RE: Kids w/ Classic Autism, PDD-NOS & Speech Delays

Post Reply New Topic

Some protective ipad cases

https://www.speckproducts.com/iguy-ipad-cover-blue.html
http://www.amazon.com/Trident-KRAKEN-Ca ... d_cp_cps_3
http://www.amazon.com/Griffin-Survivor- ... =pd_cp_e_3
http://www.mdiproducts.com/m-edge-super-shell/
http://addycase.com/

These are just a few.

I'm back from my long trip out of town--thank goodness!

My family and my husband's family just about drove the kids and me crazy, and my older son's behavior was on a downhill slide. However, on a positive note, I got the right kind of Christmas present from my parents--money to help pay for the ABA therapist and someone to come in a few hours once a week to do basic housecleaning (not my thing, and getting my husband to do it is more trouble than it is worth).

I also purchased a weighted blanket, something to make my older son's mattress vibrate, and a vibrating pillow. (If my older son doesn't like the items, I'm sure that my husband or I will). He seems to be engaging in some sensory-seeking behaviors lately, and I thought that I'd try to address them via behavior therapy and by providing alternate sensory items.

No plans to buy anything new for me. I'd prefer to keep driving around my 17-year-old Buick LeSabre, wear the same old clothes from last year, and put up with carpeting for the house that is over 30 years old.

I bet you are relieved it's all over. We didn't really do much for the holidays as we are gearing up for the big move (still don't have an exact date, though.)

Didn't do too much in the way of presents as we don't want more junk to have to ship internationally. I gave my son my old digital camera so we have lots of pics of the floor and his feet. Once he did hold it up and say, "smile" though, as he took a picture.

My ASD son has been acting a little better recently. Usually when we go out he wants to stay in the baby carriage (which he is outgrowing) but recently he's been wanting to get out and walk with us.

Well we just got home from 6 days camping in tents here http://www.paekakarikiholidaypark.co.nz/
It was excellent, we went with 3 other families and basically just lay around in the sun cooking excessive amounts of food on our stoves, going to the beach, swimming, boogie boarding, going to the playgrounds, the kids riding their bikes around etc. For James we have bought an old baby push chair and for walks down to the beach or the playground he just gets in it and we wheel him there, just makes things easier and he likes being pushed around in it. He was pretty happy, we let him play in the cars a lot as he likes to get in there and push buttons and fiddle, and we also had our iPad with Chugginton and Numberjacks on it but didn't need to use it much. He loved being in the surf and on the beach playing with all the sand (and eating it). Someone just has to keep an eye out on him all the time to see he doesn't stray but we're used to that.
Will give the kids a bath tonight, I expect the water will be a disgusting mix of sand, dirt and plant material

Sounds lovely.... Welcome back!

I confess that camping in tents is not my thing, but it sounds like you all had a great time.

We had some ups and downs on our family vacation--both my mom and my mother-in-law got grouchy with me. However, some parts were nice. My kids went to two museums and a zoo, which they liked immensely. Also, I had my kids' undivided attention most of the time at my mother-in-law's house, and I'd brought two large boxes of tutoring materials with me (mainly children's picture books and homemade materials on grammar and sentence structure).

It is nice to be home and I am looking forward to my own bed and a bath. But it is a very relaxing and cheap way to have a holiday; no schedules, nowhere to have to go, no house or property issues to worry about and all the kids except James entertain themselves and leave the parents alone. Add good weather, deck chairs and a modicum of beer and thats me pretty well sorted out.

Gotta admit I've never been big into camping either but glad you had a good time.

Last time we brought my son on a vacation was Tokyo Disney Land 2 years ago...speaking of which, I am curious about your avatar...every time I see it I think Mickey Mouse joined the gestapo! What's going on there?

I'm really not sure! Riot squad Mouseketeers?

I'm really not sure! Riot squad Mouseketeers?[/quote]

They are the ones who bust people for selling bootleg Disney merchandise!

Back on topic, do your kids have issues with leading? (Pulling you around by the finger?) We are trying to stop this behavior and have had success teaching him to say "Come on Mommy/Daddy" instead. He still wants to take us by the hand, though.

They are the ones who bust people for selling bootleg Disney merchandise!

Back on topic, do your kids have issues with leading? (Pulling you around by the finger?) We are trying to stop this behavior and have had success teaching him to say "Come on Mommy/Daddy" instead. He still wants to take us by the hand, though.[/quote]

My older son used to try to run away in public, and I have poor vision on my left side as a result of the surgery that I had in 2000 to cure epilepsy, so I prefer to have one child in each hand. (I've lost the younger one in my blind spot before and have probably looked foolish calling for him when he was right there.)

By "leading" what I mean is the behavior where when they want something, instead of asking, they grab your hand/finger and put it on the refrigerator door, for example. We are trying to get my son to communicate his wants verbally instead of pulling us around.

I remember some of that with my older son.

Mine does this, it was a primary source of communication for him for a long time. He's doing it less now as he learns more meaningful verbal communication. I've been primarily focusing on getting my son to ask for his iphone for the better part of a year now, I think ... he can have it if he says "Mommy, may I have the black iphone please?" .... And finally he's starting to independently swap out iphone for other things, this morning he said "Mommy, can I have a go downstairs please?" (granted he said that to his Dad) ... but as he's learning to use language there's been less pulling and dragging, I think he resorts to that if he can't find the words or if he thinks he's being ignored.

Potty training is still going well although I find when my partner has days off we revert completely back to diapers probably because when he's off we wind up spending much of the day out of the house grocery shopping and such or I'm too busy trying to get things done around the house. He's even let us know that he had to go potty a few times. He's also starting to read. He seems to be going through a little developmental spurt.

Potty training is going well for me, too. My younger son doesn't remember to go on his own, but he usually keeps his training pants clean and dry between potty times. He doesn't intentially hold in his poop while he sits on the potty anymore, either. He no longer needs fiber gummies or anything like that.

If I forget to remind him to go every few hours, then we have an accident.

Also, he seems to do a little better when I sit him on the regular potty without one of those child potty seat covers on top. I think that it forces his legs wider apart and makes it harder to hold in the stools.

I think that with my older son, I used to do a whole lot of body language and facial expression reading before he really talked much. I would pretty much see him looking at something and would know what he wanted without him needing to point or hold my finger very much.

Big melt down (rare for him) at the swimming pool cafe this morning, and when I had to leave with a howling thrashing pile of arms and legs a very considerate ex workmate who was at the pool got my coffee and food that I had left behind put in takeaway cup and paper bags and came running out with it for me

Also something I am very pleased about, our car (a Ford Mondeo) has something called double locking and immobilisation so you push the lock button twice and it cannot be opened from the inside or the outside until unlocked with the remote, a very useful feature in such situations knowing they cannot get out for 30 seconds or so while you dash back to get bags and things..