POST IEP STRESS

The IEP the IEP where do we start  I think I’m gonna break it down into  point forms

• ·      School was stunned to find out Peanut had Brains !
• ·      School was stunned to find out there is no magic cure for Peanuts behaviours
• ·      Peanuts Early intervention teacher is my new hero
• ·      Too many things are making Peanut struggle at the moment( too many EAs coming and going, too many kids, noises in classroom  Rules to follow without visuals supports in place to make sure he understand them. 
• ·      Even at EI Peanut is a pain in the arse
• ·      Peanuts strength is reading people very quickly
• ·      School is really making peanut do nothing!(work wise) 
• ·      EI teacher is going to get MS teacher to visit (actually MS teachers suggestion)
• ·      EI teacher and Therapy team will make up visuals for MS classroom and for Peanut
• ·      Deputy wants full time Aid time for him funded which EI teacher will help application with
• ·      School was interested to hear Peanut is playing them by acting as if he cant do a lot
• ·      Psychologists said nothing !! at all, all meeting just wrote a lot down !!
• ·      I felt supported by Peanuts EI teacher, She really does understand him which is lovely - She will be over seeing this MS transition
• ·      We are implementing a time out spot for him at MS with a 3 minute timer  ( which is what we use at EI and home)
• ·      Therapist will go in and work with Peanut and other students to help with social interactions and make sure hte teachers know how to use the Visuals schedules and social stories. 
•   The EI teacher did said she was ready to yell and get agressive but she didn't have to so thats a win

Really I felt it went well , I felt I would let the academically goals slide a bit as he is getting them at EI and therapy at the moment ( his accidemic goals at EI are actually quite high they want him reading by mid year) and I felt it was better he settle into the class routine and let them get visuals in place before pushing him too far. We have set a meeting for early next term which is when I will be pushing for the academic goals.  

Peanuts EI IEP he achieved 80% of in 3 weeks again !!!  which is great and I’m honestly surprised how bright he really he I knew he was bright but lately I’ve seen some massive things from him that is beyond age appropriate for a kid that’s zoned out 70% of the time I think thats amazing.

Summary

Its all a waste of time  if no one follows through so now my chasing up job begins  I have put my name down for class helped on the 21^st of March so I can see if things are in place.

 hearing all your sons problems with school and life is hard even though you know them already but I try to focus on some of the good points which were his intelligence level and his ability to make very detailed Pictures out of magnet shapes LOL 

Im positive the next meeting (if all is put in place) will be alot more positive.

 I am emotionally exhausted! I find these things take a real emotional strain on me and I take a while to recover.. 

Schools Back FROM summer - Part two watch out mainstream

Part 2

Day 3 

MAINSTREAM!!!  OMG now Peanut has an EA for half of the day there is a Class EA and a Class teacher and about 20 kids  - So completely different set up from Early intervention, I didn’t think I would be this nervous I have some saint johns wort and a big mug of sugary tea ( even though I’ve been sugarless in my hot drinks for weeks) and I still feel like throwing up  He is Super excited and we walked to school no stress (Fucking slow though  a 5 minute walk took over 15 minutes !!)  unpack his bag show him where to put things and walk in  he says hello to the teacher with  prompting and  heads over to the toys  the teacher  goes over and tells him in the morning they play with puzzles and books and no toys yet. We got a little grumpy  “ I want to play” to which I said yes you can play with the puzzles or you can read a book  “NO!”  you see the teachers recoil  I go and grab him a puzzle and he settles down. As we are playing some other boys head over to the toys and get the same treatment and the teacher reads them a story until the music teacher arrives that is when  I made a swift exit he said good bye and gave us a kiss and I walked away I should have felt better but I still felt sick  and I will until I pick him up in one piece.  BREATH MUMMY BREATH

Pick up time, some other parents had made an effort to ask me how Peanut had settled even though they had no idea who I was. I then get ushered in I walked in and got "Oh hi mummy I had a good day" like a little robot LOL YAAAAHH the Sub EA talked to me Peanut did super well the only moan /whine was cause they told him to stop eating and go play! He didn't wee all day until I got there and he didn't drink so perhaps a little stressed he wanted to sit on the teachers chairs, they were firm with him and gave him his own chair which he didn't like but he joined in with most things ( music and painting) and when he wouldn't his only option was the do 1:1 learning with the EA who I’m so bummed was a sub cause she was AMAZBALLS! (she was there all day) he showed me a book they read and was excited to show me all the things he learnt about the book using lots of words, he came home happy and talking up a storm! I have never seen him come home from school this happy. He was pretend playing with Shrimples leading the play and singing songs I’ve never heard so he must have learnt them in music class.  I’m really excited that peer role models are just what the doctor ordered.

Day 4 

Shrimples is slightly upset this morning he does not have his hat but after explaining hats are left at school  he hurries off to school to grab his hat, he unpacks his bags and sits to does puzzles, Shrimples and another boy sit with him. The puzzle is of a face and its missing and eyebrow so I quickly leave before this upsets him to much and lead Shrimples to his class.

Shrimples first day was only half a day but he turns up cute as a button and a few kids know him already and excitedly announce his arrival, him and Earstar sat down talking about shoes and doing puzzles and that was it I sat for a bit and then walked home.

For me I hear you ask  or I don;t hear you ask but Im just assuming  you will want to hear about it or not if not Skip to the next bit.

Gym Induction and  PT session  got the outfit happening and the trendy new sports bra. I sat with the PT and we talked about how over weight I am  ummmm lol  not pleasant but I made a joke out of most of it then she ran me through what I needed to to do I felt great after 1.5 hours

I have signed up for stampede with a few other crazy SN mums its running and climbing through mud obstacles and even live electricity   GO ME !! So I need to get fit I of corse after my session was is so much pain  LOL my muscles ached for a good 4 days

That night Peanut didn’t fall asleep until 9:30 and was up at 4:50  his little brain working over drive chatting away to himself

Day 5

Went off without a hitch Nynie arrived, we took the boys to swimming lessons where Peanut jumped around like a wound up spring and Shrimples screamed the house down about going the deep end.

We great weekend tiring the boys out. A lot of Scripting from Peanut, No eye contact and little listening skills. We spent Sunday in the lagoon and it started to get a bit better. 

This morning is Monday of the new week and the SHIT HIT THE FUCKING FAN  ( I would say mind my language but they say people who swear more are more trustworthy, and TBH my morning was SHIT !)

Peanut was so upset to be going to Merriwa school and not princess school I had to drag him in crying I made things worse ( as I was not in a mood to be a sn parent) I pushed him through the class room door and closed it behind him smiling at the teacher as I quickly retreated  I got to the car and a wave of awfulness sweep over me.

I’m a SN mum I’m ment to be more understanding more compassionate, gentler, more prepared and have 100 times thicker skin than your average run of the mill vanilla kids mums. But I broke down tears and all I wanted to do was run back to school and give Peanut a huge hug and make sure he is okay. Backpacker talked me off a ledge and now I just feel like I need a stiff drink.  Tomorrow morning Backpacker is coming with me for school drop off and we are going to reassess whats goes on and see what we can do.  Its so hard to work out what it is upsetting peanut if its a tantrum or a melt down does he understand and just not want to go? Does he not get it, its only day 1 of week 2 surely it will take some time is it the fact they don't push him at Mainstream or the the fact princess school has a better playground.  Stay tuned to find out It might take a while ( if we ever do we will let you know)

Schools Back FROM Summer

 So we have been getting Peanut ready or School for the last few weeks, social story’s, Visual schedules, setting up a study /therapy room for him.

This is how it went down  ….

Part 1

Day 1

So keen to start hurrying us up to get dressed and out the door and then as soon as we got to the car park the Shit hit the fan!!! he was crying not screaming but fighting enough that I had to carry him in and refusing to do anything asked of him the scripting was at an all time high. 

The Teacher lead him out the door at pick up time and with a funny look on her face 

I said “ not a great day ?”  and I got a big thumbs down  and “a Scripting was High and compliance low”, We shared a chuckle  “ I’m not surprised” “ Yep it will take him time to get used to New routine”

We got home and he was still unsettled and that’s when I start self blaming  - I should of I shouldn’t have .. BLAH BLAH BLAH   ( no help to any one big old BLAH ) So we sit down and ease into the new school year with just 15 minutes of home therapy  he settles with the chance to earn some gold doubloons and Ive finally worked out why he was so upset! He wanted to go to the school with the princess, Every time I mentioned school he would say princess when I picked him up he said "Hi mummy .. go princess" I had no idea what this ment until after therapy he pointed to Clarkson crest on his Visual schedule and said " Clarkson .. Princess up the stairs down the stairs" and Bang it hit me Peanut was in the class for just over an hour 10 weeks ago but what did he play with a castle a fairy princess castle !! God its hard having to be either a mind reader or a detective but we got there in the end.

Its all confirmed as he keeps wanting to put his Hulk t-shirt on cause it was the t-shirt he was wearing on that day so now he thinks its his princess school uniform LOL

Ive told him again and again and showed him on visual schedule but although he was listening he didn’t want to understand so  Snap to

Day 2 

Started off same him excited about school and me blurting out “ No princess school today Merriwa school”  every  15 – 20 minutes, undressed as he was searching for his hulk t-shirt  ( which is in the wash) so he is walking around nudy but then after that it was pretty uneventful he went to school without a hitch still wasn’t 100% but getting better. 

Visual Schedules

                                                                                              

Bag Rack 

Study and therapy desk 

Peanuts sensory cushion 

Peanut ready for his first day 

Starting CEASE therapy soon !

So we went to the naturopath today for the first time in about 8 months, She is wonderful still trying to get me to do GFCF for Peanut but we tired it and I honestly saw no improvements but I saw more improvements when using Spectrum awakening, a probotic and cod liver oil. 

 Im sure diet helps alot of kids but its a long debate and I feel its just not for us. 

Another debate is the whole immunisation debate which is a minefield.  One thing which always comes back to me is when Peanut was 20 months old he got an infection and was put on Antibotics for 6-8 weeks and although I personally don't believe this was the cause it was definitely after that we saw big changes in him perhaps it was a trigger, its hard to tell as in his short life up until that point we had moved alot he had a little brother, I started back at work, we had to say goodbye to his dog and everything was rather unsettled.  
But I don't feel putting him on ABs for that long at that age was wise, I of corse had no idea at the time( done my research now though) and Shrimples was a sickly baby and I just wanted my biggest little man to get better, he was in a lot of pain with a massive lump in his groin.  Its actually the time he started toe walking ( which I put down to the pain in his groin) 

ANY WHOOOOOO  lol  my mum used to take us to the naturopath when we were younger so its something I believe in  (Backpacker does not) so once we got settled before Peanuts DX that was the place to go  we did lots of test which I also got similar ones from GP  ( as I believe both can be of benefit). Basically Peanut was high is toxins  Lead, mercury and some other  lovely goodies and had slight leaky gut we got it working well and he started school and I saw some great improvements with the goodies she offered us.  Peanut suffered anxities  going to school to start with first term it was horrible  so she made us up some homeopathic stuff which sorted that in 2 days!! just a few drops on his tongue a couple of times before school  or anything else were his anxiety skyrockets and we are good to go.   

So this brings us to now! Appointment today and she suggested we start CEASE its sounds a bit confusing reading about it online but when she explain it, it was simple and made sense since we both feel toxins are Peanuts biggest problem.  So we are awaiting the call so we can go and pick up all our good stuff and begin the program.

I don't expect a cure or a mircle, I would just like him to feel his best and if toxin are what is exacerbating some of his traits then Id like too see them settle down a bit, so he can be his best and concentrate more at school.  

He is 5 !!

Peanut  turned 5 on the 12th of Jan and had a great party... way to many kids for me but he coped fine  it was a bit much for Shrimples half way through took himself for a nap but came out smiling and Happy I think for Shrimples it was very hard watching  Peanut get pressies and him not getting anything  but instead of moaning or crying ( like he usually does ) we had a chat about it before the party and he did really well. 

Peanut started back at speech and had a massive meltdown ( weve had a few hard weeks on that respect). We got his report and I don't like to read it LOL its like most reports we get which say in testing he was  blah blah blah behind and severe this and severe that  but we feel due to Peanuts lack of compliance and attention he could have tested better ( so really same old shit)

But we have had some good times these holidays Shrimples is now in Level 2 for swimming lessons and Peanut is going into a mainstream swimming class  (which we will see how that goes - insert Snort-). Shrimples is actually quite a good swimming and confident if he can stand or is in lesson but out in someone else pool he freaks out and worries alot where as Peanut is not so great in lessons but  super confident with his arms bands on ( hardly inflated) and can stay in the water for hours blowing bubbles  kicking and  plodding about constantly making noise  ( which  means I really need to get to the  Naturopath again - YES Im a hippy) 


Work has been slow for both backpacker and I so our finances are HURTING! lol but we keep our chins up and struggle on through.  We are actually looking into buying a house through a shared ownership scheme as rent keeps going up and up.  Of corse it would mean a tiny house with next to no back yard but as least we would own it (or have a mortgage on 70% of it LOL.) 

Peanut had his Chromosome microarray tests yesterday and now we have to wait 4 months for the results.  It was fairly traumatic for all involved I shed a tear and backpacker looked scared for his little man. Which is F -ing Silly ( we are drongos) its just a blood test and Im thankful both boys are healthy and dont need alot of them. It took 5 of us, the first needle came out cause he wriggled and screamed the second needle came out half way through cause of the self retraction thingo and the third needle finished the trick.. he was such a good boy despite the screaming and wriggling. He got a bag of m&ms and a prize and went and wee'd in a cup.  As per usual with Peanut after something traumatic he talks alot more. 
Who knows what it will bring maybe nothing but I feel it was to important not to have him tested. 

In general  Peanuts Communication is getting better ( at home anyway ) recently Ive heard the boys have conversations limited ones yes but actually conversations and this morning I even heard this 

Shrimples "you wear a nappy"
Peanut "NO you are a nappy"
Shrimples " No your a nappy"
Peanut "NO you nappy"

these sorts of things are music to my ears a little laughter and teasing between brothers. 

Also hear these things constantly! 

Peanut "do you want to ride bike with me?"
Shrimples "NO!"

but don't worry  Shrimples gets the same 

Shrimples "want to come on the trampoline with me?"
Peanuts "No I don't want to go trampoline"

But we also get them agreeing and saying okay and going along with each other. 

NO, NO , NO !!!

 ARGHHHHH   NO NO NO NO NOOOOO  thats all we are hearing of late,  NO PANTS,  NO SHOWER, NO DINNER, NO GO OUTSIDE  and then the occasional, ITS MINE, GIVE IT BACK , GO AWAY.   Its driving Back packer and I a little insane.... BUT .. there is aways a but with Autism, the teeth grinding has stopped, and he is talking alot more, and is clearer, he is playing more appropriately (when they are not fighting) and Shrimples and Peanut run through Scripts together acting them out as a team.  I put all these NO's down to  NO school.   
    He desperately wants to go to school he asks a few times a day which is great as this time last year I was convinced he was just not ready and he would hate it  ( which was the case in first term  ) but Im happy to say I was proved wrong, Peanut needs constant stimulation and  he gets that at school and with therapies, Speech is starting back next thursday.  Now he is at home while Mummy and Daddy are cleaning for rent inspection and prepping for Party.  Today we are off to the lagoon for a swim in the morning and then having an antipasti and champers playdate in the afternoon  ( champers for adults only of corse  although that might give me a nice sleep in tomorrow),  Moose and Ruby Gloom are well loved by both Peanut and Shrimples,  Moose is a 3 year old Girl who acts alot like a boy in pretty dresses, Ruby Gloom and I have been friends since we were 8 or 9 and  Moose  has been around since she was born, so I wont be telling them until later today as Peanut will obsess about it all day.  

Autism is so different from one kid to the other alot of kids with Autism need to be told of goings on way in advance social stories need to be made and such, Peanut you just got to throw things at!  surprise him with good things  ( if not you'd get come on lets go constantly in your ear for days) and  shock him with the bad ( or it would be hell trying to get him to do what ever it was). We are working on all this with him at the moment we are talking about the party but not really saying when  a very vague (next week) as yesterday Peanut got out the cake book and a chair and was ready to make some cake he actually took it pretty well when we packed it away, considering his mood of late. He is okay with change and no set routine but he is not okay with wanting to do something and not getting to do it or not wanting to do something and being made to do it, for now no social stories or preparation works for this we found first and then works best atm.

 Im off now  but Ill leave you with a picture of Peanut in his sulking position. Batman outfit on and off to his room to stare at the fan  !  LOL I do love his unimpressed face. 

Festive festivities ....

 OH MAN  Christmas is getting so close, every weekend for the last 4 weekends we have had a Christmas party and we have another weekend of them after this too. 

Tomorrow is the big one the Variety Christmas party. Im Excited  !! 

We have been making ginger bread cookies the boys have decorated the tree, made cards, and pressies for the rellies. 

The boys both really understand this year Peanut is Super excited , Shrimples is too but has been rude to santa a few times and shed some tears after not getting what he wants (not quite gasping the concept entirely). 

Peanut, Shrimples, Nynie and I went to the Justine Clarke concert last weekend  for those of you that don't know, Justine Clarke is a singer and play school host  and now author,  the boys have loved her for  2.5 years or more I guess and finally got to go to a concert,  Peanut wore his Christmas hat ( which he does alot now he is getting into the spirit)  and went down the front Following Justine Around the stage ( like a mini stalker) and trying to climb up to get to her.  Shrimples was  really excited but sat in his chair mostly until the end where he went head banging crazy in the isle near us. It was great a little little people rock concert LOL Peanut did get upset  that the chair were broken  ( really they were just those chairs that fold up when you stand up ) we nearly had a melt down but dodge it. I was proud of both of them  it was crowded and loud but they both did really well. 

The boys have had their photo with the santa at the mall it didn't turn out great  but with all these Christmas party's and all these Santa its a wonder they are not completely confused.  I know I am. Shrimples growled at Santa when he handed him a stuffed dog, He rolled his eyes and said  in a deep dark and creepy voice " I TOLD YOU I WANT IRON MAN!"   1. thats just plain rude.. so he was dealt with accordingly and 2. He loves iron man I know he does but he has never asked for one !!  and 3. Nynies the one getting him an iron man ! 

With Christmas coming up I have been working alot more which is nice cause we have no money ( still trying to win lotto)   but also tiring and I have to be careful  not to stress out and snap at the boys  (which I usually do Thursday fridays as Im just too worn out). 

Its Peanuts last day of School Next friday  and we are waiting on hearing when he can visit the new mainstream school he will be attending next year, I have been very nice and friendly to the principle and she in return has thanked me for constant phone calls.  only one week of the school year left!  I need to get this sorted but funny enough Im not really stressed about it. Peanut is okay with change so as long as I know where he should be and when thats all I care about really.  I got the boys uniforms and put in the book lists in and taken Shrimples out of the daycare he has been in for nearly 3 years.  


Peanut had a  Paed Review and  she wants genetic testing  so we have to get that done  and had an Ot review which stated Drawing ( whahah  I don't think so ), pre writing skills and visual memory and he is low average - average for his age, he had been  discharged due to his ASD diagnoses and the OT cried LOL  so I think we might send her a card. 


its pasted midnight here so Im gonna crack on and get to sleep ... BIG PARTY TOMORROW !! 

And yes Shrimples hair is getting that long!

oh and my blue pen ran out so Im using black now 

Peanuts blog

  Oh  man  some times I feel like this is not so much the  Family blog as it is Peanuts. 
He had an Op on Tuesday and he was not impressed but  5 hours after getting up from that table  he is riding his bike so  Thursday he is back at school.

 The hospital experience was  better than I expected but still  hard tears formed a few times ( from me not him)   he would not let many other people touch him and went down to the operating suit with  his  Gum boots still on and back pack at his side as he wanted to leave badly before the premeds kicked in. 
Even after then when you thought he was out cold  and I could poke him and move him as much as I liked as soon as someone elses touch came near him he would bolt up right and fight them. “ Get off my bed go away, get away from me"  as per usual in a crisis situation peanuts language comes on leaps and bounds LOL I even got a  comment on how nice it was he was so verbal LOL  and one man wished his son was quite like mine, the reason he is so quite is because anxiety is so high he has withdrawn completely LOL  Every one at the hospital  was really great and didn’t want to stress him out the ones that understood Autism let me do it all themselves and the ones who didn’t asked me first what they should do so I felt very supported.  After the op they  got me down to recovery as they couldn’t do any obs on him.  Once he was running around and trying to leave they discharged us.  It was the first time Peanut when under and I didn’t think I would be that scared but I tell you what watching your child lay there  still and out cold is a hard thing to watch.

We only have 4 weeks till the end of the school year here so  I’m trying to get things sorted with Peanut  without being pushy  little suggestions here and there  and emails asking for booklists to remind them we are here and waiting for news.

Shrimples is all good to go, orientation went well  teachers meeting went well  =) last day of daycare is end of term then I have 2 months  YES TWO months we no time off !! 

Now one thing I hate is the cost ( the government here gives us money twice a year which is more than enough for school supplies but they only give it to us a term into school LOL  so the outlay is high )

Ive worked out uniforms have cost me $250 for both  ( not including the navy shorts we already have and can use)

Shoes each god knows maybe $30 – 50  each

School supplies  at $20-30 per child per school so for peanut that means double as he will be at two schools

 And then class room supplies Tissues, wet wipes etc  not a lot and then the actual education which is only $25 a year LOL ( if you want to pay you don’t have to pay that either its voluntary)

So we have December - Christmas $$

Jan - Peanuts birthday  $$$

Feb - School year start  $$$$

March - Shrimples birthday $$$

And the rest of the year paying it all off the credit card to start again  LOL 

Is Peanut going to recover, to catch up, or be cured?

Do people think Peanut is going to recover, to catch up to be cured?  I think a few people in our lives think this is a case. 
Peanut improves and grows every day but he will never not have Autism. Even if he does well academically and even if we teach him all the correct ways to be self sufficient, social, blend in and put up with us all. He will still think differently  in the future he might just be very skilled at acting "normal" acting "neurotypical".  

His brain is wired differently ( its true, its science)  So please if you are one of these people please stop. Stop waiting for  him to catchup and stop hoping he will be cured and get over it. Its not helpful, what is helpful is appreciating his differences understanding how he thinks and works and loving him despite, regardless and because of his Autism. Work with the Autism not against it, we need people that think differently in this world.  

Update on goings on

I feel  like I haven't written in a while even though  things have been happening. 

First off let me start by saying the lice went and much easier than I thought Peanut looks amazing with short hair. 

 We have been on school holidays and having catch ups with friends and just relaxing. 

This wednesday backpacker stayed with the kids all day while I did day 1 of a 2 day positive partnerships workshop. 

This is a free program about how to better communicate with schools  how to tackle those tricky teachers and IEP's and how to know your rights and stand up for yourself with out getting emotional. For me its been so valuable Im a pretty proactive mum but sometimes you just get stuck or confused by the system and with Peanut next year attending two schools, Mainstream 3 days with an Aid some of the time and Early intervention the other two days this is going to come in handy. 

Im not super pleased with the mainstreams schools responses so far they have been a bit hit and miss my initial reaction to the school was good ( its big but pretty and well established nice trees and the kids seems okay) but then I found some flaws and I had people chirping in my ear " oh they are not a good school the students are messed up  blah blah the teachers can't control them"  and various other bits of wisdom (I didn't ask for) we live in a low socioeconomic area and there are children with all sorts of needs behavioral and emotional which is why I was actually told in the first place they perhaps would be better able to deal with a child with autism compared to the higher end schools with middle class students ( mainly people from working class pasts immigrating and pretending to be above their stations).  
Surely that makes sense that the funding allocation and understanding of special needs would be better at a school thats seen all sorts of children from all walks of life. yes / no?  
Meh who knows (not me).  Private is too expensive for us I don't want to send my son to catholic school due to the fact I might burn alive when I walk in. Id like to walk him to school and I've not heard great things about the other school in walking distance and its on a main road. There are a few others public schools  not to far away 5 - 10 minutes drive that have good reputations with special needs but I want to give his local school a chance. 

Any way I have started rambling back to the facts  

I now feel empowered and like I have the right tools to approach the schools and ask for an IEP or CAP meeting before next year and I will be ringing about it next week I want to know how much aide time and If we can meet the aide and teacher for next year and see the class room, I can bring my LAC along and therapy focus if I feel I need it. 

The  program also made me sad that so many parents and carers felt alone.  I have Skips and they have been a wealth of knowledge, support and understanding and because of this I feel positive and prepared. Some of these mothers and fathers were lost, never pushing for things they are able to receive no knowledge about programs and funding options they are entitled to. 

Part of me got angry at them. "where have  you been  why have you just been sitting back excepting this you have no right to complain if you never went out and scratched the surface and pushed for more information" some people had excuse after excuse and were so negative but then I was angry that the information can be so hard to find. By the end of the second day most people had made friends and started to become more positive and were ready to take the next steps but there were still a few that still had not grown like they were upset they didn't get that special and all mighty magic pill that was going to "fix their child"  any suggestion  people come up with was knocked down even though they had not tried it and that made me mad!  

I think its the lack of knowledge people have about what they can and cant apply for and the fact people aren't working together for each child individually because they don't know where to start. We are only at the beginning of my journey and Im ready  to roll Im nervous and excited and Im sure we will have good years and bad years but I feel better prepared. I also feel like Id love to be a part of the disability sector helping those familys and children get what they rightly deserve. 

In Other news Peanut started Early intervention ESC Thursday and did well the teacher mentioned "he has a few scuffles over compliance but things he will get there soon". 
He has a little boy in his class whom is the same age and will be attending with Peanut until the end of 2013 his mother seemed lovely. The others kids will be heading off to mainstream or esc year 1 at the end of this year as they had been there nearly two years and were close to or already 6.

On Thursday after school Peanut started speech therapy with his federal funded service provider. Peanut did really well considering he was tired. His therapist (now named Irish) used the words visual genius she said he has very good with nonverbal language (eyes gaze pointing etc - that surprised us) and also his vocab and pronunciation was good (this we already knew). 
There was one bit that nearly brought me to tears. The speechy started to play simon says and Peanut was doing really well then she wanted to stop and get him to go get something but Peanut wanted to continue and he said Simon says close your eyes, so she copied and then he said close mouth and close chin (lol) and finally close ears she helped him along with the simon says bit but I was so proud of him Ive never seen that side of him before he wanted to take control in the correct way and that to me was the first spark of proper joint play with anyone else outside the family and certainly the only joint play Ive seen that require verbal skills ... so cheers to that!

Silence is underrated

Peanut goes through ups and downs like the rest of us. 

He has massive burst of improvements and then he stops still, stagnant or sometimes even goes backwards with some things. This time it started last week after he learnt to ride his bike. His scripting went up massively jargon came at me from every angle and bizarre kooky and strange noises came out of his mouth like Id never heard before. The teeth grinding escalated. There is never silence and for a child who can't communicate he sure never shuts up!.. does it drive me mad?  YEP you bet, Does it get on my nerves? YES. Do I want to  put tape over his mouth and just bask in the silence? yes I do *hangs head in shame* but I don't. What I do do is get frustrated I yell at him to please be quite and he apologizes and then I feel even worse he can't help it  he is not doing it to annoy me he is doing it cause his brain can't stop him or he has no idea its as annoying as it is.  He always goes like this for a few months before another burst but I never get used to it I always feel like we have taken a huge leap backwards.  But I have to remember where we were last year and its all positive and his social skills are coming on slowly. Today he  went and cuddled a stranger and was super affectionate to MURHface (friend since year 4) 


In other breaking news Peanuts got LICE !!! hair lice.. so  mummy took action and peanut now has a shaved head and tea tree oil covering his scalp.. I will win this war !!!  I may have had to shave peanut gorgeous thick hair but it will come back but I swear you may never come back BE GONE LICE BE GONE !!!  on a plus note he must have got very close to a kid at school to get it !!  whoop whoop maybe it was social contact.  And he still looks mega cute !! 

Ball & Bikes

So this post is in two parts

One is the Therapy focus ball we went to.

We won tickets to the therapy focus ball and it was amazing  we dressed up and got drunk ( on free booze) and Danced ohh how we danced  Funny funny dancing I am so Glad backpacker and I are still so young at heart. We made the best kind of fools out of ourselves, chicken dance, Running man, Tango.

   

We didn’t know anyone to start with but I met some amazing people. It was needed so much laughing and fun.

So a big Thank you again Therapy focus and to Nynie and Grandaddy whom paid for a night in a motel for us so we could sleep in and enjoy the ball not worrying or fighting over whom would drive home after all the access to free booze. 

Two  is Bikes bike bikes bikes for those of you that know me the fact peanut can’t peddle has been a massive massive problem.

It sounds silly but Peanut stands out and I adore him being himself I really do but anything I can do at a parent to help there less things for kids to pick on and more things he can join in on the better and I guess riding a bike was one of them, I also knew that once he got the knack of it he would love it. 

So on this journey we tries trikes, bikes, bikes, more trikes and some more bikes. I would yell PEDDLE PEDDLE PEDDLE to him (so much so that Peanut would scream it to any other kid when they were on a bike!) I tried bribes and tried special altercations to the peddles to holds his feet in.

Then we got some balance bikes and the boys loved them and went bmxing and were so good that I forgot about peddling for a while.

 On Saturday Peanuts bike shattered. So after an a angry email to the manufacturer I headed to the local bike shop to talk to the man in charge and see what the deal was. 

Do we

a.     buy another blanace bike

b.     buy a cheap bike and hope he gets the hang of it or

c.      buy a decent light weight bike and take the peddles off to make it a balance bike until he is ready.

Well the guy was super informative and told me its sounds like he is not far off and suggested some great bikes all over $200 which since we have to buy 2 is WAY too much. 

So yesterday we headed out bike shopping we stopped at all the specialist bike shops and founds loads of light weight bikes none of which Peanut would get on and all of which shrimples wanted to take home and none of which we could afford.

We got to big W (department store) and saw a small pirate bike reduced to $30 last one left so I pull it out shove the peddles on it and Shrimples wants on! Shrimples starts peddling away (he only just learnt yes I know we are a family of late peddlers but that’s okay) He announces it was Peanuts turn and Peanut hops on and cycles PEDDLES around the shop like a pro steering properly.

 So yep we take it even though its too small on the mid set that they can share it and it might build  Peanuts strength and confidence to ride a bigger bike so now we just had to look around for a bigger bike cheap and hope he could ride it after a few more shops we found a spider man bike with a transformer seat  (not sure what happened there)  We were all over shopping and Peanut was crying and wanted the bike, we thought it was too heavy so I said if you cycle to the front you can have the bike ( he could ride both a black and blue plain bikes that were in teh store). The store attendant hears so asked Peanut if he wants a push to which Peanut screamed NO GO AWAY LET GO! She was freaked, I was laughing  I explained he has autism and it was the end of 4 hours of bike hunting at this point.  In the end Peanut couldn’t ride it the tires were flat we tried to convince him to pick the black or blue bike he could ride but he loved it and wanted it and I was knackered so I  went against my better judgement and convinced them to let me take the demo(two already put together bikes was a bit of a score saved us either 2 hours  putting them together fighting and listening to a screaming Peanut and Shrimples telling us to hurry up and trying to help or $35 to get someone else to make them for us). 

We got it home after a quick stop for take away and pumping the tires up at the servo (petrol station for those of you overseas).  Peanut was so excited to see the spider man bike at home " my bike ... my spiderman bike" got on it and could not ride it so then they fought over riding the tiny pirate bike. OH great what have I done! I give up going inside to sit on the couch for the first time it what seemed like for ever, Then about an hour later Shrimples comes running in telling me Peanut is not letting him ride on the spider man bike I thought he was confused so went to check and sure enough there is peanut riding around on a bike that his feet can’t touch the ground. So now they are fighting over the Big spider man bike as Shrimples wants to be like Peanut even though he couldn't possibly ride it with his short legs!  And this is why we normally have 2 of everything exactly the same !!!