I DID IT!!! BRUSHED MY TEETH

I DID IT!!! BRUSHED MY TEETH
He does it for 30 min NOW

TRACKING PROGRESS OF NEW WORDS AND ACTIONS

OCTOBER
10/19 - John is working with Taneill on the floor today we have new words. He is doing great with the picture board she has. The amazing thing is he pointed out 4 letter and identified him without anyone showing him.
NEW WORDS: CAKE, TURTLE,
Saturday 10/10 - House, Kick
He has a book to work on sound formations, Frieda gave him a few weeks ago. He finally mastered ZZZZZZZ, EEEEEEEE
Paint, House, Hair
Brian said he pointed in the mirror and said JOHN - sort of
BOWL not BALL
Started playing dress up with shirt and shoes
Put sock on Daddy
FINALLY FINALLY, sat on a tricycle and peddled and did not have a meltdown. He is starting to get used to movement.
This includes all of the dance scenes in ANNIE, he is kicking his legs and says the line before it comes on.

SEPTEMBER WORDS
It has only been a few weeks and look at this progress.
hi, nite-nite, hat, kick, jump, juice, milk, cool, ball, white, yellow, purple, bye, uh-oh, mama, daddy, cheese, ball, no, peeka boo, choo choo, beep beep, blue, green, apple, close, nose - he pointed first time, annie - the movie he won't quit watching, baby, nana - for banana, cow, poo poo, pee pee, help, keys, mouth, trees- he pointed, spoon, cool, shoes, car, thank you, kissy kissy - carol burnette from annie, teeth, mouth, ear, please

September Actions
This is the first time he has ever done the following......we tried many many different techniques but the one DADDY found that worked was making the OK sign with your fingers and pull it up to your eyes and make him look at you. After doing this over and over again, he started looking at us.
Next, he started hugging and trying to kiss us. You have no idea how excited we were that day. We tried for a year to call his name, get his attention, we would clap, sing, scream, dance, and do anything else but when he was doing something there is no stopping him. Now he runs and gives me a hug when he sees me. It took until he was two years old to even look at his parents. These are things other parents may take for granted.
Stop what you are doing and take the time to enjoy these moments because when you don't have them or can't get them it is a tough "failure" moment. Even though it is not your fault, it is a tough thing to never have your child respond to your voice, smile when he sees you, or cry when you leave him somewhere.

We used to think he was just happy to be somewhere.

September
He pointed for the first time
He learned a body part - his nose
He actually sat down and looked at a book
He kissed mom and dad - first time
He hugged mom and dad - first time
Climbed in car seat
Walked to car without laying on the ground for ten minutes
Held my hand
Brushed my hair
Brushed his teeth
Used a Spoon and set the table
Caught a ball ----after weeks of practice
Jumped - after weeks of practice - THANKS Occupational Therapist L
Singing to the movie ANNIE - He almost knows all of the notes he will have the words soon and here we come BROADWAY

FRIDAY FREIDA SPECIAL INSTRUCTION

FRIDAY FREIDA SPECIAL INSTRUCTION
Frieda

TUESDAY TANEIL - SPEECH

Preview
I don't have enough words to say about this fantastic person. She is a fun, loving person that I have in my life and so does JOHN. I am so thankful to meet her. We have done so many activities and she has instrumental in John's success over the last few months. In addition, the Bubble Bee series is amazing.
Magic Bag - We use the magic bag to try an identify one thing at a time
Book - She is the first person to get John to sit down and look at a book. She actually got his attention so much, he took the book and hid it and I found it a week later.
We are working on learning the difference between identifying two objects. Not there yet, this week assignment is to try and learn more. If he wants "more" juice etc......
To top of Speech Therapy this week, I purchased the sheet music to ANNIE and we attempted to sing it to John. The piano was out of tune and so were are voices, but we tried. For all of you Annie Lovers, email me if you want the music.

WEDNESDAY LOU ANN - OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY

Preview
BRUSHING PROGRAM/JOINT COMPRESSIONS INSTRUCTIONS
Instructions
Hold Brush horizontal
Start on palm brush until entire arm done
Keep hand on him
Brush the Back
Move to the other arm
Keep Hand on him
Move to the leg
Brush Entire Leg
Move to the other Leg

Perform 10 Joint Compressions on each side
shoulder, elbow, wrist. hips, knees. and ankles

Should be done every 2-3 Hours
With John I am doing it every 3-4 times/day

We have also added the additional weighted vest to our regime. It has been fantastic. This includes any transitions from one place to another, all running, heavy work that is assigned is done with the vest and the head banging decreases significantly with the use of this. Generally, thirty minutes when he gets to school. They use it at school from going and coming to places and when in the gym with alot of input and noise. It helps keep him calm and focused. My thought was it is going to make him stronger, but this has been a life saver for our family. He even takes naps now because he actually is getting enough input to relax. GO LOU ANN

Thursday Night - we just put together the trampoline trying to redirect the head banging, we will keep our fingers crossed.

Monday, September 28, 2009

Is the folder empty or does it have a note?

I was rushing to get to school first because my monkey is yet able to understand the importance of following directions. For example, the car pool line is just not a place he is going to wait. So, I pulled up to the school at 1:15 and started my way into the building. Funny thing is most people don't elaborate on their self talk, but since I have chosen to blog my daily routines. [ I guess my inner thoughts are important. Why? I am not sure, but if will help me and others understand the daily stresses we go through then I guess it is important.

Not only have I been introduced to the world of toddlers, I am now embarking on a journey of is it s two year old reaction, was there noise, did we change the routine, is there something we did different, maybe daddy drove him to school and did not sing the ANNIE song we sign every waking moment when he won't focus, maybe it was the lights blinking, maybe he is just a bully, maybe he better be autistic or he is going to get a good spanking, did he not get enough breakfast, did he hide any food in his pockets, did he run across the room and beat on his future wife for no reason, did he decide today is the day he was going to eat in the trash because mommy never feeds him sugar..hmmmmmmmm. Is today the day he is officially going to get written up, yes, I have learned there are official reports called Incident/Accident reports. What do you do?

Ok, now all of that went through my brain in thirty seconds flat, I cross my fingers and get to the door. There is he is waiting for me with his sweet smile and excitement. I want to believe it but I know the other side to him. Within a moment flat he went from sweet to a bully. He turned and pushed the boy next to him who was trying to get into his space. He then turned around saying kissy kissy (yes, from annie). The teacher comes over for the normal run down. The only thing I care about is do I have a note. LOL.

We struggle daily with lunch bunch. Besides the fact he won't eat much of anything, food can't touch, the environment has to be pleasing to him, he has to move his chairs where he likes them....who knows it is an ordeal every day and it depends on where he wants to sit. We move his table at least three times a day. Now, the good news we have learned to sit and use a spoon and fork. This is huge improvement. He is placed in the highchair with the others at the table but he still does not want to eat. When his mind is focused on one thing forget it. However, he has learned real quick what these things are mommy does let him have except for holidays.

Today he had a cupcake and he ate it like he was a starving child, like I am told. Low and behold he managed to sneak away and try to get it another one out of the trash. For a flat moment, I had the horror of "They must think I don't feed him" then I shrugged it off, truly everyone should understand why the child who got up at 4:00 am Sunday, no nap, and would not quit running until 10:00 pm is NEVER GETTING SUGAR.........LOL

Ok, so we are passed the eating out of the trash, we make it to the hallway I let him walk independently. Here we go run, left turn, and tries to escape me. You have to understand my entire weekend and Wed and Friday is driving and waving and saying good bye to the school. He loves school, he loves being there, and he does not understand why we can't sleep and eat there. I am working on a picture board that should help in daily transitions but I am waiting to take some pictures tomorrow. Ok, I chase him down the hall another teacher says I am a good momma. I am not sure if it is pity or compliment, but hell I will take any of it. My brain is saying patience, transition is something he struggles with and I am not carrying 35 pounds over my shoulders anymore.

Now we make it to the hall way. This is great! Right in front of the door he plays limp boy, you know that great trick where we lay flat and nobody can pick up the child. Not only do we lay flat we start the punching, kicking and screaming. I am not a big person on public display of affection, but now I am forced to be part of it. The only way to calm him at all is to lay on the floor with him. I have become a master at blocking the punches. This took about 5 minutes and we managed to get the the transition of LOVE LOVE and hugs. That is what we say when we try to move him past his meltdowns. Ok, we made it we are on our feet.

I state the command "run run" and squeeze his hand, but I know it will only be until the door and we will start the banging. Yes, here is comes in front of all the cars. Finally, we get to the stairs and we make it to the car. How? I have to sing the song ANNIE "Tomorrow" to get his attention and then I have to make up words to it. For example, go down the stairs, see the black truck, run run, we will have some fun, at home. Any time I need him to focus and get out of the meltdown generally have to sing it in words to him and it works if it is to the song TOMORROW. This can be applied to any situation, but let me tell you singing ANNIE Sunday am at Kroger is not FUN. It is 6:00 am and I am singing to him at KROGER to get him to follow directions, talk about tired self esteem issues. I always wanted to be on Broadway, but not this way.

Naptime: I tried everything it is not happening today. He watched Annie and ate his lunch, then went upstairs and the only thing that would calm him today is his IPOD Touch for at least thirty minutes. He was not going to have a nap. After I put him in his make shift room, my closet, yes that is what I said.....

We have stairs and he can break through the gates and climb them, so I spent last weekend cleaning out my closet - pretty big- and putting him his toddler bed in there and decorated it with monkeys. I call it an adjoining suite. It gives me peace of mind while we are coming up with solutions for the balcony. So, today he banged his head for thirty minutes straight. I left him in there but it was to the point of sheet rock breaking. So, I had to let him out and he climbed in the big bed to spread out and play his IPOD games. I was determined to make him rest and learn nap time. I think he put me to sleep and played games for an hour instead. He slapped me across the face when his IPOD battery died, so that his how naptime went.

We went and had dinner and DADDY came to the rescue and let me go to YOGA. Daddy puts him to bed everynight. So, tonight the ordeal was less time, no IPOD, and only 45 minutes of kicking and screaming but in the end we won the battle tonight. He is in the monkey suite sleeping and I am getting ready for the morning ordeal.

Never take for granted having the ability to be flexibility. I am trying many techniques to change up his routine, a little at a time, but it is all over if he does not get up, stretch, shower, play I-pod 5 minutes, watch annie, eat banana and waffle, and carry his bag to the car. He goes into complete meltdown mode and starts hitting. The good news, we have managed to break the SONIC APPLE SLUSH habit. AMEN!

Thanks for listening to my thoughts, tomorrow is speech therapy so more to come......

Remember, fingers crossed, EMPTY FOLDERS EMPTY FOLDERS ----no news is good news in the world of mommy with




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