tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-61860663797511114822024-03-05T18:23:57.542-08:00Bradley's MomAutism advocacy blog written by Jodie Hutchinson, Texas Licensed Professional Counselor (LPC) and mother of an amazing son on the ASD spectrumAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16304908421423946758noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6186066379751111482.post-53790072441157614162018-04-01T16:39:00.001-07:002018-04-01T17:02:10.869-07:00What's Wrong With Bradley?"You're Bradley's Mom," a girl in Bradley's 4th grade class asked me at his school Christmas party. "Yes I am," I said smiling. "Can I ask you you a question," she continued. "Sure," the eager educator in me cheerfully proclaimed. "What's wrong with Bradley," the girl smugly replied with a smirk curling along the side of her face. Time froze. I could hear and feel my heart beat getting faster. What was I feeling??? Hurt.., Yes. Confusion.., Yes. Anger.., YES!!! Time returned to normal and I thought maybe I had imagined it. "What did you just ask me" I questioned kindly, thinking and hoping I'd get a different response. "I said, what's wrong with Bradley?" The smirk remained. My face wanted to do 10 different things, but I tried so hard to control it (and my tongue). I looked at the substitute teacher's face to try to get some sort of help. To know what to do next... She was smiling in an awkward, "I don't know what to do or say right now" kind of way. "What are you talking about," I asked the girl. "Oh never mind," she said as she walked away to move on to the next thing. I excused myself to the bathroom, sat in a stall, and prayed.<br />
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This incident happened over 3 months ago, but I remember it like it was 3 minutes ago. It had been a while since I had experienced first hand, someone singling Bradley out. I was shocked and hurt. If I didn't paint a clear enough picture for you, the girl wasn't seeking information for understanding. She was clearly on a mission to point out that Bradley was different in a socially unacceptable way (at least according to her and most people's standards). This wasn't the first time someone had pointed out something "was wrong" with Bradley. Many people have brought this to my attention for the past 9 years. Early on in Bradley's life some people did this in loving ways, wanting to express their concern for Bradley's developmental delays and encourage me to seek assessment and knowledge. Others pointed out his "wrong" speech in a mocking way. Adults did this. People who are my extended family did this. A former student of mine saw me a few months ago and updated me about her life, including that her son wasn't doing well. She then asked me, "Isn't something wrong with your son too?"<br />
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Attention: People of the world; Hear me loud and clear! There are an infinite number of things that are wrong with me, neuro-typical, non-autistic Jodie Hutchinson. Do you know what the number one problem is that I have? I am a sinner. I was born a sinner. I have a sinful nature. I alone can NOT do anything to escape my sin. But, God can and He did. God made a way for me to atone for my sin through his son, Jesus Christ. I have SO many internal, secret wrongs about me every single day. Sometimes people see them, but often times they don't. They don't ask my parents, or husband, or kids, "Hey- What's wrong with Jodie?"<br />
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I am redeemed through Christ's shed blood on the cross over 2,000 years ago. I am saved from an eternal death, because I know and believe whole heatedly that Jesus Christ is my savior. His death on the cross, paid the consequence of my sin. Even though I am now in Christ, I continue to sin and have MANY things wrong with me, because that is my human nature. However, I am representing God and (most of the time) doing my best to do His will for His good work as His faithful servant. Thankfully, when I fail Him, God forgives me and promises to be with me the next time I have an opportunity to do His will and share His love with others. So when I'm having to make a decision about how to respond to a 4th grader, I need to go to God about how to handle this situation...<br />
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Back in the bathroom stall, I'm praying and fighting back my emotion. "God- help me do something good with this. Please help me do something good with this." I calmed down and returned to the classroom. I took a deep breath and asked the smirky girl to come talk to me alone, at the back of the class. I spoke slowly and kindly, "Earlier when you asked me what is wrong with Bradley, were you asking me that because you know he is different from you?" She sighed and said, "No. I know he is different. He just won't stop hugging me. Why is he hugging everyone today?" This was not where I was expecting this conversation to go and a wave of relief came over me. I looked at the girl in her eyes and told her as encouragingly as possible that it is not okay for anyone to hug her or touch her without her permission. I paused for a moment, because I wanted her to think about that and really know how serious of statement that was. I then went on to say, "If you do not want Bradley to hug you, he should not hug you. Please let him know that it is not okay to hug you." She looked frustrated and said, "He's been hugging people all day." That's when God stepped in big time, because He totally grabbed control of my next part in the conversation. I looked at the girl and smiled, "You seem like you are a really cool girl. Is that right?" Pride beamed across her face and she nodded yes. I explained, "Bradley has autism, which means that his brain works differently than yours and mine. Sometimes he does not understand that the things he wants to do aren't 'cool' for 4th graders to do."<br />
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Before I finish the story, let me make something clear- I think Bradley is SUPER cool! His brain is very creative, his heart is joyful and loving, and his dance moves are something else... I wasn't going to argue with this girl and convince her that he was cool. God gave me guidance on how to reach her- to help her understand, accept, and support my son.<br />
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Back to the story... Cool Girl seemed to be getting what I was saying. I continued, "Do you know how I knew that you were a cool girl? Because I'm pretty cool too." That's actually a stretch, haha! "Bradley needs us to help him learn what is "cool" for fourth graders to do. Since I'm not here at school, I need the help of people like you to teach him. Would you be willing to do that?" She thought about it for a moment and I saw a different smirk emerge, "I guess I could do that." I smiled, "Thank you. I know you can."<br />
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Over 3 months later I saw Cool Girl at Bradley's Easter party. She was walking away from me and going outside when she caught a glimpse of me. I smiled, she stopped, turned around, and gave me a big smile. I spoke with her briefly and could tell by her non-verbal language that her understanding and acceptance of Bradley was improved.<br />
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I'm glad Cool Girl is on board with helping Bradley, but she and I can't do it alone. When you know someone on the autism spectrum (or really anyone) doesn't understand their social interactions, behavior, speech, or something else is potentially a target for awkward situations, mocking, bullying, rule violations, or worse... help them. If you don't know how to help them, ask them how you can help them. If they seem to be handling a situation in an anxious way, ask how you can help. If they don't seem to understand a decision they need to make, ask how you can help. If they are overwhelmed because of sensory experiences, ask how you can help. Every person on the autism spectrum in every situation will be different, so there is no easy solution.<br />
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Do you want to know how to help my son, Bradley? Be patient when he is speaking to you. If you can't understand what he is saying, ask him to speak slower and tell you again. If he tries to dominate a conversation, don't let him. Help me teach him about reciprocity and listening to you too. I want him to be a respectful, good listener. Help me embrace his unique personality, yet teach him about age appropriate social morays. If he's doing something other kids or adults would find weird, let's put a stop to that in a nice way, explaining to him that kids his age don't do whatever he's doing. If he doesn't follow through on directions, please remind him. He was probably thinking about something else, but is VERY capable of being attentive with redirection. Expect politeness, manners, and turn taking from Bradley. He has learned those things from us, but I'm not always with him. Help me hold him to a high standard, yet encourage him in a loving way as he approaches academic, social, and life challenges. Help me love Bradley and remind him of how much God loves him. That, is the most important thing I hope Bradley knows and believes with all his heart.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16304908421423946758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6186066379751111482.post-28506980387125069982015-07-07T14:03:00.001-07:002015-07-07T14:03:36.378-07:00Tying Shoes Made EasyI cannot believe that it is July already! It seems like the summer is flying by and I have several goals I am working on with Bradley to help him get prepared for 2nd grade. One of my big goals was to teach him to tie his shoes. I tried teaching him the "bunny ears" technique, because that is how I tie shoes. However, the bunny ears were mighty elusive and just not working for Brad.<br />
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I know he wants to tie his shoes, but has some anxiety about not being able to manipulate the laces properly. Earlier this year he saw one of our friends at church with heely shoes. Bradley thought they were super cool and called them "ski shoes."<br />
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<img height="185" src="https://www.skates.com//v/vspfiles/photos/7883-2T.jpg" width="200" /></div>
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I promised Bradley that I would get him some ski shoes if he would learn to consistently tie his shoes on his own. Who wouldn't want ski shoes, right???<br />
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One day I Google searched "easy way to tie shoes" and found this video:<br />
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<iframe width="320" height="266" class="YOUTUBE-iframe-video" data-thumbnail-src="https://i.ytimg.com/vi/CWl2dPfBQPk/0.jpg" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/CWl2dPfBQPk?feature=player_embedded" frameborder="0" allowfullscreen></iframe></div>
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I watched the video and have to admit that I was a little skeptical, but I tried it out and figured it out myself pretty quickly. I modified the self talk a little to get Bradley to manipulate the strings properly. I tell him to make an "okay" hand gesture like the one below (but for both hands).<br />
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<img src="http://emojipedia.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/160x160x109-ok-hand-sign.png.pagespeed.ic.IrT_LWC1hv.jpg" /></div>
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This helped him manipulate the lace between his index finger and middle finger better. Sure enough, within 5 minutes he had figured it out! We are still working on perfecting the tie, but I am so thankful I cam across this blog that promotes efficient and independent life skills for children: </div>
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<a href="http://www.efficientlifeskills.com/how-i-taught-my-6-year-old-to-tie-shoes-in-5-minutes/">Joseph Michael's Efficient Life Skills</a></div>
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We still need to keep practicing, but I know ski shoes are in our near future!</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16304908421423946758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6186066379751111482.post-81118669062043270472014-10-12T19:03:00.000-07:002014-10-12T19:03:42.406-07:00The Forever Summer<div style="text-align: center;">
What. A. Summer. Wow! It was a whirlwind and mostly fun, but I think we were all ready to get back to school and a routine. I am grateful for:</div>
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Cactus plants at Pedernales Falls State Park</div>
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Family hikes at Pedernales Falls State Park</div>
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River time with the family at Pedernales Falls State Park</div>
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Bradley's first concert with my dad, Grandpa Leonard, at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavillion. We saw The Steve Miller Band and Journey!</div>
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Football birthday parties and joining in with the kids' games</div>
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Perfect Attendance and Good Attitude Award for Kindergarten and last day of Kinder with Bradley's Principal, Mr. Floyd</div>
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Swim Lessons with the compassionate, beautiful, patient, and lovely Mrs. Freese</div>
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The Lite Footers' production of Aladdin- Bradley's first play</div>
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Swimming with at Jordan at the Light House Inn in Rockport, TX</div>
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A fun day at the Texas State Aquarium with Bradley, Max, & Aunt Jordan</div>
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The Light House Inn at Aransas Bay- very kid friendly and entertaining for both boys. Bradley loved the Texas shaped waffles he had for breakfast each morning. He told me he wanted to live at the Light House Inn forever.</div>
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Beach Day (aka Seaweed City) at Port Aransas Beach. The Ferry Ride was a big hit for both boys</div>
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Shuffle board at Mom's neighbors' Pat & Debbie's house</div>
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Max's first boat ride on Pat's boat</div>
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Brotherly love</div>
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Bradley's excellent boat driving skills</div>
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Our "hotel selfie" on our last day at the Light House Inn</div>
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Super Hero Camp at First United Methodist Church in Wharton</div>
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Fun times at Super Hero School</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16304908421423946758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6186066379751111482.post-43315094004603100132014-08-16T12:17:00.001-07:002014-08-16T13:16:29.131-07:00Autism & DatingI have often wondered what type of husbands and fathers my sons will become one day. I hope to prepare them to be loving, patient, and dedicated spouses and parents.<br />
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When Bradley was diagnosed with autism at age 3, I was no longer sure what his adult life would be like. With each step forward in progress he makes, I realize that Bradley can still be a wonderful husband to a woman one day. </div>
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Not too long ago Bradley told me he wanted to marry me. After explaining that he couldn't marry me (because Daddy was married to me), Bradley later shared that he wanted to marry a woman just like me. Holding back tears of joy, we prayed together for Bradley's future wife- that God is preparing her to become a woman who knows and loves Jesus Christ as her savior, will love Bradley unconditionally, and will accept and support Bradley for who he is.</div>
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I saw this short film today and it further encouraged me that Bradley's future is full of possibility. Dating is down right difficult for everyone. I'm certain that it, like many things, will be slightly more difficult for Bradley in some ways but easier for him in different ways. </div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16304908421423946758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6186066379751111482.post-79592698815284147162014-04-23T08:04:00.002-07:002014-04-23T08:05:14.440-07:00Autism SongThis morning I was scrolling through Facebook when I saw this link for a new song called "We'll Get By." After reading the short article and listening to the song, I was crying in my office. It's a beautiful song with an important perspective, the child's. I needed to hear it today. Bradley has been doing a little more "movie talking" lately than he had been doing. I've been working on a blog to explain the "movie talk" and will hopefully publish it later tonight or tomorrow. Anyway, I feel like I have been a little tough on him for something he perhaps has a hard time controlling.<br />
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Please take time to listen to this song. I will personally be writing the Johnny Orr Band to thank them for doing this. It reminded me that Bradley knows we love him and that he loves us too. He's doing a great job trying to be the best Bradley he can be.<br />
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<a href="http://blog.theautismsite.com/johnny-orr-band-releases-new-single-about-autism/?utm_source=autaware&utm_medium=social&utm_term=20140422&utm_campaign=johnny-orr-band-releases-new-single-about-autism">Click Here to listen to We'll Get By</a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16304908421423946758noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6186066379751111482.post-70122481552890055862014-04-10T11:07:00.001-07:002014-04-10T13:56:38.864-07:00April is Autism Awareness MonthIt has been one year since I began this blog and I cannot believe the time has gone by so quickly. With that said, SO many great things have happened for Bradley just within this year. If you are reading this, thank you for your interest, support, and advocacy for the autism community and my son, Bradley!<br>
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Bradley is doing well in school. He is reading. He is socializing more. He is talking more frequently and clearly. Bradley is truly trying to be the best Bradley he can be. This makes me incredibly happy!<br>
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April 2 was World Autism Awareness Day. <a href="http://liub.autismspeaks.org/welcome">Light it up Blue</a> is a campaign to encourage individuals and business to wear blue to bring awareness to autism spectrum disorders. Our school district, Boling I.S.D, encouraged kids, staff, and teachers to wear blue on April 2 and 3rd to promote autism awareness. What a great response for the first year! As my sweet friend and fellow autism advocate Lori said, "365 days a year we celebrate Autism! Today the world celebrates with us!!" Let us continue to spread the word about autism and those it affects. Thank you for reading about, sharing, and supporting our efforts.<br>
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Bradley's Kindergarten Class, Teachers, and Staff</div>
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The Newgulf Kindergarten Kids lighting it up Blue for Autism Awareness</div>
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Iago Junior High students lighting it up blue for autism awareness and our friend, Erik</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16304908421423946758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6186066379751111482.post-39625983867910854522014-04-08T11:59:00.004-07:002014-04-08T12:00:25.700-07:0068 Things to Know About Autism<div style="text-align: center;">
I just came across this article called "68 things to know about autism." I read through each one and think that I agree with all 68. The Huffington Post surveyed parents about what autism is and what it is not. Their answers are truthful, genuine, and real-life. As we continue to advocate for autism in the month of April and throughout the year, I encourage you to read these 68 "things." </div>
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<a href="http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/04/02/what-autism-is-what-it-is-not-_n_5051597.html">68 Things About Autism</a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16304908421423946758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6186066379751111482.post-3422791943123925632014-03-27T20:26:00.001-07:002014-04-08T12:07:31.850-07:00New Prevalence RatesToday the new prevalence rates for autism were released in <a href="http://www.autismspeaks.org/news/news-item/prevalence-autism-rises">an article by the CDC</a>. Now, 1 in 68 children are on the spectrum. Advocacy, understanding, and acceptance need to increase as well. Keep educating yourself and others about autism.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16304908421423946758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6186066379751111482.post-90354494813911776232014-03-26T08:54:00.000-07:002014-04-08T12:07:03.740-07:00Stimming ExplainedOne of the most noticeable symptoms/behaviors of autistic children is "stimming." This short video does a good job explaining why autistic individuals self stimulate and offers at least one idea about modifying that behavior.<br />
<a href="http://blog.theautismsite.com/how-to-soothe-your-childs-stimming/?utm_source=social&utm_medium=autaware&utm_campaign=how-to-soothe-your-childs-stimming&utm_term=20140326">Stimming Explained</a><br />
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Bradley has a tendency to self stimulate by flapping his arms and standing on his tippy toes when he is excited. In the past I have placed my hands on his hands to make him stop. Then I realized that he was doing this behavior because he was excited. I want Bradley to be happy and to share his happiness, but also want to prevent any hurt feelings he may have if he is ever ridiculed for his stimming.<br />
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One day while Bradley was watching TV, flapping his hands, and standing on his tippy toes I asked, "Bradley- are you really happy right now?" He said "yes." It made me realize that I was telling him that it was wrong to celebrate his happiness. Now I try to model socially acceptable ways to display happiness: clapping, fist pump in the air, verbally expressing happiness, or thumbs up (which Bradley has really taken to). I am thankful for his happiness and love to see his adorable smile<br />
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Bradley told me he was very happy with his new Thomas the Train toy he got for his 6th birthday</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16304908421423946758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6186066379751111482.post-17926526931512553872013-12-31T07:56:00.003-08:002014-04-08T12:05:16.427-07:00We Wish You a Merry ChristmasThis Christmas was THE BEST! Bradley was REALLY in the Christmas spirit and enjoyed this year so much!!! His interest in Christmas began in November when he saw a remote controlled, robot spider at Radio Shack and decided that is what he wanted for Christmas.<br />
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Bradley and Max saw Santa many times this Christmas season. Each Santa visit Bradley was joyful, polite, and eager to share his robot spider wish with Mr. Claus. Max was not as happy to see Santa...<br />
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Every Christmas movie that came on was an instant favorite. We watched Rudolph, the original animated Grinch, the Jim Carey remake of How the Grinch Stole Christmas, the Will Ferrell movie Elf, Frosty the Snowman, Here Comes Santa Claus, Mickey's Twice Upon a Christmas (this was Bradley's favorite), and An Elf's Story (the DVD that accompanies the Elf on a Shelf book and doll). Bradley loved our elf on a shelf and named him Jimmy (very similar to the dvd's main character, Chippy). Each morning Brad enjoyed searching for where Jimmy was camped out for the day. If you haven't heard of the Elf on a Shelf, check out: <a href="http://www.elfontheshelf.com/">http://www.elfontheshelf.com/</a><br />
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We had fun anticipating Christmas Day. The boys enjoyed their daily piece of chocolate from their advent calendars. We looked at Christmas lights as a family. Bradley played the role of a shepherd in our church's nativity story and really enjoyed the candle light ceremony at church.</div>
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Christmas Day finally came and the boys were very excited to see what Santa brought!</div>
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The boys were blessed to spend lots of time with family and were showered with presents</div>
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16304908421423946758noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6186066379751111482.post-30424040140140954092013-12-30T21:35:00.001-08:002014-04-08T12:05:56.371-07:00Lunch Kit FunPicky eating can be a challenge many parents struggle with for any child, not just children on the autism spectrum. Bradley's tastes have expanded and he is more willing to try new things. However, his tastes are still limited compared to his 21 month old brother, Max. Meal time can be a bit challenging, but I try to make it as relaxed and comfortable as possible for everyone.<br />
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Earlier this year I attended a training that addressed food anxieties for kids on the autism spectrum. The presenter compared chronic food pressures to PTSD like symptoms. I'm not so sure that Bradley has had any post-traumatic stress when trying new foods, but I can see the anxiety in his eyes at times. If Bradley is not fully committed to what he is eating his gag-reflex becomes super sensitive and he cannot keep even the smallest morsel of the new food down. Give Bradley a piece of pizza or plain cheeseburger and he'll effectively chew a mouth full of food and clean his plate.</div>
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To make lunch time more enjoyable I draw on Bradley's lunches. This isn't an every day thing, but I try to think of things we've talked about or something he really enjoys (super heroes for example) and hand-draw it on his ziplock bags. In a previous post "Bradley can read," I discussed writing sight words on Bradley's lunch bags too. Here are a few pictures of our lunch kit fun.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga-5c46P7qKogFalhpXVN68K6DSXKH2ltsb2GEnGVJUk8ZDAKWVbiHDrd73d2ydgzQWm37nURN5rH-DGtj7Qdkx13b2MQSHFBoOVXI3V2ranNxpjz8Of8Zin61vYAemYzqBrHmkWj6gjY/s1600/IMG_1760.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7EhtYcj5MrjMG5yuJrn4oN1JdYxvh7yQAdh6fZsMsjTxaFDeGJ2gpncfE-K0wXn9kn-y7km1i7ja6fuRcOpSCLKanQwv8TDP5B-1x4QzcK3WsqFFn-YB6BAeMzG5D0LEOUm2q4RPEVt8/s1600/IMG_1793.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; display: inline !important; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi7EhtYcj5MrjMG5yuJrn4oN1JdYxvh7yQAdh6fZsMsjTxaFDeGJ2gpncfE-K0wXn9kn-y7km1i7ja6fuRcOpSCLKanQwv8TDP5B-1x4QzcK3WsqFFn-YB6BAeMzG5D0LEOUm2q4RPEVt8/s1600/IMG_1793.JPG" height="320" width="283" /> </a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMe5e60A50qwMDE3qS2ar5IeBRMvkOZHCGHmcuhvDtVyL7L-bLuGiUHUmTSPXc8lN0VP-381VFLXlACzxpxa0wl1xj2s_GNING-5lA_6wDk-bVEwJKPnT47ppxfulHF7kOuo7A5wEGafQ/s1600/IMG_1799.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiMe5e60A50qwMDE3qS2ar5IeBRMvkOZHCGHmcuhvDtVyL7L-bLuGiUHUmTSPXc8lN0VP-381VFLXlACzxpxa0wl1xj2s_GNING-5lA_6wDk-bVEwJKPnT47ppxfulHF7kOuo7A5wEGafQ/s1600/IMG_1799.JPG" height="297" width="320" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga-5c46P7qKogFalhpXVN68K6DSXKH2ltsb2GEnGVJUk8ZDAKWVbiHDrd73d2ydgzQWm37nURN5rH-DGtj7Qdkx13b2MQSHFBoOVXI3V2ranNxpjz8Of8Zin61vYAemYzqBrHmkWj6gjY/s1600/IMG_1760.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEga-5c46P7qKogFalhpXVN68K6DSXKH2ltsb2GEnGVJUk8ZDAKWVbiHDrd73d2ydgzQWm37nURN5rH-DGtj7Qdkx13b2MQSHFBoOVXI3V2ranNxpjz8Of8Zin61vYAemYzqBrHmkWj6gjY/s1600/IMG_1760.JPG" height="320" width="320" /></a></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16304908421423946758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6186066379751111482.post-21530514344502567122013-11-14T12:07:00.004-08:002014-04-08T12:06:21.519-07:00Firework DuetBradley REALLY likes Katy Perry's song, <i>Firework</i>. He heard it on the movie, Madagascar 3 and very quickly learned the lyrics and melody. We sing it occasionally in the car and at home. I love the message within the lyrics and always felt like it was Bradley's anthem.<br />
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<a href="http://mashable.com/2012/10/19/katy-perry-firework-autism-jodi-dipiazza/">http://mashable.com/2012/10/19/katy-perry-firework-autism-jodi-dipiazza/</a></div>
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My friend, Alexis, sent me this link today and I absolutely loved seeing and hearing this girl with autism sing <i>Firework </i>with Katy Perry. I bawled my eyes out in my office, but they were tears of joy for the beautiful growth of Jodi DiPiazza, the amazing 11-year old girl who is sharing her voice through music.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16304908421423946758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6186066379751111482.post-30739406214552001322013-11-11T19:45:00.001-08:002014-04-08T12:08:23.689-07:00Bradley Can Read!!!Perceived "Inattention" is one of the symptoms children on the autism spectrum may initially present with that leads the parent or teacher to look at a potential ADHD diagnosis, rather than an autism spectrum disorder. According to the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, ADHD criteria for inattention include: being easily distracted, having trouble sustaining attention to tasks that require sustained mental effort, and frequently being forgetful in their daily activities.<br />
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For many children on the autism spectrum, inattention is actually a result of being overly absorbed in their "own world." Autistic individuals really aren't "inattentive," from the sense of the clinical standpoint. Instead, they are so overly attentive to something else, that they are in a sense "zoning in" on their area of focus and avoiding and often becoming unaware of other stimuli. That is an AMAZING task and ability that many on the autism spectrum are capable of accomplishing. The question then, is how can parents and teachers help autistic children use that awesome power toward their school work?</div>
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I prepared myself for Bradley to struggle with reading. In fact.., I expected reading to be Bradley's most challenging subject area. After all, reading would require sustained, mental effort. However, I am ecstatic to report that I was VERY wrong about Bradley's success with reading so far. Bradley's elementary school uses a reading program called SRA. Bradley's tutor and I introduced SRA reading to Bradley over the summer. I helped him work through about 40 lessons, which didn't take as long as you would think it would... I was pleasantly surprised that Bradley has exceeded my reading expectations.</div>
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We have worked hard. Bradley seems to do well with sight words. I think he might be memorizing all of the words he is reading... To try to help Bradley with sight words I started writing his color sight words and numbers on his lunch bags. I'm not sure if Bradley enjoys reading the lunch messages as much as I enjoy preparing them, but hopefully they have helped at some level. I started simple and tried to apply what was taught in his classroom.</div>
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Yesterday I filmed Bradley completing his reading homework. This is a pretty accurate representation of Bradley's reading ability. I am so proud of the patience he has gained in taking his time to read and focusing on the work. Unfortunately the audio quality is not quite as loud as I thought it was and my 19-month old son, Max, is sitting next to me talking and "reading" too. For best results in listening to the clip, be prepared to turn up your volume and/or use head phones. I tried viewing the video embedded within the blog from my iPhone and was not able to, so if you're having trouble too you may have to view from a computer.<br />
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In the video you will seem him get a little distracted by "movie talking." Bradley watched the Will Ferrell movie, "Elf," that day (and the day before) and was thinking about a scene from the movie in his head. This happens multiple times a day with different movies, including some that we have not seen in a while. I am truly fascinated by Bradley's memory to recall the exact script including diction, pausing, and articulation. It's remarkable. Last night I overheard my husband gently questioning Bradley about his movie talk. He asked if Bradley could see the movie in his head when he movie talked. Bradley said yes. There is so much potential with that type of memory and I continue to look for a way to help Bradley use that super power for good.<br />
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What you'll also notice at the end of the video clip is Bradley walking away, on his tip toes. I notice that Bradley does more tippy toe walking when he is barefoot and on our concrete floors. When he wears heavier shoes, specifically his cowboy boots, Bradley walks flat footed. I also think there is a correlation between his excitement level and tippy toe walking. Bradley seems to tip toe walk when he is more excited or anxious when compared to when he is relaxed. This is a form of "stimming" that many other autistic individuals may display.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16304908421423946758noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6186066379751111482.post-29303995755334899752013-11-10T18:47:00.000-08:002014-04-08T12:08:57.132-07:00Iron MenBradley loves dressing up. He likes to wear hats, colorful clothing combinations, rubber boots, glasses, cowboy boots, and costumes. When we picked out Bradley's Halloween costume for this year (Iron Man, AKA Iron Patriot) he wore it several times before Halloween night. To prevent any sibling rivalry, Bradley and I decided Max would be Iron Man as well. When I offered Max his choice of costumes at the store he seemed indifferent, so Iron Man it was.<br />
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Halloween came and the boys happily wore their Iron Men costumes. Instead of trick-or-treating we went to our church's Fall Festival. The boys played games for pieces of candy. Bradley played every game multiple times and came home with a huge selection of candy. It was great to see both of the boys happy and having fun with all of our church family. Bradley did well taking turns and handling transition better than he has in previous years. The progress we continue to see in Bradley makes us happy as we continue to have fun together.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16304908421423946758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6186066379751111482.post-15777527927557818882013-11-03T12:37:00.001-08:002014-04-08T12:09:42.868-07:00Dan Marino Talks About Early InterventionFormer Miami Dolphin Quarterback, Dan Marino, talks in a 2005 interview about his son, Micheal's journey on the autism spectrum. Micheal and his family attribute early intervention to Micheal's successful progress. Research continues to conclude that early intervention DOES help children on the spectrum progress toward developmental goals.<br />
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<a href="http://youtu.be/el1kQ-3Dln4" style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">http://youtu.be/el1kQ-3Dln4</a><br />
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Speaking from experience, the fear of the unknown can prevent many people from seeking assessment and treatment for their children on the autism spectrum. What will this diagnosis mean for my child and family? Will my child "catch up" to his/her peers? What can I do to help them? What could have contributed to their autism? Will my child be able to lead a "normal" adult life? These questions and many more go through parents' minds and may delay the initiation of assessment or acceptance of an ASD diagnosis.<br />
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If you believe your child or a child you know may be on the spectrum, please seek intervention as early as possible. The benefit of early intervention far exceeds the uncertainty of the future. </div>
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"See, the Sovereign Lord comes with power, and he rules with a mighty arm. See, his reward is with him, and his recompense accompanies him. He tends his flock like a shepherd: He gathers the lambs in his arms and carries them close to his heart; he gently leads those that have young. (Isaiah 40:10, 11 NIV)"</div>
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I have only recently grasped the extent of God's sovereignty. God knows all, has GREAT plans and the mighty power to make them happen, and is in charge of EVERYTHING. Isaiah 40:11 promises us that God will lead us as parents. However, we must seek God first and pray for wisdom of His desire and the understanding of His will for our children. </div>
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When the uncertain future for your child scares you, take comfort in God's sovereignty. Pray for guidance. Study His word. Seek support from others. Email me! I will pray for you and with you. Watch and be amazed at how God will use the experience to change your heart and bring glory to Him.</div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16304908421423946758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6186066379751111482.post-80603251670131874762013-10-12T22:04:00.001-07:002014-04-08T12:11:43.507-07:00We Went on a Walk<div class="separator" style="clear: both;">
<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Whenever we have an upcoming event or fun activity I always debate about when and how to tell Bradley. He still has difficulty understanding the concept of time, so if I tell him too early Bradley is disappointed that we aren't going to the party or event that very minute. If I tell him too late, I miss the opportunity to explain to Bradley where we are going, what we are doing, and who we'll be with. I have found that some planning and discussion of the event helps Bradley feel more comfortable when we arrive at where ever we are going and have a better time during the experience.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">About three weeks before the Houston "Walk Now for Autism Speaks" I decided to officially join my friend, Lori's fundraising team, "Amazing Him: Team Erik." Lori invited me to join the team earlier, but the hustle and bustle of the beginning of the school semester had my attention. Once we were team members and fundraisers I was overjoyed with the financial and emotional support friends and family gave. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I started telling Bradley about the walk about a week before the event date. I told him we'd be "going on a walk for autism with a bunch of people who are special like you" and that he'd make a new friend named Erik. I also explained to Bradley that there would be many people at the walk and that some of them liked the same things he did. Bradley was growing increasingly excited each day that we talked about it, but was most excited to meet his new friend Erik.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The day of the walk finally arrived and the boys and I headed for Reliant Stadium with our Red Rider Wagon in tow. When we arrived I unloaded the wagon and then loaded Max and our bags of supplies and snacks back into the wagon. We found our group and after a short transitional adjustment for Bradley we settled in. Amazing Him: Team Erik was comprised of loving, approachable, and sweet adults and kids who automatically welcomed Bradley upon our arrival. However, Bradley wasn't real sure about what was going on at first and was somewhat negative about changing his shirt and putting on the team shirt that everyone was wearing.</span> </div>
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It is hard for me to understand how Bradley can go from being super excited and talking about this walk for a week, to not wanting to be there and going home instead. This happens so frequently when we do something new. My guess is that Bradley has a specific expectation of what he thinks is going to happen and when reality doesn't equate to that expectation, he panics. While I don't think he means to be rude, Bradley's attitude quickly shifts and he says, "No thanks... I want to go home... I don't want to do this." Needless to say, this is embarrassing for me and then we have to spend several minutes readjusting Bradley's attitude and getting him focused on the current event or task.</div>
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Once Bradley was on track to have fun then he and Erik were peas and carrots. Erik was super sweet to Bradley and they played well together.<br />
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Before we knew it we were about to move forward to the stage for the opening ceremonies. Lori led us in a beautiful group prayer that really resonated with me. In her prayer she thanked God for choosing her and her husband to be Erik's parents. I feel the same way with Bradley. It is an amazing blessing to be Bradley's Mom (and Max's mom too).<br />
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Walking up to the starting line we were about 50 yards away and listening to the emcee announce sponsors, donors, leading fundraisers, and special thank yous. Happy and relaxed Bradley and Max soon turned in to impatient, cranky, and frustrated little boys. The announcements lasted at least 20 minutes and the boys only became hotter, sweatier, and increasingly more annoyed. Bradley wanted to start walking, but we were surrounded by hundreds of people with very little wiggle room. Max was miserable. He was hot, didn't want to sit in the wagon, didn't want to be held, and didn't want to be told what to do. Bradley kept urging us to walk, "Come on Mom. Let's go. Move. Let's go." But it wasn't time to go and no matter how patiently I explained this to Bradley he just didn't understand.<br />
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After what felt like an eternity of waiting, the official start began and we were all excited. However, we weren't really moving. We literally inched our way up to the start line a mere one step at a time. The starting archway was narrow and the crowd was wide. It was wonderful to have such an amazing turnout for the event, but getting everyone through the narrow arch was a headache. At this point Max was screaming, literally screaming in my face. Max was screaming at the top of his lungs. He did NOT want to be held. Max wanted to run around the crowd of hundreds. Sorry Max- not an option. Max screamed in protest. I whispered into Max's ear, "It's okay Max. Mama's here. We're moving now. Look! We're going under some balloons soon." Nope- didn't work. Max continued to scream.<br />
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As we inched our way closer I tried to stay positive.I was sweating my face off. Sweet Erik noticed I was sweating and demonstrated how to cool myself off by quickly pulling at the front of my shirt. There was no cooling off for me. It was hot and the stress of Max screaming in my ear, Bradley's impatience, hundreds of people around me, the fear of losing track of one of my kids, people pushing by us, inching our way forward, being cut off by other impatient walkers, and the Texas sun were too much for me to keep my composure. On the verge of tears I began to complain. "Don't these organizers realize that autistic kids have a hard time waiting? What are they thinking? I am absolutely miserable! Uggh! This is not fun." I said these things out loud. Strangers heard and looked at me with pity.<br />
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We finally made our way through the inflatable, blue archway and I felt defeated. I felt horrible that I was complaining during this time of empowerment for so many. I continued to fight back tears but felt so alone. How strange... I felt alone in a sea of hundreds of other people. I didn't see anyone else struggling like me. I saw tons of teams helping with the kids. I saw fathers there with their children. My husband was bow hunting for deer. Someone asked where my brother was. He was bow hunting too. I felt alone. I felt incredibly frustrated. I wanted to cry.<br />
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We caught up with the rest of our team, but I couldn't stop to wait for the remainder of the team members. Bradley and Max were finally happy that we were moving and I didn't want to stop. We had about 2 miles to walk around the stadium parking lot and my arms were already shaking from caring 30 pound Max and pulling 50 pound Bradley in the wagon uphill. Thankfully several of our team members offered to help me with the boys and I finally accepted help from Lori's brother, Adrian. He is a childhood friend of my brother, so I've known Adrian for 20 years or more. Adrian is young and athletic so I didn't feel too guilty about him pulling Bradley in the wagon. I immediately felt relief. I still regretted my bad attitude earlier and hoped that no one in our team had noticed. Now I was enjoying the walk and enjoying my conversation with Adrian.<br />
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Throughout the course my stress went away and my heart filled with joy. Bradley was having a blast! He was smiling at, waving to, and hugging strangers along the course. Volunteers were cheering for Bradley as we passed and complimenting his Angry Birds rain boots. I really enjoyed visiting with Adrian and Lori and I shared our experiences with raising the sons we love on the autism spectrum. We talked about the tough times and the progress our kids have made. Somewhere along the way Max fell asleep in my arms and we moved him to the wagon and Bradley marched along side us.<br />
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As we approached the end of the course Bradley recognized that we were almost finished with the walk. He became very excited when he saw the pedestrian bridge we crossed at the beginning of the course. Bradley's excitement turned in to a jog toward the bridge, so I ran after him since Adrian was comfortable pulling sleeping Max in the wagon. The closer we got to the finish line the happier Bradley became. "Look Mom! We're almost there!" Bradley cheered as we walked back through the blue arch, "Hooray! We did it! Hooray!" I was so happy and proud of Bradley's fantastic attitude and joy.<br />
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Bradley wanted to play on one of the inflatable slides in the parking lot so after we found Adrian we wheeled sleeping Max toward Bradley's slide of choice and stood in line. Again- autistic kids and lines don't exactly mesh at times. Many of the kids waiting didn't want to wait but their parents stood strong and made them. I was very proud of Bradley's willingness to wait his turn. Bradley's turn was up next and it began to rain. After sweating for over an hour, the cool rain was a welcomed blessing. Kids crawled out of the netted slide and left with their parents. I asked if we could still let Bradley jump and play in the inflatable playground and the volunteers agreed. Bradley jumped and slid and had fun while the rain came down. Surprisingly, Max continued to sleep through the rain.<br />
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We could see more rain clouds approaching and hurried back to our team's spot to gather our things. Thanks to the help of Lori and her husband we were able to gather up our many bags very quickly and head toward the car. Adrian helped with the wagon again and we found my vehicle among the sea of cars.</div>
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Before the end of the walk I realized that the walk experience was incredibly significant to me because it was so congruent with how my life has been with Bradley's autism spectrum diagnosis. In the beginning (before diagnosis) I was frustrated with the lack of progress Bradley was making in his speech. People were telling me something was wrong but I wasn't handling it well. I felt heavy burdened by this uncertainty. I'm sure I complained quite a bit. I was anxious and scared of losing my child. I lacked confidence in his future... our future. I was rude to diagnosticians and service providers who were merely trying to help. I resisted diagnosis because I feared a label. I envied other families who looked like they had it together. I felt lost.<br />
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As we walked through the archway of diagnosis I began to feel some relief, but I was still panicked. We had such a long journey to go and I was already physically and emotionally exhausted. How am I going to do this alone? People are offering to help, but I don't know them. I can't expect them to carry my burden. Gosh this is so hard! Why don't I have the support I need? Well, maybe I do have support. Yes- I do have people wanting to help me. Maybe not who I expected, but they genuinely want to help. Yes! Thank you for your help. (Don't cry). Thank you for your help! You promise to help me through all of this, right? 'Til the end? Please?<br />
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Somewhere in the midst of the walk of treatment I am gaining confidence. I can do this. I can be the mom Bradley needs. I can be there for Bradley AND for Max. I can get us through this. I am not alone. There are people here with me and for me. They "get" me. They understand Bradley. They love Bradley. I love Bradley even more. Bradley is happy and Max is relaxed. I have friends who understand. I have friends who understand me even when I don't talk. They love me for who I am and know that my focus HAS to be on Bradley if I'm going to be the mother God desires me to be for Bradley and Max.<br />
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As we approach the finish line Bradley is happy. Max is relaxed. My friends and supporters are behind me. My burdens are distant. My God is providing me with the love, peace, and relief that I need. Bradley is overjoyed and smiling. Bradley eagerly runs toward our future with his hand in mine. I love Bradley even more.<br />
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For the rest of that day Bradley told everyone, and I mean EVERYONE, we met that he "went on a walk today." He shared his experience with strangers at Chick-Fil-A, police officers we met, and our family members later that day and weekend. Bradley loved our walk and asked if we could come back again. I promised Bradley we would and I can't wait to keep that promise next year and walk with Max and Bradley again.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16304908421423946758noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6186066379751111482.post-81156071657547011132013-09-01T22:36:00.001-07:002014-04-08T12:12:02.940-07:00Early Signs of a Potential Learning DisabilityNearly every mother may be hesitant to admit that their child might have a learning disability. It is difficult for parents to be objective with their children. Family, friends, child care providers, and teachers may bring concerns to parents before the parent recognizes them. Speaking from experience, the earlier you can have your child assessed and treated for their identified challenges, the sooner those challenges can begin to be overcome. Check out this link for 5 signs your child might have a learning disability.<br />
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<span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); font-family: '.HelveticaNeueUI'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 19px; white-space: nowrap;"><a href="http://moms.popsugar.com/Signs-Your-Child-Might-Have-Learning-Disability-30981340?utm_source=com_digest&utm_campaign=com_digest_v2&utm_medium=email&utm_content=article_1">http://moms.popsugar.com/Signs-Your-Child-Might-Have-Learning-Disability-30981340?utm_source=com_digest&utm_campaign=com_digest_v2&utm_medium=email&utm_content=article_1</a></span><br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16304908421423946758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6186066379751111482.post-3884729624790942152013-08-27T12:11:00.000-07:002014-04-08T12:13:21.288-07:00Getting Ready For KindergartenIt has been a while since I blogged.., mostly because the summer was full of spending time with both of my boys. By the time I would sit down to write at the end of the day, I was falling asleep at my computer. The summer was awesome, but Bradley and I were both ready to go back to school.<br />
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At the end of his Pre-K year last year, I met with Bradley's kindergarten teacher to get some tips on how to prepare him for Kindergarten. She offered great ideas on how to make learning fun and provided wonderful encouragement on the progress Bradley had made. Over the summer, Bradley attended private tutoring for one hour, twice a week; attended and participated in week long Vacation Bible School at our church (I was his group's teacher); participated in a 3 hour social skills group, 3 times; participated in swim lessons; and engaged in numerous play dates. To try to keep us on-track with scheduling I created calendars with Bradley's activities and a schedule to follow at home. To be honest, we didn't exactly follow the schedule as much as I had hoped, but Bradley did very well with all of the activities we planned.<br />
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Meet the Teacher night finally arrived and we were off to meet Bradley's new teachers. To help better prepare them I typed a letter to each teacher (homeroom teacher, resource aid, music teacher, PE teacher, and speech therapist) with information about Bradley's Strengths, Challenges, Situations that might lead to upset feelings, How to get Bradley back on track/comfort him, How to keep Bradley on task, and Bradley's favorite things. We handed out our notes and a welcome back gift (travel beverage cups with candy) to each of our teachers as we walked to each room. Bradley seemed to enjoy each classroom, but liked the gymnasium and resource classroom the best.</div>
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The night before the first day of kindergarten arrived. Bradley happily went to bed, looking forward to his first day of riding the school bus home. We prayed together and as I was walking out of Bradley's room he said, "Wait Mom. Give me kisses. Give me kiss and kiss and kiss and kiss." I smiled big and kissed Bradley several times on his face as he smiled with joy.</div>
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We woke up the next day and Bradley jumped out of bed when I asked if he was ready to go to school and then ride the school bus home. The morning went very smoothly and we even left our house on time. Bradley posed for a few pictures before we left the house and then once we arrived at school. I had to keep Brad from running into the school. He was very excited!</div>
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When Bradley entered his classroom he was ready to play and talk to his teacher, but it was time for him to sit and color while he waited for instructions. Bradley didn't want to color (it's one of his least favorite school tasks) and said he wanted to go home. After a minute of talking about it Max and I left and I found out later that he was doing fine. A friend of mine has a son in Bradley's class and she sent me a picture of Bradley "photo-bombing" the picture of her son and their teacher. She told me Bradley really wanted to be in their picture, and sure enough he looked like he was having fun.</div>
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I went to school and taught my first day of the Fall 2013 semester at WCJC. The day seemed to fly by for me and I managed not to get too emotional about having a kindergartner. It was a rainy day, so I wasn't sure how happy Bradley would be when he got home. I picked up Max from daycare and we headed home to wait for Bradley to get off of the school bus. I underestimated how long it would take the bus to get to our home, so we ended up waiting about 30 minutes in the drizzle, listening for school bus sounds. Finally.., we could hear the school bus coming down the road and we (my husband, my in-laws, Gabe's aunt, Gabe's grandma, Max, and me) watched eagerly as it came to a stop.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlSCX71dpL_xuKwva4Cns82N6t5lXsceTHqvMIW7QBOVyd8VasLU7fL_5g3i2GDhEMK7GU4SpYp1YU8NE2LqVDPibaMuypqbQ04tQJbi9C1TVFNkVKwM6yGSCG9H_taUEesDhSvjh4L-k/s1600/IMG_0721.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjlSCX71dpL_xuKwva4Cns82N6t5lXsceTHqvMIW7QBOVyd8VasLU7fL_5g3i2GDhEMK7GU4SpYp1YU8NE2LqVDPibaMuypqbQ04tQJbi9C1TVFNkVKwM6yGSCG9H_taUEesDhSvjh4L-k/s320/IMG_0721.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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Bradley got off of the bus with a huge smile on his face. The bus driver gave us two thumbs up and said Bradley did great. Bradley said he had a great day, that he ate his left over lunch on the school bus, and that he was ready to watch television. All week Bradley seemed to enjoy school, especially knowing that the school bus would bring him home each day. Thankfully Bradley also earned 5 smiley face stamps in his conduct folder. Bradley was very proud of "all the happy faces" and impressed me in learning what a trapezoid, parallelogram, hexagon, and rhombus look like. I see the joy and excitement in Bradley's face when he shows off his school work and I pray that he continues to enjoy kindergarten for the rest of the year as he did his first week!</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16304908421423946758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6186066379751111482.post-63886845528030978732013-07-26T09:17:00.001-07:002013-07-26T09:23:28.358-07:00"That's how I feel when I'm feeling good."An adult man with autism explains how he physically exhibited his happiness as a child. The whole video is good, but check out 2:00-5:15 to see how he and many other people with autism may show their feelings in ways that make sense to them but may not make sense to others. Watching that short section will help all the "normaltistics" understand others better.<br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsCqQ0dCOmMz5pEbpx7ExNCfAC8idOLvdZXjpEbupMrvq0sSSCC5UcinNE_ZGPMMXWZmQFPlnnrWIaaZ3HhqEiyRZU_Dukcik7ga4bIF86QUb-qZ8ekt5fASN60_nahGQZpo8Ex8TLsuc/s640/blogger-image-30584768.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsCqQ0dCOmMz5pEbpx7ExNCfAC8idOLvdZXjpEbupMrvq0sSSCC5UcinNE_ZGPMMXWZmQFPlnnrWIaaZ3HhqEiyRZU_Dukcik7ga4bIF86QUb-qZ8ekt5fASN60_nahGQZpo8Ex8TLsuc/s640/blogger-image-30584768.jpg" /></a></div>
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16304908421423946758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6186066379751111482.post-68790772084327683512013-06-26T22:38:00.003-07:002013-06-27T06:19:58.139-07:00Jesus is Helping Him<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Friday, June 7 was a day I was both looking forward to and dreading. On that day Bradley had his tonsils and adenoids removed at Texas Children's Hospital, West Campus. The surgery is routine with minimal anticipated complications. Children who have their tonsils and adenoids removed typically recover quickly and don't mind the ice cream and Popsicle post-surgery diet. I knew the surgery would help Bradley, but my concern was Bradley's sensitivity to pain and extreme fear of doctors.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">To prepare for the surgery I talked to friends whose children also had their tonsils and adenoids removed. I had many friends and family praying for the surgery. I ordered children's books about tonsillectomies and doctor's visits. Bradley liked the Care Bears book the most, but also enjoyed the Mercer Mayer one too.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_q1fmGwQ9enAgo_bFEZgkMRHQZfx-fJzQ7JTIArgGlY2tJrwIu_moAMowP6s3YspU2d5PgJ05vmTtAVSadTClUsnSut3qjgautnTDE8DmKq-oCr5JeBpSrI66MBLdzdXdU9cDohZh43s/s640/blogger-image-1585960065.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_q1fmGwQ9enAgo_bFEZgkMRHQZfx-fJzQ7JTIArgGlY2tJrwIu_moAMowP6s3YspU2d5PgJ05vmTtAVSadTClUsnSut3qjgautnTDE8DmKq-oCr5JeBpSrI66MBLdzdXdU9cDohZh43s/s200/blogger-image-1585960065.jpg" style="cursor: move;" width="150" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj921XMmnpKahyphenhyphenXY5VufkBHKXCXi4lAQtVXBI7qEScSB_WPk6aLWLtrwXZIiV_SIeDayJovB9lXJXEyMt4MwneCREU8IpN2rPWCWfrdKhbXqYTKETrCAmXg-Uyhrimd6f7OM_4qr1CNkB4/s640/blogger-image-382460223.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj921XMmnpKahyphenhyphenXY5VufkBHKXCXi4lAQtVXBI7qEScSB_WPk6aLWLtrwXZIiV_SIeDayJovB9lXJXEyMt4MwneCREU8IpN2rPWCWfrdKhbXqYTKETrCAmXg-Uyhrimd6f7OM_4qr1CNkB4/s640/blogger-image-382460223.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj921XMmnpKahyphenhyphenXY5VufkBHKXCXi4lAQtVXBI7qEScSB_WPk6aLWLtrwXZIiV_SIeDayJovB9lXJXEyMt4MwneCREU8IpN2rPWCWfrdKhbXqYTKETrCAmXg-Uyhrimd6f7OM_4qr1CNkB4/s200/blogger-image-382460223.jpg" width="150" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;">I also did some Internet research about preparing children with autism for surgery. One of the websites I stumbled across was a mom's blog about prepping her son for surgery by creating a personalized book. This is her link with good ideas and resources: </span><a href="http://www.extremeparenthood.com/2009/08/preparing-autistic-child-for.html?m=1" style="font-family: Times, 'Times New Roman', serif;"><span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875); font-family: '.HelveticaNeueUI'; font-size: 15px; line-height: 19px; white-space: nowrap;">http://www.extremeparenthood.com/2009/08/preparing-autistic-child-for.html?m=</span>1</a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I knew that this was an awesome idea that would really help Bradley, so I made him his own surgery book. I used Microsoft PowerPoint and actual pictures of Bradley, his doctor, and the hospital we would be at. Texas Children's has a slideshow on their website that includes a story of the girl in the pictures I used. I have included pictures of Bradley's book below. I wanted to get it printed and home to Bradley quickly, so I didn't plan the binding of the book well. I printed these pages out and ended up stapling them together like a bound book. I also kept the language simple and familiar to Bradley when I could, even if it meant having some weak grammar choices (i.e. "scared" rather than "afraid").
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiW_b2MePjWW5sb4U7kR3OUwxl50VfDzFP9EIhvijbh-svYJbOGQEoEj_gfxYe0slfGLu_S8fgDugHwiN9TAFbEtre7nVtmuR1MCZyvQ8ojgcXODXOYPbY5ONQ5s2l9kwGqJSq7_v1w5s/s1600/Slide7.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgiW_b2MePjWW5sb4U7kR3OUwxl50VfDzFP9EIhvijbh-svYJbOGQEoEj_gfxYe0slfGLu_S8fgDugHwiN9TAFbEtre7nVtmuR1MCZyvQ8ojgcXODXOYPbY5ONQ5s2l9kwGqJSq7_v1w5s/s1600/Slide7.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTdXzlqdRLwuIuAKq7k0jyjWTIMhXMH0DD7Ho27we6vBaN9fboHuFC-9XGbi4S4WJ4LH2Il48SxIitoZ_2zqSEzC0NBEGpECdzhxizoizbXvNSrHohwyB1MBGtdoGFbxuhHXQ2tiquZAE/s1600/Slide8.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgTdXzlqdRLwuIuAKq7k0jyjWTIMhXMH0DD7Ho27we6vBaN9fboHuFC-9XGbi4S4WJ4LH2Il48SxIitoZ_2zqSEzC0NBEGpECdzhxizoizbXvNSrHohwyB1MBGtdoGFbxuhHXQ2tiquZAE/s1600/Slide8.JPG" height="150" width="200" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">We read the books I found on Amazon and Bradley's personalized book every day for a week. Bradley was resistant to reading them at first, because he put the pieces together and realized I was preparing him for his own surgery. After a few days though, Bradley selected these hospital related books when I asked him to choose a book for story time.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">The day of the surgery arrived and my sister Jordan, Bradley, and I left our home and headed to the hospital bright and early. I was nervous about Bradley not being able to have anything to eat or drink prior to surgery, but thankfully he did not ask for either. I prepared for resistance when we arrived at the hospital, but Bradley willingly walked in and made it through our first 2 check points without getting anxious. We had many people praying for the surgery and I know God helped prepare Bradley that morning. I was wearing a Christian t-shirt that day and was happy when a nurse asked me where I got it.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxhRGQ7wB24Jn6ynTdmgeOaDQ3Ede9tOgBQ5VVPxY1QYYm3ZPZDRQH6VMSeYfDh7EqSJZDnsiKaWAUVuR5yXd-MbgSts5N05R9H_FM1jgWflpLSaRNMOW9HwCXCW-lQtVTVFyw286w85I/s640/blogger-image--1584179628.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhxhRGQ7wB24Jn6ynTdmgeOaDQ3Ede9tOgBQ5VVPxY1QYYm3ZPZDRQH6VMSeYfDh7EqSJZDnsiKaWAUVuR5yXd-MbgSts5N05R9H_FM1jgWflpLSaRNMOW9HwCXCW-lQtVTVFyw286w85I/s200/blogger-image--1584179628.jpg" width="200" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">This is the back of the shirt I wore to surgery. You can check out these cute shirts at <a href="http://www.woggleonline.com/">www.woggleonline.com</a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Bradley played with toys and remained relaxed until it was time to get his vitals checked. He was a bit nervous when we walked back to an exam room to have his vitals assessed. Height and weight measurements were pretty uneventful, but the oximeter and blood pressure cuff were sources of anxiety. Thankfully the Child Life Specialist, Katy, had a bag full of toys that kept Bradley distracted as best she could.</span><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Dp7sni_KrRFIL73xJdcPPFY_0XJkwC0yjRTOnkEQEXa5oy4CZSn71r-ERP48H3KJdYFVKiDJkFXoj4oCBJM_44VZOf4SHzJ_p1NWhxMw8gAYJsAEc9LCXVe-TtoKD1WyEK-pGj_w57Y/s640/blogger-image--159567511.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj5Dp7sni_KrRFIL73xJdcPPFY_0XJkwC0yjRTOnkEQEXa5oy4CZSn71r-ERP48H3KJdYFVKiDJkFXoj4oCBJM_44VZOf4SHzJ_p1NWhxMw8gAYJsAEc9LCXVe-TtoKD1WyEK-pGj_w57Y/s320/blogger-image--159567511.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Bradley's new friend, Katy. She is a child life specialist at TX Children's. Katy did a wonderful job at entertaining, distracting, and comforting Bradley!!!</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">After several rounds of Angry Birds with Katy it was time for Bradley to go back to surgery. I was able to go back with him to anesthesiology and stay with him until he fell asleep. Bradley DID NOT want to go back to the Operating Room and became incredibly upset when we walked in to the OR. At this point I was wearing an enormous, white space suit that the nurses joked I could borrow to paint my house. I carried a frantic Bradley in my arms. We attempted to have him inhale the cotton candy flavored anesthesia from the mask, but Bradley was not having it. Thankfully all of the nurses assured me this was a typical response and each nurse held one of Bradley's limbs while I hugged him tight. The anesthesiologist helped Bradley inhale the gas despite Bradley's numerous attempts to kick him. I later apologized profusely for the few blows Brad managed to land on the anesthesiologist, but he promised me it was "part of the territory" and that the older kids kicked harder. After about a minute of whispering reassuring messages of "I love you" and "I'll be praying for you" Bradley finally fell asleep. It was so strange to see him go from screaming to sleeping almost instantly. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">I kissed Bradley and entered the family waiting area where I prayed and waited. I was told the surgery would last about 40 minutes, but after only 15 minutes or so I saw Dr. Vilela walking toward me and smiling. He told me the surgery went great and that Bradley's tonsils were "enormous." I hugged Dr. Vilela and was overjoyed. He shared the post op instructions with me and I nodded and smiled, getting about 80% of what he said. Thankfully all of that info was on a take home sheet. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">After a few quick texts to update family and friends I was able to sit in the recovery area and wait for Bradley to wake. I specifically requested to be there before he woke up, because I knew he would do better if I was there. Most of the time parents are kept in the waiting area until children wake up and are tended to by the nurses. Some children wake from tonsil and adenoid removal in extreme pain and discomfort, feeling like they are choking, very upset, and sometimes combative. I prepared myself for this. I expected Bradley to wake up hysterical and struggling to breathe.</span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsxbQCMjjpZZEdmUc5_8uTLXum0WtrZoR3AU23-ssLQtXh20vzoPy79F2Df8Ksa6PEVdoon9zBI8CTSWnCohteMeFX9rTIyKb9g6xt-ho5rTZkZ_PCOQzq7tkuehfd9r057BgEXHdunHE/s640/blogger-image--1696397623.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgsxbQCMjjpZZEdmUc5_8uTLXum0WtrZoR3AU23-ssLQtXh20vzoPy79F2Df8Ksa6PEVdoon9zBI8CTSWnCohteMeFX9rTIyKb9g6xt-ho5rTZkZ_PCOQzq7tkuehfd9r057BgEXHdunHE/s320/blogger-image--1696397623.jpg" width="240" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Bradley sleeping in recovery</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">When Bradley woke from the anesthesia I was ready to go into comforting Mom mode and do whatever it took to bring peace to him. Bradley coughed a few times and slowly opened his eyes. I told him I was there with him, that everything was okay, that his throat might hurt a little, but that Dr. Vilela said it was going to be all better. Bradley opened his eyes, looked at me, and then looked at a younger boy in the recovery room who was not quite awake yet. While looking at the boy Bradley clearly said, "Jesus is helping him." I fought back tears of shock and awe as I asked Bradley to repeat what he had said. Bradley looked straight at my eyes and said, "Jesus is helping that boy." The little boy's parents looked my way and asked how my son was doing. I told them he was doing well and shared what Bradley told me. Both of the parents smiled and said, "Yes He is. Jesus is helping him." Bradley went back to sleep for a little bit and talked just a little in between sips of a Kool-Aid watermelon flavored juice pouch. Another boy entered recovery and was wheeled in to the left of Bradley's bed. When he began to wake he was very combative, uncomfortable, and clearly in pain. Bradley looked at him and said, "Mom- Jesus is helping him." The nurses overheard him as Bradley continued to tell me "Jesus is helping him. Jesus is helping him!" I have no idea how I fought back the tears of pure joy that were swelling in the corner of my eyes, but somehow I managed to turn them into a huge smile. Bradley said he wanted to pray for the boy so we prayed and after a few minutes of the nurses tending to the boy, he calmed down and rested. I was a proud Momma and made sure everyone within earshot knew that my son was praying for these boys and taking comfort in Jesus.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">An hour later we were able to leave the hospital and head home to rest and recover. On the way home Bradley was <b>VERY</b> talkative. We drove by extensive road constructive at the Katy Freeway and Hwy 99 and Bradley looked up at the partially completed overpass and said, "I don't think they're <b>EVER </b>gonna finish that bridge." My sister and I laughed hysterically and Bradley continued to make interesting observations on the way home. I noticed Bradley was talking more frequently and his speech was more fluid. At first I thought Brad's increased language flow might be a temporary result of his pain medication (Lortab Oral) making him a little loopy. What was amazing though, is that the increased expressive speech did not subside after Bradley no longer needed the pain medication. I am in awe at the improvement Bradley is making daily. Streams of sentences are coming from my son that didn't happen this easily before his surgery. I stopped trying to figure out if it was the experience of the surgery, the anesthesia he had, the pain medication he took, or maybe even the absence of his tonsils and adenoids. I waited over 2 weeks to complete this blog post because I wanted to make sure I wasn't getting ahead of myself in what I know is true today. God has been working on Bradley since the beginning. <b>"<span style="background-color: white;">For you created my inmost being;</span><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Ps-139-13" style="position: relative;">you knit me together<span class="crossreference" style="vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-16253R" title="See cross-reference R">R</a>)"></span> in my mother’s womb. </span><span style="background-color: white;">I praise you</span><span class="crossreference" style="vertical-align: top;" value="(<a href="#cen-NIV-16254T" title="See cross-reference T">T</a>)"></span><span style="background-color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: white;">because I am fearfully and wonderfully made;</span><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Ps-139-14" style="position: relative;">your works are wonderful,</span><span class="indent-1-breaks" style="line-height: 0;"> </span><span class="text Ps-139-14" style="position: relative;">I know that full well." </span>(Psalm 139:13-14) </b></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">God has given me moments of Bradley's life to see the miracles He is working in my son. Bradley told me Jesus was helping the boys around him in the recovery room. We have taught Bradley that God helps those who seek Him, but what if Bradley actually saw Jesus..? Before you think I'm crazy, read "Heaven is for Real." The book chronicles Colton Burpo's near death experience, vision of Heaven, and how his parents learned about the experience.</span><br />
<a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/12/books/heaven-is-for-real-is-publishing-phenomenon.html?_r=0"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/12/books/heaven-is-for-real-is-publishing-phenomenon.html?_r=0</span></a><br />
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl31OG5vQh2Xc9eWmWo1YRXwy786QvfyUrI5PvZaAJC4WMyscy30tFubbLF7JCoRY_qoGaq72aWTJRRQOhBdh3w75nEH3PsOIv29plBfKDqHbRRazirUBbKUz3mRU81FMTogFKDHb3NJA/s1600/heavenis4real.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl31OG5vQh2Xc9eWmWo1YRXwy786QvfyUrI5PvZaAJC4WMyscy30tFubbLF7JCoRY_qoGaq72aWTJRRQOhBdh3w75nEH3PsOIv29plBfKDqHbRRazirUBbKUz3mRU81FMTogFKDHb3NJA/s1600/heavenis4real.jpg" height="320" width="320" /></span></a></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">God allowed 4 year old Colton Burpo a glimpse of Heaven as doctors worked on Colton in a medical emergency. God could have easily allowed Bradley to see Jesus helping the children in the hospital in an effort to comfort him. My son went to sleep struggling, fighting us, panicking as I told him I loved him and was praying for him and that God would be caring for him. Bradley woke up calm, with very little discomfort. He <b><u>never</u> </b>complained in recovery. This amazing post-surgery progress is <b>FOR SURE</b> one of God's miracles He has allowed me to be a part of and He deserves all of the glory, all of the credit, and all of the praise. My prayers for the last two and a half weeks have been prayers of praise and thankfulness for God's awesome, mighty love and power. Please join me in thanking God for providing peace for Bradley and us in this process and his continual hand in the progress He is making in both Bradley and me.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;"> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMjG8619GapDN_L1W-iVYSWcj6ytymWU-noiXLmz0gDB2DKLWIs9a2WwcwSZh9dY8X8Ldg2cRYLCXh_soTp6x5AfNym0fLz1aZrpflgDKD2-n6LXI6VihW856TUL9a-jEw2N8EoSMZubs/s640/blogger-image--1523305119.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhMjG8619GapDN_L1W-iVYSWcj6ytymWU-noiXLmz0gDB2DKLWIs9a2WwcwSZh9dY8X8Ldg2cRYLCXh_soTp6x5AfNym0fLz1aZrpflgDKD2-n6LXI6VihW856TUL9a-jEw2N8EoSMZubs/s200/blogger-image--1523305119.jpg" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsIhyq4vN7_yUD5F6-xlfJV8JndTFc3qKpQW1gYihZzlBTXsJ755Nej9_EnyfGEieFOhJ3GfcYoRH5PU4OCDKn7DJwwsZOr9nhp_Zz6oz9iihSryMRxL2BBfWi67xz81_XDSQLuOBbzqU/s640/blogger-image-1850917492.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjsIhyq4vN7_yUD5F6-xlfJV8JndTFc3qKpQW1gYihZzlBTXsJ755Nej9_EnyfGEieFOhJ3GfcYoRH5PU4OCDKn7DJwwsZOr9nhp_Zz6oz9iihSryMRxL2BBfWi67xz81_XDSQLuOBbzqU/s200/blogger-image-1850917492.jpg" width="150" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyv9vpq69DXYHHS_7YyBZwMWz2YUORyRJpxydzKWrl8DbhAsD-jO73ZBuMW5X0VlUNyG9cF6DgK2D9sYNrmsb2AT02QMi5BDN0oHqTPIiMmiy_B7fVls7BKo2cIleUTSq4jVH7WTNp9gM/s640/blogger-image-504564386.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhyv9vpq69DXYHHS_7YyBZwMWz2YUORyRJpxydzKWrl8DbhAsD-jO73ZBuMW5X0VlUNyG9cF6DgK2D9sYNrmsb2AT02QMi5BDN0oHqTPIiMmiy_B7fVls7BKo2cIleUTSq4jVH7WTNp9gM/s200/blogger-image-504564386.jpg" width="150" /></a></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">Great Aunt Sarah bought Bradley 2 Iron Man toys for being so brave during his surgery. He loved them both! When he realized his younger brother, Max, wanted to play with one of the Iron Men he quickly realized "Big Iron Man" was Bradley's and "Baby Iron Man" was for Baby Max. In return, Max was extra kind and loving to his big brother as he recovered.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Times, Times New Roman, serif;">At exactly 2 weeks post surgery we celebrated at Chuck E Cheese and it was everything Bradley had anticipated the Chuck E. Cheese experience to be. It also happened to be my husband's birthday, so it was a wonderful day of family fun!</span></div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16304908421423946758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6186066379751111482.post-7060755356670321212013-06-09T14:31:00.003-07:002013-06-09T14:31:26.254-07:00"He doesn't have a hearing problem"<div style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);">
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When Bradley's speech wasn't developing properly I had a few people suggest that his hearing may be impaired. I said the same thing over and over for a while, "He doesn't have a hearing problem. Bradley can hear the beginning of his favorite television show (Miss Spider and Her Sunny Patch Friends) from across the house."</div>
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Bradley would hear the show beginning and excitedly run into the room. If I dropped a pan and Bradley would turn in the direction of the loud noise. I continued to tell myself that there wasn't anything wrong with Bradley's hearing until I had a dream one night. I had been praying about how to help Bradley and I had a dream that Bradley had tubes put in his ears and that almost immediately his hearing and speech improved exponentially. As a therapist I don't put too much stock in dreams, but this dream was SO real. I knew I needed to act on it quickly.</div>
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After some online research I decided I wanted to take Bradley to Children's ENT of Houston. <span style="color: red;"><a href="http://www.childrensenthouston.com/"><b>http://www.childrensenthouston.com/</b></a> </span> We made an appointment with Dr. Ronald Vilela and the practice's audiologist. <a href="http://www.childrensenthouston.com/vilela"><b>http://www.childrensenthouston.com/vilela</b></a> Dr. Vilela diagnosed Brad with long-standing fluid in his ears. The audiologist tested Bradley's hearing and confirmed fluid was affecting his hearing. What we hypothesized was that because the fluid appeared to be in his ears for a while, it likely impaired his speech development. I told Dr. Vilela about my dream and asked him if he was a Christian. When he said yes and didn't seem to think my dream was weird, I knew the surgery was right for Bradley.</div>
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Bradley could hear, but the quality of the sound was impaired and he was probably hearing a muffled version of speech and sound. Think about what it sounds like when you are underwater or have your index fingers in both of your ears. If someone presents new/novel sound stimuli, you might catch some of it and your brain will try to fill in missing parts. However, if articulation and clarity are compromised when a young child is learning speech, they don't have the learned speech sounds for their brain to fill in the missing parts.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu8At2hS6nvX1C740rFous7AOoP5OcAF8lTJdOvuhBWyv8-EetaHCNswNb4A6iK65BfqSYoqHhawp7ZCIZf53WDjpgzYULt4OzElc1jUtrqKkH_19ckclXBcVEikwOUiQoHuXn0rDDbdQ/s640/blogger-image-285002670.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiu8At2hS6nvX1C740rFous7AOoP5OcAF8lTJdOvuhBWyv8-EetaHCNswNb4A6iK65BfqSYoqHhawp7ZCIZf53WDjpgzYULt4OzElc1jUtrqKkH_19ckclXBcVEikwOUiQoHuXn0rDDbdQ/s640/blogger-image-285002670.jpg" /></a></div>
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Playing on hay bales at the J.D. Hudgins Ranch at age 3</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfwcOHDSSlAbgoUPJt8QTS3-CWK5DqU6tlWJUIk5WIMaRZKLcltFt44nCLtjJl9MdTPhKas7Ym6t-KcB4Y1oHEnvCvSuTKvEjcCYh9Ds5qVPiALx9C4eoGlQJ-j7-qALrSkejDXffdsR0/s640/blogger-image--1010503398.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhfwcOHDSSlAbgoUPJt8QTS3-CWK5DqU6tlWJUIk5WIMaRZKLcltFt44nCLtjJl9MdTPhKas7Ym6t-KcB4Y1oHEnvCvSuTKvEjcCYh9Ds5qVPiALx9C4eoGlQJ-j7-qALrSkejDXffdsR0/s640/blogger-image--1010503398.jpg" /></a></div>
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At age 3 years 2 months, Dr. Vilela with Children's ENT of Houston surgically inserted tubes into both of Bradley's ears to drain the long-standing fluid. Both Texas Children's Hospital and Dr. Vilela did an amazing job trying to help minimize Bradley's hospital anxiety.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWYvGtsbsZU26cxkHK_FW8KG__bVtFwBOR1SxqWdszGVd3iMzzultN3mY6E3ytgXdsE52ZlW7URCxZWNoxoi-HDgF5k3X2x9oro2t63U7SIMoI4GtE5wtS6toYkRJptn1if7-fh0aoy08/s1600/IMG_2997.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWYvGtsbsZU26cxkHK_FW8KG__bVtFwBOR1SxqWdszGVd3iMzzultN3mY6E3ytgXdsE52ZlW7URCxZWNoxoi-HDgF5k3X2x9oro2t63U7SIMoI4GtE5wtS6toYkRJptn1if7-fh0aoy08/s1600/IMG_2997.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNgVp5YXs4JpELUichRAsn8TvbHirnJ_qL9GVnLG_sTzVOspGo5v02GUdVg98pNnAbv1xcrfA0AEegRkYaG7Y9hGKsA6ptf-kPjPltvNH0ianx2WemMibQyuDXu_sxvvAhksBAQUD9kyU/s1600/IMG_3003.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNgVp5YXs4JpELUichRAsn8TvbHirnJ_qL9GVnLG_sTzVOspGo5v02GUdVg98pNnAbv1xcrfA0AEegRkYaG7Y9hGKsA6ptf-kPjPltvNH0ianx2WemMibQyuDXu_sxvvAhksBAQUD9kyU/s1600/IMG_3003.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a></div>
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Bradley prior to surgery for bilateral tube placement at Texas Children's Hospital, Downtown location</div>
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After the quick surgery I was walking into recovery to see Bradley and I could him him crying out, "Mommy! Mommy!" Prior to the surgery Bradley called me "Mom" and sometimes "Mop," but I don't think he had ever called me Mommy before. On the way home from the hospital it was obvious that Bradley was hearing differently. It was like he was experiencing a new world and I could see him reacting to sounds he had not heard clearly before. I hoped that Bradley would magically begin speaking with perfect speech, but it didn't exactly turn out like my dream. Bradley's speech slowly improved in time thanks to guidance and assistance from Mr. Clint, his speech therapist. I wish we would have had Bradley's hearing checked sooner and perhaps had the surgery earlier in his life. My husband and I both agreed that we would be more proactive with our second son, Max, and after Max had several ear infections and standing fluid we had Max's ear tubes surgically inserted at age 10 months.</div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieQ77QvcklkB5Y4dyueTkngxUP-bESz9FLwL1R201pI7wkJYe2iV4YuHOEMOf83jkqwjAHqiT6iPTYpkTArWUb96StouU8jbKrgMN5KDOguBoTkDrBDaimdKxVaLZyWuiYR5OjrY4dyj4/s1600/IMG_9606.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEieQ77QvcklkB5Y4dyueTkngxUP-bESz9FLwL1R201pI7wkJYe2iV4YuHOEMOf83jkqwjAHqiT6iPTYpkTArWUb96StouU8jbKrgMN5KDOguBoTkDrBDaimdKxVaLZyWuiYR5OjrY4dyj4/s1600/IMG_9606.JPG" height="320" width="239" /></a> <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJPDQdjwvrJzPPjFMlW5sX5u4JrOca6z2wm-JEeBes9qlJEzi76hr3hyphenhyphenTSRSnQQ9De0nH8hnoctQBHEnAujaPsGer8TDnrxR5-Zob31xePo3YMy7pKNkTFVsPFHcomdcRnJlsi7hH28dg/s1600/IMG_9611.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiJPDQdjwvrJzPPjFMlW5sX5u4JrOca6z2wm-JEeBes9qlJEzi76hr3hyphenhyphenTSRSnQQ9De0nH8hnoctQBHEnAujaPsGer8TDnrxR5-Zob31xePo3YMy7pKNkTFVsPFHcomdcRnJlsi7hH28dg/s1600/IMG_9611.JPG" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
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Max preparing for ear tube placement with Dr. Vilela at Texas Children's West Campus</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16304908421423946758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6186066379751111482.post-82839815187817800982013-06-09T13:40:00.000-07:002013-06-09T13:40:01.758-07:00Hospital Anxiety<div>
<span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">Bradley has been fearful of doctors since age 2 or 3. I'm not sure what prompted his hospital anxiety, but going to check-ups (even when Bradley didn't get immunizations) use to be incredibly stressful!!! Bradley would scream, kick, cry, drool excessively, and yell while I did whatever I could to calm him. By the time we'd leave the clinic or doctor's office I would be a sweaty mess in need of reapplication of deodorant. Parenting tip- if you are a sweaty woman like me, carry at least two sticks of deodorant with you at all times!</span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);"><u><br /></u></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);"><u>Where did this anxiety come from?</u></span></div>
<span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);">Maybe it's genetic- my father really doesn't like hospitals, but he tolerated them enough to visit me for both deliveries of his grandkids and when I had an appendectomy at age 12. Maybe I influenced it some how. At Bradley's 2 day check up he was jaundice and our pediatrician told me Bradley may need to be admitted back into the hospital to treat it with special lights. I immediately started crying and did not want my baby to be away from me. I know Bradley can't remember that- he was probably asleep at the time, but I've wondered if my little breakdown affected him in some way. As he grew older, Bradley was not happy at all about going to the doctor. </span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGIedLHcwj2WWeuaqVdB8d-JHBj8Bw2P1Fd20iVKyGZOy146ANjlmvLvG-pZ9ryMT853XM4gl_lpdBuo0QlJlzVK8F7PvYRNtbxHd9dJ-sPSkk80BPTZKcS6euSSnveHMPXqlzbttinTQ/s640/blogger-image-83863873.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGIedLHcwj2WWeuaqVdB8d-JHBj8Bw2P1Fd20iVKyGZOy146ANjlmvLvG-pZ9ryMT853XM4gl_lpdBuo0QlJlzVK8F7PvYRNtbxHd9dJ-sPSkk80BPTZKcS6euSSnveHMPXqlzbttinTQ/s640/blogger-image-83863873.jpg" /></a></span></div>
<span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><div style="text-align: center;">
2 day old Bradley- you can see the yellow tinge of jaundice in his face</div>
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<span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">Bradley also appears to have extreme sensitivity to anticipated/perceived pain. He expects procedures to be painful, and therefor perceives pain during non-painful procedures and/or has anxiety related to anticipated pain. When I clip Bradley's fingernails 9 times out of 10 he adamantly protests and cries until I clip a few nails to remind him that it doesn't hurt. We rationalize that clipping his nails and toenails doesn't hurt and that Mommy would never do anything to hurt him. Even though nail clipping time is less dramatic than it use to be, it's still no walk in the park. This hypersensitivity is likely related to his PDD-NOS, specifically the sensation and perception differences experienced by ASD individuals compared to non-autistic individuals.</span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);"><u>Incidents that haven't helped the anxiety</u></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.296875);">At Bradley's 4 year check up the nurse was training a new nurse who was suppose to give Bradley his booster shots in each thigh. I was 9 months pregnant with our son, Max, and my job was to hold Brad's arms down. Four-year-olds are a <b>LOT</b> stronger than they look! With one swift move Bradley jerked free from my hold and grabbed the syringe from "Newbie Nurse," scratching his upper thigh with the needle, breaking the skin, and screaming the entire time. Newbie Nurse just looked at me, mortified. I'm pretty sure I yelled at her to "hurry up and do something" as she squeezed the vaccine </span><span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">into the air and then slowly prepped a new needle. More Experienced Nurse jumped in and quickly gave Bradley his shots. It was horribly traumatic for Bradley who already feared hospitals and for his very pregnant and hormonal mother!</span><br />
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<span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">At his 5 year check-up Bradley's doctor promised no vaccines (phew!) but ordered a "routine" Complete Blood Count (are you kidding me?). Long story short- I also had Max with me for his one year check-up, the phlebotomist couldn't collect the blood from Bradley fast enough, Bradley apparently bleeds very slowly, I had a screaming kid in my face (Bradley, not Max), Brad's blood clotted in vile, Phlebotomist says, "sorry- I need to prick another finger" while both of my children scream and cry, Phlebotomist retrieves what we think is a good sample, a few days later the second blood sample returns with abnormalities, doctor wants another CBC because he suspects lab error, more screaming and drooling a few days later, phlebotomist gets a good sample, CBC comes back normal). When I got the call about the abnormalities I was walking in to teach my class, so it was difficult to compose myself after your pediatrician a nurse says your child has abnormal bloodwork, but the doctor doesn't want to say what the abnormalities are. Part of me was worried, but a part of me wondered if Bradley's PDD-NOS could be explained by these mysterious blood abnormalities and then possibly treated and cured... Even with that thought, I was happy to hear the second CBC was perfect.</span><br />
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<u>How do I help manage Bradley's hospital anxiety?</u></div>
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<span style="-webkit-composition-fill-color: rgba(175, 192, 227, 0.230469); -webkit-composition-frame-color: rgba(77, 128, 180, 0.230469); -webkit-tap-highlight-color: rgba(26, 26, 26, 0.292969);">No matter what I have tried, Bradley hates every minute of the doctor's appointment up until the moment we are leaving. Then he is everyone's best friend and is incredibly gracious to the entire staff as we are walking out the door. Now that he's a little older I try my best to talk Bradley through it by explaining procedures before hand, although not too far in advance because Bradley thinks very immediately. If I tell him he has an upcoming doctor's appointment, he thinks I mean that same day. We talk about what to expect and I always promise something fun if he does well at the appointment (an ice cream cone, a TV show or movie he wants to watch). If I keep reminding Bradley of the incentive I promised we can make it through the doctor's visit, leaving with less tears, sweat, and exhaustion.</span></div>
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Bradley celebrating his 4th birthday at day care</div>
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Bradley and Max celebrating their 5th and 1st birthdays with a fruit rainbow</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16304908421423946758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6186066379751111482.post-19103220096135045782013-06-03T22:55:00.001-07:002013-06-04T11:13:07.307-07:00Speech Delay: Post-DiagnosisAfter Bradley's first ARD (at age 3) he began receiving speech therapy from Mr. Clint. I had heard wonderful things about Clint and was excited to begin to see, to actually <b>see</b> (and <b>hear</b>) progress in Bradley's speech. Bradley met with Clint 1-2 times a week from March through May, but when the school year ended for summer break, Bradley's services were "suspended" (for lack of better terms) because he was making progress and not regressing. As a college instructor, I totally understand how awesome, amazing, and <b>crucial</b> summer break is for educators and school officials. On the other hand, we were making progress and I was afraid it would end. After all, it took Bradley a few weeks to warm up to Clint and I didn't want to have to rebuild rapport in September when services resumed.<br>
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I expressed my concerns with Clint and he shared lots of ideas with me that gave me hope about what I could do for Bradley's speech, as his parent. Here are some things that Clint suggested I try, that <i>really</i> did help Bradley. I have to be honest, I hoped for results a lot sooner than I actually noticed improvement, but I stuck with our plan and in (God's) time, Bradley's speech has noticeably improved and is approaching near 100% intelligibility. Parents- hang in there. I wasn't sure about what progress we'd see in Bradley, but we didn't give up and I don't want you to give up either. Talk to your child's speech therapist about these intervention ideas:<br>
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<u><b>Practical Speech Therapy Treatment Techniques</b></u><br>
1.<b> Model speech for your child in <i>first </i>person</b>. At age 3 Bradley would express needs and desires in one word requests. Sometimes the word was not clear to strangers, but as parents we knew what Bradley wanted. Here's an example: "whaahhher" was once "water." When Bradley would request water we would model what he should be saying/asking, "Mom, I want a drink of water please." You want to model language in first person, as if you are speaking what your child should be speaking. We modeled speech for any and every other desire and need Bradley expressed. When Bradley would get excited about something, like a train on the train tracks we passed while traveling down the road, we would model what we anticipated Bradley would want to say. "Wow! Look at that train! That's a diesel train." For months and months and months and months we narrated and commented and modeled and talked and talked and talked the way we wanted to hear Bradley communicate with us. I had parents in my junior college class with older children with high functioning autism tell me that they did this for their children and that it really did work for them. You would think that I'd be able to pin point the exact day I finally got the full sentence request from Bradley, but the truth is that Bradley's speech slowly progressed and there was gradual improvement that eventually led to Bradley being able to effectively communicate those needs clearly, meaningfully, and politely. Now when I ask Bradley what he would like to drink with his meal I clearly hear, "I want a drink of water please" without any modeling from us.<br>
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2. <b>Encourage speech through limited options.</b> We all like choices. We enjoy things even more when we feel like we are in control of the decisions being made. We like rewards. Presenting limited options does all of these things as well as encourages speech. Here's an example, "Bradley- what would you like for breakfast: waffles or pancakes?" It is important to wait and pause for the child to respond. If they do not respond you can present the question again. In the beginning of speech therapy, a communication book may be helpful to offer a visual cue for the choices presented. *Check out my previous post about the communication book I created for Bradley. It's important to make this fun for the child while still providing limits and boundaries. Obviously we don't want to give our children french fries for breakfast just because they verbalize that desire. However, we want to be sure to use an upbeat tone and offer verbal and non-verbal praise when our child responds in a desirable way. Once Bradley responded I would articulate his answer back and cheerfully talk about it with verbal praise. "Pancakes. I want pancakes please mom. Yes sir Bradley. You did a great job asking for pancakes so let's make some pancakes for you." Yes- you start to feel a little silly (or even crazy) answering your own questions, but this really <b>can</b> help.<br>
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3. <b>Borrow speech therapy material from your child's therapist</b>. Mr. Clint was kind enough to loan me decks of speech articulation cards to work on at home. Bradley wasn't always willing to practice the cards or worksheets, but with adequate reinforcement ("Bradley- do you want to watch television? Then we need to work on these flashcards and do a good job first.") we were more successful.<br>
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4. <b>Encourage and model appropriate non-verbal, expressive communication</b>. One of the most common social/communication challenges seen in individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorders is poor eye contact. At age 3 Bradley was making very little eye contact with non-familiar people and inconsistent eye contact with me. I made it my mission that summer to <b>really </b>work on Bradley's non-verbal communication, specifically his eye contact. When we would interact I would <i>kindly</i>, verbally request for Bradley to look at me when he spoke to me ("Bradley. Bradley- look at Mommy's eyes please."). Sometimes I would gently tilt Brad's head up so that his eyes would meet my eyes. This needs to be done with finesse, because many ASD children have anxiety and poor eye contact might be a coping mechanism. Another intervention technique to try is encouraging your child to play with other children. I know this may not sound like treatment, but many ASD kids need encouragement to play with children and really engage their peers during playtime. I set up play dates with my friends who had children close in Bradley's age. When none of my friends were available for a play date, I took Bradley to public places that were popular for kids his age to try to get him to interact with new children. By the end of the summer I noticed significant improvement in Bradley's eye contact and interaction with others. <br>
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Some of his favorite places include local parks, the Stomping Grounds, and Jumpin Jacks. Check out their websites:<br>
<b>Stomping Grounds:</b> <a href="http://stompinggroundsplayland.com/">http://stompinggroundsplayland.com/</a><br>
<b>Jumpin Jacks:</b> <a href="http://www.jumpinjacks.org/jumpin_jacks_web_site_001.htm">http://www.jumpinjacks.org/jumpin_jacks_web_site_001.htm</a><br>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT6IiSoh8wVwM8z2lGl9zEWyphmgphAyd0F4WbFehYbv4PAy4WC007YcB9quNAMcV_zhYD8DPNHnOrYT5YrbeblLeW6tHBQQhT07wxATE7OgjpUwsXViituxaCZ0DKPafrQxpkS2kU4go/s1600/IMG_4497.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhT6IiSoh8wVwM8z2lGl9zEWyphmgphAyd0F4WbFehYbv4PAy4WC007YcB9quNAMcV_zhYD8DPNHnOrYT5YrbeblLeW6tHBQQhT07wxATE7OgjpUwsXViituxaCZ0DKPafrQxpkS2kU4go/s1600/IMG_4497.JPG" height="320" width="239"></a> <div>Bradley at age 3 years 3 months at a local park <a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixML13POfL2H1f0uPfA7DuZ-fdh9QfcpV6DfMrt3BiMTbj9yzeLeo6yc1SoR50y0kKFUfhlhVtTQjfMT25_9miMAdTSn0vmzXOJa02UuugrfGECaAyHczOzla0tCYWR3f8PTgf2A8wmbk/s1600/IMG_4508.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em; text-align: center;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixML13POfL2H1f0uPfA7DuZ-fdh9QfcpV6DfMrt3BiMTbj9yzeLeo6yc1SoR50y0kKFUfhlhVtTQjfMT25_9miMAdTSn0vmzXOJa02UuugrfGECaAyHczOzla0tCYWR3f8PTgf2A8wmbk/s1600/IMG_4508.JPG" height="320" width="239"></a><br>
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5. <b>There's an app for that</b>. Yes- there are speech therapy apps for your smart phone or tablet. If your child is tech savvy like Bradley is, they probably swipe your smart phone or tablet every chance they get. Bradley is now better at Angry Birds than I ever could be. With fun apps available, speech therapy apps may not seem so cool. However, we make it a point to do our speech therapy work first and then reward with a train game or another approved activity.<br>
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My favorite Speech app is called <b>Articulation Station</b>. We have used it for almost two years now and Bradley really has fun with the flashcards. He calls it "the honey bee game," because a honey bee is the main picture of the app. The downside to the app is that you have to "purchase" additional sounds, but I think the purchases are worth it. You truly get what you pay for and the free speech therapy apps on iTunes are not as good as this app. For more information about what the app offers check out:<br>
<b>Articulation Station</b>: <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/articulation-station/id467415882?mt=8">https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/articulation-station/id467415882?mt=8</a><br>
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We also like the "<b>See Touch Learn</b>" app. It too requires in-app purchases to expand the pool of words, but I think it too is worth the cost. One word of caution- Bradley is a bit sensory sensitive and in the past he would be anxious about getting an incorrect answer because the app will produce a buzzer sound for incorrect answers. The buzzer is not terribly loud, but for whatever reason Bradley does not like it. Still to this day, he is a little anxious about the buzzer, but it actually offers another great teaching opportunity. We work on the speech and comprehension aspect of this app, along with auditory desensitization.<br>
<b>See Touch Learn</b>: <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/see.touch.learn./id406826506?mt=8">https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/see.touch.learn./id406826506?mt=8</a><br>
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<b>Parents Flash Cards</b> is an app that includes learning lessons and quizzes. It offers verbal and visual positive feedback periodically throughout the lesson and quiz. <br>
<b>Parents Flash Cards</b>: <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/flash-cards-by-parents-magazine/id390789905?mt=8">https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/flash-cards-by-parents-magazine/id390789905?mt=8</a><br>
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<u>Fun & Educational Apps we enjoy</u><br>
<b>Railroad Lite</b> (Bradley likes the Sing Along version of this app): <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/working-on-railroad-train/id431192905?mt=8">https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/working-on-railroad-train/id431192905?mt=8</a><br>
<b>Wheels on the Bus</b>: <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/wheels-on-bus-all-in-one-educational/id543545550?mt=8">https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/wheels-on-bus-all-in-one-educational/id543545550?</a><a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/wheels-on-bus-all-in-one-educational/id543545550?mt=8">mt=8</a><br>
<b>Amazing Breaker </b>is good for hand eye coordination: <a href="https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/amazing-breaker/id421088863?mt=8">https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/amazing-breaker/id421088863?mt=8</a><br>
<b>Talking Tom:</b> <a href="https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.outfit7.talkingtom&hl=en">https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.outfit7.talkingtom&hl=en</a><span style="text-align: center;"> </span><br>
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<br></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16304908421423946758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6186066379751111482.post-58689812902408447172013-05-30T20:33:00.001-07:002013-05-30T20:47:31.332-07:00Katie talks about AutismI was very fortunate to turn on the television this afternoon just in time to record/catch Katie Couric's talk show. Today's topic was "Living with Autism: Amazing Acts of Love." She has some good interviews with teen and adult individuals on the Autism Spectrum, including Dr. Temple Grandin. Check out the link for information and clips from the show.<br />
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16304908421423946758noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6186066379751111482.post-23565276354300759022013-05-29T21:51:00.000-07:002013-05-29T21:52:15.530-07:00Communication BookAfter Bradley was assessed and diagnosed by our school district at age 3, he began working with his new speech therapist, Clint. As a parent seeking information about how to help my child, Mr. Clint has ALWAYS been wonderful with giving me suggestions on how to work with Bradley at home. One of the first things he suggested was to create a communication book that would allow Bradley to use pictures to express desires and needs. Because Bradley had an "expressive speech delay," he had difficulty verbally expressing his desires and needs, but could understand information that was communicated to him (receptive speech). <br />
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I spent many, many hours creating these sheets and we found them to be very helpful. Today Bradley continues to enjoy looking at these pictures, but now he names and discusses them, rather than pointing to the pictures. I have included the pages below to give you an idea of the contents, organization, and format of the book. If you would like these documents, email me at <a href="mailto:jodie_hutchinson@hotmail.com">jodie_hutchinson@hotmail.com</a> and I'll send them to you as a powerpoint you can edit. All of the illustrated pictures and pictures of name-brand products (Gatorade, Gold Fish Crackers, etc.) were found within a Google Image search or within Microsoft PowerPoint clip art. I incorporated photographs of Bradley's bed and train table to personalize the book. I suggest doing the same for your child to make reviewing and utilizing the communication book fun for them. I had another page that included our personal vehicles, our home, and my mother-in-law's home, but have not included that within these attachments for privacy reasons.<br />
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I suggest parents consult with their child's speech pathologist on how they suggest using and setting up a communication booklet. We used it daily to establish routine, offer "limited" choices, model speech, and expand language. Bradley's daycare at the time also created their own communication book and personalized the pictures to reflect his classroom and the specific daycare environment. They laminated the pictures, punched a hole in the top left corner, and bound them with a ring to allow for a portable communication book. I hope this is helpful and fun for the whole family!<br />
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