How to get started...

Besides just getting in the playroom and doing it, there are a few things we need to do to get the party started.  Most importantly plotting both kids on the Developmental Model.  My friend who attended over ten years ago said they didn't even have this tool then, but I'm so glad they do now as it will give us some concrete goals to work on.  The name of the game is joining them in their repetitive exclusive behaviors but when we get those green lights for interaction we add one thing.  We join, initiate, and inspire growth.  For example, Clark spends a lot of time playing with strings or blades of grass.  He's totally in his own world when he does this.  The house could be burning down around him and he might or might not look up and take notice.  So when he does this you find your own string or blade of grass and do the same thing he's doing.  This is called joining.  And it really helps sell it if you get into it, enjoy it like he does, or try to see what's so fascinating about it.  The more you feel it, the more likely you are to get some sort of response from him.  This is what you'd call a green light.  A glance, a smile, a touch....most likely Clark will take your string too, so you just have to be clever and pretend to have one or do the same action with something else.  Taking your string and continuing to not notice the person isn't a green light.  He's still being exclusive.  When you do get a green light, you try to inspire growth by adding one thing.  An example might be to make the string dance, and since our particular focus is language you might say, "dance" and ask him to do the same.  If he tries, you give exuberant praise!  The attitude of this program, the 3 E's-energy, excitement, and enthusiasm, is what's going to make or break it.

So here's the Developmental Model.  Basically, you need to plot your child on this model and work through the social stages.  There are five stages and once you've completed all the goals for each stage you move on to the next.  Once you've completed all five stages you probably won't qualify as Autistic anymore because you'll have all the social skills of a socially successful person.  Autism is a social challenge after all.  The four main social components of the Model are eye contact and non-verbal communication, communication including vocabulary and sentence length, interactive attention span, and flexibility.  You know, all those things normal children do naturally without the need to be taught.  Check out the link to read about all of this in more detail.  It all makes quite wonderful sense, and I'm thinking my kids will be way better equipped socially than both Brad and I were at a young age, if we can make the goals.  All of the other things that present themselves as challenges to individuals with Autism, like self-help, gross and fine motor skills, and cognitive skills are truly secondary to these social functions.  Yes, I said cognitive!  Really, how important is it if my child is on par cognitively if he can't look a person in the eye or talk to someone?  Like one of our teachers last week said, people come to this country not knowing anything; language, customs, etc., and make their way because they have the social skills.  Once these things are in place your motivation for the other fundamentals will most likely fall into place automatically or you will be self-motivated to acquire them.

So, we have to find out where both boys are on the Model so we can see the specific goals we need to work on.  This outlook and awesome, user-friendly tool provided quite the eye-opener for us regarding Bernie specifically.  We were not quite sure how to do this whole thing with him besides just using the attitude, etc. and were under the impression that he is doing so well.  Well, he is really, but the model has given us specifics to work on with him.  Once we hit all these marks, he'll be good to go for life.  Clark is going to be much more labor intensive.

The other things we need to do to get started are recruit volunteers, or namely make a flyer and get a plan in action.  We learned a lot about it last week and feel confident we can do it.  I'll talk more about that later, but the prospect of creating a new family is exciting.  We also have to buy and install a camera in the playroom to provide feedback on sessions.  Feedback is crucial.  This is all very exciting and will be a lot of hard-work, but it's the kind of hard-work that could not be more rewarding.  No paycheck required.  Love appreciated.   

The Son-Rise Program Start-Up.....

As my dear friend who suggested I attend this program stated, there really aren't words to describe the experience and what I walked away with from it, but I'll share some general thoughts.  Amazing!!!  I'm okay if my children never change and always have Autism.  However, I know in my heart and soul that they will grow....through love and acceptance.  Like any parent, you just want your children to achieve their potential, strive for the best, and be happy.  I can think this way too.  There is no "your child will always be this way" mentality that I was having crammed down my throat months ago.  I will never accept that.  Change is possible, scientifically and otherwise, for everyone at any age.  The brain is not a solid, fixed matter.  Autism isn't static.  Life isn't static.  It's ever-evolving for all of us.  And yes, we are thinking recovery here. 

And I'm not alone.  It was very emotional and surreal to be surrounded by a hundred plus people from 21 different countries who deal with the EXACT same things.  We've gotten increasingly used to feeling alone so it's a comfort to know we are not.  I am extremely grateful Brad was also able to attend the program.  I can't imagine him not sharing the experience.  It was crucial for us both to attend.  While we learned many many specific techniques that are proven to work, the bottom line is love.  Nothing can grow without it.  We all just want to be happy in this life, and you can't be happy without love.  It's that easy.  I am already planning on attending subsequent programs they offer.  I will have to do some fundraising, but maybe the most important lesson I learned is that absolutely NOTHING is impossible.  Hard work and the right attitude will take you wherever you want to go.         

What will I do with an NT kid? And Teen-Age Wasteland.

NT:  Neuro-typical.  Baby Grant is nearly 10 months old and has hit all his milestones early or on-time.  It's really weird.  If he starts talking soon that's going to be really weird!  Like a little alien baby.  Obviously, it isn't what I'm used to, but I'll most certainly take it.  Some babies don't show signs until much later, but as far as anyone who comes into contact with him, the kid is alright!  Yeah, I'm making a lot of Who references...I think it's subconscious as that's all Brad and I listened to on our last trip east.  I always think of that trip when I hear them.  Anyhow, his chances statistically are high to be on the spectrum and when he turns one I will probably have Early Intervention come out to assess him for peace of mind.  Please, God, don't let me have to do all this therapy stuff again.  It's a lot to take.

So why is he okay?  My theory and hey, that's all that counts, right?! is he's not as loaded with environmental toxins.  Yes, my family seems to have a predisposition for auto-immune issues, and both Daddy and I have some Silicon Valley Theory tendencies, but from what I've learned with my first two, the four-year hiatus between kids were spent cleaning up the sludge in our lifestyle.

He's not vaxxed.  I didn't have any ultra-sounds with him.  My diet was clean while pregnant.  I was medication-free.  I didn't have any dental work done...stirring up the mercury.  I didn't put any chemicals onto or in my body.  I took a vitamin and other supplements including drinking wheat grass juice.  He never sees a chemical on his skin.  Namely, I did all the right things.  My diet was heavy on double cheeseburgers and fries with the other two, etc., etc., etc.   My temples aren't shorn, but I'm not orthodox.  It's a work in progress for sure. 

I love watching documentaries on Netflix and there are a lot of great ones touching on all the sludge in our environment.  Recently, we watched Chemerical and I thought it was interesting that housewives have a MUCH higher rate of different cancers than women who work outside the home.  Exposure to all the chemicals in our homes are thought to be the culprit.  Per reader request I'm going to share a few recipes of stuff we use.  I'm a big fan of coconut oil, baking soda and vinegar.  You can pretty much do anything with these three things.

I get my coconut oil from Tropical Traditions.  It rules and is hand-processed from coconuts grown and picked by small family farms in the Philippines.  The expeller-pressed kind doesn't smell or taste coconutty.  I like the Gold-Label kind in my coffee, etc.  That's a whole other post.  They also have great customer service.  Baking soda from Bob's Red Mills is good.  The A&H kind is chemically processed.  I usually let my kombucha brew so long it turns into vinegar but Bragg's ACV is primo.  Recipes:

Deodorant:  dab on coconut oil, pat on baking soda.
Shampoo:  baking soda w/water.  rub in.  rinse out with vinegar.
Hand-Soap:  olive oil, Dr. Bronner's, water, peppermint essential oil drops if you'd like.
Hair-gel:  natural gelatin and water.  mix.
Toothpaste:  3 T coconut oil, 3 T baking soda, 20-30 drops peppermint oil.
Liquid Cleaner:  vinegar and water.
Laundry Soap:   DIY Laundry Soap 20 cents a gallon | The Urban Farming Guys
Fabric Softener:  dryer balls
Sunscreen:  coconut oil
Pest Repellent: peppermint oil
Lotion/Moisturizer:  coconut oil

You get the idea.  Pure and Easy (another Who song).  Another bonus is if my kid eats any of it, and he will, it's okay.  You can find lots and lots of these sorts of recipes on Pinterest, and conveniently bookmark them.  I like my cupboards bare.  Less chaos and clutter means there's more room in my head for stuff that matters.  Won't Get Fooled Again!  Here's another great website to check out the toxic load of your favorite products.  It's truly frightening!    Skin Deep® Cosmetics Database | Environmental Working Group   

Day 2: Session 2

I might get a little obsessive here!  Your choice to read; my blog!!  Brad took the B and G to the library so we had some time.  I'm so glad to have things set up for the most part in the room and get a few chances to do this before our program next week.  I will have specific questions!  So this time I put the puzzles on the high shelf and locked the door.  Forgot to put the blanket out the door though!  So that's what he started in on first.  He likes both of us to be under....and then out.  When we're under he gets really excited and bounces a bit and tries to hug me....shuts his eyes tight.  I continued with the "dark/light!!!" business....Did I mention it's about 90 degrees in that room?!  Speaking of air (fan in the window), we really need to get the frost on the windows!  Like I said, we have the stuff but.....stuff like that is a bit intimidating.  It's a stick-on film and it cost $30....If I ruin it because my fine-motor skills fail me I'll be ticked!  Anyhow, he did more looking out the window this time without the puzzles as a ready distraction.  I pointed to the puzzles on the shelf and he's pretty good approximating the word "puzzle" but didn't.  He started trying to open the door.  I knew he'd try to start that routine again, so I brought in a book.  When he tried the door, I opened the book and said, "open!!".  He said, "shut!" so I shut the book and said the same.  We did this a couple times and then he gave up on the door and wasn't interested in the book either.  I put the book back on the shelf.  He started a new series of repetitious actions.  He stood on the little chair and then would stand on the little table.  I truly think he was waiting for me to tell him to get down or say no, but as I mentioned before the room is a no-"no" zone so I wanted to see where it would lead.  I said, "Clark up!" and then he would get down, and I'd say "Clark down!" and then he'd flop on the futon and push me down and I'd say "Mom down!".  He'd then start the whole thing over.  He does a decent job approximating "up"....It sounds more like, "dut" but per the SRP attitude you accept it and get excited about it until it's more natural and spontaneous and then you ask for more.  As he stood on the table, I thought I'd switch it up because in between a few of the routines he'd gallop which is a stim for him.  So I'd gallop with him.  I noticed he was watching himself do this passing the mirror.  And then he'd stop and fall into the sideways stare.....And then he'd start the climbing up again.  He grabbed my hair to pull me so I grabbed his...he laughed.  He grabbed my shirt too and I did the same to him.  He figured out this wasn't going to work so I said, "Mama up!" and jumped up.  He wanted me to climb onto the table too.  Wasn't happening!  He'd go into the sideways stare while standing on the table so I'd say "Clark up!!" and then added, "Mama up!" and jump up and grab him and twirl him around...he'd laugh, and then drop him on the futon and say, "Clark down!".....At this point, when he was on the table and anticipating me jumping up to grab him I made him say "Mama up!!"  He did it perfectly several times! Not spontaneously yet, but I'm thrilled.  A few times of this and he tried to open the door again.  He went downstairs on his own without whining.  No whining at all today as a matter of fact.  I think the interaction was a lot for him!  God, I'm looking forward to this fall when I have several hours a day and more know-how to really work.  I can see us making huge progress. 

Day 2: Learning for both!

Clark is really motivated to be in the playroom with me.  Dad, not so much yet.  That's why there's a lock on the inside of the door though.  He'll get there.  It breaks my heart when he grabs my hand to go to the room and I can't because I've got something else I need to tend to at the time.  So the times I can are increasingly precious!  We had a chance this morning for about an hour.  I wore shoes so he wouldn't stim off my feet.  I said "shoe" and he repeated it.  I need to leave the blanket for his bed out of the equation, but used it to our advantage saying "dark!" when he pulled it over our heads, and "light!" when he took it off.  He approximated the words but they weren't terribly clear.  Nice trying!!  I also need more full-size fitted sheets as we only have one and after rolling around on it and off and on again, it's in the laundry.  I will go to a local thrift shop today to see if I can find a handful of plain-colored ones as I think we'll be changing them daily.  We also need to get the frost on the windows as he spent a lot of time looking out.  I will probably also start using the lock on the inside of the door and include a toy in the room with which he can transfer the "open/shut" game he likes to do with the door.  As well, Bernie bombarded us and wanted to hug with Mom.  Clark was done and left the room at that point.  I hate to shut out one kid to work with another, but Dad was here to love on the B, and I'm sure to give the B special attention when the session is over.  So all in all, a good lesson for both.  I learned more of what I need to have in place, and he learned the true meaning of "dark" and "light".  His eye contact is just incredible when we're hugging on the bed....like loverly staring into each others eyes.  It's the best!  It's so important he know he's not alone in this world.

The Storm before the Calm

Kicking off the week before our trip with per usual; chaos.  We leave Saturday and it will take the whole week to get ready.  The boys have no less than six therapy appointments between the two of them.  I have a foot doctor appointment.  We're hoping Brad can get into the ENT so he can HEAR something.  That would be a BONUS!  And hoping Clark can either be seen by the pediatrician or just get a prescription for an anti-biotic.  I saw him last week to discuss the strep titer results and one of his anti-body levels for strep was sky high!  Basically meaning he's had strep before...The technical aspects of the whole deal were confusing but basically I'm to call back if I see any more tic-like or repetitive behaviors, as well as any sick-like stuff.  He's developed a cough on top of the hacking.  So, I was instructed to not pursue medication as it stands, but with the new cough I think I'd like to try a mild penicillin and see what happens.  He'll most likely ask us to come in for a strep test.

The usual packing of stuff:  I tend to be a  light packer and the fact that where we're staying has a washer and dryer should be helpful.  The biggest thing will be the food!  With the boys being gluten-free and us being adamant about them only eating good things; we've got a lot of cooking to do!  

Tomorrow, Clark's summer TSS starts so I've written a list of a few things I'd like her to work on with him over the summer.  She is a natural and very committed so I'm looking forward to his progress with her.  Tomorrow evening the babysitters we are taking along with us are coming over to stay with all three while Brad and I run a few errands.  This will be the first time they'll be with the boys alone so I hope they feel comfortable with the "big job" the following week.  Now that I think about it, it will be the first time in ten months we've been alone together without any kids.  This brood requires two babysitters and who can afford that?  We're SO lucky to have secured such great people willing to travel and tend to them while Brad and I are in sessions learning Monday through Friday.  One is a new high school graduate and the other just finished college.  They know each other from Sunday School.  The high school grad. is Bernie's school OT's daughter.  We feel super-confident about our boys being with them and really just hope all have FUN!  The resort where we're staying is a ski place in the winter, but there will be plenty of summer-time fun:  pools, playground, mini-golf, etc.  My in-laws were very generous to donate two time-share condos for everyone so the babysitters will have their own space.  I think that's going to be crucial for them to rejuvenate for the next day.

Almost all of the other program participants will be staying on campus at the Autism Treatment Center of America for a relaxing stress-free kidless week and using the evenings and downtime to connect with other parents.  I sure hope we find some time to make these connections as they can be invaluable after you leave as a support system.  We'll be meeting people from all over the globe; Nepal, Australia, Great Britain, South America, etc. etc.  I thought it was important for both Brad and I to attend though, and I couldn't fathom leaving my baby boy especially.  It will be a good family trip, but now I'm hoping I don't have to use my lunch time with the breast pump.  

      

Day 1: Interesting

Wow!  So a bonus of Daddy being a college professor is he's home full-time for the summer.  And he likes to ride bike.  Grant's finally big enough to sit in a seat behind him and Bernie's still small enough to fit in the trailer, so off they went.  This morning we got the shelf and mirror up in Clark's SRP playroom.  I've been itching to get started officially so we had the chance!  The room is crucial to the method.  It's to be a complete "yes" environment where there is nothing off limits to the child.  You shouldn't have to use the word "no" at all.  Success on that note!  It should be distraction free; no extraneous items, nothing on the walls to stim on.  Essentially the adult should be the most interesting thing in the room.  Success!  There should be a shelf high up and out of reach of the child that holds things the child is interested in and motivated by.  He should be able to see the items too.  The goal is for him to request these things by pointing, which he's never done, or using words.  Success!  The mirror is to increase self-awareness.  Success!  If there are windows, they should be frosted so the child can't see out at distractions.  We have the material but haven't gotten this done yet.  Yes, he spent some time looking out the window.  There should be a little table and chair for him to sit at, and you sit on the other side on the floor so you are at eye level.  Done!  A two-way window/mirror and/or a video camera are useful for feedback.  We haven't thought much about these things yet.  One thing I'm not sure about is whether or not you include items they stim on, in particular for Clark, his mini-trampoline.  In order to "join" him in this stim you would want to have a large exercise ball to sit on so you could bounce with him.  In a previous post where I shared the methodology of the program, "joining" is what makes the SRP unique.  A child will stim or "-ism" to avoid interaction.  The SRP teaches you to join your child in this behavior to make yourself a part of their exclusive world.  Whenever I've done this his eye contact is amazing!  Once they've accepted you entering their environment you try to add components and encourage interaction  We removed his official bed from the room (which made a LOT of noise when jumping-above my sleeping head) and added a futon mattress straight on the floor.  No worries of hurting himself or breaking a bed and little bounce.  With the bed in there some nights he would jump for two hours before settling down to sleep.  The futon has curbed this immensely.

So we're pretty much set up with the environment for little cost.  That's exciting!  Some people have to build a special room or reconstruct their home.  Our biggest expense was the shatter-proof mirror.  Since it's his bedroom I wanted something safe.  The first session was interesting to say the least!  I pulled the futon in front of the mirror and he checked that out for a bit.  Not looking at himself but just touching it and the edges and mounting hardware.  I took a toy off the shelf...a shape sorter where you put the shapes on wooden pegs and started playing with it...he finished it up!  One of his favorite things to do is lay in bed with me and hug on me and pull the covers all snug around us.  He likes to flip around and hold my feet.  Yes, the kid has always had a foot fetish.  Do I get rid of the blanket?  Do I wear shoes?  Every time I sat up, he'd push me back down.  I easily fell.  Great!  Interaction!  Cause and Effect!  After a long while of playing this game, he became a bit aggressive with the hugging and tried scratching my arm.  I lightly did the same to his arm.  He pulled my hair a bit.  I did the same to him.  This made him LAUGH!!!  He poked at my eyes!  I would say, "eyes" and he'd approximate the word back.  He'd put his fingers up my nose.  I'd do the same to him.  He didn't enjoy that so that behavior quickly stopped.  I'd ask him to touch his nose and eyes, and he'd do it.  Suddenly he started a series of repetitive actions.  He'd open the door, shut it and then push me down on the futon, fall next to me and hug, and then get up and do it all over again.  He'd open the door and I'd say, "OPEN!!".  He'd shut the door and I'd say, "SHUT!!!".  He'd push me down; I'd fall back.  Eventually, I realized at this point I should be saying, "DOWN!!".  We'd hug (with AWESOME eye contact during the hugs).  He'd get up.  I'd sit up and he would open the door again.  After a dozen times of this routine (an -ism surely), I'd pause before saying "SHUT!!!".  He said the word alone at least three different times!!  This is huge for Clark!  The SRP says to get super-excited when this happens, and wow!  That was very easy for me to do!  I was thrilled!  So a couple more times of the routine while doing the hugging part, I'd say, "OPEN!!".  He got up and opened the door!  Again, wow!  So we did this for the session.  It was pretty damn cool!

Daddy and Brothers got home and I asked him if he wanted to eat lunch and we went downstairs without whining.  Most of the time these sorts of transitions result in whining or crying.  And very little whining for the rest of the day!  He led me back upstairs into the room a couple times throughout the day, so we played a bit more.  He loved it!

Here's a link of play-room toy suggestions from the SRP.  I'll be adding some of my favorites to my Amazon wish-list!  Toys for SRP!

  

World's Worst Family

That's what I'm feeling like we are today.  Of course, I know that's not true, but being canned by two therapists in one day makes it easy.  Dealing with the "professionals" who come into our home has been the cause of more emotional stress than having two children with Autism.  In the course of four years of living this life, our door has been open to many, many individuals working with the kids.  Probably at least two dozen.  I couldn't remember all of them if I tried.  I'm not talking about Early Intervention PT's, OT's, and Speech Therapists either.  This is a LOT of personality, on top of me and my husband's, which is sometimes too much in and of itself!  We are pretty open-minded individuals who tend to generally think outside of the proverbial box and most of time when we have "issues" with people it's because they don't see the world this way and therefore have a difficult time connecting with our kids how we'd like them to.  They're in caring, supportive roles and deal with children.  Open-mindedness and thinking outside the box are hallmarks of kids.  How could you not strive for this or be a natural in such a job?   The requirements for this Therapeutic Support Staff (TSS) job is a high school diploma.  They make around $13 an hour without benefits.  No one does it as a career; usually it's a stepping stone or just a job while you're in college or waiting for the next chapter of your life.  There's a lot of turnover.  You get emotionally-invested with ALL of them.  You question yourself and can have a bit of emotional turmoil with the bad ones; should we let them have more of a chance to connect or is it time to move on?  It would be one thing if they were just dealing with me, but my boys in the mix can sometimes make things heart-wrenching!  We've canned, and we've been canned!  I've bawled when the best have left us....on three occasions.  One of these was unannounced; life circumstances prevented her from returning to the job.  The other two gave me ample time to process.  The last of the best moving on made me realize that I'd been too dependent on her, and ultimately spurred us to do this Son-Rise thing.  There was a rainbow!  I suppose the common trait among the three of these people (out of two dozen-ish, mind you) was the ease of laughter and love and seeing the humor in situations.  I suppose that's something my husband and I love about all the people in our lives that we truly love.  So it makes sense.  The other night I made one suggestion and the response was inexcusable; the TSS snubbed my Clarkie's request for interaction because she's not his therapist-she's Bernie's.  She was angry that I questioned her.  I questioned her subsequent response and her reaction was to dump us immediately, after working with my B for two years! It broke my heart when Clark reached out and she turned away.  It was not the thing to do to any child let alone one who spends most of his waking hours shrouded in his Autism.              

And I guess (!!) I'm passive-aggressive.  That doesn't help.  I suppose I could've been more gentle in my suggestion.  Or I could've asked better questions.  I don't know.  I need to work on this and as I've said, the SRP is as much for parents as it is to learn to deal with your kids.  The right hand of the Autism Treatment Center of America is the Option Institute.  Their premise is ultimately self-improvement and awareness through a dialogue process.  Self-Dialogue.  You can also have a facilitator to assist in the process, but essentially it's asking yourself questions.  Questions only you have the answers to; self-discovery and understanding through non-judgemental self-searching.  They have countless programs you can attend that have nothing to do with Autism but everything to do with this...learning that you are ultimately in control over your feelings; that no one else has the power over you to make you feel a certain way.  That happiness is a choice....

I need to ask myself these questions regarding my feelings dealing with so many PEOPLE coming in and out of my boys lives, and there are specific questions and a specific process.  I will examine them...I've never used the official process itself.   My issue I suppose ultimately is to not be so emotionally invested with outside forces when it comes to my boys.  "Supposing" doesn't make me sound too sure if that's even the real issue!  I'll start at the top.  Why do I care?  The next question would be "About what?", and I'm not sure what the answer is to that yet.  I think I have a lot of work to do.  Ultimately, the more I expect of myself, the more I expect out of others.  This seems to be a simple equation for good things.  

    

Principles of the SRP

I feel compelled at this very moment to put this out there.  I've had a horrible night dealing with the people who are PAID to be therapists.  If anyone out there is looking for something different, I urge you to look further into this LOVING program to treat our children.  The cost may be daunting but you can find referral discount information on my blog.  As well, ATCA is very generous with their scholarships.  Your cost will include room and board for a week as well.  You just gotta get there.  You can do fund-raising too.  I have to say what we've done with the principles and methods we know about just from reading have been amazing for us and our child.  The program is ultimately about being okay with your child no matter what;  choosing to be happy.  The ATCA website and blog also give endless practical strategies you can use right now.  Without further ado, here's what it's all about:  http://www.autismtreatmentcenter.org/contents/about_son-rise/index.php

What we've been doing....therapy-wise....

Before I get into the methodology and principles of the Son-Rise program, which frankly can't come quick enough but will be upon us in no time, I thought I'd talk a bit about what we've done up to this point.  Of course, we did Early Intervention.  A lot of future success is dependent upon those services according to most, and I will agree they were invaluable.  If you think your child is lagging upon reaching the age of one, you call them and generally they do a home visit and administer assessments across all areas of development to determine if your child is eligible for various therapies; generally physical, occupational and speech.  The therapists come to your home and work with your child and as a parent you learn much about your child and how to help them on your own time.  These services last until the age of three.  At that point the school district you live in administers assessments and then between the ages 3 and 5 it's their responsibility to provide pre-school in an appropriate setting.  We did and are still doing all that.  As well, you can choose to do outpatient therapies.  Did those too.  If you have a diagnosis, depending on the state you live in you're eligible for additional services called "wrap-around"....You're assigned a Behavioral Consultant and a certain number of hours from support staff who work with the child in your home.  The BC is essentially their boss, and instructs them on interventions.  It's called "wrap-around" because the services extend into the school.  The child also has a BC for school and a one-on-one therapist.  My kids essentially have one-on-one aides for the full school day.  Luckily, we've had a couple therapists work with them at home and at school and this is where I get most of my communication from.  The nuances of the day, so to speak. 

Yes, interventions, behavior modification, extinction techniques, etc., etc.  It's Applied Behavioral Analysis.  It the most widely used and taught intervention.  It works 60% of the time.  It isn't much fun in my opinion and many say it does nothing for socialization, but instead creates robot-like functional behavior.  Every skill they've learned has been very useful, but it can be brutal getting to that point.  A lot of crying and resisting on their part due to the "Do this.  Do this.  Do this." on the part of the therapist.  ABA has come along way since first being put into practice in the early 70's, but how to teach these kids still has a long way to go.  We're not just institutionalizing them like back in the day.

Lately, in my opinion, the ABA has been the cause of aggression in my Clarkie.  It's not worth it.  I want a happy kid-hands down.  If he's happy, the functional behavior will come.  I'm looking for more and so we've turned to the Son-Rise Program.  I appreciate all the help we've been given, but sometimes it's a double-edged sword.  Sometimes the personalities don't mesh.  Sometimes it's hard to have a revolving door in your home.  We've come to LOVE a few of these people too!  This summer Bernie has 5 hours a week in-home help and Clark has 5 to 20 hours.  Let me tell you, it's not easy to get these hours either.  The eye-glazing meetings!!!  The data!!!  The people who ultimately grant you the hours have never met the child!   

I LOVE the following website.  The page I'll link you to shows a list on the left of interventions used including the SRP and ABA.  Note there are many others.  The list on the left shows a number of common bio-medical treatments; none of which are covered by insurance naturally.  Lately, I've been interested in MB 12.  I'm going to ask the doctor about it tomorrow.  It's been proven to have positive results in 94% of patients.  It's a sub-cutaneous shot administered three times weekly.  I'd do it...."If I were a rich man....."!   

http://www.kylestreehouse.org/treatments.aspx

What is the Son-Rise program?

I'll share this link from ATCA that tells you what the Son-Rise program is on a most basic level:  http://www.autismtreatmentcenter.org/contents/about_son-rise/what_is_the_son-rise_program.php

That's right; we're keeping Clark home this fall from his full-time preschool program he's attended the last two years to work with him one-on-one.  Namely, I'll be leading this program. The start-up Brad and I are attending in two weeks should give us the know-how to do this.  They also teach you to recruit volunteers, and probably more importantly the confidence to do it..  Ideally your program should run as many hours a day as possible.  We live in a college town so perhaps students will be interested.  We'll be sending Baby Grant to daycare in the mornings.  I took him for a visit and he loved it!  He's quite a social little guy.  With all supports in place and my teaching degree, I feel we'll be successful and make progress.

Why are we doing this when he's attending the best Autism-centered program in the area?  Mainly, because I think he can do better.  His progress has been minimal and my hopes are higher for this boy.  In his classroom, which has a very small footprint, are 8 other Autistic students, three full-time adults, and nearly every child has a personal aide.  Other adults are coming in and out of the room all day long.  There are a lot of transitions.  I've heard it described as "rockin'".  We'll leave it at that, but I must add how grateful I am to all the staff there for taking care of my sweet boy.  I can't imagine learning anything in such a "rockin'" environment, let alone a child who will sink deeper into his own world when distractions are too great.  He also rides the bus an hour and a half each way, making potty-training impossible.  It's easy to see that one-on-one support with a loving trustworthy teacher in a distraction-free environment he's comfortable in will open doors to learning that he so desperately needs. 

I feel really good about our decision.  We'll do anything for our boys.  As well, we hope to learn some ways to work with Bernie more effectively.  Another great thing about both Brad and I attending the program is they split you into groups-verbal and non-verbal, so I will attend training for Clark specifically and Brad for Bernie.  Perhaps most importantly the program helps you learn to love yourself and your child just the way you are!  We can't wait to learn!       

Sensory Seeker Extraordinaire

I remember my BSC mentioning the YEAR LONG wait list for a Sensory Integration program at a local place over a year ago....when my child was in the height of his smearing days (those were undoubtedly the worst days ever).  I was daunted, and did nothing except try to deal with the matter at hand.  Recently, it crossed my mind again so I called.  Currently, his sensory issues are liking deep pressure, smelling, and oral motor related.  You only have to use your imagination to think of ways these are satisfied.  There's still a wait of a year, although an orientation was possible within the week.  I mentioned this to someone and they knew of another program I'd never heard of and we were able to get in there immediately!  I'm not exactly sure how or if the therapies are different, but both are done by an Occupational Therapist, so what the hell.  Who knows what sensory issues we'll be dealing with in a year!   So the kid has begun therapy and it's going really well!  He has two hour-long sessions weekly and he loves it!  He hates to leave!  I wish he could do it all day long.  They do all sorts of fun stuff and they have some awesome equipment and great ideas.  One thing they tried was a pressure vest.  This gives him input that is ultimately supposed to be calming or grounding (on that note the kid is ALWAYS barefoot).  He's a little hippie...just like mom.  Now he's a little surfer.  Instead of a pressure vest, I bought him a wet suit.  Cheaper and he can wear it in the water!