So... following up with a previous post, we stumbled upon our daughter singing away about how to get winter gear on in the morning. I made it into a voice memo and used it this morning...
My daughter's online singing debut can be found here:
https://mail.google.com/mail/?ui=2&ik=303ea2b4fa&view=att&th=13b3d28e861f7051&attid=0.1&disp=safe&zw
Now, off to make a matching visual!
Monday 26 November 2012
Sunday 25 November 2012
Gum Chewing
Gum, people. It is a solution (hopefully) to some sensory issues we have in our home. And I hope teachers can recognize the benefits gum-chewing may have in the classroom! Even a secondary school student might need some social coaching around appropriate gum-chewing, but if it helps a student focus and learn, why not?
I met with Sienna's lovely, fantastic, super, amazing, .... teacher this week to get a list of the things that are happening in the classroom and what she was doing to support Sienna's sensory needs. I know that she is doing EVERYTHING - I just didn't know WHAT. And I was hoping to take some of her ideas and use them at our home too. Whatever works in school is best shared with home and whatever works at home is best shared with the school. And while we're in the midst of being discharged from pre-school OT services and on a year and a half waitlist for public OT... I'm starting to freak out! There are a number of things the teacher and ECE and EAs are doing to support my child - albeit on the teacher's personal bill. She (personally) has provided Sienna with all the squishy balls and toys and toothpicks for eating lunch and weighted balls and bean bags and the list goes on. Thankfully, she has a stash! How did we get so lucky? What's challenging is finding what works. We can't just go out and buy a squishy ball and hope that Sienna likes it. Well... we can! But we would be trying out 5 or 10 before we actually found the right one. My budget doesn't allow for 10 fidget toys a week. Anyhow, that's a whole other blog!
The teacher suggested gum chewing. In the last few weeks, we have noticed an increase in the sensory input she is seeking: chewing on marker lids, rubbing her mouth on my pants (and the teacher's... eeek!!), puffing her cheeks out, and the list goes on. I have sent in chewy food and crunchy food and straw-sucking drinks - all to support the teacher's efforts. But alas, we have moved on to gum. At first, I was concerned around the social issues of smacking your wide open mouth in a classroom. It would take Sienna a longer while to understand actually how to chew gum appropriately (sounds silly but true). The other challenge we face is how to explain to her how to just chew it and not swallow it. That will take patience and time and practice and one-on-one gum-chewing support from all parties involved...
Well, we're trying it - because we'll try anything - and don't worry... it's sugar free. ;)
I met with Sienna's lovely, fantastic, super, amazing, .... teacher this week to get a list of the things that are happening in the classroom and what she was doing to support Sienna's sensory needs. I know that she is doing EVERYTHING - I just didn't know WHAT. And I was hoping to take some of her ideas and use them at our home too. Whatever works in school is best shared with home and whatever works at home is best shared with the school. And while we're in the midst of being discharged from pre-school OT services and on a year and a half waitlist for public OT... I'm starting to freak out! There are a number of things the teacher and ECE and EAs are doing to support my child - albeit on the teacher's personal bill. She (personally) has provided Sienna with all the squishy balls and toys and toothpicks for eating lunch and weighted balls and bean bags and the list goes on. Thankfully, she has a stash! How did we get so lucky? What's challenging is finding what works. We can't just go out and buy a squishy ball and hope that Sienna likes it. Well... we can! But we would be trying out 5 or 10 before we actually found the right one. My budget doesn't allow for 10 fidget toys a week. Anyhow, that's a whole other blog!
The teacher suggested gum chewing. In the last few weeks, we have noticed an increase in the sensory input she is seeking: chewing on marker lids, rubbing her mouth on my pants (and the teacher's... eeek!!), puffing her cheeks out, and the list goes on. I have sent in chewy food and crunchy food and straw-sucking drinks - all to support the teacher's efforts. But alas, we have moved on to gum. At first, I was concerned around the social issues of smacking your wide open mouth in a classroom. It would take Sienna a longer while to understand actually how to chew gum appropriately (sounds silly but true). The other challenge we face is how to explain to her how to just chew it and not swallow it. That will take patience and time and practice and one-on-one gum-chewing support from all parties involved...
Well, we're trying it - because we'll try anything - and don't worry... it's sugar free. ;)
Saturday 24 November 2012
My Nose Is Running!
Everyone in our house right now has a runny nose... We are all affected in different ways and we are all irritated by the annoying stuffy/drippy/sneezy snot! Sienna, however, is very sensitive to a runny nose. Last night, she was up three times calling for me. Each time I went in, she cried that her nose was running. So, each time I wiped her nose with a kleenex and encouraged her to do it on her own and let her know that it's okay that our noses are runny (in other words, please don't get me up to wipe your nose in the middle of the night!! LOL). And I even put a few spare kleenexes beside her pillow. We have tried over the years to have her blow her nose, but we have yet to understand an master that concept. We will just keep trying! Hopefully, tonight goes better...
Friday 23 November 2012
My Darling Clementine
As I'm trying to multitask and get some online gifts ready for my family, I wanted to thank people for reading my blog yesterday and liking it on Facebook and/or texting me or emailing me directly with your support... As I said to one friend in response to her email, here I was thinking I'd be helping others!! When, in fact, the support I received gives me strength. I was excited and thought all night of what to post next. I decided, that since this is a long journey, it will be out of order. I will get to what has led to the diagnosis of Asperger's and some of the things that were memorable over Sienna's early years. I do want to state for the record now, however, that the people who know me, know that it is my passion to advocate for students with disabilities. So when I say that this is "out of my comfort zone" what I mean is that it is out of my comfort zone to broadcast my personal life through social media! Throughout my checkered education (LOL) and variety of career ideas (LOL), I think I can be so bold as to say that Special Education has been my calling for the last 12 years. My path, and the people in it, have led me here. And now... it is my purpose.
I love to hear children hum, whistle, sing, and tap to the beat just as much as any other adult human being, recognizing that those are usually expressions of joy and happiness! However, this morning, my hummer and I met in a very dark and dingy bedroom around 5:30am... and by the time the bus picked her up at 8:48am, I had heard the humming of Jingle Bells, Old MacDonald, some Beethoven (or Bach or whatever!), and finally Oh My Darling Clementine... and quite possibly I Love You Like a Love Song Baby, although I can't remember as it's all a blurr to me now... LOL!!
This child loves to hum. It is endearing, I admit. On the flip side, the humming never ends! These songs were hummed at least fifteen times each in a three hour span this morning; amidst the cartoon imitation voices, the sounds made to indicate yes/no (without using the actual word), the grunts to indicate unhappiness, the meltdown because a corn pop fell on the floor and the dog ate it, and the ah-ah-ah-ah to various beats. I want everyone to know -- my daughter is smart! She CAN speak and she has just as much vocabulary as the average 4 1/2 year old. She just chooses not to use it. In addition to that, she has always had an affinity for music. She has loved the Little Einsteins at times throughout the past few years and can hum any and all of the composer music - and even told her dad once that he was being too "fortissimo" (or whatever word means loud - see, i'm not even smart enough to remember that!!) one day in the garage... hahaha! She enjoys playing the drums and her dad is currently teaching her We Will Rock You (yes... great choice huh? LOL). And she has always (and continues to) learn very efficiently through music as opposed to a traditional teaching method - the singing toothbrush taught her to brush her teeth properly. No amount of coaxing or encouraging (or frustration) on my part could do that! Now, if only there was a song for getting dressed, going to the bathroom, eating a meal... ;)
We are so used to the noises that we don't often really notice them until we go places with her. Otherwise, when we do happen to notice at home, it's because there's an increase in humming, tapping, and noise-making when (we're thinking) she's feeling stress - maybe not from that moment, but from something throughout the day that has thrown her off!
There are moments, after a busy noise-filled school day for example, that my patience wears thin and I just want silence! And I try my best not to ask her to stop - because clearly it is an outlet of some sort for her. I'm not perfect however. And although My Darling Clementine is probably the most annoying children's song out there - it is my daughter who is humming it...
I love to hear children hum, whistle, sing, and tap to the beat just as much as any other adult human being, recognizing that those are usually expressions of joy and happiness! However, this morning, my hummer and I met in a very dark and dingy bedroom around 5:30am... and by the time the bus picked her up at 8:48am, I had heard the humming of Jingle Bells, Old MacDonald, some Beethoven (or Bach or whatever!), and finally Oh My Darling Clementine... and quite possibly I Love You Like a Love Song Baby, although I can't remember as it's all a blurr to me now... LOL!!
This child loves to hum. It is endearing, I admit. On the flip side, the humming never ends! These songs were hummed at least fifteen times each in a three hour span this morning; amidst the cartoon imitation voices, the sounds made to indicate yes/no (without using the actual word), the grunts to indicate unhappiness, the meltdown because a corn pop fell on the floor and the dog ate it, and the ah-ah-ah-ah to various beats. I want everyone to know -- my daughter is smart! She CAN speak and she has just as much vocabulary as the average 4 1/2 year old. She just chooses not to use it. In addition to that, she has always had an affinity for music. She has loved the Little Einsteins at times throughout the past few years and can hum any and all of the composer music - and even told her dad once that he was being too "fortissimo" (or whatever word means loud - see, i'm not even smart enough to remember that!!) one day in the garage... hahaha! She enjoys playing the drums and her dad is currently teaching her We Will Rock You (yes... great choice huh? LOL). And she has always (and continues to) learn very efficiently through music as opposed to a traditional teaching method - the singing toothbrush taught her to brush her teeth properly. No amount of coaxing or encouraging (or frustration) on my part could do that! Now, if only there was a song for getting dressed, going to the bathroom, eating a meal... ;)
We are so used to the noises that we don't often really notice them until we go places with her. Otherwise, when we do happen to notice at home, it's because there's an increase in humming, tapping, and noise-making when (we're thinking) she's feeling stress - maybe not from that moment, but from something throughout the day that has thrown her off!
There are moments, after a busy noise-filled school day for example, that my patience wears thin and I just want silence! And I try my best not to ask her to stop - because clearly it is an outlet of some sort for her. I'm not perfect however. And although My Darling Clementine is probably the most annoying children's song out there - it is my daughter who is humming it...
Thursday 22 November 2012
Mittens on a warm supposed-to-be-winter day...
I have never blogged before... had no reason to! So bare with me in my stupidity...
Today, as always, I checked the Weather Network to see what the weather would be like. Don't we all do that so we can dress our children appropriately for school? Especially these days... I'm not sure if it's fall or winter or spring right now.
I thought it would be a nice day for Sienna to wear a dress (not something we regularly do or have done yet in the school year actually). She was excited and picked out, of course, Tinkerbell. Everything else in our morning went as planned (and organized)... Go pee, wash hands, brush teeth, get undressed, get dressed, get breakfast #1 (GF corn pops or chex with almond milk), watch tv, get breakfast #2 (GF corn pops or chex with "no milk"), and when Doc McStuffins is over it's time to do our hair...
Next in our daily arranged order, we were getting outdoor gear on and (stupidly in retrospect) I suggested her spring coat... She has been wearing her winter coat for several days now. She was not interested in that change and in fact, decided that she would go outside without a coat at all. I figured this would be a good opportunity to learn about cold vs. warm weather. I also assumed that leaving mittens and a hat behind would be fine for a 14 degree day. We got outside and she quickly changed her mind about her coat and we put it on and headed to the bus stop as usual. Along the way, we were greeted by a young neighbour friend who is in Sienna's class. She was wearing mittens... Hmmm...
Once at the bus stop, Sienna asked me for mittens. Her hands were cold. Well, we live about 10 houses down so mommy does not have the athleticism to head back to the house before the bus arrives, but mommy also sees a meltdown in the very near future. Reasoning with a child with ASD is not usually very effective. Hence, the meltdown. I am still getting used to how to "deal" with meltdowns in public. There were 6 other children and 3 other parents there. I did my best to explain how it's okay not to have mittens and showed her that all the other children did not have mittens on, except for our one friend. That didn't work. Nor did I really expect it to.
So, I decided that, in order to have a calm start to the day, we would head back home and get the mittens and I would drive her to school. That seemed to satisfy her screaming (and I mean screaming; ask the neighbours!) and tears. She took me in a different door than she usually goes to and we did things "out of routine" this morning. I'm thinking it will be a rough day... the poor teacher!
Interestingly enough, I met with an Autism Consultant on Tuesday and she had warned me of the "seasonal affects" that ASD children face. I had never thought of that before! Today, I had my first real introduction. What she told me was that spring is usually the most challenging time of the year for these children, as they are never sure of what the weather will be like or what clothing they will have to put on - whether it's a raincoat and indoor recess, snowpants and snowfall, or a teeshirt and nice dry sand to play with... I look forward to the spring!!
In the future, my blogs will be much shorter... as I will be heading back to work soon. But hopefully, through sharing my experiences with you, you can share an open heart with others and know that it's okay for people to have their "own" way of doing things... My daughter is teaching me something new every single day and I am blessed to have this experience with her!
Today, as always, I checked the Weather Network to see what the weather would be like. Don't we all do that so we can dress our children appropriately for school? Especially these days... I'm not sure if it's fall or winter or spring right now.
I thought it would be a nice day for Sienna to wear a dress (not something we regularly do or have done yet in the school year actually). She was excited and picked out, of course, Tinkerbell. Everything else in our morning went as planned (and organized)... Go pee, wash hands, brush teeth, get undressed, get dressed, get breakfast #1 (GF corn pops or chex with almond milk), watch tv, get breakfast #2 (GF corn pops or chex with "no milk"), and when Doc McStuffins is over it's time to do our hair...
Next in our daily arranged order, we were getting outdoor gear on and (stupidly in retrospect) I suggested her spring coat... She has been wearing her winter coat for several days now. She was not interested in that change and in fact, decided that she would go outside without a coat at all. I figured this would be a good opportunity to learn about cold vs. warm weather. I also assumed that leaving mittens and a hat behind would be fine for a 14 degree day. We got outside and she quickly changed her mind about her coat and we put it on and headed to the bus stop as usual. Along the way, we were greeted by a young neighbour friend who is in Sienna's class. She was wearing mittens... Hmmm...
Once at the bus stop, Sienna asked me for mittens. Her hands were cold. Well, we live about 10 houses down so mommy does not have the athleticism to head back to the house before the bus arrives, but mommy also sees a meltdown in the very near future. Reasoning with a child with ASD is not usually very effective. Hence, the meltdown. I am still getting used to how to "deal" with meltdowns in public. There were 6 other children and 3 other parents there. I did my best to explain how it's okay not to have mittens and showed her that all the other children did not have mittens on, except for our one friend. That didn't work. Nor did I really expect it to.
So, I decided that, in order to have a calm start to the day, we would head back home and get the mittens and I would drive her to school. That seemed to satisfy her screaming (and I mean screaming; ask the neighbours!) and tears. She took me in a different door than she usually goes to and we did things "out of routine" this morning. I'm thinking it will be a rough day... the poor teacher!
Interestingly enough, I met with an Autism Consultant on Tuesday and she had warned me of the "seasonal affects" that ASD children face. I had never thought of that before! Today, I had my first real introduction. What she told me was that spring is usually the most challenging time of the year for these children, as they are never sure of what the weather will be like or what clothing they will have to put on - whether it's a raincoat and indoor recess, snowpants and snowfall, or a teeshirt and nice dry sand to play with... I look forward to the spring!!
In the future, my blogs will be much shorter... as I will be heading back to work soon. But hopefully, through sharing my experiences with you, you can share an open heart with others and know that it's okay for people to have their "own" way of doing things... My daughter is teaching me something new every single day and I am blessed to have this experience with her!
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