Lots of Updates!

WOW! What a couple of weeks it has been!

Ethan recently started going everyday to preschool, and I have started providing daycare for two other kiddos. Also, my husband started a project during this time as well. He and a couple of his friends are currently developing some iPad applications that will be a help anyone who has any type of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Because of this as well as how beneficial the iPad would be to Ethan, he set up a donation account through a website. He was looking for donations in order to buy Ethan and another little boy who has autism two iPad and some of the accessories. So....here are the updates.......

Preschool - Ethan goes everyday for 2.5 hours. So far, he really seems to love it. YEA! We visited his school during an Open House the week before school started, and it's easy to see why he would love it. Bright bulletin boards with his favorite books displayed, lots of things to look at & read, new toys in all the classrooms, and lots of fun activities planned each day. The reason I love his school is because EVERY room in the school has sensory items available, these people know what they are doing, they are very diligent about parent involvement, and lots of opportunities to work on social skills. The only issue we are currently having with school is drop-off & pick-up. Because riding the bus was not an option (Ethan won't go near one without panicking because it's so loud), I take him to school. Their system is to wait in the corridor of the hallway while someone calls each class up to get checked in (or checked out after school), then wait in line for a teacher to come & walk them down to their class. Ethan HATES this because he HATES to wait. But we are working on this & it's getting better. Anything new is difficult for him...and this is new & loud so it's a double whammy. But it's getting better each day.

New Job - I started providing daycare services for my sister this year. She has a child that is slightly older than Ethan and one that is slightly younger. So, my day now consists of taking Ethan to school, then taking the oldest to his all day preschool, and then back home to provide early education to the youngest. After a bit, we go get Ethan from school, come back home, eat lunch, and they both lay down for naps. After nap time, we all load up again & go pick up the oldest from his school. We are definitely in & out of the car a lot (thus the reason for getting the new minivan), but things are going so well! The main reason my sister & I decided to do this arrangement is for Ethan's benefit. During the course of a normal day, I am Ethan's only playmate. I try to behave like one of his peers.....not sharing my crayons, playing silly games, etc......but it's definitely not the same interaction as it is with other kids. And my husband & I have decided not to have anymore children of our own. Not only was my pregnancy horrible, but a couple who has a child with autism has a 20% higher risk of having another child with autism. And while I love my child more than anything, I'm just not a big gambler. So, this arrangement seemed to be a great idea.....and it has been WONDERFUL! Ethan is talking more....still not very functional, but I'll take it! He is interacting with the other kids more & more each day He is learning to share. He is learning to use his words with the other children & not his hands or screaming. He is now in a slightly louder environment, so he is learning to use some coping strategies on his own when things get to be too much. It's been so good for Ethan to have these other kids here, and I love having them! I don't want to offend anyone, but this has been so good for my own psyche. Having verbal children in my home has helped me to not feel so isolated. Having children in my home who are able to be easily engaged in activities, like music time or a simple 3-step craft, has been a breath of fresh air. A lot of times, I personalize Ethan's struggles as if it were something I was or wasn't doing. But having these other two kids under my care keeps reminding me that it truly is due to Ethan's autism that he has certain issues....and not because I am a terrible parent. So this has been a blessing to not only Ethan but to me as well.

iPad - OK....this is DEFINITELY NOT my field of expertise, so you will have to bear with me. As I said before, Corey put together a donation fund in order for Ethan & another child with autism to EACH receive an iPad, the pen thing that goes with it, and a durable sleeve-protector thing. I am AMAZED! He was able to receive the funding for this project in less than two weeks! AMAZING! So, both boys currently have their iPads & the families are learning how to use them. We are already looking at the applications that are already out there on a variety of concepts.....handwriting, social stories, cause & effect, timelines, etc. This thing is amazing....it's like a ton of therapy toys in one handy place. I will talk more specifically about this in the future. We also had some family members send us money directly. When I told them that we already received enough funding, they told us to put it in the Ethan fund. What a blessing!!!! So, I was able to buy some other therapy items that have been on our wish list while we have been saving up money to buy them. There will be more on this in the future as well. I am just so humbled at the generosity of our family & friends. I gotta say, I was NOT a fan of Corey's iPad donation idea, but the ball was already in motion when I was told about it. And I gotta say, I'm so thankful Corey took on this project. We have been blessed & humbled beyond measure. Thanks sooooooooooooooooooooooooooo much to anyone to donated to this project. Because of this, other families will be able to receive quality iPad applications to help their children. That is very exciting!

So....that's the major things that have been going on in our house. A lot of change, but it's been wonderful change. I just can't wait to see how much Ethan is going to learn this year with being at this wonderful preschool, having daily playmates in his home, and the use of the iPad's technology. He has got a lot of great resources & wonderful people in his life (and so do we), and I just know that he is going to be developing by leaps and bound this year. So, stay tuned!