Parents With Purpose

[batemanten]

It sounds like his understanding is improving. It's great that he would go to the stairs and yell for the boys! That is something I would not have expected from him the last time we were together in Philly.

BTW, FHC has the same brand of hbot chamber as you now. I'm really impressed----guess they are, too. Dawson was VERY sick so we couldn't give it a whirl. I'd like to see how he would do with the higher pressure.

It is warming up nicely in Dallas---come one down and you can walk 'til your heart's delight.

[DeneBug]

Seems like program has fallen apart again. We do little bits here and there and try to get Benjamin to walk everywhere... a challenge in it's self! He doesn't mind walking, but it's not normally the direction we want to go! I haven't been measuring distance lately.

Kids woke up...

[DeneBug]

We fell off program COMPLETELY!! (Does anyone else do that? Or is it just me??!)
We go back to the FHC in a week, so we are excited about the recharge we get when we go...I think we all need that!
Also, a group of ladies in the area are starting a BED (Body Ecology Diet) tea support group. I am looking forward to that....as somehow our diet has fallen off track too.
The good news is that Benjamin was evaluated by the county for speech services, but they insisted on doing a full evaluation. He only qualifies for speech! Although he has delays in other areas, they are not enough to qualify for services. That is encouraging new for us.

QUESTION FOR OTHER FAMILIES-What do you do with the other kids during program? One issue with program is that we have two other children who can not run unsupervised while I concentrate on Benjamin. Yet, they get bored in the same room with us for hours, or they are a distraction. We home-school, so finding time for everything is our puzzle.

[DeneBug]

We went back to the FHC...unfortunately we did not move forward on neurological development...but, since program fell to the way side, it was not a huge surprise.
SO, we are back to a NEW program.

Honor and Respect are at the top of the list this time. Which is a little embarrassing, to be told that you need to do a better job of disciplining your child. However, we were starting to come to that conclusion by ourselves so it was not completely out of the blue. When a 2 year old doesn't listen you can scoop him up and keep going, what will we do when he's 5 or 10 or 15? So he is getting disciplined with timeouts for everything..just short, second long time outs. And it is working incredibly well! I am quickly learning the things he really doesn't understand and the things he has been choosing to ignore. And he is A LOT smarter than I gave him credit for!!
he is also supposed to be involved in EVERYTHING, which, with three kids, there are somethings that I have just started doing myself to get it done quickly. So now he helps empty the trashes, empty the dishwasher, vacuum, clean, cook, take care of his cousins.....
Gotta go, someone is crying...

[marilyna]

Denebug,

You know that I am new here. I read this whole thread and I enjoyed learning about you and your family. How old is Benjamin? Can you tell me what his original problems were? Did he have a diagnosis?

I saw where you asked about what to do with the other children while doing the program. I wonder if it would work to advertise for a volunteer? I may want to do that if it is considered okay to do that. Last month was autism awareness month and there were lots of news stories on autism, so I think it may be a good time to find someone interested.

We got to move our appointment up by a week, so we're going to see Donna on the 24th. I'm a little scared of how much time the program is going to take! But I'm looking forward to getting started.

Thanks for sharing your experiences!

[DeneBug]

Benjamin is almost 3 and has Downs Syndrome.

For the first time we have a college girl helping out for the next few weeks. It is GREAT!!! I have my sisters twins while she is on business, so the student helped with them the most. I would like to get more permanent help, but we can not afford it and I have not had any luck getting volunteers.
Oh well, I keep thinking that if God wanted us to have the help, he will provide it. The grandparents have offered to come out once a week to help with homeschooling the others...maybe that will help.

[marilyna]

Your boys are so cute!

Enjoy your helper while she lasts. Sorry you can't find any volunteers. I hope I'll be able to. We can't afford to pay anyone either.

[deb]

Denebug, I seem to recall you're not all that far from me, unless I have you mixed up with someone else?

Can you contact a college with a program in early childhood, special education, OT, whatever, to find a student willing to work with you for free or for really cheap for the experience? And if you're in my area, high school students can earn community service hours that they need for graduation.

Summer is coming, too, which will change who's available and when.

Just a couple random thoughts.

[DeneBug]

Yes, I think we live in the same general area. Although with gas prices, it might as well be 200 miles!
I am hoping the summer will be better. I have discovered that with our new program, I don't need as much help. Maybe just one day to get errands run, however the kids like to come with. I definitely need help when we watch the cousins. But that needs to be someone who my sister is comfortable with too.
Other note, diet is going much smoother this time round. It's not perfect, but we had Amaranth Pancakes and green beans for breakfast. The pancakes were great! I ground the Amaranth grain in a coffee grinder to make the flour. I felt so, I don't know the word...resourceful? domestic? old fashioned?
Program is fair...Benjamin got sick, again. Yesterday he just lay on the floor wherever he was. He's feeling better today. We need to work on increasing our physical program, its hard to do when he's tired.
And our FULL CO2 tank was EMPTY when we got back from FHC. It must have leaked. It takes 2 weeks to get it refilled. It was a little frustrating to have wasted the money, oh well.
On the other hand, our reading, tactile, and auditory program are going great! I have found a way to fit them into our day around our normal routine that make then just flow.
Well, I should get back to the kids.

[DeneBug]

Where have we been? DOING PROGRAM!!
YEP, we are back to doing a GOOD job at program. The last few weeks have been great! Not easy, just productive.
Convincing Benjamin to creep and crawl has taken every ounce of energy I have. We pull out toys to play with, we play London Bridges, I jump on a mini trampoline while holding him, I play airplane with him on my legs, we pull him around on a play parachute...when it gets really difficult we pull out the Cheerios and finally the mini M&M's. (I know, NOT on the diet, but it works.) All that for 10 measly little laps.

Yesterday we sat on the steps for almost 2 hours because he would not do what I wanted him to do (back to our obedience program). It was exhausting for both of us. I was very thankful that the other kids were out with DH!

However, even with our short distances, I have noticed he is trying to say words more frequently when I read a story.

[batemanten]

Good job getting program done! It can be exhausting as you re-start. One sign that he is getting more organized is that programs will begin to be easier.

On volunteers---Boy and Girl Scout troops can be good sources. Perhaps you could even get a Boy Scout to come over and play with Nicholas and William while you are doing some things with Benjamin that take your one-on-one attention. I would DEFINITELY take the grandparents up on their offer to help with homeschool. This will help you AND it will be a sweet memory for the boys of time with grandparents. It is a relationship builder, and I think it would be great for the grandparents and the boys.

Also consider National Honor Societies for volunteers. They are required to have a certain number of hours of service. If you talk to the sponsor, they may help you get several volunteers.

M&M's---I'd really look for a healthier alternative. Try to find something else he really likes to eat. How about raisins or blueberries or dried banana chips? They're still sugar, but not all the processed stuff in candy.

Sitting on the steps for 2 hours is fine---that is still part of the program. He is learning honor and respect, which will benefit him for a lifetime.

Keep up the good work! It will get easier and Benjamin will continue to improve!

[DeneBug]

Dan's going to the store for raisins.

Went to the geneticist for routine visit today. She seemed really impressed with Benjamin's progress. It's hard to read her, but she made a few little comments. For example, I said that Benjamin was doing good. She said, "He's doing VERY good."

[DeneBug]

Today Benjamin got into the office and pulled out the reading cards from 6+ months ago. I went ahead and tested him on a few, and he can still read them! He correctly picked words from 12 sets before he started back with picking both words and not wanting to be tested.
I don't know why I was so surprised he remembered.
We got another 5 full days of program in. Finding encouragement to crawl is still hard, Playing with matchbox cars is good for one round, but Thomas the Tank Engine trains are too big and he gets up on one knee and one foot.
Discipline is slipping. I have noticed that I am scooping him up again instead of time-outing. Doing the C&C takes SO much of the day that in between I am not insisting he help out as much as he is supposed too. I just try to get things done.

[batemanten]

Yes, it does take so much time now---but it is SAVING you time in the long run. He will get more organized and then your life will be sooooo much easier. Discipline is one of the areas where you'll see the biggest improvement that will make your life better (and his) sooner.

Housework may be one of the areas where you could get a volunteer---sometimes people feel intimidated by program, but would be willing to help do housework while you continue with program.

[DeneBug]

We have been moving along with program.
I noticed that Benjamin will eat things that are hotter (heat) than the rest of us can tolerate. I think it is due to low sensation in his mouth and fingertips.
I stopped trying to get the C&C in the last 2 days, instead we have been shopping...Um, I mean walking... in the evenings. We go to the strip malls and start at one end and walk through to the other, the pet store is better than the zoo! I would love to walk a hiking trail, but the kids get bored going at Benjamin's pace, at the malls they can look through the windows or go a little ahead and I can still see them.
Benjamin is testing with disciple, but I get the feeling he knows he's going to do what I want, he's just checking to see how consistent I am going to be.
We managed to slide off his diet, little by little since the 4th of July. Yesterday, I put Benjamin and myself back on it- strictly. I noticed my energy level has been decreasing and I am positive it's due to diet. Today I slept right through my exercise time....hum, I will have to make a decision later today..clean house or exercise...