Words to live by---

These 3 things remain true to the "Journey of Autism". Anyone or everyone can advise you;

ULTIMATELY you MUST go with what you feel is right. "GO WITH YOUR GUT."

Once you have arrived at this decision; "NEVER GIVE UP"!

LASTLY "Ya Gotta do, what Ya Gotta do!"



Saturday, January 8, 2005

BASIC HISTORY

LETS START WITH BACKGROUND HISORY : AUTISM CAME INTO OUR LIVES IN THE LABOR ROOM OF THE HOSPITAL WHEN MY SON WAS BORN. BREIFLY I WAS IN LABOR FOR THE BETTER PART OF 4 DAYS AND ENDED UP IN AN EMERGENCY C-SECTION. DAKOTA WAS DELIVERED BLUE WITH APGAR 0-0-0- AT BIRTH ,ONE MINUTE AND TEN MINUTES.HE WAS PRONOUNCED D.O.A AND AT 17 MINUTES HE MOVED ,THEY RE-INTIBATED AND FINALLY GOT A HEART BEAT . HE SUFFERED SEVERE TRAUMA AT BIRTH AND ALTHOUGH HE WAS FULL TERM AND A BIG BABY REMAINED IN NEO-NATAL ICU FOR OVER 3 WEEKS. AT 6 WEEKS WE STARTED PHYSICAL AND OCCUPATIONAL THERAPIES.THAT IS WHERE AND WHEN I STARTED EDUCATING MYSELF.

THE INITIAL OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY INCLUDED EVERY DE-SENSITIZING STARTEGY IMAGINABLE.POPCORN PACKING,SUBMERGING IN TUBS OF JELLO,SAND AND SAND BOXES,LIQUID SOAP,BUBBLES, SCRUBBING,ROLLING SPINNING . . . .  YOU NAME IT WE DID IT   I HAVE TO ADMIT TO THIS DAY I THINK IT DID HELP BECAUSE WE DONT HAVE THOSE SENSORY ISSUES LIKE HUGGING  OR NAIL TRIMMING OR HAIR CUTTING. DONT MISUNDERSTAND WE STILL HAVE OTHER THINGS BUT CERTAINLY NOT THE SAME SEVEIRTY THAT OTHERS I KNOW HAVE DEALT WITH.

IF I PICKED ONE THING FROM THAT EARLY THERAPY I THINK IT WOULD BE THE SCRUBBING.WE WERE GIVEN AN ENDLESS SUPPLY OF "SCRUB BRUSHES"FROM THE NEO-NATAL WARD --THE ONES WITH THE SOFT PLASTIC BRISTLES ON ONE SIDE AND THE SPONGE ON THE OTHER. WE STARTED FROM THE BASE OF THE NECK AND SCRUBBED DOWN THE SPINE ACROSS THE SHOULDERS DOWN THE ARMS ON TO THE PALMS OF THE HANDS   BACK UP THE ARMS DOWN THE SPINE TO THE LEGS DOWN TO THE PADS OF THE FEET AND  BACK UP THE SPINE AGAIN.  NEVER NEVER ON THE STOMACH. I CANT TELL YOU HOW MUCH THAT CALMED DAKOTA.

I WILL CONTINUE AGAIN WITH MORE GENERAL HISTORY . . . NEXT EXERP

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