We are Moving North

I am so excited in so many good ways but a bit stressed out as well. The time draws near and we still have not found the right place to live yet. We have traveled to NC to look at apartments but we've got to get Griffin registered for school next week and run around two different cities to find the right place that will be most appropriate for him. All I can say is that I know for sure that the schools are WAAAAAY better there than down here! NC spends way more money on education, there are more qualified teachers who are knowledgable about autism and the TEACCH program as well. I just know that he is going to thrive there and I will have more support there also. My sister and brother live there and several of my friends whom I have known for many many years and are always supportive and understanding.

It will be nice to get out of the heat and humidity. I will miss mom, the sweet little old ladies that are here at the apartment, and my dear friends E.,C.,H., but all in all it will be best. We will visit mom so that she and Griffin can have some quality time together because he loves her so very much...of course, she is his NaNa. Besides, NC is a great place to visit, it is cooler, and far more beautiful so I am hoping that my friend E. and her family will come to visit us sometimes. Mom has obligations so she won't be coming up very often.

School is going great, I am ahead on my work but have two research essays due about the same time...that's a bit stressful but I can do it. One is in Chicago style which I have never used but I think(hope) that I get the hang of it. One is about Spiritual Agnosticism and the other is about The Trail of Tears which is heart-wrenching.

Speaking of heart-wrenching and the American Indian, after the knowledge that I have gained about them I will no longer celebrate the 4th of July because in 1776 things were fine and dandy for all the white folks but the American Indians were still being forced out of their homes, away from their homelands, the children were taken from their homes to be "Americanized" not to mention all the disease and slaughtering of men, women, and children that was going on. As far as I am concerned there is nothing worth celebrating when our forefathers were committing such horrible attocities. I could go on but I think that you probably have an idea of what I am talking about.

It's Time to Vent....Finally!

For those of you who know me, know that I am not one to complain about my health and all that I tolerate from day to day. I keep it all to myself because I see no point in sharing it with anyone...what good would it do?

Well, it is time for me to vent and enlighten those of you who might even remotely care. For the past month and a half I have had anxiety that is as though it is eating me from the inside out and is totally relentless regardless of medication or stupid and useless relaxation techniques. I am constantly on the edge and everything irritates me to no end but I dare not show it or say a word. Griffin bounces off the walls having a blast and I cannot enjoy these times with him because I feel like shit!!!!!!!!!!!!!

My insomnia has been horrible and even with medication once again I have it regardless. I awake at least twice a night if not three times. Usually I awake with the same anxiety that I had when I went to sleep. So my days are not only full of anxiety but I am exhausted at the same time.....every single day! My doctor has tried every medication possible and none have worked so he just gave up. And maybe you are thinking that I should try the natural route but NO NO NO, I have tried those and it is a big waste of money and it is money that I cannot afford to throw away.

I cannot read and relax because Griffin has the TV going and usually the computer too and my mind cannot focus enough for the words to make sense. So, what am I left to do? I cannot have a social life thanks to my father who won't allow my mother to watch Griffin so that I can have a break and have a life of my own. So here I am stuck and I hate to use that word but that is how I feel. What am I to do? Go out and find a perfect stranger to care for my child while I TRY to have fun on a date? I think not.

So, this is my perdicament and whether you hear it from me or not doesn't mean that I am not going through it. Don't know how this is supposed to help me feel better but I just felt that I need to vent and that perhaps it would be cathartic for me.

Time to Celebrate!!!!

This morning I was hastily making all the phone calls that we couldn't make over the weekend about Abby. Alas, I had just called the veterinarian to make sure the contact info was correct and not even 10 minutes later she called me back to tell me that somebody has our baby!!!!!

Apparently Abby got inside of a pasture that had chicken wire, got in it but couldn't get out. So, this woman who just so happens to be a dog groomer and had the pasture adjacent to her home, saw Abby and it took her an hour but she lured Abby with her dog and Abby came right up to them. I am so very grateful that this woman did the right thing by calling the vet and reporting that she found this dog.

Thank you to everyone who prayed for us and sent out positive energy into the universe. We are so thrilled to be a family once again.

We Miss Our Abby Girl and Feel Lost Without Her

It breaks my heart to even write this because to face the fact that we may never see Abby again is heart-wrenching. Yesterday, Griffin and I went to N.C. to visit our friends there and go to a baby shower. Well, we left Abby at our friend's house in the back yard while at the baby shower, thinking that she could not get out of the fence but little did we know that she could get out of the gate area with a lot of determination. And I feel horrible because she must have felt abandoned and thinking that we were not coming back for her so she took off looking for us. For hours there were 4 women and Griffin looking and calling everywhere but most places were closed because it was the weekend.

My stomach was doing flips and tied up in knots especially when Griffin kept asking where Abby was, it was all I could do to not cry. I am not giving up hope that we will find her safe and sound and either she is going to come back to the house in NC or she will make a long trip to our apartment in SC. Maybe someone has got her and has a heart big enough to let us know that they have her. I think that since she is a German Shepherd that most people will avoid her thinking that she will bite which is a good thing and a bad thing.

Please, dear friends, keep us in your prayers that Abby is safe and sound and that we will get her back. She is one of our family members and not just a "pet", she has served Griffin well as a service dog for 4 years and I am wishing that we will have her back for many more years. Life just isn't the same without her around because we miss her so very much. She has been loved so much and really bonded with us so I've just got to not give up on her and know that she loves us and will come back to us again soon.

Words of Wisdom

This is something we should all read at least once a week!!!!! Make sure you read to the end!!!!!!

Written By Regina Brett, 90 years old, of The Plain Dealer, Cleveland, Ohio

To celebrate growing older, I once wrote the 45 lessons life taught me.

1. Life isn't fair, but it's still good.

2. When in doubt, just take the next small step.

3. Life is too short to waste time hating anyone.

4. Your job won't take care of you when you are sick. Your friends and parents will. Stay in touch.

5. Pay off your credit cards every month.

6. You don't have to win every argument. Agree to disagree.

7. Cry with someone. It's more healing than crying alone.

8. It's OK to get angry with God. He can take it.

9. Save for retirement starting with your first paycheck.

10. When it comes to chocolate, resistance is futile.

11. Make peace with your past so it won't screw up the present.

12. It's OK to let your children see you cry.

13. Don't compare your life to others. You have no idea what their journey is all about.

14. If a relationship has to be a secret, you shouldn't be in it.

15. Everything can change in the blink of an eye. But don't worry; God never blinks.

16. Take a deep breath. It calms the mind.

17. Get rid of anything that isn't useful, beautiful or joyful.

18. Whatever doesn't kill you really does make you stronger.

19. It's never too late to have a happy childhood. But the second one
is up to you and no one else

20. When it comes to going after what you love in life, don't take no for an answer.

21. Burn the candles, use the nice sheets, wear the fancy lingerie. Don't save it for a special occasion. Today is special.

22. Over prepare, then go with the flow.

23. Be eccentric now. Don't wait for old age to wear purple.

24. The most important sex organ is the brain.

25. No one is in charge of your happiness but you.

26. Frame every so-called disaster with these words 'In five years, will this matter?'

27. Always choose life.

28. Forgive everyone everything.

29. What other people think of you is none of your business.

30. Time heals almost everything. Give time time.

31. However good or bad a situation is, it will change.

32. Don't take yourself so seriously. No one else does.

33. Believe in miracles.

34. God loves you because of who God is, not because of anything you did or didn't do.

35. Don't audit life. Show up and make the most of it now.

36. Growing old beats the alternative -- dying young.

37. Your children get only one childhood.

38. All that truly matters in the end is that you loved.

39. Get outside every day. Miracles are waiting everywhere.

40. If we all threw our problems in a pile and saw everyone else's, we'd grab ours back.

41. Envy is a waste of time. You already have all you need.

42. The best is yet to come...

43. No matter how you feel, get up, dress up and show up.

44. Yield.

45. Life isn't tied with a bow, but it's still a gift."

---

Back in School and Our Trip to N.C.

I found out that if I didn't put Griffin back in school that he would have to take 1st grade all over again, it is only for a few days anyhow. He seems to be doing much better on the Abilify increase to 7.5 mg. I got a great report about his behavior in class the past few days especially during Field Day, he apparently participated in all the events which is amazing for him since he doesn't like gross motor activities. So in spite of the schedule being completely different, he is doing very well. We had an IEP on Thursday but I was secretly told not to expect the principal to carry through with all that she had promised for next year. But, I have it all on tape so she will not have any choice but to follow through.

I found out some really good news while in the IEP; Griffin scored 70% on the DIBELS (reading fluency test) when he started in January, the average score for the typical 1st grader is 40%, and he ended with a whopping 96%!!!! His teacher said that he can read faster than that but since he read aloud they had to understand him so that slowed him down a bit. I am so proud of him! We are still working on comprehension of the abstract as it is difficult for probably all autistic kiddos.

Griffin and I went to N.C. Sunday and Monday last week and it was a blast. Griffin had two TVs both with Direct TV/VCR/DVD so he was in heaven. I got to visit with my dear friends all day and night, the picture above shows not only the beautiful flowers that were freshly picked from the yard but also the gorgeous mountains in the background. We sat outside under the umbrella as it rained and when the sun shined so it was a wonderful experience.

Griffin played in the rain for the first time in his life, he had never wanted to do it before. He danced around and laughed so hard. My friend got some great pictures of him but when I tried to post them they came out really small......bummer. Maybe I can figure out how to make them larger. I had just as much fun watching him as I think that he had playing.

Out of School and Taking Medications

I have made the decision to keep Griffin out of school and do my best to get to North Carolina this summer so that he can attend school there in the fall. There is a reason why Griffin is not doing well in school but does fine when out of school. I spoke to the doctor yesterday and we decided to increase the Abilify by 2.5mg and so far it seems to be helping a lot. He had one meltdown when we were out buying at TV because he broke his so, I think that he didn't want a new TV; he just wanted his old one to work. But it didn't last long and he pretty much calmed himself down. Since being home he has done nothing other than use the computer and make crafts all day, being completely calm and focused.

His teacher, his shadow, his speech therapist and I are going to have an IEP meeting next week and I am going to request that he have a shadow when beginning the second grade. I just don't think that he is ready to go it alone in what might just be an overcrowded classroom with one teacher. I hope that by then we will have his meds all straightened out and that behaviors will be under control and actually I am hoping that he is either in a private school here or in North Carolina public school system by the beginning of school. There are 8 autism classrooms in the area where I wish for him to go in NC which translates to the fact that they are better trained and also have a great resource in the autism teacher if there were to be any issues in the mainstream classrooms.

I spoke to my dear friend in Alaska who was Griffin's very first therapist to work with him at age 15 months until the age of three and she has faithfully kept up with what goes on with him; she thinks that it is best for him to not be in the classroom because there are probably a lot of changes going on that is bothering him. She was a teacher for many years and told me that this time of year things are more lax, there are things be changed all around. This is true because Griffin was scheduled to not see his speech therapist and math teacher anymore. Even when the changes are small it still effects him.

That is one very legitimate reason why he could be misbehaving so badly. His doctor told me that the Focalin XR would show a difference immediately and that it is not like other meds that need to reach a therapeutic level. So since that didn't work then maybe the Abilify will. I like what Melissa H. said about the thoughts of taking a child off of a drug that helps them cope with their behaviors; she likened it to taking insulin away from a diabetic child. And it reminds me of when people tell me that there is nothing going on with me when I in fact have Bipolar Disorder and could not live without my drugs, yet they dispute that I need anything at all. Griffin is no different, he needs those meds to help him get through the day without hurting himself or somebody else. Without his meds he is angry, totally disorganized mentally/emotionally, and has absolutely no control of himself.

It is a shame when people do not realize how mental illness and instability completely wrecks any quality of life that one might otherwise have. I fought for years to not give Griffin meds for insomnia and it was pure hell for both of us for a long time. We were both a big mess, I had no patience, I was unstable and neither of us had much fun at all during those long months. That was just plain ole stupid! Neither of us need to go without sleep for very good reasons and we both need to be stable so that we can thrive and make progress in our everyday life.

I have to have faith in the medications because the alternative is absurd and I trust his doctors, the ones that he had in Anchorage and the ones here. The way I see it is that if a child of a young age can have chemo and live through it then taking low doses of medication is not going to harm them in the long run. The body is an amazing machine that can take a lot more than some people think that it can. I am a good mother and I feel that I am doing the best for my child concerning meds and the school situation.

We will get through it no matter what, one way or the other.

Griffin is Still Having a Hard Time at School

Melissa H. maybe you might have some ideas of what might be the issue here. Griffin is just flat out being obstinate at school and totally refuses to do anything that is required of him. They have tried all kinds of different approaches and nothing has worked. He has even started to ignore his PE coach whom he claims to like and his teacher he ignores even though he likes her too.

He is fine at home except when he has to take a shower/bath and most times he loses it but will ultimately end up giving in and going through with it. I guess that perhaps he is okay at home because it is his down time and there is not that much required of him except for homework. As far as that goes he does it willingly but usually has to be reminded constantly to stay on task.

My dear friend of mine thinks that maybe because he doesn't like his shadow that it could be stemming from that and just branching out to others. I am just so glad that there are only a few days left of school but what about next year? How do I get things straightened out before then? How can I prepare him for second grade where he will have no shadow to help him cope?

Today was the first day of the increase in the Focalin XR up from 10mg to 15mg so I guess that we shall see as it gets to be at a therapeutic level. I feel so bad for him because I just think that he is feeling weird/miserable and that is part of the problem, he just loses control of his emotions. Goodness knows that I have been through that with my Bipolar ups and downs with meds that weren't right for me and needed to be adjusted.

Melissa, do you think that these symptoms could be from the Bipolar and that maybe we need to adjust his Abilify? Tina, what do you think about it? Do you think that any of this could be something other than a medicine issue?

I need some advice!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I Figured it Out and it was So Simple!

I fixed the Blogroll, it was so simple and easy, all I had to do is to start a new one and go in there and put in 200 for the amount that could be displayed all at once. Silly me!

How do I Fix Blogrolling List????

The new site counter that I got wouldn't start at the amount that the old was at: 29,349. It only let me start at 50. so now I no longer have a clue as to how many hits I have had on my blog......unless I do the math each time of course. Oh well, it doesn't really matter that much, it was just kinda cool to know. Oh, and I am working on getting my blogroll back to the very long list that it used to be as a wealth of information on autism and my favorite blogs of all of my friends. When I updated my blog it totally got rid of a bunch of stuff, so I am starting from scratch. What I need to know is how to make the Blogrolling List work, it is not showing all the blogs and web sites that I have listed on the Blogrolling Web Site. Does anyone know how to do that????

School will be over in about 2 weeks and I will be so glad, I love to have Griffin home with me just like we used to have when we home schooled, he is so delightful........well, most of the time. Tonight he totally lost it when I told him that it was time for bath or shower so after an exhausting 20 minutes I told him that it was time to go to bed early and he was actually happy with that. Tomorrow, I told him, he is taking a shower/bath as soon as he comes home from school, no more nonsense!

If any of you have a comment to make on whether I should medicate Griffin over the summer, I would like to know. In one way it helps him to have a better quality of life with few to no meltdowns but on the other hand they are drugs and what are they doing to his liver and kidneys? I take several meds which I never ever miss and I can only imagine what my body thinks about it, in the long run. I have to have them and not having them is not an option. But for Griffin, I just don't know what to do. Please help me out!

Redhead....What do ya Think?

On a whim I colored my hair red because I used to be a redhead and had a lot of fun with it. I like how it makes my blue eyes stand out and all the great colors that I can wear to compliment it. Besides, I couldn't afford to go to the hairdresser and get my blonde hair highlighted so this was a very cheap alternative.

Griffin has been out of school for a couple of days due to the fact that he couldn't hold food down in the evenings when he came home. The problem was that the Focalin XR quelled his appetite and he hardly ate a thing for breakfast and lunch so by the time he got his appetite back in the evening, his stomach wasn't used to having food and subsequently rejected it.....all of it. So I took him off the medicine and slowly got him used to food again, although he vomited several times in the interim he finally has held down some yogurt and is back on track. I gave him half his usual dose of the Focalin XR this afternoon because we went to pick up his homework from the school and I wanted him to be able to focus in order to finish it all.

He spent a good part of the day at his NaNa's and PaPa's yesterday and at one point he laid down and asked her to lie down with him and he rested for awhile. The poor guy must have been exhausted from vomiting and diahrrea and not getting any nutrition for almost three days. Now he is in a great mood doing his homework and later I will try him on a bit of bland food to see if he can hold it down. I think that tomorrow I will try him on half a dose and see if he has an appetite or not. When they have lunch I will make his favorite food and take it to him to be sure that he eats something.

Oh No.....Meltdowns Again?

On Tuesday Griffin had a really hard time at school, so much so that his shadow called me and when he got home it wasn't any better and it has gotten worse with each passing day. He just loses control of his emotions and lashes out at whatever inanimate object is near. Yesterday afternoon he hit his TV and he flew to the floor, thank goodness it didn't break it. I just don't know what to do to help him especially while he is in the midst of a meltdown. Mostly because I don't usually know what triggers them.

I went to see his doctor today and we decided to take him off the Focalin XR for the weekend and see what kind of results that yields, I don't know for sure but I think it's going to be a rough couple of days. The thing about it is that no matter what we are doing or where we are he still has them even if it's something going on that he likes.

Several hours after writing the first two paragraphs, when I went to pick up Griffin his shadow and teacher told me that he did great today and that they think that maybe the meltdowns were caused by him having congestion that he no longer has today. So far, since he has been home for about an hour now, everything is okay and I haven't given him a second dose of the Focalin XR.

We'll play it by ear and see what happens over the weekend, maybe it was from him feeling a bit under the weather........who knows?

Griffin and His Dance Performance

I took a short video of Griffin at his dance performance at school but apparently it is too large a file 12.7 MB and on here I can only upload 11MB...Bummer! Anyhow, he did a great job, he didn't miss a move/step and kept up with the music and other children perfectly. They did two dances, his shadow was beside him on the first one but he danced with a classmate on the second one. My mom went with us and we first went to his classroom to see all of his excellent writing and artwork, his shadow had showed me the difference from before the new medicine and after and it was so incredible and creative afterwards. She said that he came up with the sentences all on his own, he even wrote a story or two all by himself. I am so very proud of him and all of his accomplishments.

The photo is of Griffin at bedtime with his Doodle Pro and his VHS tape, he has been drawing and writing like crazy and he has perfected a lot of what he does because he will write/draw them over and over until he is satisfied with the outcome. He seems to find it very relaxing because he does it throughout the day and into the night and he is always so mellow when he is using the Doodle Pro.

He had a major meltdown today, his shadow called me and asked if he had had his meds in the morning and he had. So I called his doctor and he said that we just don't know enough about autism to figure out what causes meltdowns sometimes but for sure it wasn't the new medicine causing it. If he does it again and it is so severe then we might consider increasing the Abilify for severe mood swings. He has been taking it for a year so it might be time for a change or it could have just been a sensory overload.

Griffin is lying down about to go to sleep so I am going to go tell him goodnight and see if he will let me snuggle with him until he sleeps.

Superstar Student for a Week

Griffin was the Superstar Student for the week which I thought was really cool. I took Chuckey Sue on Friday to show to the class and the teacher was amazed at how mellow she was. Chuckey Sue loves to be held and petted therefore she doesn't try to scamper away like most little critters. He seemed to feel so proud that his mommy and his pet hamster were there in front of the class and they had lots of questions to ask about her.

Each day is so amazing, Griffin is so much like a new guy all the time and it is due to his recent addition of the Focalin XR. He is like two different individuals when he is on and off of it, he is so relaxed and calm when it is in his system and he doesn't get frustrated with most anything at all. He stays on task and focuses on whatever (one) thing that he is doing and doesn't move from one project to another as he used to.

I went to a gathering of sorts to sell handmade soap and skin care products for my dear friend in Washington state but it was quite disappointing. The products sell themselves because they are so incredibly awesome but the only major problem was that there were so few people attending and there just wasn't enough traffic perhaps because it was so far out and there was a big event going on in the next town over. Oh well, maybe one of you would like to try some, just let me know because you will not belive how wonderful this soap and lotion and other products are. The soap is made with pure essential oils and goat's milk and it doesn't leave your skin dry and taunt. The lotion is my favorite because my skin loves it, I only have to use a small amount, it doesn't break my skin out but for sure my skin is softer and always feels moisturized after each application...I use it morning and night on my face, neck, body, feet, and it helps with that super dry skin that is on the feet and elbows. It is very healing especially for sunburn and many other skin conditions. Let me know if you would like samples and I will get them to you, you will just love it.

I made an "A" in my World Religions class and I loved every moment of it and learned a lot. I do look forward to the next class and learning lots more in English Composition. Did I write about that already? Hope not but it is quite possible....sorry if I have...silly me!

You are so Right Melissa H, Thank You my Dear Friend

I will no longer write to or concerning the anon individual who keeps posting and subtley attacking me about how I am being an overly sensitive mom and that the teacher from Griffin's past was "doing her best". No longer will I waste my energy on this, I have support from my friends who totally know the two of us and who know that I am a damn good mom to my son!!!!!

Almost a week ago I took Griffin to his pediatrician and the two of us agreed that we would try Focalin XR for Griffin's attention difficulties and by George..........it is working like a charm! He has excellent reports from school that his behavior is stellar and he is progressing again as he once was. Since it is an ADD med then I thought that he has ADD but the child psychologist that we went to see yesterday explained to me that he does not have multiple diagnosis, that those behaviors and challenges are part of being autistic, even the once thought of...bipolar disorder. I had no idea of this even though I have spent years and years researching and studying all about autism. I guess that some docs do give multiple diagnosis and that's okay, as long as the child is getting what he/she needs.

I am noticing fewer meltdowns, virtually none, and a much happier young man who is the happy-go-lucky little goober that he once was. No longer is life a big fat challenge where making a simple decision is a major ordeal. And what's really great is that he is responding well to the lowest dose possible, he is not even up to the theraputic dosage.

Another thing that I learned from the child psychologist is that there is a list of things to do and not to do in order to help one's child become more independent and the first two are the least intrusive thereby causing no meltdowns (or at least fewer) and the others are most likely to cause emotional disturbances and create a more dependent child. It goes as follows:

eye contact least intrusive most independent

visual aids more intrusive less independent

verbal cues more intrusive more dependent

tactile help most intrusive most dependent

So if you can get the message across through eye contact then it is ideal and visual cues are most effective in that they teach the child to be more independent (like PECS or even pointing to the task) or for Griffin I just write on a piece of paper and make a visual schedule for him (now I do). To verbally give instructions takes away independence and frustrates the child because he/she is not doing things on their own. Of course helping a child with hand over hand or leading them to where the task is to be executed is the most intrusive. And I am so guilty of doing that. I used to lead Griffin to the bathtub to take a shower and every time he would have a meltdown so now I just point and he is fine. Isn't it amazing how simple things can be?

One Must be Familiar with the Circumstances in Order to Form an Opinion

http://thisschoolmistreatedmyautisticchild.blogspot.com/

This link is for Anonymous who says that she is a teacher and to not blame the teacher for what has happened to Griffin. If you only take the time to read this blog you would know where we are coming from. You are apparently not familiar with what has happened and if you are and you are still saying that then something is very WRONG.

Just take a moment and read what I have written and the written material that his past teacher sent home with him and keep in mind that my son is autistic not Down Syndrome and not an Neuro-Typical child either.

Sharing What Works for Parents and Teachers of Young Children with Behavior Difficulties

Amanda left a comment on this blog and I found my way to her blog, it looks as though she just started it but it is awesome. Check it out it is called: Learning to be Buddies and her first post is about Body Language, Empathy, and Facial Expressions....it is so informative and fantastic. She is a teacher in Australia and has a very open mind and appears to be quite intelligent and loving.

How 1 Young Autistic Man Runs a Business

Joe Steffy is off to Overland Park, Kan., this week to do a PowerPoint presentation on his business, Poppin' Joe's Kettle Korn. He's a 23-year-old small-business man with a goal of $100,000 in sales by 2012. Joe also has autism and Down syndrome and is nonverbal. When he gives his talk, he will push buttons on an augmentative speech device to deliver the words. His audience will be parents who fervently hope their own special-needs children will be able to work, too.

Joe's parents, Ray and Janet, of Louisburg, Kan., didn't agree with the assessment of the school district in which they lived previously, which had said Joe would never be able to work or live independently. "I'm one who can easily get ticked off," says Ray. "That ticked me off. We saw more in Joe than that. We set out to prove to the school that he had capabilities." They came across kettle corn while on a trip to Alaska and realized that all that popping, scooping, and serving suited Joe's love of work.

The path to Joe Steffy's success was not an easy one; Ray Steffy worked closely with Dave Hammis, an advocate for self-employment for people with disabilities in Middletown, Ohio, who trains business owners, government employees, and parents on how to make use of state and federal programs. The Steffys wrote up a business plan and helped Joe secure $25,000 in grants from programs like Social Security Administration'sPlan to Achieve Self-Support program (PASS).

In 2005, Poppin' Joe's Kettle Korn was born. Sales have grown from $16,000 in 2005 to $50,000 in 2008, both from selling at festivals and from delivering popcorn to local outlets. Joe has five part-time employees, and his parents help out with driving and other tasks. "Pop and everyone that works with him knows whatever Joe wants to do you let him do, because he's the boss," Ray says. "If he wants to pop, he'll shove Dad out of the way and pop."

If the business stays on track, it should be grossing more than $100,000 in three years, and the Steffys are seeking a business partner who can work with Joe to manage the business. Joe is no longer on Social Security disability payments; instead, he pays state sales tax and state and federal income tax. He rents his own house and is helped by caregivers who are paid by a state program.

"It's been hard work, from the standpoint of physical work," says Ray Steffy, who is 67. "But a parent with a child like Joe has a choice. You can either kick in and do this kind of thing, or you can sit and fret emotionally with the amount of energy, worrying about what's going to happen to them."

The payoff for that effort, as far as the Steffys are concerned, has been priceless. They see their son make a local popcorn delivery, accept payment, fold it, and put it in his pocket. When he walks out, his dad says, Joe looks 3 inches taller than when he walked in. 

US News. Written by Nancy Shute

Spring Break

Griffin's behavior since he has been out of school has been simply wonderful, no meltdowns at all. He cleans up and does his chores without any flack and he has been just perfectly polite using his manners at every turn. Don't know why he is being so difficult at school but he has been fine at home. I asked his OT yesterday about his behavior and she told me that yes, he does tell her "No" but she is firm with him but at the same time she gives an inch and in return he gives a mile. Maybe that's what needs to be done at school. I don't know if his teachers and his shadow have experience with autism or any kind of training but I do plan to ask during the BIP meeting next week.

I had thought that this week would be a challenge but we have had lots of fun together and I am pleased with his behavior. I made an A on my research essay that I wrote about "Wicca Today in America". The professor gave me a 29.5 out of a possible 30......WOO HOO!!!! My next challenge will be the final exam in 2 weeks. But so far so good!

Yahoooo!!! Somebody Sees My Side of Things and Tells the Truth

Anonymous wrote: (see what I wrote in the previous post about this comment)

Please stop blaming his past teacher. As a teacher of children with autism this will do you or your child no good. Educators may make mistakes but are not the cause of your child's behavior. When I see this with parents who have children with behavioral issues it is so frustrating and really helps noone.

April 05, 2009 11:12 AM

 Anonymous said...

To clueless Anon.- what is frustrating are "teachers" who are teaching kids on the spectrum who have NO CLUE. If you read closely regarding this case in particular that teacher had no behavior plan for this child, no clue how to break down skills and teach in an errorless manner using positive behavior practices (which is required by FEDERAL LAW) and she used extremely reactive and punishing procedures. "Teachers" such as that should stop pretending to understand how to teach kids on the spectrum and should STOP denying the kids FAPE under IDEA. Furthermore, there is an old saying in good ABA teaching in particular (and in all methods of teaching kids on the spectrum)--when a child is having problems "look to the teaching, not the child" meaning it is up to the teacher or therapist to have a complete understanding of behaviors and erroless teaching and be delivering it in a way so the child is successful. Teachers who have no clue to the extensive needs of autism spectrum children end up increasing their behaviors and then who do they blame? The child of course. Really, do the kids a favor and get out of the industry. You are destroying the kids who need experienced instructors.

April 05, 2009 2:13 PM

To clueless anon. Please read the other message I posted and get the hell out of the industry if this is your attitude towards parents and their children on the spectrum!

My Child is NOT to Blame and YES the Teacher is to Blame

 This post is just a reply to a comment left on my last post stating that I should stop blaming his old teacher for his behavior issues in the present. And that teacher's make mistakes but they are not to blame for his behavior issues now. 

What I have to say to that is that , yes teachers do make mistakes and quite often they make a lasting impression on their students, I remember things that my elementary school teachers did to me and how they have effected me over the years and still do to a certain extent. So how is it that a teacher scorning a child for making mistakes does not leave a lasting impression? Pray tell.

I believe that teachers have to own what they do and don't do to their students to take responsibility for their actions and words used in repremanding a child, they should think twice about what they do before saying or doing something because the memories do last forever.

I Think It's Time For A BIP

I got a long typed out letter from Griffin's shadow today and apparently he is having some major setbacks as far as behavior goes in all areas and times during the day. He has a really hard time making choices which I think stems from the teacher who was abusive to him nearly 2 years ago. She belittled Griffin when he made mistakes and now he is afraid of getting things wrong and making choices. 

His behavior at home has not been stellar to say the least, he pitches fits when he doesn't get his way and starts screaming and crying then just loses control of himself. I am firm with him and tell him not to yell at me and that he needs to calm down before we can discuss his choices. Usually he will calm down but it takes him at least a good 30 minutes to do so.

So, I think that it is time for us to have a BIP in place so that he will know what is in store for him if he misbehaves. I put a note in his folder for his teacher and shadow. His shadow tells him as Griffin is about to go home from school that he needs to go straight home and do his homework and not to give mommy a fuss about it and it works! He hasn't given me any grief about homework at all, he sits there and does it all on his own and most of the time without asking questions of me.

I believe that if we have a Behavioral Intervention Plan in place and it is used across the board then he will straighten up. He has been really good at pushing buttons and it is time for the buttons to be moved around and have new consequences for his bad behavior.

It has gotten so bad that he can't even make choices for what he wants to eat during lunch and at home he is stuck on fish sticks and french fries and seldom wants anything else unless it is macaroni and cheese. If I suggest anything else he loses it and it is just ridiculous. I don't know if any of this comes from his Bipolar Disorder or not but I plan on asking his doctor if he thinks that his meds need to be tweaked or not. His shadow just thinks that he is just being a stubborn (my word) obstinate (my word) 7 year old. She is so incredible and does such an awesome job with him she is sweet until it is time to be firm and she is great at both.

I made an 84 on my midterm so I still have a 91 (A) average but have to do well on my 8-10 page essay that is due next week. This week we are studying Judaism so I am excited to learn all about it.

Griffin's Swimming has Vastley Improved

If you watch the video you will see how well Griffin is swimming and it has improved so much just in the past few months. He is actually using his arms and legs at the same time! I am so very proud of him.

The challenge that his teacher and shadow have at school is that Griffin is being stubborn about learning to listen to the teacher and not expecting the shadow to give him all of his cues. Our goal is for him to be independent and go into second grade without the shadow. Regardless of that he is doing very well academically and he is doing all of his homework without me around, I watch him from a distance and he stays on task until he is done.

I made an A in my first class online! And I made an A on my first essay for my current class, World Religions! I love this class and all that I am learning about religions even though I am agnostic I still find it fascinating. All the different beliefs and what they dictate for their societies is so interesting. I am on Hinduism right now and have Buddism next. I am writing my final essay on Wicca and it's growing popularity in the United States and the effects that it will have on our society. I love to write so doing essays is a welcome challenge for me.

Griffin is Now the BIG 7 years old!

 We had a great time in NC visiting my sister and then staying with some very close friends of mine, talking, crying, and laughing all night long. Griffin loves to stay there because he has all the things that are precious to him: his DVR, all of his characters, all of his DVDs and DVD player and lots of doggies to play with and watch. We took Abby with us and she had a blast because she had a huge backyard to play in and run around like a puppy.

Well, I have good news about my health...I don't have to have surgery on my ankle but the ortho doctor told me that because I have Fibromyalgia it could take up to a year for it to heal, that part's no so great 'cause it still hurts like heck.  Been having some manic episodes lately which totally sucks! Actually it's more like rapid cycling which is even worse but I see my doc on Wednesday and I trust that he will fix me right up with all the right meds. He is by far the best doctor that I have ever had--bar none.

I've been brushing up on reading hands/palmistry again, I used to do it many many years ago all the time but have forgotten a lot of it. It is so fascinating and I love it. Doing great in school, just finished my final essay 2 weeks early because I was so excited to do it, I just love to write. Hope I did as well as I think that I did.

Griffin has a pretty bad ear infection and vomited last night, don't know why unless he caught some stomach flu as well....poor little guy. I feel so bad for him but to see him you wouldn't be able to tell that he is sick because he just continues on with life and doesn't let it get him down. Did I mention that he is in the accelerated reading program? Yep, and he is doing excellent!

My Little Guy is Growing Up

As you can see Griffin lost his first upper tooth and it is so bittersweet because he is growing up so fast and although I am proud of him it is still kind of sad. Lately he has shown more and more need for independence and having his own space, much more than ever before. So mommy yields to his desire and often it nearly brings me to tears. 

Yesterday Griffin had in his backpack a note from a little girl in his class that had been put in his cubby apparently. She wrote: Dear Griffin I like u Yvonne with a picture she drew of a little boy and girl holding hands...............for sure that brought me to tears! I can't believe it, that he has already gotten his first love letter and he has only been in school for 2 weeks! His shadow told me that he likes another little girl named Brittany and I asked why he had singled her out and she said that "She is very pretty and has long brown hair". But when I asked what Brittany thought of Griffin she replied that she didn't think that she noticed him but I truly doubt that he really cares.

Griffin has been getting nearly all 100's on all of his school and homework and his handwriting has improved 10 fold just in the past week. When we do homework he tries really hard to make sure that it is correct and that he stays in the lines. He is really slow and careful but that is a good thing because the speed will increase over time.

I have been "in school" for only about 3 weeks now and I am at the point where I sometimes get overwhelmed and I am only taking one class. I guess that I just need to get used to it and figure out how to pace myself. I find that I need frequent breaks or else I end up just starring at the screen while attempting to read and accomplish nothing. It is very good for me to be using my noggin once again and to have that intellectual challenge that I have been missing for so many years so I love it! Next month I will begin World Religions and I am very excited about that. For the better part of adulthood I have been fascinated with spiritual beliefs and how they all seem to have a common thread. Especially after reading Joseph Campbell which has made me more aware of not just religion(s) but also of my own spirituality. Even though I am agnostic I do consider myself to be a spiritual individual, it is something that is very personal and private.

My health has not been too good lately. About 2 or 3 weeks ago I began having episodes in the evening where my head would tingle and my skin would crawl really bad. Then I feel foggy and disoriented but had no pain. I noticed that only if I lie down it would lessen but as long as I was standing or sitting the symptoms would not go away. I went and am still going to see the neurologist for tests: EEG, MRI, sleep study, and a test for my circulation to my head. So far all I know is that my circulation is okay but we haven't ruled out seizures or having something else going on in my head. I will find out on Feb. 4th. 

Griffin Is In Regular Ed Class

Yes indeed Griffin is going to school again, back to the first school that he went to over 2 years ago when we first got here. I had home schooled him for almost a year before we moved into our apartment because I refused to make him go back to where he had been abused but now he is in his original school and so far he is doing absolutely fabulous! He is in the 1st grade in a regular ed classroom and I couldn't be more thrilled!!! 

He has a "shadow" who stays with him all the time and she is so wonderful and so delightful, Griffin has really taken a shine to her and he really seems to adore his teacher too. His teacher is young and simply gorgeous, her personality really shines through, it is obvious that she truly cares about Griffin. Griffin's speech path. is so energetic and so compassionate, she said that he did a great job on his first day with her. I am so excited for him and that he is getting along with all the adults so well but now I just hope that he makes some new friends as well............in time I think he will.

In the morning Griffin wakes up and gets dressed and out the door with no protests whatsoever. He eats breakfast at school and he understands that we leave without eating so that he can participate in eating at school. When it is time to do homework he does so willingly until it is finished, once in awhile if there is a lot of it he does ask to take a break.

He is so far beyond all of his 1st grade peers in reading in fact, he reads at just about the same level as I do...........no kidding! It was obvious to his teacher that his weakness is in math therefore, he will be taking math one-on-one with the special needs teacher (whom he also adores) that he used to have when he first went to that school. She is a doll and I know that she will treat him with the utmost respect and complete kindness as she did in the past.

I have started school on-line and so far it is going great, I even worked ahead a little bit and I have already finished my paper that is due at the end of the week. Taking this class is really helping me to become more familiar with learning on-line and after this semester I am sure that I will feel much more confident and will be able to take more than just one class at a time.

So, everything is going great even though my foot/ankle are still pretty messed up. I go to see the orthopedic doctor on the 23rd to see if I am going to have to have surgery or what. All in all I have no complaints............Life is Good!!!!!!!!!!!!

"Positively Autistic" YOU MUST SEE THIS VIDEO

"Positively Autistic" (click on the link) is a short video that must be viewed by anyone and everyone, not just those associated with autism. It is so unique and different from all those videos that show individuals with autism as being prisoners of an incurable disease. It dispells the myths that autism is something that must be cured and that autistics are people who must be made more "normal" and indistinguishible from neurotypicals so that they will blend in with them in society.

Please watch this video and take the time out of your day to do something that may change your perspective on how you view and understand autistics to be. The video is written in part by autistic individuals who speak out against being treated like they are diseased and abnormal, they only wish to be respected just as they are and understood to be functioning individuals with something to contribute to society/their community.

This video may change your life and leave you with a good feeling about how autistic individuals feel about themselves. If you do watch it, please leave a comment on how you feel and think about it.

Reunion

Griffin and I went to North Carolina over the weekend and had a wonderful time. I reunited with friends that I have not seen nor heard from since 1996 and I could not believe how much time had passed and how all the children had grown up and had babies of their own. 

We didn't stay as long as I would have really liked but 2 days and 2 nights just had to do and it was time well spent. Griffin had everything that made him happy..........the DVR, the DVD player, all of his "printers", and all of his plush characters. I bought him all of his favorite foods and he was quite the happy camper. 

We will return again soon because it is only about an hour away and I love them all so very much, I used to be a nanny with my dearest friend, Lisa and it just amazes me how her children have matured. I have missed them all so much through all those years but I plan to make up for all the time lost and never shall we part again and lose touch with one another.

Our New Humble Home

We are finally moved into our new home and Griffin has adjusted quite well especially considering that he does not have a computer or his DVR there, only his DVD player and VCR. He slept all by himself in his very own room and frankly I think that he is quite proud of it because when he got to his NaNa's house he told her all about it.

It is sparcely furnished but it is still home and I love having my own space again. We come over to my parents' house during the day so that we can use the computer and so Griffin can get his NaNa fix. So far it seems to be working out just fine and even Abby has made the adjustment, the first night neither of us slept well then I woke feeling exhausted subsequently I had the anxiety attack from hell. It was one of the worst ones that I have ever had and it took forever to go away. Afterwards I napped off and on all day but was still exhausted and felt like I had partied for days and was stripped of all the nutrients in my body. I took an old medicine as prescribed by my doc and slept very well two nights in a row so I am feeling awesome now.

My Other Blog

Please take a moment and read my other blog about how Griffin was abused for having autistic behaviors in school. I posted a note that was sent home with him and it is a doozy and it proves that his for lack of a better term, "teacher" April Hendricks, didn't know what she was doing and obviously doesn't know how to deal with an autistic child.

That's all for now, I will post more soon about the apartment and other stuff that is going on.

Fresh New Haircut and Teeth Cleaning

Griffin just got a fresh new haircut and the best part is that he sat there all by himself for the first time and cooperated with the barber sitting perfectly still. Also Griffin went to the dentist and for the most part he laid very still and cooperated with the dentist and hygienist too. He got a clean bill of health...........NO cavities! His 6 year molars are coming in and he has a loose tooth in the front.

I am so proud of my little guy who is getting to be a big guy because he is maturing and growing up so fast. He has just recently shown improvement in dealing with the outside world and coping with any surprises that may come along while we are out.

On Thanksgiving my sister and her family will be coming down from North Carolina which will be great. I think that most likely Griffin will not be partaking in the "feast" because he hardly eats anything, no variety, and try as we might he probably will not even taste the food, those days are long gone. I hope that one day he will begin trying new foods again so that there is more variety and more nutrition in his daily diet.

We will be moving out of this house where we have been for two years into a place of our own. Once again we will have our own space and Griffin will have his own bedroom. It is only a one bedroom but I will sleep in the living room so that Griffin can have the bedroom all to himself. I am so excited to make a fresh new start and to be close to my parents' house will be a bonus. We will only be about 15 minutes away from them. Got to get lots of new stuff to furnish the house and we've got to move next month because I am beginning school online in January. I will be very busy in December so I don't know how much blogging I will have time for but I hope to be able to keep you updated

Teletubbies

Griffin is a Teletubbies fanatic! I believe that the show is meant for preschoolers but it makes no difference to him because it is practically all he talks about. He also loves Zoboomafoo which I am thrilled with because it is so educational and is fun for me to watch as well, it is all about all kinds of animals domestic and exotic. Griffin is almost 7 years old and I hope that by the time he is at an age where he is social that he has gotten over his Teletubbies craze, not to worry though because it is not as though he carries them around everywhere.

I just hope that at some point Griffin will be interested in age-appropriate characters and will talk about things that are interesting to his typical peers when the time comes. I guess that I shouldn't get ahead of myself and worry about the future, it is not as though I worry per se but it does cross my mind once in awhile.

It is official but not quite complete but.............I am a student again! I will be taking courses from an online university and majoring in English so that one day I can finally finish writing that book that I have been working on for quite some time. I am thrilled to be intellectually stimulated again and to be studying my all time favorite subject. It has been since I was 21 years old that I have attended a university and I am a firm believer that it is never too late to go back to school. It may take me awhile but I shall savor every moment of it. To begin with I am going to take it easy because of course I will still be home schooling Griffin so I need to know how much I can handle while doing both. Certainly it will be a challenge but I am so ready for it and I feel confident that the more work I have the harder I will try and the more that I will accomplish.

The weather is just perfect somewhere in the lower 60's windy and sunny with the leaves falling all around and I just love it! This is truly my favorite time of the year. I love wearing my sweaters and having the wind blow through my hair, it is so exhilirating.

Griffin's handwriting is coming along nicely and he is staying in the lines much much better. There is now a distinct difference between his upper and lower case letters and his handwriting is much more ledgible as well. He still loves drawing and takes advantage of every opportunity to do so. I have found that he is not so easily frustrated lately when doing his work and is able to sit for a wee bit longer per session of learning. We still take breaks of course but he isn't as eager to hop up and announce that it is time for a break so much anymore. My little guy is growing up and maturing more and more each day.

Oh yes, I am feeling way better today that I have been since my surgery and it is day 10. I actually ate two small pieces of pizza and was so excited to eat some "normal" food again. Today I am not watching the clock and wondering when I can take another pain killer so that my mouth would stop hurting, the meds are not as necessary today which is wonderful! Can't wait for Thanksgiving so I can really eat some great food and also to spend some time with my family from North Carolina.

OMG! IT HURTS! It's Been 5 Days Already!

I was under the impression that things would get better and that with time I would feel better but NOOOOOOOOOO!

I feel as bad today as I did the moment I woke up from surgery after the pain meds began to wear off. And what's worse is that the pain is now in my ears as well. So now it feels as though I have full blown ear infections and a butchered throat. Yes, I am being a complainer right now and I realize that it is not going to help me feel any better but what the heck, what else have I got to do? So if there's anyone out there who needs to have a tonsillectomy, I highly recommend that you take lots of time off of work and make sure that you have someone who is going to help you out and nurture you through the entire process. And believe me...........the pain medication does NOT work!

Okay, that's enough...........I am finished with my whining and shall retire to bed, lie down and watch some TV.

Things are going relatively well but Griffin has been exceptionally upset that his mommy is not feeling well and that things are so different. It is really difficult to talk, especially in the evening so when he had his meltdown I had to just step aside until he calmed down so that we could discuss what was bothering him. Of course he couldn't come up with the words to describe how he was feeling and why so I gave him his meds and I laid down waiting for my anxiety medication to kick in. Then I finally got him to climb into bed and snuggle and now he is asleep.

I do not know if I need to increase his meds or not because his meltdowns are becoming more frequent lately and he is losing control of himself again. There is no talking to him when he is so much beside himself so I just have to take a few deep breaths and hang on until he is able to get a hold of himself.......then we talk.

It just amazes me how much going under anesthesia can wear out a body for several days and I suppose that the stress that surgery puts on the body is a major contributor to the fatigue and lethargy. I just wish that I could sleep more because that is what I need the most of in order to bounce back more quickly. There were some complications during the surgery, apparently I bled out pretty bad and the doctors were concerned that they would have to give me a transfusion. My blood pressure was so extremely high that they kept me overnight in the hospital, everything that they tried wouldn't help so they gave me some phenegran for sleep but I kept waking up in excuciating pain. Nowdays they are very strict about how often pain meds are given so.........I was just so happy to get home and to put it all behind me and hopefully soon I will be able to do all the things that I am accustomed to doing each day.

Surgery Today.......Yipee!

Not looking forward to the pain! Granted, it is merely a tonsillectomy but I have heard nothing but horror stories about how bad it is going to hurt and how much longer it takes an adult to recover compared to a child. One point that was brought to my attention is that I will probably lose weight since I will be getting all of my nutrition through a straw and if that is true then it will all be worth it and perhaps it will help make the pain more bearable.

Guess I will be sleeping a lot and I am hoping that it won't be long before I am able to sit here at the computer and communicate with my friends because I truly doubt that I will feel like talking on the phone. I am so grateful that mom is able to help me with Griffin because if we were in Anchorage I don't think that I would be able to have the surgery.

I hope that Griffin will have an understanding of what is going on, that mommy needs to sleep because she is not feeling well. I am sure that mom will be able to help him to understand that mommy is not able to play with him or to take him places. Of course I will explain it to him again later before I go in and I certainly hope that he doesn't get upset because the sweet little guy has such a huge heart and we both are so very close, especially now that we have been home schooling.

It is so strange, that little twinge in my chest that lets me know that there is a certain degree of apprehension, as much as I try to not feel it...........it remains. It is just an outpatient procedure and really quite routine for the doctor but every time that I go under anesthesia it does tend to make me a bit nervous. I do not plan on going anywhere for a very long time because there is a higher purpose in my life and nobody can do it like I do!

Autistic Child Is Abused At Elementary School In South Carolina

http://thisschoolmistreatedmyautisticchild.blogspot.com/

Please take a look at the other blog that I have and its content about how my son was abused at his elementary school here in South Carolina. I am so livid that there's nothing I can do legally since I cannot afford a lawyer to represent me at a due process hearing against the school district.

I have decided to go public with our story, I am going to send the information to the TV stations and newspapers and see who might be interested. If I have to I will go to the Oprah and Dr. Phil web sites and e-mail them this link to see if they have already done a show on disabled children who are abused in school and there's nothing that can be done about it. The parents cannot represent themselves going up against a group of sharks who call themselves attorneys and who eat parents, especially single parents, for lunch!

Take a moment, there are only two entries but they are both quite telling. Thanks you guys for all of your support and I hope to see some comments left here and there for me. Your opinion counts with me!

Horseback

As you can tell, Griffin absolutely adores horses. He was so thrilled when we went to visit our neighbors who have horses and they offered to let him sit on the mare of the foal who you can also see in this photo. The neighbors, our new friends, were so kind and so helpful because they gave us information about activities and organizations that have special needs horseback riding and events. There is a place that is about 40 minutes from here that has special needs riding "classes" and I just know that Griffin would love to go, if the price of fuel keeps going down then we might be able to do it, and I would love to see him so happy as he is when he is around them.

On Wednesday, Griffin went to swimming and for part of the session he worked really hard but then he became tired and frustrated and began, for the first time ever, to shout when the OT was talking to him and giving directions. She had asked me if I had changed his meds but I had not and let her know that it was probably because he had finally become so comfortable with her that he was just being himself. Later, when it was time to go to soccer, he told me that he did not want to go so we stopped by to see the horses instead. I am so glad that we made that choice.

I am still not sleeping, tried Ambien and it is NOT working at all for me, and I go to see my psychiatrist next week. I sure do hope that he has some kind of miracle drug that will work, continue to work, and help me sleep through the night. As it is now, I finally get to sleep around 4:00 or 5:00 and it is really hard to get up when Griffin tries to wake me around 7:00 or 8:00 a.m. The times that I have gotten "restoritive sleep" it was so incredible and made such a difference in my quality of life. I had very little pain and the Fibromyalgia was, seemingly, put at bay. Without sleep or with very little, one feels very old and it is so hard to move around, the mind is not clear, and the moods are not so great either.

As far as Home Schooling is going, Griffin is still doing great with his photographic memory, he soaks up everything that we go through. I bought him a really cool ant farm that has this substance in it that is a gorgeous blue which is their food and water so there is no maintainence. not only is is totally clear and unbreakable but it illuminates at night and glows a neon green. So far he is not thrilled with it but I think it is because we do not have any ants in it yet. I believe that once I gather up some that he will become more intruged by it, at least I hope so or I will send it back. The Discovery Store online has some pretty incredible stuff but much of it is too old for him even though his typical/NT peers are probably doing it.

Think that I am going to go lie down and read, Griffin told me tonight that he didn't like books......which bothered me a lot and though I try, I cannot seem to spark an interest in them. I wonder if what I am teaching him, with the (expensive) books that I have, is helping him at all.

Playing In A Soccer Game

Here's Griffin playing soccer, he kept his eye on the ball the whole game, running at times but always watching the ball. I think that he actually got to kick it a few times but the most important part is that he made it through the entire game from 5:30 - 7:00. I couldn't stop smiling even when my face started hurting. I am so proud of him, he has come such a long way in such a short period of time although he did not pay any attention to his fellow players, just for him to enjoy playing was a big deal.

One of Griffin's OTs told me today that he did very well at therapy, on Monday, with his group (of boys) during his session. They went outside and played on an obstacle course and each one had to come up with ideas on how to change things around when they were first in line. She said that Griffin did an excellent job interacting with the other boys which is so exciting to me, I think that the group has been very good for him because there is so many boys and both Speech and his OT are present.

Home schooling is going great still, we studied a lot of science this week and combined it with art which turned out really well. Art is a wonderful medium for him to work on his fine motor skills, his cognitive skills (science through art), and his emotional expression. He is a kinesthetic/visual learner so every time that we can combine our studies with art we go for it! One day I will put a picture of one of his pieces on here so that you can see how amazing an artist he is. It seems that each time he creates a piece, everything that we studied he commits to memory and it is set in stone and the information is there to stay. He can recall ever bit of information when asked after only going over it one time.

It is helping me to overcome the bitterness and anger that I felt about how he was abused at the school because I know that there is no way that he would have progressed in such an environment and now he is so much happier. At least this is how I cope with the guilt that I feel for sending him into a place that was causing him so much confusion and mental and emotional pain.

Apparently, I do not have his meds tweaked properly because he is still a bit too sleepy during the first part of the day and into the afternoon, he wakes up in the evening and makes up for lost time. Today he did go swimming and he always loves it and is showing great improvement there as well. He may act sleepy before we get there but once he is in the pool he is just fine and after he is finished his energy level is up also. Griffin dislikes going out of the house and going to appointments and/or running errands so he tends to be or act sleepy/tired then the most. If only there was a way, that I knew of, for me to help increase his energy level through proprioceptive or vestibular input while we are out. Guess that I need to ask the OT about it because while he is at home he does it himself by jumping on the mini tramp and swinging but he has no means to do it by himself while we are away.

I have been having bouts of horrid anxiety and mania for several weeks now and they are so severe that I cannot not otherwise function. I usually have them about every two days, a product of rapid cycling Bipolar Disorder. Finally today I went to see my doctor and got some meds specifically for anxiety and boy am I grateful! Severe anxiety is like being jailed inside one's own body and struggling to get out because it feels like someone has a remote control and is hitting fast forward constantly. It feels so uncomfortable to be in one's own skin especially if there is fatigue (from lack of sleep) and feeling as if on speed all at the same time. My body hurts like hell the next day and I sleep for about 12-14 hours because of the Fibromyalgia and sheer exhaustion from the whole situation. I am so grateful that my mom is around to help me out by watching/entertaining when necessary, and feeding Griffin.

That's about it, I bragged about my special and wonderfully brilliant little guy and complained about my health..............all in a day's work! Hope you all are doing well and enjoying life!

Some Positive News, We're All Happy Here!

This is my new blog, you will find there the first of many reports that his teacher sent home with him and it will be apparent that she was punishing him for his autistic tendencies and that she didn't know what she was doing. If you disagree, feel free to leave a comment, especially if you think that I am way off base and that there is no foundation for seeing things the way that I have.

Griffin is doing great with homeschooling and is learning a great deal. I have found ways to get him to work on his handwriting so he has improved a great deal and he doesn't seem to mind or he is so excited about the content of what he is writing so much that he simply doesn't pay attention to that part. What I do is to get him to write in his journal what he wants as a reward for when he gets enough stickers for doing various tasks. So, he writes all about it, forming his own sentences (and learning about punctuation) and often he will write far more than I thought that he might. Half the page is blank so on top he draws and colors, with colored pencils, exactly what he wishes for. His artwork is so advanced and it is the only thing that he attends to without distraction so I make sure that he gets to do some each day whether it is task related or just for fun. Since he has access to lots of paper then usually he will just sit down and start drawing on his own, I have saved much of it and it is already apparent that there is a rapid progression in his abilities. Since I have been an artist for nearly my entire life, I am pretty excited about Griffin's love for drawing and painting and for what the future might hold.

Griffin started taking Abilify about a month ago and it has helped him tremendously, he complains of being tired quite often but it is usually when he doesn't want to do something (imagine that!). When he has free time he is running around, swinging, and jumping on the trampoline but he is far more stable than I have ever seen him and his meltdowns are non-existent now! He will start to get upset but it is very short lived and it is far easier to talk to him and to get him to cooperate and comply. He doesn't have the same "manic" energy anymore and it is not necessary to try to get him to calm down therefore he attends much better during most of his activities/tasks.

I had a procedure done on my uvula and since it was done with a laser it gave me second degree burns in my throat so I had a week of intense pain, insomnia, and feeling like there was never going to be an end to it but I am nearly healed now. The ENT told me that if the problem occurs again then I will have to have my tonsils out..............not looking forward to that because I believe that it is going to turn out that way things look right now (it is already happening again). I am due to see him again in a month so I will keep you posted.

Loving this weather, it is my favorite time of year no matter where I have lived throughout the years, just wish that it lasted longer. I hope to catch up on reading blogs and letting you all know that I am thinking of you, I do miss my blogging friends and would love to know how you are doing.

One Angry Mother!

I have restrained myself up until now and NO MORE will I hold back! The truth will be known to all about how my son and I were treated as he went to his school that is located in upstate SC. I would add which area we live in but I do not feel safe doing that at this time. However, I plan to start a blog specifically on the topic of how this school mistreated my son and took advantage of me, my own disabilities, and how I was bullied into taking an entry off of this blog and the only reason I did it was because I was terrified of retaliation.

It is my hope that everyone in the public school system reads this and especially the new blog because the truth needs to be exposed and this is my only avenue and the last resort because apparently the school district and even the assistant superintendent admits to telling the principal to tell me to take my entry off of the blog! That is an outrage and I will not stand for it and I am tired of sitting around and doing nothing about it. I am protected by the first amendment and there is not a damn thing that they can do about it....................so read on people and I hope that you are all squirming in your seats as you get upset and perhaps you will wish that you had done things differently and that you had treated my son and I with more respect and that you had followed the laws, the federal laws more closely. You know damn well that you broke laws, especially the teacher who was such a coward that she couldn't even talk to me! Yes, you! You didn't even follow your own policies and procedures...........such as, having the parent/teacher conferences that you were supposed to have after my son got a "red" light on his daily report. What is your lousy explanation for that? You are an EMR and you are not even qualified to teach a child with autism. You punished my child for being autistic and I plan to make public all the reports that you sent home so that they all can see how you wrote negative reports nearly every single day and even though I begged you to write something positive you absolutely refused.

I know what kind of gossip goes on with all of you who seem to not know how to mind your own damn business and seem to think that you can judge people and then treat their children accordingly. You may think that because I was kind that I was stupid as well. You made the major mistake to think that my kindness was weakness. I have seen more of life than all of you combined and traveled all over the world and never...............NEVER have I seen such pitiful people who desperately need a life instead of putting your nose in mine and thinking that my son didn't deserve to be treated with kindness and respect.

Through this blog and through the new blog I am going to do everything in my power to get the truth out there and let people know what you are all about. You may all stick together which is fine but it will not help you now, there is nothing that one or all of you can do to stop me!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Who is in charge now? You will regret all that you have done and you all will be exposed.

Have you figured out that I am ONE ANGRY MOTHER yet? Please people, stay tuned, it will provide you with plenty to gossip about and this time the source of the gossip will be YOU! I cannot wait for you to read my new blog and to be haunted by your handiwork. I am excited for everyone to see the papers that my son was sent home with and all that he was punished for...........such as, for being autistic! I hope that you realize that I have tons of readers and my new blog will have just as many if not more due to my efforts to make it so.

You all have miserably failed my son and he lost an entire year of education and learning skills and perhaps he suffered in your "care" because of his mistreatment. Paybacks are hell people!!!!

My Beautiful Sleeping Angel and His Buddy

Can you tell that Dot loves Griffin? Every night she sleeps on his pillow snuggled up to him and if he moves then she just rearranges herself as well. They are so adorable together. I've got to get a picture of Griffin smiling so that you can see his missing tooth, he is so proud of losing his first tooth.

Everything is going well here and I am preparing for September 1st when we will begin our homeschooling! With each day that passes I become more prepared and more informed on what to do and how to do it. We have just about everything that we are going to need to have a full and beneficial curriculum. I have already started using a system that is part of the positive parenting program and it is working like a charm with him. We have had NO tantrums at all, he is just too busy thinking about how he can do better and be a good listener. Today as we went out in the horrible heat and humidity, we were shopping it was such a challenge for him......he hated it but he tolerated it because he had incentive and we got through it with no hassles at all. I am so proud of him! He is really becoming a "Big Boy" using his manners and maintaining self control and making healthy/wise decisions.

My dear friend E. and I share and compare notes with our methods and the wealth of information that we have gathered as we have done an enormous amount of research, has been a great friend and fellow homeschooler. I know that I keep repeating myself but I am so excited about all the possibilities and all that we are going to accomplish. I have done nothing but prepare for our newest endeavor and I am determined to make it work in our favor. At least I know that my son is getting the best and that he is being treated with tenderness and respect, that he is going to be challenged and tested so that he can reach his full potential. And if he just so happens to have some sensory issues then we will address it immediately and not deny that his behaviors are a product of his need for sensory input. He will have lots of breaks in order to help him get his vestibular and proprioceptive input to help him maintain his attention and help him stay focused.

I don't want all of my entries to be repetitive so I will stop now and move on to something else. Griffin is doing great in gymnastics and with swimming. In fact, he has made great improvement and incredible progress in swimming. He is using his arms and legs simultaneously which helps him to move forward, not by much but it is still a great improvement. I think that he has learned to actually breathe in deeply before holding his breath so that he can stay underwater longer. I asked his OT about his low tone muscles and she confirmed that it is not uncommon for autistic kiddos to have low muscle tone. She did add that he is able to develop strength regardless but it will take some time. So mommy will have to help him as much as possible to build up strength by keeping him involved in activities conducive to building muscle strength and tone.

I am going to sign off now because I have a million things to do and lots of reading to do. Hope that all my dear friends are doing very well............happy and healthy..............not to mention..........staying cool in the summer heat. Send me an e-mail or leave a comment and let me know how you are doing.

Yo Gabba Gabba!

This is one of Griffin's fantastic creations and if you happened to have seen "Yo Gabba Gabba" then you will recognize these characters. I do not know if he is just interested in them because they offer something different than what he is accustomed to or what but lately he has become very enthusiastic about them. Griffin has been drawing and painting quite a bit lately, spending much more time being artistic than ever before and the likeness of what he creates is amazing.

His verbal skills have improved tremendously and he has expanded his vocabulary as well. Today we went to see the free movie, " The March of the Penguins" and he sat so still and really seemed to enjoy it. I was surprised because it is a documentary and there are no climaxes or exciting parts to it, but it did have sad parts of course since it was a true story of the life of the penguins in Antarctica.

My Fibromyalgia has been kicking my behind lately and each day is different just as every night is different as well. I saw the rheumatologist last week and all he did/could do was to increase my meds and to give me a cortisone shot in my back where there is a knot in my back that hurts constantly. The pain I have had for so many years (and worse too I might add) but it is the fatigue that gets to me so bad and there is nothing that the doctor can do about it except to try to give me the right meds in an attempt to get me to sleep through the night and hopefully feel refreshed in the morning. That has not happened yet, typically I get up around 5:00 a.m. I try to stay up because if/when I go back to sleep I feel horrible and wake up I feel absolutely miserable. Maybe the tweaking of the meds will eventually help me somehow. With all the years of experience that I have had for so many years, I have little faith in what is available (medically) therefore, I must be strong and just tough it out. I tried Lyrica but it had some horrible side effects such as really bad sleepwalking and running into walls with absolute confusion, it was as though I was on some kind of hallucinogen and when I woke I felt like someone had used my body as a punching bag. Oh well, life goes on!

I am preparing for September and I am very excited, I have been doing so much research and reading faster than I think that I ever have and loving it. I am looking forward to lots of new things coming into our lives with tons of progress, higher self-esteem, and renewed confidence in his abilities. Griffin's intellect along with his excellent skills and talents will be further recognized/revealed and built upon while he begins to excel in certain areas and learn new coping mechanisms with his sensory needs. The areas in which he does not necessarily thrive in will be made simpler for him in order for him to not lose interest in them and actually have fun doing what he was once fighting against.

No longer will I have to worry about what my child is doing while away from me for so many hours nor will I have to depend on someone else to do what they are supposed to do and in the process leaving me out of the loop. I guess that you could say that I do not have that kind of trust anymore as I once had because I have been failed but more so, he has been failed and I do not accept that which is totally unacceptable.

Learning for Life

Griffin loves going to gymnastics so much as you can see here as he laughs and smiles the entire time. It is so funny when he stops in the middle of something and says that he is tired but then he keeps on going doing things his own way most of the time. The exercise is so good for him especially since he does not get much at home. We have no yard here at home because it is just woods so it is important/essential that he has other outlets in which to exert himself. Today we have swimming and of course that is one of his most favorite activities in the whole world. Since being out of school he has shown some great progress in many areas and the one that is so significant is that he has had practically ZERO meltdowns or negative behaviors. All I have to do is to talk to him and be sure that he understands what his boundaries are and he has been such a great listener. If only he had that opportunity while in school he would have behaved so much better..........I believe. If only had good reports of his behaviors perhaps I would have been able to help him out by pointing out what was appropriate vs. what is not. The issue that I have with his schooling is that I never knew what the heck was going on with him for the better part of the day and being in the dark about my child does not please a pro-active mother such as myself.

I have made a decision but I am not going to share what it is until the people who need to be notified find out first. It is necessary that they learn what has gone so wrong and how that has helped me to come to this final decision that I have. I am very excited about all the possibilities and all the creativity that is involved. This venture in which we are about to partake is very significant and the future looks so bright now. I know that deep down inside that I am doing what is in Griffin's best interest and because of that I will feel confident that he is safe and thriving in his life. He will learn all that is important in life and how to be an independent individual who is not afraid of making choices because they might be wrong. I did not teach him that so I do not know where he got it from but for sure I am going to fix it! That is something that could stick with him for the rest of his life and cause him to have low self-esteem. Griffin is my treasure and my teacher and he deserves to have only the best in life.................Period!

Life is beautiful especially when one feels that she has changed what she is able to, accepted what she cannot change, and has the wisdom to know the difference. I am eternally grateful for my precious child and there is nothing more significant than his achievements and growth. Griffin deserves to have the opportunity to reach his full potential in all areas ergo he will have all that is humanly possible, all that is within my reach to share with him.

Kitty Dot Com

Here is Griffin's new kitty, her name when we got her (from the animal rescue shelter) was "Dot" and later on that day he told me that her name was, "Kitty Dot Com". I thought that was so funny that he thought of something so clever all on his own, he is such a bright big boy.

As I write in my book each day I enjoy reading about the progress that he has made over the years and all the great memories that we have of Alaska. Just recently I read from 2005, how much everyone at Griffin's school loved him so much and was so kind and non-judgmental of me, always showing me respect, never treating me like I was just an incidental in Griffin's life. Both schools that he went to were stellar in every way and I miss that so much. I truly miss the people of Alaska because they were so nice while at the same time they minded their own business and were too busy to gossip and worry about what other people would think or what somebody might say about something.

Have a great summer to all of you who so devoutly read and comment on my blog. Thanks for all the support that you have given throughout the years. Hugs to all of you!

Having a Great Summer

I tried to upload an image of Griffin's new kitty but for some reason it wouldn't work so I will try later in another post. Griffin is having a wonderful summer and staying pretty busy. He loves going to gymnastics and is improving with each visit. Of course he is still going to and loving swimming each week. I found out that the theater is showing free movies for kids each Tuesday and Wednesday which we are going to start going to on Wednesday. He seems to be making great progress even though he is not in school, in fact, since he has been out his vocabulary has increased a lot and his understanding of concepts have also increased, he is growing up so fast. Griffin even has a tooth loose and he is so excited for it to come out, he knows that it means that he is a big boy and that he is growing up. Our case manager for DDSN got the Cuddle Swing approved by Medicaid which was about $$200.00-$300.00 or so and it has made a huge difference in his life. He spends so much time in that thing and between that and his huge ball that he bounces on, his behaviors have been next to nothing.........extremely rare. When Griffin went to school in Alaska the teacher there was so awesome because they started each day with an obstacle course of sensory toys, tubes, etc......and there was always music playing that they danced to at circle time. Griffin would come home each day singing his songs from class. That teacher became a very dear friend of ours and she should have won teacher of the century award! We miss her so much. What helped me a great deal in knowing what he was and wasn't doing, was that she would write to me nearly every day to let me know all the GOOD things that he did as well as the less desirable things. That way we could work together as a team in working with him in order to contribute to his success. The teacher Griffin first had when he was 3 years old did the same, we worked together and I was always informed of what was going on with him. They both had two helpers/assistance and they all worked together to make a well organized environment for the kids. It is a good feeling being involved in my child's education especially since he spends so many hours away from me, it is a good thing to not be left out of the loop. Griffin has learned a lot since we have been here, mostly his language and social skills have improved. I look forward to him spending some time in the 1st grade class in the fall. I am sure that he misses his teachers and his classroom buddies, they are so nice and I believe that he really likes them. When I go with them on field trips he seems to get along well with everyone and it seemed that the teachers were well organized. The class got to do lots of fun things in the classroom and on their trips. I've got to get back to work on the book which is coming along nicely. I just finished reading Temple Grandin's book, Emergence, and it was very enlightening but kind of scary at the same time because she really went through some tough times socially and a lot of internal conflict. I highly recommend that anyone who works with or has a child with autism has it is in their library (at home) because I have found it to be useful and I can use it for reference as Griffin grows older and approaches high school then college.

Griffin's Summer

So far Griffin is having a great summer, he had his first gymnastics class yesterday and he loved it. He certainly gave it all he had and was a pretty good listener for the most part. Of course it being his first class he needed some extra help just as the other kids his age did. I think that we will be busy this summer doing various activities such as going to the library for story time, going bowling, swimming, gymnastics, and his group (OT & Speech). I have been reading a lot of books about autism lately and learning so much more and besides it makes for great research material for the book that I am writing. It is constantly "A work in progress" but I am really quite satisfied with how it is going. It certainly does take dedication and lots of patience but it is going to be so worth my while. Griffin makes a great subject, I shall not run out of material. It is just a matter of knowing when to stop and to be happy with what I've got.

Speaking of......it is time for me to get back to writing, I will attempt to keep the blog updated and share all the news of how/what Griffin is doing. Perhaps next week I will have some photos from gymnastics.

My Gecko Guy

My happy little guy is being a ham again, he just loves the camera. He has on his favorite gecko shirt from Geico, this is his newest love. He will run from one end of the house to the other if he hears a Geico commercial coming on. The Teletubbies are his favorite again, I thought that he had lost interest in them a long time ago but he is back into them again. His interest in Chucky Sue, the Chinese dwarf hamster has nearly disappeared so mom and I take her out and pet her every day. She is so adorable and sweet it is hard to resist holding her. Often she will fall asleep if you pet her for awhile.

The IEP went well, it was a bit too brief in my opinion but so far I guess most everything was covered even though my questions weren't answered because I didn't get to ask them. Griffin's teacher is wonderful and so sweet so are all the other staff who work with him. Next year Griffin is going to go to regular ed. for two hours and we will see how it goes and if he does really well the amount of time will increase. Their logic was that they didn't want to just push him full time and possibly overwhelm him. I believe that Griffin could do a lot more than they are fascilitating and for some reason they are keeping him in the special needs classroom. I think that he needs to be more challenged because he gets so bored easily. He seems to love learning and doing his homework so I feel confident that as long as he has an understanding 1st grade teacher then he is going to thrive in that environment. I only hope that this teacher has more than just a little bit of knowledge and more than just hearing or reading about autism, otherwise he will be judged as not being capable of staying in a regular ed. classroom.

I am finally realizing that Griffin's teacher is underestimating not only me but Griffin as well. Whenever I bring up his behaviors, which is all she seems to focus on, she becomes all nice and down-playing it all as if she had never written anything in the first place. On the IEP papers that I signed, which I obviously shouldn't have, it states that the behaviors were addressed and that is so incorrect! I brought them up and nobody wanted to talk about it and I was an idiot for signing the papers. Jamie didn't help me out, in fact she hasn't helped me out for quite some time because I have been writing to her for several months about it and got no reply and if I did it was exceptionally brief.

I heard that there is going to be a male assistant in Griffin's room and I have issues with that. I am going to make sure that there are safeguards in place to be sure that my child is safe because my child WILL NOT go through what I have as a child and I will do everything in my power to make sure that he is safe!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I don't care what anybody thinks or how much they think that they know this man, and I am probably the only one who has even considered the scenario/the possibility of this man being a predator. No matter what, my child will be safe and if they do not take precautions to keep him safe then ..........I guess that we will just see how I can really be when I feel that my child is in potential danger.

I am not angry yet but we shall see what the future holds and how much they really are concerned about his safety.

Life Is Good

Griffin is simply radiant in this picture, he is having so much fun with all of his characters (as he so fondly refers to them). He is still a bit mellow/low key and is not fully recovered but he does seem to be feeling better since his surgery. We went to my niece's 21st birthday dinner/party yesterdaty and we didn't get home until around 9:30 (way past his bedtime) so he didn't get to sleep until around 10:00 or so and I didn't get to sleep until about 1:00 a.m. I have been reading so much and writing so much that it seems that the outside world does not exist except when it is time to pick Griffin up from school and/or have to take him somewhere. But this is what I thoroughly enjoy (writing that is) and would love to do it full time, I could never get tired of it.

I plan to take Griffin by the gymnastics class for boys 6-8, it is called tumbling which is going to be the best for him anyhow. The only conflict in his schedule is that he has swimming the same exact time and date so I am hoping that the swimming can be changed to accommodate both activities. I believe that having gymnastics each week could teach him some physical activities that could help him regulate himself at home and maybe even while in public. Between the speech, OT, swimming, and now gymnastics he should be staying pretty busy this summer......at least I sure hope so because of my allergy to the sunlight...........weird, I know......I inherited it from my dad and his dad.

I will do my best to keep everyone updated, hugs to you all.

Griffin Had Surgery Yesterday

Griffin was such a trooper yesterday when he had his tonsils and adenoids removed, he didn't cry and was so mellow before and after the procedure was done as you can tell in this photo. It was all worth it because last night he was breathing so easily and quietly I had to watch his chest just to be able to tell that he was breathing. I held up a lot better than I thought that I would I guess because prior to the day of surgery I had kept being positive and confident that he would do just fine through the entire time and he did just that.

He has not been eating real well which I do not blame him for so he has mostly just been drinking water and fortunately we have been able to talk him into taking some Ibuprofen a couple of times during the day and once or twice he took some Amoxicillin. Right now he is playing with his Sesame Street characters and the Teletubbies of course.

I did an interview with Dateline NBC about the trial that I was involved in earlier this year when I went to Alaska to testify against an individual that I once worked with many years ago in Anchorage Alaska. I do not know yet when it will air but I will keep you posted. I did the interview on the 7th of this month and I have a good feeling that it will be a great program because they asked some very important questions and left no stone unturned.

I cannot remember if I mentioned that Griffin's IEP is going to be in about two weeks from now and I am looking forward to talking with his teachers and everyone else involved in working together on common goals and reflecting back on all the progress that he has made. I firmly believe that he is going to thrive now that he is able to get quality sleep since his breathing has improved tremendously. I feel really bad that he felt so bad for so long and that I didn't even realize it until he kept getting strep, had a foul odor in his mouth, and the snoring just kept getting worse. Now I believe that he is going to just feel better all over which will make such an incredible impact on his behaviors and his attitude towards learning and focusing on school and all the things that he loves about school and all his other activities.

I hope to get him involved in gymnastics this summer for a couple of reasons: he will have another activity to keep him busy during the few months he is out of school and he has shown a lot of interest in tumbling which he frequently tries to do at home. We need to re-schedule his swimming therapy sessions to a different day so that he can do both during the week.

Visit Tina and Her Boys and Younger Brother, Show Some Support

Griffin loves to play with the shaving creme while taking a shower and he also loves to wear his goggles which is helpful because I can wash his hair without getting shampoo in his eyes. He is such a goof ball............always making mommy laugh.



Lately Griffin has been doing so well in school, the reports from his teacher have been glowing and I am so very proud of him as he has been so much more attentive and such a good listener too. We have an IEP on the 20th which I am looking forward to indeed. I look forward to adding some new goals and objectives as he has reached most of his old goals. At home Griffin has been jovial and very positive, laughing and being so entertaining.........what a pleasure it has been to be around him.

I do not remember if Griffin is supposed to attend the regular ed classroom next year or what but because of how he has been progressing I have high hopes for him and I believe that he can and will reach higher goals. Griffin just loves to learn constantly asking questions and looking up words in the dictionary (child's version) especially with Spanish. Every day he asks me what words are in Spanish. I don't remember that much from my Spanish classes in high school but fortunately I do recall how to pronounce the words (for the most part). I purchased the Rosetta Stone program in order to help him learn Espanol and it is working wonderfully! It sure does make things so much easier. I am very impressed with their method of learning by immersion, it really keeps his attention and he retains all that he reads. It is great because I get to learn at the same time which does come in handy because we get to use the words in conversation which leaves an indelible impression on our minds.

If you haven't visited my dearest friends please do visit Tina and her two boys plus her younger brother at:
http://autismschmatism.blogspot.com/
please let her know that you support her and wish them all the best. They are such beautiful souls who are now experiencing very challenging and heartbreaking times right now. I think that if she sees how many people care enough to stop by and how much you care for them it would be a great way of showing her a lot of support. Recently Tina's mother has passed and she has been struggling with how traumatic this event is/can be. I can only imagine how tragic it would be if I lost one of my parents...........the pain would be absolutely unbelievable! Let's all visit her frequently and leave her comments so that she will know that we all care.

I just want to add that I am eternally grateful for all that is in my life, Griffin's health and safety and all the other simple and wonderful people, places, and things in my life..........I do my best to show/express my gratitude each and every day. I am thankful to have this blog (which I have had since 2005) and to have all of you visiting my blog and leaving comments for me......thank you for letting me know that you came by.