Yesterday, Austin asked me for a hot dog for lunch. I could not believe it! He has not eaten hot dogs since he was about a year old. I was so happy when he asked for one, his reasoning was interesting, he told me he "dreamed" of eating a hot dog. All I can say is I am looking forward to the "Pizza Party" dream! :)
Coming soon, a new post, "Sweet Dreams" ...
*HUGS* to all! :)
Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Monday, August 29, 2011
School Days
September 1 will be Austin's first day of school. We have everything in place for him to have the most positive and supported introduction to "big school" (that's what Austin calls it). We got the letter from the Psychiatrist stating that Austin does in fact fall on the autism spectrum with a PDD-NOS diagnosis; this secures his funding which gives him and aide! YAY! We got into the school we wanted! YAY! I met his teachers the other day ... GREAT! His main teacher is A-W-E-S-O-M-E! I am so happy that everything has come together. It was well worth all the appointments, effort and time to get Austin what he needs to succeed at school. I am so pleased for him. :)
I cannot believe my baby boy is all grown up and going to school. I have to admit, I am a bit nervous, what Mother isn't the first day of school? I guess having a spectrum child just intensifies that anxiety. I am trying to stay calm and look forward to Austin having a wonderful first day. So what if I made special pockets in all my clothes for my cell phone?! Just kidding ;)
I cannot believe my baby boy is all grown up and going to school. I have to admit, I am a bit nervous, what Mother isn't the first day of school? I guess having a spectrum child just intensifies that anxiety. I am trying to stay calm and look forward to Austin having a wonderful first day. So what if I made special pockets in all my clothes for my cell phone?! Just kidding ;)
Thursday, August 11, 2011
Lucky Mama
Today we saw the Psychiatrist for Austin's assessment. I thought he did wonderfully! How far we have come in just over a year.
I spoke to the doctor as Austin played today, he got bored but he was quiet. He did not want to answer questions; he was being shy. I cannot believe how much better this assessment went than the one at CHEO. There are so many differences in Austin from then to now. He was not running around, he did not climb anything, he did not meltdown and he did not roll on the floor laughing as I cried. (I get emotional sometimes when I tell stories about Austin and well, my Mother, she was discussed today too ... let's not go there ... right, good!) Austin looked up and gave me a half smile as tears fell down my cheeks, so I smile back, trying to communicate that it is okay. He does not respond to emotions properly but I was relieved that he did not roll on the floor laughing at me ... that's an improvement and I am grateful.
He went downstairs to play as I talked with the doctor. (I was very impressed with her by the way, she was very pleasant to talk to and felt at ease with her right away.) When Austin came back up, he was really bored and ready to go. He was patient and got a couple of hugs and a little cuddle. I was concerned that he may be upset knowing we were talking about him but he said "no". I asked him again later in the car on the way home and he said he was not upset about us discussing him but there were a lot of people downstairs talking. Too many unfamiliar faces and too much noise. For Austin to be able to express this is also a huge accomplishment for him. He is really getting much better at telling me what upsets him. Very important to help head off a meltdown.
Austin, my sweet, sweet boy. I am so happy with his progress and while there are new things that pop up, I am so pleased that he is doing much better. People tell me that Austin is lucky to have a Mom like me but I am the lucky one because I have him, my wonderful little boy! I LOVE YOU Austin! Mama is so PROUD of you! :) OX
All the best! *HUGS*
I spoke to the doctor as Austin played today, he got bored but he was quiet. He did not want to answer questions; he was being shy. I cannot believe how much better this assessment went than the one at CHEO. There are so many differences in Austin from then to now. He was not running around, he did not climb anything, he did not meltdown and he did not roll on the floor laughing as I cried. (I get emotional sometimes when I tell stories about Austin and well, my Mother, she was discussed today too ... let's not go there ... right, good!) Austin looked up and gave me a half smile as tears fell down my cheeks, so I smile back, trying to communicate that it is okay. He does not respond to emotions properly but I was relieved that he did not roll on the floor laughing at me ... that's an improvement and I am grateful.
He went downstairs to play as I talked with the doctor. (I was very impressed with her by the way, she was very pleasant to talk to and felt at ease with her right away.) When Austin came back up, he was really bored and ready to go. He was patient and got a couple of hugs and a little cuddle. I was concerned that he may be upset knowing we were talking about him but he said "no". I asked him again later in the car on the way home and he said he was not upset about us discussing him but there were a lot of people downstairs talking. Too many unfamiliar faces and too much noise. For Austin to be able to express this is also a huge accomplishment for him. He is really getting much better at telling me what upsets him. Very important to help head off a meltdown.
Austin, my sweet, sweet boy. I am so happy with his progress and while there are new things that pop up, I am so pleased that he is doing much better. People tell me that Austin is lucky to have a Mom like me but I am the lucky one because I have him, my wonderful little boy! I LOVE YOU Austin! Mama is so PROUD of you! :) OX
All the best! *HUGS*
Wednesday, August 3, 2011
A Circus
Today I had to take Austin to see his OT. I am never late for appointments but for some reason, I marked down the wrong time and showed up a 1/2 hour later than I was suppose to, sigh ... I am trying to keep it all straight. Austin has quite a few assessments and appointments in the next week or so. Anyway, I had a little trouble this morning, mostly with my 3 year old, yes, the "typical" one!
After Austin's appointment, we get ready to leave, this can be a challenge when I have the two kids with me. Sometimes, not always, they seem to "bounce off" of each other. They are fighting over toys, jumping, screaming, crying (okay, mostly Kaleigh is) and just do not listen. Oh my! So I am trying to talk to the OT and she knows that getting out the door can be a challenge for me. People are trying to come in as we are leaving. The poor OT, she said she understood and went to meet her next client. I was going to head out the door, when the Psychologist and new Psychiatrist (she sees Austin next week for an assessment) came down the stairs to ask me a question. Austin and I just get introduced and they start to talk as Kaleigh escapes out the door, heading to our car in the parking lot. I stop and run after her. Meanwhile, Austin has run down to the sidewalk and was heading to the parking lot to the car too (he was stopped by me calling him and the Psychologist, not to mention the Psychiatrist was concerned he was going to run ... sigh ...). How is that for a first impression? What the Psychiatrist must be thinking ... sigh :(
I put Austin and Kaleigh in the car and a wave of relief came over me. I was thankful to Austin's Psychologist who went back inside to get my bag. Why, oh why, does this happen? I was/am embarrassed. Kaleigh knows she is not run out to the car but lately, "racing" each other has been their favourite game. Kaleigh has to get their first, competitive much? Goodness me! Sometimes my life feels a little like a circus ... I hope tomorrow, since we have another appointment at the same place, it is more like a quiet picnic! I can dream, can't I?
*HUGS*
After Austin's appointment, we get ready to leave, this can be a challenge when I have the two kids with me. Sometimes, not always, they seem to "bounce off" of each other. They are fighting over toys, jumping, screaming, crying (okay, mostly Kaleigh is) and just do not listen. Oh my! So I am trying to talk to the OT and she knows that getting out the door can be a challenge for me. People are trying to come in as we are leaving. The poor OT, she said she understood and went to meet her next client. I was going to head out the door, when the Psychologist and new Psychiatrist (she sees Austin next week for an assessment) came down the stairs to ask me a question. Austin and I just get introduced and they start to talk as Kaleigh escapes out the door, heading to our car in the parking lot. I stop and run after her. Meanwhile, Austin has run down to the sidewalk and was heading to the parking lot to the car too (he was stopped by me calling him and the Psychologist, not to mention the Psychiatrist was concerned he was going to run ... sigh ...). How is that for a first impression? What the Psychiatrist must be thinking ... sigh :(
I put Austin and Kaleigh in the car and a wave of relief came over me. I was thankful to Austin's Psychologist who went back inside to get my bag. Why, oh why, does this happen? I was/am embarrassed. Kaleigh knows she is not run out to the car but lately, "racing" each other has been their favourite game. Kaleigh has to get their first, competitive much? Goodness me! Sometimes my life feels a little like a circus ... I hope tomorrow, since we have another appointment at the same place, it is more like a quiet picnic! I can dream, can't I?
*HUGS*
The Lion King II
Austin LOVED The Lion King! At the end of the opening scene, his face was lit up with a HUGE smile and he was clapping away! One word could be heard from him as the clapping started to fade, "WOW"! :)
We really enjoyed the show and Austin did really well. I did learn something though, and I will blog about it at a future date, time must be considered for success.
We really enjoyed the show and Austin did really well. I did learn something though, and I will blog about it at a future date, time must be considered for success.
Thursday, July 28, 2011
The Lion King
I wanted to blog about something fun and happy today. I have been busy with paperwork preparing for Austin's psychiatric assessment coming up soon, and quite frankly, it has me a little down. I prefer to focus on something exciting right now instead. :)
I am taking Austin to The Lion King on Sunday. We will be going with our friends. We splurged a little and got a box so we can sit together without others too close (a smart idea since I do not know how Austin will react). I figured, tickets are expensive anyway, so why not get a box? It is going to be so much fun! I am so EXCITED!!! I know, I am just a big kid. :o) I absolutely LOVE going to the theatre! I have been hooked since my Dad took me to Starlight Express years ago. It was MAGNIFICENT! I was captivated from beginning to end, absolutely captivated! I have seen many shows since, thanks to my Dad. :)
I hope that Austin enjoys the show. He has been to classical music concerts and has enjoyed them so I believe that all the colourful costumes, music and dance should be quite intriguing. I can't wait to see the look on his face when that curtain opens and the stage comes to life. I look forward to him being as captivated as I was when I was lucky enough to have my Dad take me ... thanks Dad, love you!
All the best! *HUGS* to all! :)
I am taking Austin to The Lion King on Sunday. We will be going with our friends. We splurged a little and got a box so we can sit together without others too close (a smart idea since I do not know how Austin will react). I figured, tickets are expensive anyway, so why not get a box? It is going to be so much fun! I am so EXCITED!!! I know, I am just a big kid. :o) I absolutely LOVE going to the theatre! I have been hooked since my Dad took me to Starlight Express years ago. It was MAGNIFICENT! I was captivated from beginning to end, absolutely captivated! I have seen many shows since, thanks to my Dad. :)
I hope that Austin enjoys the show. He has been to classical music concerts and has enjoyed them so I believe that all the colourful costumes, music and dance should be quite intriguing. I can't wait to see the look on his face when that curtain opens and the stage comes to life. I look forward to him being as captivated as I was when I was lucky enough to have my Dad take me ... thanks Dad, love you!
All the best! *HUGS* to all! :)
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Second Screening
Do you ever get to the point where you don't know what's "typical" and what's not? I am guilty of this since Austin's diagnosis. I have no idea how to deal with a "typical" 3 year old child ... lots and lots and lots of patience! She has tantrums, screams, tells me off, debates (EVERYTHING), is much smarter than I was at 3, or at 30 for that matter. She can be quite a challenge and I am learning everyday that this is what 3 year olds can be like, Austin was not like this at 3. He did have moments but not like Kaleigh. She is quite headstrong. Don't get me wrong, she is also a very adorable, loving, caring and sweet girl; did I mention smart? Very smart! Austin is very smart too, just is a different way ... smart babies both. What is this supposed to be about then? Well, I had Kaleigh re-assessed. Re-assessed because as you know (if you have been following my blog) that we had her assessed last summer just as a precaution, not that we were worried about her. So, what changed? Well, I will tell you.
Kaleigh has a mind of her own, that is evident. I hear that it is common in girls ... ;) Austin has always been quite passive so I didn't really know if being stubborn or arguing at 2 years old was, well, "typical". I put her in a gymnastics class, she excelled. When we re-registered the age group was the same but on a different date and the class then contained mostly 18 month olds. Kaleigh is quite nimble and has great balance. She is a natural when it comes to climbing and tumbling. She found it hard to stand behind and wait for the "babies" to go through the course. I felt like I was holding back a racehorse. She would wait her turn but I thought she should be more patient. Was this typical of a 2 year old? I had no idea ... I considered this flag #1.
When Kaleigh was waiting in line at gymnastics I started to notice that she would twirl her wrists ... I had no idea what that meant, and well, it concerned me too. I was wondering, sensory? She would run around the house pretending to be a chickadee, flapping her arms and making noises. This was not like the "flap-jumping" that Austin would do, but I still didn't know what to make of it. One day I asked her why she did it and she responded that she was a "chickadee ... a chickadee-dee-dee" laughing and giggling. I asked her to stop and she did. It was not the same motion as Austin but it freaked me out ... she still comes up to me and says "Look at me Mommie, I'm a chickadee-dee-dee" and runs off laughing to get me to chase her and tickle her. She is a cutie. So I felt better that she would stop running around like a bird and it wasn't something that she couldn't control, like Austin's behaviour. Then, the wrist twisting became more frequent ... flag #2.
Kaleigh started peeing on the potty around 19 months. We never really pushed and let her do her own thing. She was still in pull-ups and diapers at night. As time went on, she wanted panties so we explained that she would have to pee and poop on her potty, not in her pull-up. She had no problem with the pee part but the poopy part, well, it was a challenge. She would hold it in all day and wait for her pull-up at night. She was getting constipated. I had to take her to the doctor over and over because of it. I kept thinking of Austin. He would ask me for a diaper, hide in his room, poop and asked to be changed. I was not sure if Kaleigh was heading down the same road ... flag #3. I decided it was time to call the Psychologist and bring Kaleigh back into see her.
I met with the Psychologist who had assessed Kaleigh the year before. She was not worried at all that there was anything to be concerned about agreed to re-assess her. She thought it was a good idea that I was bringing my "typical" daughter in just to check. So, Kaleigh went in and was re-assessed. Everything went well. I was told that she was in a very high percentile for her speech and she was right where she should be as far as visual testing. So, all good! It was explained to me that "typical" people can do things like spin their wrists and it does mean anything. It has to be coupled together with other things to become a concern. I was never concerned about Kaleigh being on the spectrum but even if she was, I would want to her to have help as early as possible. My concern was a sensory issue. I wasn't sure if the wrist spinning was a sensory thing or not.
I received explanations for flag #1. Kaleigh may have had trouble waiting because the other children were very slow and she excelled at gymnastics, oh yes, and well, she was 2! ;) Flag #2, she never did this during her assessment and I am a bit embarrassed to say that I may have jumped the gun since I rarely see her do it anymore ... Flag #3, Kaleigh is completely potty trained. She even stays dry at night, no pull-ups or rubber night panties and does not have accidents. (Thank goodness because she does tend to sleep in my bed quite frequently.) ;) YAY Kaleigh! I LOVE YOU! Momma is so PROUD of YOU! :) OX
So, I have to admit, I let my paranoia get the best of me. I really could not distinguish what was "typical" and what was not. Even though, since Austin was a toddler, I knew there was something different about him, I just didn't know what. I have never gotten that sensation from Kaleigh at all. I guess it is hard to admit but sometimes I feel like I failed Austin. Why didn't I see? Why didn't I know? It is a hard pill to swallow some days and very difficult for me to write down. I did not want to ignore "little" things again just in case. I am glad that I had Kaleigh re-assessed, even though people thought I was overreacting. I feel I was just protecting and loving ...
All the best! *HUGS*
Kaleigh has a mind of her own, that is evident. I hear that it is common in girls ... ;) Austin has always been quite passive so I didn't really know if being stubborn or arguing at 2 years old was, well, "typical". I put her in a gymnastics class, she excelled. When we re-registered the age group was the same but on a different date and the class then contained mostly 18 month olds. Kaleigh is quite nimble and has great balance. She is a natural when it comes to climbing and tumbling. She found it hard to stand behind and wait for the "babies" to go through the course. I felt like I was holding back a racehorse. She would wait her turn but I thought she should be more patient. Was this typical of a 2 year old? I had no idea ... I considered this flag #1.
When Kaleigh was waiting in line at gymnastics I started to notice that she would twirl her wrists ... I had no idea what that meant, and well, it concerned me too. I was wondering, sensory? She would run around the house pretending to be a chickadee, flapping her arms and making noises. This was not like the "flap-jumping" that Austin would do, but I still didn't know what to make of it. One day I asked her why she did it and she responded that she was a "chickadee ... a chickadee-dee-dee" laughing and giggling. I asked her to stop and she did. It was not the same motion as Austin but it freaked me out ... she still comes up to me and says "Look at me Mommie, I'm a chickadee-dee-dee" and runs off laughing to get me to chase her and tickle her. She is a cutie. So I felt better that she would stop running around like a bird and it wasn't something that she couldn't control, like Austin's behaviour. Then, the wrist twisting became more frequent ... flag #2.
Kaleigh started peeing on the potty around 19 months. We never really pushed and let her do her own thing. She was still in pull-ups and diapers at night. As time went on, she wanted panties so we explained that she would have to pee and poop on her potty, not in her pull-up. She had no problem with the pee part but the poopy part, well, it was a challenge. She would hold it in all day and wait for her pull-up at night. She was getting constipated. I had to take her to the doctor over and over because of it. I kept thinking of Austin. He would ask me for a diaper, hide in his room, poop and asked to be changed. I was not sure if Kaleigh was heading down the same road ... flag #3. I decided it was time to call the Psychologist and bring Kaleigh back into see her.
I met with the Psychologist who had assessed Kaleigh the year before. She was not worried at all that there was anything to be concerned about agreed to re-assess her. She thought it was a good idea that I was bringing my "typical" daughter in just to check. So, Kaleigh went in and was re-assessed. Everything went well. I was told that she was in a very high percentile for her speech and she was right where she should be as far as visual testing. So, all good! It was explained to me that "typical" people can do things like spin their wrists and it does mean anything. It has to be coupled together with other things to become a concern. I was never concerned about Kaleigh being on the spectrum but even if she was, I would want to her to have help as early as possible. My concern was a sensory issue. I wasn't sure if the wrist spinning was a sensory thing or not.
I received explanations for flag #1. Kaleigh may have had trouble waiting because the other children were very slow and she excelled at gymnastics, oh yes, and well, she was 2! ;) Flag #2, she never did this during her assessment and I am a bit embarrassed to say that I may have jumped the gun since I rarely see her do it anymore ... Flag #3, Kaleigh is completely potty trained. She even stays dry at night, no pull-ups or rubber night panties and does not have accidents. (Thank goodness because she does tend to sleep in my bed quite frequently.) ;) YAY Kaleigh! I LOVE YOU! Momma is so PROUD of YOU! :) OX
So, I have to admit, I let my paranoia get the best of me. I really could not distinguish what was "typical" and what was not. Even though, since Austin was a toddler, I knew there was something different about him, I just didn't know what. I have never gotten that sensation from Kaleigh at all. I guess it is hard to admit but sometimes I feel like I failed Austin. Why didn't I see? Why didn't I know? It is a hard pill to swallow some days and very difficult for me to write down. I did not want to ignore "little" things again just in case. I am glad that I had Kaleigh re-assessed, even though people thought I was overreacting. I feel I was just protecting and loving ...
All the best! *HUGS*
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)