Last Tuesday, we went to the orientation meeting of AL's school. The private school of AL wants that the students will have social skills mastered than having intelligence. In short, they want the kids to be able to say, "I want to go to the bathroom" first than having a mastery of the ABCs, 123s.
AL is AX' younger brother. He is an incoming pre-K student (2009-2010). It will be our first time to have a kid who will be in the mainstream. AX was immediately put into pre-K autism cluster and up until now he is still in the autism cluster (incoming 3rd grade 2009-2010) but he is in Math mainstream and Language mainstream classes. His Reading will still be in the autism cluster. As aforementioned in previous posts, he is very good in Math. He is having some issues in reading comprehension. He is reading but his comprehension needs attention.
Tomorrow will be AX' school orientation and we will all go there as a family. We have no one to leave the kids with so wherever we go, they all go with us or with me for that matter.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Similar circumstances happened to us before...
I will try to relate in a comprehensive way on what happened to AX, to us, the parents and the schools. I was inspired by this other blogger who has a son with autism. Her experience is so similar to us. I just made a sigh of relief thinking before we are or I am the only nutcase having this problem with the school. Actually, it is a long and continuous true to life story of how a student with autism was treated in school, how the schools' and the school district's perceptions are different from neuro-typical students compared to the students with autism and how incompetent/negligent are quite large number of teachers, autistic coaches, ESE specialists, assistant principals and principals in the three schools we have gone into.
http://mommydearest1514.blogspot.com/search/label/School?updated-max=2008-05-29T15%3A10%3A00-04%3A00&max-results=20
http://mommydearest1514.blogspot.com/search/label/School?updated-max=2008-05-29T15%3A10%3A00-04%3A00&max-results=20
Friday, August 14, 2009
"Jack" fell down and broke his arm...
On 23 July, AX fell on the toy school bus that was on the floor. He was trying to get the Gameboy of his younger brother and most likely, he lost his balance and fell on the floor. Unfortunately, he landed on the toy school bus. I found him there crying and cringing in pain. He was pointing that his left arm was bothering him. He had a little fever at around 5:00 AM the next day. I did not hesitate to have him medically attended because he has a bulge between the lower part of his upper arm and the elbow. He could not stretch out his left arm at all. He was in pain. The whole day of Friday was spent at the doctor's office. It was mostly a long time of waiting to be attended in the walk-in emergency clinic and then the orthopedic's office.
The orthopedist decided to have his left arm be put in a cast. At first, the medical attendant was feeling like AX was being hardheaded. Eventually, I told her that he has autism. Next thing I know, she related that her girlfriend's son has autism as well and they participated in the Walk for Autism.
We are slated to have his cast be removed on 17 Aug and that means, we have to wait again.
Some sad news of late:
An Italian child with cerebral palsy and his grandmother died in hyperbaric chamber explosion. Please see link below:
http://www.theautismnews.com/2009/08/13/family-files-wrongful-death-lawsuit-after-hyperbaric-chamber-explosion/comment-page-1/#comment-1552
The orthopedist decided to have his left arm be put in a cast. At first, the medical attendant was feeling like AX was being hardheaded. Eventually, I told her that he has autism. Next thing I know, she related that her girlfriend's son has autism as well and they participated in the Walk for Autism.
We are slated to have his cast be removed on 17 Aug and that means, we have to wait again.
Some sad news of late:
An Italian child with cerebral palsy and his grandmother died in hyperbaric chamber explosion. Please see link below:
http://www.theautismnews.com/2009/08/13/family-files-wrongful-death-lawsuit-after-hyperbaric-chamber-explosion/comment-page-1/#comment-1552
Eight Years of Life
It would have been a good thing if one day AX will surprise us and he will just be talking endlessly. We are still wishing for that day to come when communication will be part of his system. AX can talk and read at present. He needs more time in comprehension. In Math, he is flying so we are not that concerned. However, he will need the comprehension in Math in the years to come. He is capable of multiplication from 0 - 10. He knows that when you give him 6 x 8, he has to do 8 six times or 6 eight times. A week ago, I taught him multiplication using the fingers/hand for higher numbers (6 to 9). He is still learning and I think, he will find it much easier later on.
AX turned eight years old last 8 August and he spent some minutes doing three pages of multiplication from a Grade 3 exercise book that we bought at Sam's Club. We went out later in the day just like all our other weekends. We usually eat out during Saturday and Sunday, do a little of cheap shopping, take them to some kids' hang-outs that we could find and whatever we will be able to do before we arrive back to the house.
His eight years of life has been pretty healthy and real progress has been there. He did not talk or utter words except 10 - 25 words (I think, 25 is an exaggeration but just consider it as a safety net) with most of the times almost nothing. He lived in the dark world since he turned 18 months old. It was really odd and so sad to see him unable to talk like normal kids of his age. The light kept peering in the closed door and finally, in April 2007, he started to talk and this became very evident in September 2007. He can tell us that this is an airplane, a computer, a television, a table, an egg, an ice cream, a pizza and among other things. Soon, he is able to read stories. He still has some pronunciation mishaps but since he has some good phonics, he can go on reading 3-syllable words he has not encountered yet. Despite his pace in reading, his comprehension is not yet in the leaping stage. We are still trying to teach him and hopefully, he can reach the stage where the students of his age are or even surpassed them? Well, one has to be optimistic all the time no matter what. Every failure leads closer to the next step of success. As in our case and in our son's case in particular, I felt that no one believe in him, he was taken like a kid in school who has a duct tape on his mouth. No one thought that he could read or even understand or even be very good in Math.
AX turned eight years old last 8 August and he spent some minutes doing three pages of multiplication from a Grade 3 exercise book that we bought at Sam's Club. We went out later in the day just like all our other weekends. We usually eat out during Saturday and Sunday, do a little of cheap shopping, take them to some kids' hang-outs that we could find and whatever we will be able to do before we arrive back to the house.
His eight years of life has been pretty healthy and real progress has been there. He did not talk or utter words except 10 - 25 words (I think, 25 is an exaggeration but just consider it as a safety net) with most of the times almost nothing. He lived in the dark world since he turned 18 months old. It was really odd and so sad to see him unable to talk like normal kids of his age. The light kept peering in the closed door and finally, in April 2007, he started to talk and this became very evident in September 2007. He can tell us that this is an airplane, a computer, a television, a table, an egg, an ice cream, a pizza and among other things. Soon, he is able to read stories. He still has some pronunciation mishaps but since he has some good phonics, he can go on reading 3-syllable words he has not encountered yet. Despite his pace in reading, his comprehension is not yet in the leaping stage. We are still trying to teach him and hopefully, he can reach the stage where the students of his age are or even surpassed them? Well, one has to be optimistic all the time no matter what. Every failure leads closer to the next step of success. As in our case and in our son's case in particular, I felt that no one believe in him, he was taken like a kid in school who has a duct tape on his mouth. No one thought that he could read or even understand or even be very good in Math.
Saturday, July 18, 2009
Summer school
Summer school is about to end on the 29th of July 2009. The school district is somehow trying to minimize the impact of the recession. The district allowed only four schooldays for this summer that is Monday - Thursday.
It took me to some heights again to press the summer school where he is attending that he must be given grade-level academic work. Imagine, the first 3 days of school, the summer school teacher showed me three pages of preschool work? I flipped. I sent an e-mail to the principal of his current school to demand that he must be given grade-level activities. Yes, I flipped in a sense that I was determined that he must not be given stupid lessons when a teacher wants to buy time inside the classroom. I used the word, "demand" because I was firm that AX's thinks far beyond than he can speak. On the first Thursday of the summer school, he was finally given something relevant. It was minimal but am thankful that what I did made them come to their senses. However, I am still cautious. Nonetheless, let it be known that the teacher is kind and is trying her best. However, I hope that she believes more that students with autism can go mainstream. I just felt so bad that she thinks low of what the students with autism can reach or do in life. She thinks, that these disabled students are forever chained to their current situation. It tells me that HOPE is a very elusive word and should not be for children with autism. Life is choice and choosing hope to live everyday is wonderful.
On a similar note, I saw some videos of adults with "severe mental disabilities" and they are picking up trash. They are being interviewed by a lady. They answered her questions properly albeit some in a slow pace response. This is my commentary and I hope she will publish it.
I feel bad that their job is to pick up trash just because they have "severe mental disabilities." They responded to your questions properly and that does not essentially qualify them as having a "severe" condition. I hope you can post more videos showing these individuals what they can really do. It somehow tells me that they went to school when they were young and since they have severe mental disabilities, all they could end up to is picking up trash in their adult years? Life is harsh.
It took me to some heights again to press the summer school where he is attending that he must be given grade-level academic work. Imagine, the first 3 days of school, the summer school teacher showed me three pages of preschool work? I flipped. I sent an e-mail to the principal of his current school to demand that he must be given grade-level activities. Yes, I flipped in a sense that I was determined that he must not be given stupid lessons when a teacher wants to buy time inside the classroom. I used the word, "demand" because I was firm that AX's thinks far beyond than he can speak. On the first Thursday of the summer school, he was finally given something relevant. It was minimal but am thankful that what I did made them come to their senses. However, I am still cautious. Nonetheless, let it be known that the teacher is kind and is trying her best. However, I hope that she believes more that students with autism can go mainstream. I just felt so bad that she thinks low of what the students with autism can reach or do in life. She thinks, that these disabled students are forever chained to their current situation. It tells me that HOPE is a very elusive word and should not be for children with autism. Life is choice and choosing hope to live everyday is wonderful.
On a similar note, I saw some videos of adults with "severe mental disabilities" and they are picking up trash. They are being interviewed by a lady. They answered her questions properly albeit some in a slow pace response. This is my commentary and I hope she will publish it.
I feel bad that their job is to pick up trash just because they have "severe mental disabilities." They responded to your questions properly and that does not essentially qualify them as having a "severe" condition. I hope you can post more videos showing these individuals what they can really do. It somehow tells me that they went to school when they were young and since they have severe mental disabilities, all they could end up to is picking up trash in their adult years? Life is harsh.
Thursday, June 4, 2009
4 June 09
Today is an early release day for AX. I really thought that Friday will be the last day of school. I taught him superlatives today (-er, est). I asked him to draw me a big heart, bigger heart and biggest heart. He also did one page of the Starfall book about compound words. My plan this summer before he goes back to school this 29th of June is for him to be familiar in making short or simple sentences. I hope he will feel comfortable with "words" soon in order to help him for the rest of his life.
Monday, June 1, 2009
DTaP and Swelling - 1 June 2009
Our second son AL was given his last dosage of DTaP on the second Saturday of May 2009. The following day, Sunday, his right upper leg was swollen. We called the doctor and we were told to give him Benadryl with Allergy and Tylenol (acetaminophen). He had no fever nor he felt pain according to him. We squeezed his affected leg and asked him if it is painful. He said that it is not even though the swollen part was hot. We took him to the doctor on Monday and his right upper leg was really so big and it went up to the back of leg. I was hoping that it will not reach his private part and it somehow did not. On Tuesday, the swelling dissipated a bit. We took him back to the doctor Wednesday and somehow the bulge is much less. The swelling became manageable by next Saturday. However, he had a fever the following Sunday. I am thinking he got sick from getting wet in the rain. It has been raining for almost two weeks now.
It was frightening to have this experience given the fact that his older brother has mild autism. According to the doctor, it was a local reaction and this can occur in the fifth DTaP. I do not know if he might still get the other vaccines required before he turns 6 years of age. We have delayed his second dose of MMR. We did the same thing with our youngest daughter who is 26 months now. She does not have MMR yet in her system.
Anybody who have thoughts to share, will appreciate.
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