You Got Flowers For Me?!

The other day, I came home from a meeting, and my husband had bought me flowers....so sweet. But I think Ethan was the most excited! You see, Daddy AND ETHAN went to the store to get me flowers. So, when I walked in the front door, Ethan comes running up to me, and says, "Mommy got flowers for Ethan!" He was so excited, but I couldn't figure out what he was talking about....because I didn't come home with anything that looked like a flower?

Once I walked into the house, THEN I realized that Ethan got flowers for Mommy. I jumped on this chance to work on our THANK YOU - YOU'RE WELCOME turn taking that we have been trying to get him to understand. He seems to be getting the turn taking, but he will occasionally still say, "SAY You're Welcome"...instead of just, "You're Welcome"....but we are getting there. He was so excited.....so then I was excited.....and we played this "game" for the rest of the night. We did take a few breaks, but then he would ask to play the "flower game" again....and we would. I love this kid!!! Here's a video of us playing.....

Why Do I Love OT? Because It WORKS!!!

This week, I had the privilege of being asked to speak to a group of Occupational Therapists. Myself and another mom of a child with autism were invited to talk about our stories & how OT has helped in our child's development. Well, I'm a HUGE fan of OT, so I was SO excited for this honor. OT has really helped Ethan deal with and overcome a lot of his challenges.

Here is a simple example... The other day, I was trying to video Ethan reciting one of his Bible verses that he had memorized. Here is the first take....without any therapy aids....

I decided not to use this video, but instead try again another day. The next day, he was doing the same thing. Then, duh, I decided to give him a fidget toy in order to help him sit still & focus. To be specific, it is a football stress ball that he has in his hands. Nothing else has changed. Check out the difference in posture, eye contact, and clarity of speech...

Isn't that AMAZING!!!!!!! We are so fortunate to live in a day where we know what occupational therapy can do, and how it can help people overcome their challenges. Ethan has responded so well to OT, and that is why I am constantly looking for ways to incorporate it into our everyday life....and keep it new & fun for Ethan. So, thanks so much to all of you Occupational Therapists! Our life has been forever changed because of your work!

Thank You PBS.....and Uncle Chris!

This video came to me via my brother-in-law, Corey's brother, Ethan's Uncle Chris. During their kids' ice hockey practice last night, Chris was telling my sister that the PBS show Arthur did an episode explaining about Asperger Syndrome. He also told her that his 3 eldest kids were glued to the TV during this episode because they knew that it was similar to what Ethan has.....and I LOVE THAT!!!!!

So this morning, I found the episode on PBS's website, and I watched it. The show did a WONDERFUL job of explaining as well as showing the positives & the challenges of having Autism Spectrum Disorder. If you are wanting to start a conversation with some youngsters about ASD, this would be a great way to introduce the subject.

Demolition Begins!

Well, our basement has officially become a construction zone! After selling some household items, we have enough money to begin funding our Sensory Playroom Project. Last week, we focused on selling our stuff as well as doing a typical "clean out the basement" sort. This week, we have focused on the first step in renovating this space....the ceiling. Originally, we were simply going to take down the drop ceiling, put a fresh coat of paint on it, and hang it back up. However, tonight as we took down the ceiling, we realized how much having NO ceiling opened up the space. PLUS, I think having the rafters show would also be beneficial when we install a swing. Now we are thinking of just painting the ceiling & leaving it bare. And I'm already thinking of how I could use this exposed ceiling to increase our sensory play....I'm thinking in the Christmas lights genre.....

This is how our basement looked before we started...

And this is how is looks as of tonight. We sold our big TV & other things, got rid of some random furniture, and removed the drop ceiling. It already is feeling more spacious. It doesn't look like much, but this project is moving right along. Next step....take down the paneling. And do you see that big beam going across the length of the room....I am already talking to my vinyl guy (Corey) about doing some cool lettering there! I can't wait for this room!!!

Valentine Bath Stickers

I love holidays....all of them. As part of celebrating each holiday, I decorate our home with all things that fit that holiday's theme. At Christmas, I had some leftover window clings, so I gave them to Ethan to use in his bath. Now it has become another spot for us to incorporate our holidays. So, this past month, Ethan has been using his fine motor skills to peel & stick these window clings in his bath. The best part??? We can use them over & over again!!! It's also really great because we can talk about the meaning of the particular holiday. Because of the calming effect of the water play, he is more apt to "soak up" new knowledge during this time. These stickers are also great to incorporate storytelling. During January, we used ice skaters, snowmen & snowflakes to make up stories about playing in the snow. Love these stickers!!!

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY!

 

 

And, of course, his new favorite bath toy....glow sticks!

We found these water resistant glowing cubes at Walmart.

Default Emotions

I LOVE Ethan's Preschool teachers & therapists.....they are amazing. These women are so knowledgeable & helpful. One morning last week when I was dropping Ethan off at school, Ethan's speech therapist approached me about an article that she had read about "Default Emotions" by Speech Pathologist Linda Hodgdon. She emailed me the newsletter containing the article, and it seems tailored for Ethan.

Linda writes about how when the child has experienced one traumatic incident (from their point of view), it can cause a "default emotion". This means that now EVERY TIME that experience occurs, the emotion occurs because the child is remembering the first occurrence. Here's an example of this manifesting itself in our Ethan.

Books. He LOVES books. And he loves to read. One of his favorite books USED to be The Monster at the End of this Book with Grover. So, when we were in Walmart, and he saw the book Another Monster at the End of this Book with Grover AND Elmo, he could focus on nothing else but getting that new book.

So, we bought it, took it home, and read it. I'm not sure which one of us read it with Ethan for the first time, but it was the first & last time. Now, when I begin to take it off the shelf to read it with him, he panics. "No, no, no, no..." over & over again until I put it back on the shelf. Well, one night, I decided to read it with him anyway in order to see why he hates this book so much....especially after wanting it so badly in the store. We read the book just fine, but he did have his hands over his ears. But, honestly, he does that sometimes when I read books with him. But we started getting to the end of the book, and before I turned one certain page, he started panicking & saying "All Done, all done..." Here is the page he didn't want to read...

I could see why this page would bother him. In the story, Elmo is scaring Grover....and Ethan is very sensitive to those things. Ok....I get that. But NOW.....anytime we read a book with this "Batman" type of words (BAM, POP, YOWZA, etc...), he has a "default emotion" & responds with sadness & crying.

This past weekend, I got out some new books. One of them is Old MacDonald had a Woodshop by Lisa Shulman. He thought this book was funny because that isn't the normal Old MacDonald. And in this book, Old MacDonald is a girl....he thought this was too funny. We were really laughing while reading this book.

This book is the type that Ethan really enjoys reading because there is a pattern to it, and we keep adding on to the pattern. Here is a typical page out of the book.

However, on ONE of the pages, one of the animals hurts themselves while working with their tool, and the word "OUCH!" appears....but very small. The first time we read it, Ethan did fine. But NOW when we read it or he reads it on his own, he puts his sound-proof headphones on.....for that page only!?!?

So, this is what Linda was talking about is a "default" emotion. Every time Ethan sees....I think it's an all uppercase word followed by an exclamation point....he has a very strong reaction. So, Linda suggests the following strategies to help with this type of reaction. Linda also points out that this type of default emotion is common is all kiddos, but it's the frequency & intensity that makes the difference in children with autism. And I personally think that's true for most of Ethan's challenges.

Anyway, here are Linda's suggestions. We are going to try these, and see if they help Ethan work through his emotions regarding what I call "Batman" words.

"It’s easier to teach a NEW ROUTINE . . .  than it is to change an OLD BEHAVIOR™ Default responses are hard to change. In comparison, new routines are easier to teach.

How do you teach a new routine?Visual strategies work really well. Think about how you teach any new routine. Here is a short list of possibilities.
• Create a mini-schedule for a specific time frame
• Write a social story about how to handle an event
• Make a video to demonstrate appropriate behavior for a situation
• Present a rule for a location or activity
• Provide some visual choices that will require appropriate behavior or appropriate responses
• Use a visual tool to assist communication in a difficult situation"

Just for Jessica (Me)