You Have GOT To See This!!

Little Man was practicing his guitar tonight and played Jingle Bells all the way through! He did so awesome. He's even reading real music as you'll see at the end (don't mind my Mommy bragging hehe). I'll probably take this video down in a few days since it has his real name in it but we're both so proud, we have to share.

(Sorry it's a little off but I don't have time tonight to mess with it, you can still get the idea though I hope!)

Little Man has his big day coming up next week - he'll be 10 years old! Next Saturday we'll be having his first real friend party. We've got the plates, decorations, and yes, the pinata he had his heart set on - all in his most favorite theme - LEGOVILLE! Everything is guaranteed to arrive tomorrow. Now we cross our fingers and really hope at least one of his four classmates will be able to come. :)

And lastly, the approval for his PCA seems to be coming together. We haven't gotten final authorization yet, but they're sure enough he's going to get it that they've started looking for staff to fill the shifts. Hopefully soon I'll be back sleeping in my bed in my bedroom, rather than on the living room floor so he'll have to climb over me to get into trouble. What a luxury that will be!

ENT Appointments All Around

Friday the boys both had ENT apppointments. They've both had their tonsils and adenoids out but have started having issues with snoring at night again, especially Little Man. He could bring the house down lol. I was a little concerned about this appointment as they had to see a general ENT, not a pediatric one which I highly prefer. Adults just don't have the issues Beans has to be honest. After waiting 45 minutes past the appointment time in the waiting room, with Beans sleeping in my arms (very unusual, and 50 pounds gets heavy!), they called back Beans. I told the nurse that she should have Little Man's paperwork too. No, she said. They're going to put him in a different room. Um, what!?! You're going to put a nine year old in a room by himself? Especially an autistic one? While I was tempted to let Little Man see how quickly he could dissemble the room so they could see why this was a horrible idea, I told them bluntly that wouldn't work, they both had to be together. Never had this issue before at any specialist we've ever been to.

Anyways, neither has an obvious anatomical reason for the snoring. Beans has a stub of scar tissue on one side, but not big enough to cause issues. He's ordered sleep studies to check for sleep apnea in both of them. If they come back normal, no big deal, they're just noisy sleepers. If there's apnea we'll go from there. He mentioned possibly being able to do both the same night. I'm hoping as it will make it easier for me, and I won't have to find someone to watch alternating boys on two nights. They said it'll take a month to six weeks to get the appointment then another month to six weeks for results. That's okay, we can handle another wait. :)

Disability doesn't mean excuse

Little Man has been in guitar lessons for a while now. A few weeks ago he had to change to a different teacher in the same school due to scheduling difficulties with his previous one. Silly me had assumed that the head of the music school had explained to the new teacher about his difficulties, as she had the old one.

After slow progress the last couple weeks I worked hard with him this week and realized he was having one heck of a time following where he was on the page. Some of his numerous challenges include visual-spatial perception (where something is in relation to something else - things like tracking words across a page and orienting his writing on a line are extremely difficult), dyslexia, motor planning (making his brain get organized to tell his muscles what to do and then making his muscles follow through) and processing issues.

When we met his teacher for his lesson today I told her that he'd been working hard and that we'd found some things to help him. Things the occupational therapist recommends. I told her we cover up everything but the song he's working on at that moment and point to the note he's on as he plays it. I explained he has dyslexia (the thing people are most likely to be able to understand) and these things work best. She basically pooh-poohed my suggestions saying she doesn't like the kids to get used to that.

Amazing thing though, when she walked him out of his lesson she told me how much better he did when she pointed to the note. Imagine that - you work with the disability instead of trying to make a child fight it on his own and wonderful things happen. Just because things need to be done differently for some people doesn't mean they're being lazy or not trying. Our little ones who were created from a different mold just may be the ones who teach the world as they grow.

Happy Weekend! (and some cute pics)

Yesterday Little Man had his psychiatry appointment so I decided to make the whole day a Mom & Little Man date. We started off seeing his psychiatrist and he had his best psych appointment that I can remember. He's doing so well. The only blemish was he's now officially labeled "moderate- functioning autistic" rather than high-functioning. What is the difference? Well, it varies depending who you talk to but basically he needs a lot more support in daily life, and especially school, than most "high-functioning" kids would. His social skills, language and living skills are significantly delayed from his peers. This was all things I know, but of course you don't like hearing the prognosis isn't quite as rosy. We can handle this though. He is who he is and a label doesn't change that. We were able to stop his Depakote after a 9 month taper and she increased one of his meds to try and help the sleeping issue. Last night it worked! We have been able to determine positively now that his tremors don't have anything to do with his medications, they're purely neurological.

After the appointment we had to go get his lab work done for genetics. He thought peeing in a cup was great, as always. Boys! He got scared for the bloodwork but was a tough little guy. He didn't cry until we were down the hall and then he had a meltdown but who can blame him? We had to wait 30-45 minutes after we arrived for them to try and find the right codes and handling procedures for the specific labs. That's a lot of time for anxiety to build in a kid.

I took him to get some lunch after and then he was begging to go to the arcade at the bowling alley they went to with Special Olympics. A mere $10 was a ton of fun. It only took like 20 minutes to spend that but he danced, he hunted and then we played a racing game together twice. He was all smiles afterward.


This morning I went outside to start some laundry and Beans followed me out. He asked if he could sweep the back patio. After picking my jaw up off the ground I agreed. He was so proud of himself. This boy sure is growing up.

After he swept, he was rewarded by his favorite visitors. First, one of the baby toads we watched from newly hatched tadpoles came visiting. We've seen a bunch of these little guys all over the yard. They're still so tiny but with as many as we've seen, they much be doing well.

After I made him put the toad back, both a larger toad and some kind of frog came visiting. I have to admit it was neat to see the two at the same time and see the differences in them. An anole lizard also paid Beans a visit. See what you get for helping out?

We've made progress in getting the personal care assistant for Little Man. The medical director of CMS, where he had his psychiatry appointment yesterday, was willing to do his physical and sign the order. The manager at the nursing agency may need to get a few more records from his doctors and/or school, but once he has everything he said he can get things approved in 3 days most of the time. I'm still living in the land of it-must-be-too-good-to-be-true so I'm not getting too hopeful until it's actually been approved but I am much relieved that there's at least a chance at help, and soon.

Now I have to start thinking about how weird it will be to have someone in my house everyday to help care for Little Man. Very strange idea when you're used to do everything, all the time, period. I think every one of us will benefit if it does work out though. :)

Wonderful Evening

Today Little Man's class had the much anticipated open house. I have to say, yet again, how much I love his teacher. She gets Little Man, and all five of the boys in her class, unlike anyone ever has. As a minor example, the meeting tonight was supposed to start at 7:00. We start the ever-so-precious bedtime routine at 7:00 and messing with that is likely to mean the whole night's a bust. This was important though and I was willing to have a sleepless night to do this for Little Man. This morning his teacher called. She said that she understood that 7:00 would mess with bedtime routines (now mind you, I didn't say a word, this was all her own understanding) and if we'd like to come at 5:00 instead it would be great. Once I'd recovered enough to speak, I thanked her profusely and told her we'd see her at five.

Little Man was so excited. He insisted he needed to wear his black dress shirt and tie. Nothing else would work. He even managed to withstand the horror of wearing black socks (Don't ask, personally I think they feel the same but he will not wear them. Period.) to look his best. We arrived to a spread of sandwiches and chips, but he was too excited to show me things to eat just yet. First he showed me his Postcard Geography book and how hard he worked to write the names of the continents. Next he showed me his AR points. You could have knocked me over with a feather - Little Man has 6.7 points already this quarter! You see, in quarters one through three last year, he may have earned 6 points. He just reached halfway in the first quarter and he has 6.7. I got to tell him again how proud of him I am.

Just then his best friend walked in. Did you see what I said? BEST FRIEND! Does he look happy or what? When Best Friend arrived, it was so nice to talk with other parents who understand. Our kids aren't bad, they have different neurological systems and a lot more to deal with than your average kid. Sure, there are times we don't know how we'll make it through the next hour, but there are times we can't stop smiling too. Best Friend's parents, teacher, and I all talked for quite a while and it was a precious time. Teacher calls these kids hers and her love and understanding for them is so deep it just emanates from her. Every day I'm thankful for her and the work she does.

Lastly, I have to share the letter I told you about that Little Man gave me before my big tests.

"Good Be Lucky"

And just so you know, it worked perfectly! I aced both my psychology and nutrition tests and got my English essay turned in today. Thank you Little Man! Good Be Lucky to all of you too. :)

Little Man Made My Day!

Have I ever told you that I have the sweetest 9 year old ever? This morning before he climbed on the bus he stopped and gave me a hug! I can count on one hand the number of times this has happened unprompted. Sure, maybe it's part of the routine since I always ask him for a hug before he goes but this was of his own initiation. Melts this Mommy's heart. As part of the autism he's not big on being touched and rarely initiates physical contact so this was so great.

AND...as if that wasn't enough...I spent all weekend studying for a big psychology test on Monday. On Sunday night he hands me an envelope and tells me to open it when I get to my test. I get to school and open it and there's a note that says "good be lucky". Again, melted my heart. He is just such a bright light in my life.

The boys both brought home their midterm report cards yesterday. Beans did incredibly well! One B and the rest A's with multiple 100's! Wow! See my little sponge soaking up this knowledge? Little Man has been working very hard as well and I am so proud of him. He's made a ton of progress especially socially in these few short weeks. Plenty of sunshine going around here. :)

Perspective

Having two special needs kids has of course had a profound approach on my perspective about life. It has completely altered my viewpoint on just about everything. One of the biggest things I've had to come to grips with is the 'd' word - disability - and what it truly means in our lives. Learning has always come extremely easily to me and I always believed that if you just worked hard enough you could attain anything. In my prior mind, disability just meant you had to work a little harder. Looking back now, that really doesn't make much sense. Would you tell a paraplegic he could walk if he just tried harder? Would you tell a blind person they could see if they just tried harder? While I understood those physical disabilities I thought completely differently about cognitive and emotional disabilities.

This past year has brought about a very distinct change in my perspective. While getting diagnosis after diagnosis on Little Man has been unbelievably hard, it has also precipitated a change in me that I believe is helping him vastly more than my "just keep trying and you'll get it" mindset. Not that I've given up hope, no I'll never do that. Amazing things can and do happen and there's still a part of me that hopes if we keep trying then he'll overcome these struggles. But now instead of being so focused on the cure I'm learning to be thrilled with all the smaller steps that many take for granted.

Having a special needs child has a bucket load of extra heartaches and frustrations but it also has a truckload of extra joy. Little Man having a friend, planning a birthday party, him telling me "oops sorry, I was in your personal space," Beans coming home with a twinkle in his eye and telling me who sat by him at lunch, Little Man feeling a sense of pride and success when he completes his work for the day. These are all things that just thrill me. Seeing them overcome challenges is the most exciting thing in the world.

Every parent gets excited at the big "firsts" - first steps, first words, first smile. As a special needs parent you get so many more "firsts" to be excited about. Maybe the finish line has changed, maybe Little Man will graduate with an alternate diploma, maybe he'll be in special classes his whole school career and need support at a job. I have learned to accept what is and how hard he tries everyday. He is a wonderful boy and works harder to get through each day than many of us and he doesn't let it get him down. If he can do that then surely, as his parent and strongest supporter, so can I.

I Get to Plan a Real Birthday Party!!!

Little Man has a birthday coming up on October 8th. We've celebrated every year of course but he's never had a friend party cause he just wasn't really aware enough to make it worth it...oh yeah and only has had like one friend in his life. :( Well this year is different. He is so excited! I asked him if he wanted me to bring cake to his class and we could celebrate there for his friends party. Oh yes! Bring the cake and celebrate but he wants a REAL friends party! I asked him what he wanted and he has his heart set on a party at the park with a pinata. He wants his friends from school (there's 4 others in his class) and the kids next door that he's played with all summer to come. I'm so excited!

Now I need to pull details together. What do you do with 9 kids (provided everyone comes) at the park? Little Man is turning 10 and his classmates are about the same age. All of them are autistic and have the accompanying developmental delays. The next door neighbors are neurotypical and 9, 10 and 12 or so but they are great and patient with Little Man. Beans of course is 8 and will be there but the focus will be on Little Man. I hope at least a couple of his friends show up. He'll be so devestated if they don't.

I need to find a theme for him and then I'll be on the prowl for plates and napkins, cake, party favors and his much anticipated pinata! I can't forget the snacks and balloons! Oh this is so great!

He has several things he wants for his birthday too! He's usually hard to buy for but he's been asking for things on commercials. His biggest request right now is another remote control helicopter. He loves them so much but they're quite fragile so only last a few months. Transformers and some sort of castle building set (Trio?) is on his list too. The trick is finding things he wants that he can actually do. Oh this is going to be fun! I love it!!

An Emergence into Normalcy

I have to share with you what a wonderful experience this has been watching Beans emerge from an extremely shy, withdrawn preschooler to a kindergartener who would rather hide under his desk than sit with the other kids to a first grader in special ed who was trying to grasp the beginnings of academics but was so sick he missed the majority of school to a second grader in a self-contained class for a combination of reasons - Asperger's, immune, and tube feeding among some of them - who failed miserably when we did a trial run in the inclusion class to this year. As a repeat second grader I have to agree with Beans' statement that he is a "real" boy. Not that he wasn't before of course but now he's just .... normal. And what a fabulous place normal is!

Academically, my little star is starting to shine. Most of his grades are in the 90% - a great indicator that he's grasping the lessons but not so perfect that I question if retaining him was the right idea. It definitely was. Math is his brightest area and reading/writing take a lot more work. BUT he is catching on and catching on fast. He has gotten 100% on every spelling test so far. Words that are rather complex for him at the beginning of the week but by the time Friday rolls around he's got them.

The thing that is most apparent though is Beans' social development. I was almost in tears on the way to school this morning thinking about it. He comes home from school, hops out of the van, races to the door to give me a hug. Then I hear about his day...and contrary to what he's relayed in the past it isn't the more bland routine I hear about. Yesterday afternoon the conversation went like this:

Beans: "Mom, did you know I have a new girlfriend?"
Me: "Oh really? What's her name?"
Beans: "You have to guess."
Me: "Is it M?"
Beans (with a twinkle in his eye): "No, but she is ticklish."
Me: "Who is it then?"
Beans (with his impish grin): "It's E! She's ticklish too but not on her neck."

Okay, okay so tickling the girls isn't the most appropriate social behavior in second grade but I do think it's a pretty normal one. His teacher is so great at reminding him we don't tickle in class. LOL.

A couple days ago he came home and told me, with a very serious face, that two boys cheated. "Oh dear, why would they do that?" I asked. He got a mischievous impish grin and said they pretended to fight so they could make up and get points for it. He obviously knew it was wrong but was testing the waters. This exploration is such a wonderful, new world for me as a mom. I'm absolutely loving it.

Too Good To Be True?

I just got home from meeting with the account manager at the nursing agency Little Mans' CMS nurse referred me to. I went in thinking what the heck, it was worth a shot but not expecting much. Let's just say the meeting had me in tears. Tears of relief.

Apparently there is a program for special needs kids in this state that amazingly has not overreached it's funding. There were changes during the legislative session this year that may help me so drastically it will be truly a life changing help.

If things work out, which the account manager and nursing consultant who processes the claims and paperwork think they will, Little Man will have a Personal Care Assistant for a few hours each evening. Someone who can provide constant supervision, someone to help him with his daily needs - bathing, tooth brushing, toileting - and to keep him safe. Someone who will allow me a chance to do homework, housework, help Beans with his homework, cook dinner and all those millions of things you take for granted until you have a child who requires such intense constant supervision.

AND, more than I could have imagined. They provide an 8 hours rest/sleep period for sole caregivers. This means someone will be here overnight to ensure that when he wakes he doesn't get into trouble, isn't destructive, doesn't get hurt and doesn't get out of the house! OMG I don't even know how to turn myself off of this constant on guard state I live in. To be able to actually relax knowing that he is safe, wow.

I know to most that sounds like such a luxury - having someone get up in the night with your kid instead of you - but when it's all you all the time, your children demand such intense energy and time and they get up frequently me being able to get real sleep would be a huge quality of life improvement.

It hasn't been approved yet and I hesitate to get too excited before I know for sure but the people I met with today seemed pretty confident it will be approved. This assistance could start in as little as a couple weeks depending on how quickly I can get the kids physicals done with their pediatrician. Please cross your fingers with me that I can get this help. I love these boys immensely and I'm stretched way to thin.

Finding Resources

Well we made it through the weekend. It was probably our hardest weekend in a long time but we made it all in one piece...or as close as possible. ;) I was so happy to go to school today and immerse myself in my classes in the land where autism and tube feedings don't exist.

When I got home it was time to get working on a plan. I contacted our local CARD office (autism center) and requested their help. She is requesting that I set up a team meeting with Little Man's teacher, the CARD liaison and me. We'll go over behavior plans and resources and see what we can come up with as far as handling his behaviors and issues with unstructured time.

Then I contacted a nursing service the kids' CMS nurse referred me to. Mainly I was hoping to find someone who can administer Beans' feedings when I'm not around as no day care center or after school program is willing to take on that liability. While on the phone I asked if they did any sort of personal care support for autistic kids and what do you know - they do! I'm meeting with the intake specialist tomorrow to begin the process. There are a lot of hoops to jump through but the nursing service gathers all the information and then will petition insurance to cover it. Cross your fingers here!

Lastly I contacted the local Association for Disabled Persons about their Medicaid waiver program. There is a long, long wait list (5 years) but if - and it's a big if - Little Man is approved it will open a whole range of services available to him. Respite care, incontinence supply coverage, personal care assistance, behavior specialists, and life skill support among other things. They do not provide services for people with autism spectrum disorders, they have to have a diagnosis of specifically autistic disorder which I'm fairly certain he does. They'll be sending me the intake packet then we'll have an interview and hopefully, hopefully at least Little Man will be approved. This will make an incredible difference in what is available for lifetime support and independent living for him.

All of these take time to process so I'm hanging on by a thread but as long as noone comes along to snip it we'll make it. I may not be sane at the end but I wasn't sane when I started either. ;P

Desperate - How Do People Do This?

Today was one of those days that really make me question everything. It was a terrible day with Little Man. I really don't know what to do. He's not being aggressive thank goodness but I really don't know if I can handle this any more. I know I'm short tempered because of this cold but I am really at the end of my rope. I can't stress how desperate I am for help right now, something, anything.

Today he used up an entire roll of dental floss tying the house up, broke a keepsake of mine that is irreplaceable, hid my credit card so he could get a new toy (I don't think he was able to use it but he tried online), almost ruined my laptop by being too rough with it, smashed his head into the couch and bruised his face just by playing too rough and out of control, completely trashed the kitchen spreading shredded cheese everywhere - and I do mean everywhere - when trying to get a snack. He's so destructive, I cannot handle this. And I don't mean oh this is hard, I mean I am desperate.

He'll be 10 in a month and he's still like a toddler in so many ways. I just cannot be with him every moment and he's obviously too big to stick in a pack n play or something when I can't be with him. He doesn't have any concept of respect of other people or their things, he doesn't mean to be bad but he's constantly destroying or taking things. Punishment makes no difference whatsoever. Therapy hasn't made one bit of difference in all the years he's been in it. I think it's rather pointless to be honest. If he can't generalize real life practice, how is he suppose to generalize conversations to a real life situation? He can parrot everything back but none of it actually sinks in.

Tomorrow I'm going to Walmart and buying a lock with a combination and put everything I can think of that he destroys in our coat closet. All school supplies, Blade's tube supplies (he's obsessed with water and loves to run water through the feeding bags or rip the tubing off and run water thru them), and everything else I can think of.

How am I supposed to handle this? How do you teach a child not to do these things when he doesn't understand? Obviously I've tried telling him why not to, showing him alternatives, punishing him but it does no good. Not even momentarily. I really don't know what to do or how to keep him safe. Surely I can't be the only person who's dealt with this. I hesitate to even admit this but today some really scary thoughts passed through my mind of how in the world can I keep him at home when I can't keep him safe? He's getting bigger and can carry out much more complicated ideas but puts himself in danger if not constantly watched. I really don't know what to do and no one has answers. How do people really live like this and keep their child safe?

Funny Little Side Note

I was stressed out on Tuesday with Beans' appointments and having to miss class. Well I got back to class on Thursday and I've already told you how understanding my English professor was. What I forgot to tell you about was my nutrition class. Guess what they studied that day? The digestive system of all things. Terms that I've come to know on intimate terms - esophagus, epiglottis, motility, peristalsis, esophageal sphincters, pylorus, duodenum and jejunum among others. I guess Beans just figured he'd been giving me that lesson for years and if I hadn't learned it by now an extra day wouldn't make a difference. Funny how things work out. LOL.

A Phone Call from School

The day was chugging along as normal. I finished my psychology class and was enjoying the break between classes. I checked my cell for messages and there was on from Little Man's school. *sigh* Last year I received multiple calls a week from his teachers but this was the first time this year. Of course, it's rarely a good thing when you receive one of these calls and today was no exception. Little Man was having a bad day. Tearing up papers, throwing things and yelling. His teacher said normally she'd just deal with it but she had to leave for an appointment and the parapro in the class couldn't deal with Little Man and the other students without her.

Instead of heading to my sociology class I had to walk right out the door and go pick him up. My first instinct in situations like this is punishment - and not light ones. On the drive to the school, however, his teacher, Ms. R, said she felt strongly that his behavior was due to the autism and a lack of ability to communicate rather than strictly a behavior issue. I told her that I'd felt the same but was having a hard time understanding how a child who is so verbal and with a normal IQ was unable to grasp simple concepts - asking for help, telling someone when he doesn't feel well, things like that.

Her answer both confirmed what I've felt in my heart, what I've read over the past few days in the studying on autism I've been doing, and what the testing he had done last spring showed in less articulate terms. Ms. R said it's called Little Professor Syndrome. Many autistic kids sound like they know just what they're talking about. They can echo back mounds of information and seem to be very with it. But, they don't understand. They don't really get things, their echoing is just that - parroting. Not showing a true understanding.

Besides that, they have an extremely hard time understanding social situations and even their own bodies. Their bodies are constantly changing, trying to process a bombarding world. The rest of us can filter out what we don't need but they can't. All that together and the world is a very confusing, frustrating place for our autistic ones.

All this led up to her saying that she felt kids shouldn't be punished for their behavior when it's not truly in their control. With Little Man, his behaviors are saying what his words can't. Normally this wouldn't have even been an issue and she wouldn't have called but since she had to leave she needed me to come pick him up.

Who would have thought that the frequent call I came to expect and dread would give me so much insight into my child? Once again I have such confirmation and confidence in his school placement. Instead of punishing my little guy for things out of his control, the focus is on helping him learn to recognize when he needs help or doesn't feel well and expressing his needs appropriately. Even in the class that I thought he was going into, and was upset when he wasn't placed in the "higher-functioning" class, he wouldn't have gotten this extra understanding and teaching that he needs. Sometimes things really do work out for the best.

Good News All Around

I got a call today from animal control and the dog that bit Beans is current on his vaccinations. Woohoo! No Rabies shots for Beans! I never thought I'd be worried about Rabies of all things, but you never know what surprise these kids have in store. Now I can cross that off the list. :)

Last night I was very stressed out as I had missed my English class on Tuesday in the run around taking Beans to all his appointments. I knew there was a paper due, printed the assignment instructions from the class website but was still a little confused on what exactly was expected. I spent a few hours last night writing up my essay (just the rough draft was due).

I got to school early today to make sure I had the copies that my professor wanted. I went to my class and spoke with a couple students from my class and found out there was a 300 word in class essay assigned when I was absent. Now mind you, this is not the paper I wrote last night but an additional assignment. Panic mode starts to hit as this teacher has a strict policy on missed in class work.

Thank goodness my professor arrived shortly after. I explained why I had missed class and, not only did he give me time to do my 300 word essay in class, he was impressed that I had completed the rough draft of the other essay as they were starting it today. I thought it was due today. No wonder I was confused on what to do. On top of that he said he has a special connection to students who took time off before coming back to finish as he did the same thing. So I didn't have any penalty for the class I missed, I actually am ahead in my work, and I made a personal connection with the teacher. Very nice. I just love it when things that first appear challenging turn out to be positive.

Dog Bite and Some Happier Events

I'll start with the sad so I can end with the happy. On Monday evening, at Little Man's guitar lesson, Beans was bit in the mouth by a dog. The dog's owner had brought him (a little Shih Tzu named Chin) to try and socialize him. Beans approached and owner insisted he wouldn't bite. Chin let Beans pet him a few times then the last time he bit him right on the mouth. :( Blood was pouring everywhere and Beans was of course a screaming, flailing octopus boy.

He actually got pretty lucky and didn't need any stitches but the dog got him in two places on his bottom lip, one on his top and a good gash on his top gum spanning the entire length. Since the cuts weren't deep the main concern is infection. Since it's in his mouth I can't put his normal mupirocin antibiotic cream on it so the pediatrician put him on a preventative antibiotic. The doctor had to report the bite to animal control who is tracking down the owner (the director of Little Man's music school should know who she is) and verifying the dog has had it's Rabies shot. As long as it's current Beans will be fine, if it has lapsed I'll be hearing from the health department and Beans will have to go through the series of Rabies shots. The owner told me when the dog bit that it had it's shots so I'm just crossing my fingers that they are up to date and we don't have to put Beans through that.

On our way home from the lesson, after the bite, I stopped at the grocery store to get something for Beans' sore mouth. I was so frazzled that I managed to leave my purse sitting in the cart when I loaded the kids back into the car. I didn't realize until 11:00 pm that it was missing so I called the store and by some miracle someone had turned it in! I picked it up the next morning and not a single thing was missing - not even my credit card or the little bit of cash I had! Thank you, thank you honest person. You saved me so much trouble.

Beans crashed in the Car after his rough day

Tuesday morning Beans had an opthalmologist appointment to check on his eyes. They are incredibly sensitive to light and the immunologist was concerned. Everything checked out perfectly! He has perfect vision and no neurological cause to the photophobia. And even better, a simple solution - he'll wear sunglasses. I can handle this one. :)


Things seem to be going along well as far as school is concerned. Beans has gotten 100% on both of his spelling tests - including the 5 challenge words each week! He's soaking the knowledge up like a sponge and loving it. He's so happy to be a "normal kid" as he puts it.

Little Man also seems to be doing well in school. His class is a little different so I don't have any grades or scores but his daily home notes seem to indicate he's doing much better this year than last at least in the behavior and participation areas.

As for me, I am loving school. The adult interaction and soaking up the knowledge myself is almost, as my brother J put it, a drug. I have to get busy tonight and finish my rough draft for an English essay due tomorrow and have another couple big papers coming up. It's a lot of work but it's so rewarding. And the college library - oh boy, I'm in heaven. I have found so many books on autism that should help me help Little Man better. I'm getting set up to implement visual activity schedules for him to try and promote some independent functional behavior. It will take work, but so does everything worthwhile. I'm excited to find new methods that might produce better results. I'll let you know how it goes.