Guest guest Posted March 25, 2006 Report Posted March 25, 2006 Kat, you and sound like wonderful parents. Your kids are blessed. I wish Karac had parents like you. Blessings, Pat K Quote
Guest guest Posted March 25, 2006 Report Posted March 25, 2006 I completely understand what you are saying! I look at my son, , and wonder what he would be like if he wasn't autistic, and I can't even picture it. He is a wonderful young man who still wants to be a little kid and isn't afraid to show it to his peers. He is very simple and loving and not worried about what anybody thinks of him. In some ways I wish I could be more like him. Peer pressure is a tough thing for kids to deal with, but he doesn't have a clue what it even is. In a lot of ways he is lucky for now. What the future holds is a total mystery, but for now he is happy and that's what really matters in life. Raylene mother of , 11 yr old, HFA -- Just The Way He Is My husband, , said something the other day that I had been thinking for a long time, but wasn't brave enough to say (leave it to him to find that bravery!). Anyway, he said, "Ya know, with all of Timmy's problems, I love him so much just the way he is. Part of me never wants him to change." I love that man so much! I don't know why Timmy is the way he is. I don't know if it's Thermosal or genetics or a rotten batch of apple sauce I fed him one day. All I know is that he's autistic and... he's perfect. 's comment hit home to me in very deep and very frustrating levels. The first part of that is that I agree with him (if Timmy were any different, he wouldn't be Timmy). Second is that I feel very greedy in feeling/thinking that way. What about TIMMY'S life? What about HIS future? Please understand that we're OLD parents. I'm 45, Rog is 52. Our two young sons are adopted. We don't have the stamina and, in conjuction with that, the endurance associated with that, that younger parents have. What we do have (in abundance) is patience tempered with wisdom (and, of course lots of love that obviously younger parents have as well). Yes, Timmy is a lot of work. Yes, because of his autism, I keep very busy and don't get to do a lot of the things that "normal" people get to do. But he is so precious and so honest in his disorder. He just simply is who he is. I don't know if any of this makes sense, or, if it does, how it might be received by others on this list. What I do know is that it's honest and I just needed to vent that from my brain. I hope you all understand. Hugs! Kat Quote
Guest guest Posted March 25, 2006 Report Posted March 25, 2006 Wouldnt change my guy either ! CB's Granny Quote
Guest guest Posted March 27, 2006 Report Posted March 27, 2006 Hi, CB's Granny, I haven't heard from you in a long time. What is going on with CB? Pat K Quote
Guest guest Posted March 28, 2006 Report Posted March 28, 2006 He's doing Great! Language is up! And Behaviors are down! LOL. He's in a social after school program , its all scripted, so that he learns how to engage play and make friends with typical kids. If you guys can get an ABA therapist...DO IT ! Ours is the best thing that ever happened. How's Karac ? CB's Granny Quote
Guest guest Posted March 29, 2006 Report Posted March 29, 2006 I am so happy for CB and you. Karac has a good ABA therapist who comes to my house and works with Karac on Saturdays and Sundays during the school year. He is doing very well with his typing and spelling. I pick up Karac everyday from school. On Mondays I take him swimming at the rec. On Tuesday he goes to gymnastics and loves it; on Wednesday we go to Spirithorse where he rides a mere named Lollipop. Thursday he has music therapy at his home, and Friday I take him swimming again. He spends Saturday night with me and I take him to church on Sunday. We sit in the church's training room and I have an art therapist who goes with me and she keeps him engaged in some art activity while I listen to the sermon. Karac also listens to some of the sermon because he will repeat parts of it sometimes. I would like to have an ABA therapist with him every day, but I have not been able to find another one who will come to the house. Pat K Quote
Guest guest Posted March 29, 2006 Report Posted March 29, 2006 Kat, I have teacher retirement, and also I went back to teaching part time. I teach psy and soci at a private school. My students get high school and college credit for my courses; so I am paid by both the high school and the junior college where I am an adjunct instructor. Also, just recently my daughter-in-law got into some kind of program that now pays me for teaching my own grandchild; only $8.00 an hour, but every bit helps. Isn't that awesome? When I started out working with Karac 10 years ago, I had only a part-time therapy practice and sometimes I didn't know how I was going to pay my therapist, but I just went on faith and a prayer. I wouldn't have to do all this at my age if Karac had a mother like you, but Karac has a mother who has kicked him in the testicles and nearly choked him to death, and a father who wishes Karac were dead. Not all the therapy in the world can make up for not having loving parents, but with God's help I try. Pat K Quote
Guest guest Posted March 29, 2006 Report Posted March 29, 2006 Oh my goodness, Pat! How do you ever afford all of the therapy? What's your secret? Of course you can just tell me it's none of my business... ;-) Kat Quote
Guest guest Posted March 29, 2006 Report Posted March 29, 2006 Contact the local regional center they have a list of venders for ABA therapists. HOORAY FOR KARAC !!! and horray that he's got his Granny ! ) Quote
Guest guest Posted March 29, 2006 Report Posted March 29, 2006 Well it sounds like you've got it all worked out, Pat! I think it's great that you get paid to teach Karac too! No matter what you say, YOU are Karac's mommy and he is so very lucky to have you! Kat Quote
Guest guest Posted March 30, 2006 Report Posted March 30, 2006 What has the ABA done for you?LornaBerry@... wrote: Contact the local regional center they have a list of venders for ABA therapists. HOORAY FOR KARAC !!! and horray that he's got his Granny ! ) New Messenger with Voice. Call regular phones from your PC and save big. Quote
Guest guest Posted March 30, 2006 Report Posted March 30, 2006 We were having a lot of aggression at school, He was not able to make friends. So we contacted CB's first school psychologist to do an in home assessment. She told us his school was "done " with him and to concentrate on that. We found a school that was on 60 minutes for rapid response. After the assessment, which found him to be far higher in his academic knowledge (skipped 2 grades) The new school contacted a program called Step by Step for an ABA 1:1 . The change just with academics was unbelievable, BUT when it was an unpreferred activity he would raise the roof (he learned that was the way to get out of it) Our ABA FRIEND didn't let him do that anymore with kindness, she would give him sensory breaks, let him have the time to speak (Language is way up) Aggression started coming down. actually came over after school just to play, to get his trust back. Well, folks we can go anywhere, do anything we want now. CB will tell us now "too Much " instead of biting,scatching, or pinching. Vocalizing is minimum, Hess doing great at school and now has "Best Friends " that come over to spend the night. Really NORMAL. I cant stand it when people treat him like he's stupid, or that he doesn't understand English. The new school treats our kids like typicals ...field trips, sports, regular classroom curriculum, holiday shows, achievement award ceremonies, where they have to sing and make speeches (YES even the ASL class) I was crying during Christmas, the 8th grade class did a waltz with the teachers IT WAS BEAUTIFUL. CB's Class sang winter wonderland and did a dance. There is hope! You must find the best for your child, do the foot work...its so worth it CB's Granny Quote
Guest guest Posted March 30, 2006 Report Posted March 30, 2006 Thanks, Kat; I feel like Karac's mommy and I adore him. Keep me up to date on your little one's progress. Pat K Quote
Guest guest Posted March 30, 2006 Report Posted March 30, 2006 ABA helped with toilet training Karac; teaching him motor imitation; riding a bike, functional speech; reading, printing; coloring; helped develop his fine motor skills; direction following; compliance; eating with utensils; dressing and undressing himself; his colors; the alphabet (upper and lower case); numbers to 100; adding and subtracting on the calculator. I'm sure there is more, but I don't have time to think of everything. Pat K Quote
Guest guest Posted March 30, 2006 Report Posted March 30, 2006 CB's Granny, that is awesome; brings me such joy to know that CB is doing so well. Pat K Quote
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