Well, its been a few months, I have been very busy. No excuse but it sounds good. Jacob has had some incredible breakthroughs.
We're Coming Along Baby!
First I need to let you know, because of his size and his temper, we have been unable to send Jake to school for a long time. I got so tired of running to the school daily.. the calls I got, "Hi, Ms. Crowe, can you come down here? Jake just flushed his underwear down the commode, the plumbing is all backed up now", "Hi, Ms. Crowe, Jacob took the legs off the table, and is throwing the parts, can you come down here", "Hi Ms. Crowe, Jacob dug a hole out in the wall and is picking it bigger and bigger, we really need to send Jake home so the maintenance man can come in and fix it..", "Hi Ms. Crowe, Jakes allergies are so bad, that he is hitting himself, biting himself and wiping a gob of nose jam all over everything, can you come and bring him meds or come and get him?", "Hi Ms. Crowe, Jake heard the other kids (average kids/teens) walking down the hallway and he is insisting on going in their classrooms, he is melting down, can you come and get him?", "Hi Ms. Crowe I am still trying to find the missing the pieces from his drawer he took everything out and shoved wet paper-towels everywhere! I was only in the restroom 20 seconds! and he has been eloping from classroom all day", "Hi Ms. Crowe, Jacob hurt my finger can you come and get him".. (Two days later the aid has a cast on her finger).. sigh..
Please visit my Sewing Shop online, I make baby blankets
kitchen accessories, king size blankets, and I take requests.
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https://www.etsy.com/shop/croweapple
Because of his behavior we have kept him home. I am not and have not been mad at the school or the aids. You can only do so much. I did however, go down to the school and sit with the gentleman that trains the aids in ABA training. There is a college expert on this, that comes in to the schools and breaks down the lessons to their simplest forms and teaches the aids how to perform the tasks. I sat in with the aids and learned how to teach broken sections of ABA. If I had known sooner how important to Jacob this would be, I would have done it sooner. I think ALL parents should go down to the school (if they can) at least one day and get the idea of how they are teaching this. Jacob was receiving one form of personalized education at school and he was coming home and being told to do things in a different form.. NO WONDER HE WAS MELTING DOWN. So I was able to connect for my son, the way he was learning at school with the way he learns at home and boy has he been flourishing! To be honest, I think it is paramount no, tantamount to your childs' well being to learn at least a minimal form of ABA training.
We Are an Autism Family and thats Ok!
I began receiving even more help from the school in the form of aids that came to my home and began teaching him.. then for one reason or the other (probably that we live really far out), they started to not come. So after talking with our disability coordinator, we decided I would be Jacobs ABA aid. They started sending out ABA instructors and a back up aid to my home once a week. They brought the props he needed, they taught me how to use them. The second aid that came out, was really getting to know him and that was a blessing. Jacob began flying, moms are just so intuitive to their autistic children.. we can "feel" out what works and what session won't work fairly quickly and we can move on to more lessons.. this screens out valuable time lost on pushing sections that they never thrive on.. Jacob began to talk almost immediately (in his broken slang but better) and he started connecting with the family. Jacob began smiling, laughing, playing pranks, joining in family activities.. he began a pretty nifty chore list, which included washing dishes, cleaning his room, sweeping the floors, and wiping down the bathroom. He went from almost completely non verbal and unable to pay attention and just float around all day and watch maybe a movie or two, to becoming completely melted into the family and for lack of better words.. one of us. We still are shocked when we go out and about and see his behavior in public, its like he has forgotton all he has learned and that is something we will have to conquer.. but wow the difference... (continued below blanket photos)
Blankets I make to help with a few extra expenses, like Jacobs painting supplies.
Time to tell you I got burnt out.. yes yes.. I did. The two aids, wasted no time suggesting I could send him back to school with the wonderful aid, "Elna" that had been coming to our home. I was so nervous, Jake at HIGH SCHOOL? Is he gonna break loose and run down the highway? Is the bus gonna drop him off at the wrong stop and I will never see him again? Will he become permanently scarred because some kid picks on him? Will the teachers be able to handle a full 200 lb meltdown? How many times a week will I have to go to the school?
First day of High School!
Well guess what, they are doing great :-) yay! He is doing great with all of them, they are committed to his therapy and helping him and I am so blessed so much because he is loved and cared about. I only hope and pray that all aids and teachers can become as educated and good as these ladies and guys.
Now I get to try other fun stuff with Jacob and he is soaring! Like puppets.. and he is having so much fun with them! Its a newer way for him to talk and helps him focus less on how to say things and focuses more on the puppet and then he is less nervous and the words just flow so nicely. ( Please leave a comment and let me know what you think of my blog.)
Next time.. "The Sixteenth Birthday Video" and why it is so special.
I have a "research question" If you have an autistic child, what are your plans for him or her when you age out of ability to care for them? Do you have alternative plans? Would like to share some answers with a future blog. Thanks Deborah Crowe.
