPPED IT UP EVERY TIME HE'S WORN IT!!!!!! WOO-HOO!!!!!!!

Messy Art Projects at Easter Seals

Ethan's snowmen & his name. This is simply amazing!

Last post, I talked about how we do a lot of messy sensory play in our home. This is to help Ethan overcome his heightened senses due to Sensory Processing Disorder. This has many benefits which should help him participate in daily common activities, such as sitting in a noisy classroom or eating a bigger variety of foods.

Well, leave it to Ethan's Early Intervention Team (including Easter Seals & School Preschool Program) to take things to the next level!!! THANK YOU!

I'm always so excited to see Ethan's take-home projects in his bookbag. Since he doesn't (or can't) relay to me in words what he is doing at school/ITAP, it is nice to see tangible items that helps me see the whole picture. About a month ago, I picked Ethan up from Easter Seals and noticed that Ethan's hands were dyed with colors. I knew immediately that he had been doing some kind of art project....but just what that was had yet to be seen.

Well, folks, let me tell you.....when I saw what Ethan had been doing, I was blown away. Ethan had been painting. Not just with a paintbrush, but with his fingers.....and his ENTIRE BARE HANDS!!!!

Walk With Me Success! Just Pictures!

A BIG THANKS TO ALL!!!! 

Our team raised $1,265.00 for Easter Seals!!!

Adult Walkers: Corey, Jessica, Linda, Steve, Sue, Buster, Holly, Chris, Rachael, Rachel, Jenny, Grace, Larry, Kim, Missy, Patty, Sara, Matt, Cindy, Minh, Jason, Bill, Leslie, The Marriott Team and Jim

Child Walkers: Ethan, Drew, Avery, Gavin, Caden, Hunter, Macie, Zoe, Grayson, Camden, Oliver, Jillian and Jim's Grandson

Supporters: John, Scott, Carly, Matt, Josh, Joe, Kay, Brandon, Leslie, and Excalibur Seasoning

  

Pictures provided mostly by Aunt Rachael