Today Was One of Those Good Days

 

Call me crazy, but I think there is something to this Diflucan.  I am a doubting Thomas, so doubting that I read the vaccine books and vaccinated the kid anyway.....oh damn you doubt!  

I doubted ABA and that worked, I doubted pre-school and it seems to be working, hell I doubt myself everyday and I seem to be doing ok with all this.  So when the Dr. mentioned the Diflucan over a month ago I was hopeful but tried not to get too excited.  

As you all know we started Diflucan about a month and a week ago.  Two weeks in Frankie started speaking in some full sentences and his poop got better.....then the medicine expired ( long story, I had no idea) and those things went away.  Now a week into a new Rx of Diflucan that is not expired and he is spitting out full sentences that make sense again.  This morning I had to pick the boy up at school because I didn't get the Dr to sign a paper saying he could return to school.  So to the Dr we go to sign papers and drop the boy back off.  In the car a little voice pops up "Mama, I want to go home"......um no you are going to school but THAT WAS A GREAT SENTENCE!  woo hoo!  

He went back and a few hours later I picked Boy wonder off the bus.  Like I do everyday I pick him up, give him a big kiss and like clock work "Did you have fun at school" comes out of my mouth.  Everyday he just repeats it back to me, some days he says it before I can.  Today was different, today I asked "did you have fun at school" and Frankie said Yes.  I asked "what did you do?" (which is also parroted back) but today he answers "I painted leaves".  My my, the boy talks!  

He continued to chat it up here and there in little sentences, then he runs over to the stove and yells "Mama, Look its New CEREAL!, I want new cereal!"  New cereal is anything that is not chex.  I let him have 2 bowls of new cereal because I was so happy he was talking. He went on to have 2 slices of bread, 10 Ritz cracker and a rice cake.....all because he asked.  

Again, my doubt will probably disappear.  To think Yeast could effect you in such ways is crazy.  We shall see, can not wait for the weeks to come!

You have fun at school?

I got Frankie off of the bus yesterday, he was so happy! He grabbed my face and said " you have fun at school?". Grrrr, now he is expecting what I say. Kim came yesterday for his first real ABA session at home. She had an idea to make pictures on the sheet that the teacher sends home so he can tell me what he did at school using visuals instead of words. Bus has been better, now he smiles when the bus comes!

The last two days of school he had some issues with aggression. Everyone keeps telling me it's normal but I am one of those crazy moms that thinks her kid is perfect. Even with Autism, he will have perfect Autism. Did I mention I was crazy?

Today I didn't get any violence notes home, I got "Frankie refused to eat lunch". In the communication notebook Andre (his teacher) said he was kicking to be funny. I was pretty sure this was what it was, he doesnt aggressively kick, he does it for attention. I find the more I feed into the kicking, the more he does it.....if I ignore him, he will find something else to push mommies buttons. He is in a HUGE testing phase right now. He is testing at school and at home. Not a fan, no no no.

On a positive note, Frankie made some pee pee on the potty today. His speech teacher also wrote how he used a sentence appropriatly. On Fridays Frankie has group speech, so today as he passed one of the classrooms he said " where is Jayden?". His speech teacher was thrilled, she id they have only picked up Jayden at that room twice so she was amazed he remembered. I wrote back about his memory, it's amazing. A year later he remembers things, he remembers he hates Super cuts, he remembers routes to people's houses and miles away he knows where we are going. He is a little ball of miracle frustration this week.

School is making me feel out of control

So, I'm a control freak.  I wish I was a neat freak, but no, just a control freak.  I liked when I had Frankie getting services at home because I ALWAYS knew what was going on.  Don't get me wrong, I get tons of notes home and write back and forth  but I'm not there.

I guess I am lucky because I have heard many times about kids regressing when they start school or are placed in a program that doesn't fit them.  Well Frankie hasn't regressed.....he is kind of just staying the same.  I'm spoiled though, he gained so much in the first few months of  his ABA therapy that I just assume he will always proceed in leaps and bounds.  The reality is that, his progress was a blessing and now in reality progress is not always so fast, sometimes it is SLLLLOOOOWWWW.  He comes home and mentioned things here or there about school, but never to me.  He will just say "Jada and slide" so I figure he went to the playground which was confirmed in his communication notebook.

Today he starts ABA at home again with Kim.  He is only getting 2 hours a week, but....whatever its something.  I had to fight to get that, it was so bad they didn't even write it was behavioral therapy on the IEP.  The reasoning for that was so that administration wouldn't get mad....the games we have to play because of budget cuts.

On a side note we are on day 10 of Diflucan.  I am crazy and expected miracles EVEN when I was told it would take weeks.  SO, yes it will take weeks to see anything, if they gave him more medicine it would have made him sick, to kill of yeast that much would have made him sick and that's not what we are looking to do.  I will keep you updated :)

Our First Day of School....yes Our

This morning my alarm was set to go off at 6:15am to start the process that would be my sons first day of school.  My daughter had other plans, she decided 5:30am would be a better time to get up.  I remember what i hate so much about getting up early....the fact that its still dark out.  So up we got, put the boys stuff together, started making waffles and coffee.

Husband was passed out....he had just worked 2 weeks straight, sleeping between 5-2 hours a night to get this restaurant up and running....I let him sleep, dear God he needed it, he looks so beat.  Next to him was the little boy that crawled into my bed around 4am I'm guessing.....there he was mouth gaping wide, didn't fall asleep till 10:30.....this should be fun.  Husbands alarm goes off at 7, boy is pissed, he was trying to throw pillows over his head, not today buddy, sorry.  He ate his breakfast at a snails pace, thankfully I had laid out everything he needed for the day.

So we took some pictures (see that poor man looks so tired) and got ready to go to school.  I filled out the transportation forms late so of course I have to drive Frankie for the next week or so. He got to his class and he went right in....that was it.  Hung up his coat and that was that.  Where were the water works?  Where was the theatrical MAMAs!?!?   Well don't get me wrong, he tried to grab my hand, but his teacher Andrea said, no no, mommy is going home and you can stay and play.  Play he did, with some blocks.....and I went home.

I cleaned, it was awesome.  Went back to pick him up.  I was so nervous that maybe he did something crazy, or maybe he missed me an hour into school.  No such luck.  There he was with his backpack on ready to go home.  I was more excited I think.....he said "mama coming, mama coming".....His teacher said "I told you she was coming".  Andrea (his teacher), told me he ate a chicken sandwich (really?!?) had snack, played nice but proceeded to get whiny later in the afternoon since there is no napping. 

All and all it went well, I guess I miss him during the day, but i can get so much more stuff done honestly.  Very uneventful.  I wish I had more.....darn it.  Maybe in a few days :)

Just Kids

It's Done, school is picked.....Just Kids is the one!.....I'm happy and nervous at the same time.   We went back to see the school one more time, this time with Kids in class and not on the playground.   I felt better this time, I felt like this would be a good place for the boy.

It was so cute, they had an underwater theme going on this time.  A door to one classroom had jelly fish tentacles at the door.  LP looked comfortable.  I'm sure he will transition better then I will.  I guess I am nervous because he actually will not be in an Autism program, just a regular special ed class....whatever that really means.  If there are any kids in these classes that are on the spectrum, they are on the higher end like my buddy here.

Just got the paper work in the mail too, oh I'm so nervous!  The idea of school supplies.....when I pictured my kids growing up, I didn't plan on school will at least five.  In the packet was even the list of events and topics they learn through the year.....so cute.  I'm so proud of my little guy and the progress he has made.  To think how far he has come in such a short time.  I feel like I am sending him to college.  *Sigh*......my baby is becoming a kid

It's July 1st

In 2 months and 6 days my first born child will get on a bus and go to school. While of course this is the best thing for him......I still don't want him to go :(. This is one of the main reasons I hate Autism. At 3 years old I have to send my baby to full day pre-school 5 days a week. While everyone else is still home with their 3 year olds, mine is getting daily OT,PT, speech and home ABA therapy.

I'm excited to know that he will learn so much, and learn to socialize with other kids. I'm glad that he will learn to sit at a table with other children with out having anxiety. I'm happy I can get a break and pursue some business ventures.

Things will be ok, this is a new chapter ......but like my son I am very uncomfortable with change.

CSPSE.......

CPSE = Committee for Pre-School Special Education.....I'm not sure how things go in other states since I'm new to all this but I can explain NY for you.  Between the ages of Birth - 3 your child falls under the care of Early Intervention which is run by your county (mine being Nassau).  Lucky for us, we live in the 3rd most expensive County in the country, we have the highest taxes and because of this kids in our area can get amazing services between the ages of 0-3.  When your child turns 2.6 years old its time to start the transition into the school district so that by the time they are 3, the county is no longer paying, but the district is.  Once again I am blessed to be renting in a town with high taxes :)  Before your child's 3rd birthday you must have a CPSE meeting to determine what services the district is willing to provide for your child.

Today was my CPSE meeting.  Now, because I know I was in a decent district and my son had preformed pretty bad on some of his new evaluations I was walking in trying to be laid back.  I knew what I wanted, full day pre-school with at least 5 hours of ABA at home.  I was warned that they probably would say no to home therapy, but I could ask.  I thought the hardest part would be arguing for home service, but no, the hardest part was being read the findings of my sons evaluations.  I knew he didn't do his best, I had read them over and over myself and absorbed it.  It wasn't until a complete stranger read every weakness my son had out loud, page after page that I literally felt like I was having an out of body experience.

When LP was born I knew I would be his biggest fan, but when people told me I would have to be his advocate I really didn't think this was for me.  Somehow during my Out of Body Experience , out came this person I didn't know.  Truth is, I am awkward and I hate to talk in public around people I don't really know about something I don't know everything about.  Today though, I looked up at a bulletin board, saw a  lady bug push pin (lady bugs have always been a God Wink for me), opened my mouth and out came everything I had to say without an ounce of shakiness to my voice.  Somehow I got through it, sounding intelligent and persistent and in turn got full day pre-school with the possibility of home ABA.  The possibility is huge, because they didn't say no.....they didn't say yes....but they didn't say No.


My advice for those parents going through this is to know that its stressful, but in times of stress, the spirit can do amazing things.  You never doubt your child, so never doubt yourself.  You are your child's voice and if you love that child, I promise the words will come out.  Fight forever and never back down.