Good bye April.....Good riddence....
I am not quite sure how this came about, I definitely know why...
April has always been a HELL MONTH for me.Its completely unrelated to autism yet conncected in some ways....
Perhaps I have arrived at "wishing"it on myself. Just from the knowledge of the month coming in the natural rotatation.Yet as far back as I can remember April has always brought challenges, bad luck and crap. Agruments with close personal liaisons,cars breaking down,bank accounts over drawn, physical injury, weird situations that have no specific reason to happen.
This year, this month has been no different. Without enumerating all the crap that the last 30 days have brought I am jumping with glee that within the hour April will be gone at least for the next 11 months or 336 days (gotta add an extra day..leap year)
So Farwell, So long , averdersein(sp) , adieu.....can't wait for midnight....for the month to be GONE!!!!
Thursday, April 30, 2015
Monday, April 27, 2015
10 years ago Today
As if Dakotas birth wasn't enough for a life time....10 years ago today we suffered another set back...
The short story is that Dakotas Teacher went against the IEP and made him and his 1 on 1 aide go to the baseball field for lunch rather than the quad as described in his goals . This way the teacher could give the other aides in the class their breaks while still covering his own ass by using Daks aide to watch the other kids...
Dakota decided he did not want to be there and started back to the class ..stepped down off the cement foundation onto gravel slipped and broke his leg in 3 places............
The ride and stay in the ER is another subject but this post is about how it has had an effect that has yet to fade and the residual memories still give Dakota terrors.
After 3 days in the hospital which was a "tap dance"to keep Dakota there and co operative it was 2 months on the bed refusing to get off because he was afraid of breaking his other leg...of course there was no acknowledgement by the school or offer for accommodations to get him back and eventually after a discussion with risk management and their in ability to understand that not only could this incident been avoided but a simple fix with very little cost could solve the problem there was litigation..again not what this post is about.
What Dakota got out of this is a permanent inability to to feel safe any longer on his own 2 feet...he now refused to go anywhere near the sand at the beach because of the instability of the sand, he has major issues with many types of flooring and surfaces...if there is a texture, or a color or even a crack or change in patterns HE FREEZES...
The cast was set improperly which we didn't understand until it was too late and he had pain in his foot and leg while in the cast so he started twisting and pulling his hair to the point of bald spots ...that habit has continued ...it also is my biggest battle as I write this post....it no longer is a way for him to deal with pain but has become a habit that he cannot stop.....He has had toenails removed and a hammer toe and no longer walks like a normal person. His "gait"is not right and I have yet to get a podiatrist to agree that so ething need to be done. The last time we went to Disneyland I had to get a wheelchair half way thruthe visit as his foot was giving out on him.of course all this pisses me off YET we solider
Beyond all of that when the date rolls around .....it obvious that he is well aware of it and he becomes almost traumatized and fixated ....that SOMETHING IS GOING TO HAPPEN...
As early as yesterday morning I noticed he was "touchy"and he had escalated behavior. Had a minor meltdown , was sleeping or napping a couple of times during the day and just an overall sketchy day. Last night he usually sleeps quite well, falls asleep easily and wakes up predictably around the same time..BUT not last night
First thing out of his mouth this morning was "Mom....It's April 27"
I sat down and looked him in the EYES and told him it was Ok and we would have a good day...We
would be careful and I would make sure that nothing happened...
he seemed to be relieved and and trusted me..but I knew until the time passed and the clock struck midnight we wouldn't be out of the woods....
It's now 11:39pm and barring any unforeseen freaky happening I think we made it through about April 27...10 years down....hopefully by the time we hit 20 years I won't be writing about it !!
The short story is that Dakotas Teacher went against the IEP and made him and his 1 on 1 aide go to the baseball field for lunch rather than the quad as described in his goals . This way the teacher could give the other aides in the class their breaks while still covering his own ass by using Daks aide to watch the other kids...
Dakota decided he did not want to be there and started back to the class ..stepped down off the cement foundation onto gravel slipped and broke his leg in 3 places............
The ride and stay in the ER is another subject but this post is about how it has had an effect that has yet to fade and the residual memories still give Dakota terrors.
After 3 days in the hospital which was a "tap dance"to keep Dakota there and co operative it was 2 months on the bed refusing to get off because he was afraid of breaking his other leg...of course there was no acknowledgement by the school or offer for accommodations to get him back and eventually after a discussion with risk management and their in ability to understand that not only could this incident been avoided but a simple fix with very little cost could solve the problem there was litigation..again not what this post is about.
What Dakota got out of this is a permanent inability to to feel safe any longer on his own 2 feet...he now refused to go anywhere near the sand at the beach because of the instability of the sand, he has major issues with many types of flooring and surfaces...if there is a texture, or a color or even a crack or change in patterns HE FREEZES...
The cast was set improperly which we didn't understand until it was too late and he had pain in his foot and leg while in the cast so he started twisting and pulling his hair to the point of bald spots ...that habit has continued ...it also is my biggest battle as I write this post....it no longer is a way for him to deal with pain but has become a habit that he cannot stop.....He has had toenails removed and a hammer toe and no longer walks like a normal person. His "gait"is not right and I have yet to get a podiatrist to agree that so ething need to be done. The last time we went to Disneyland I had to get a wheelchair half way thruthe visit as his foot was giving out on him.of course all this pisses me off YET we solider
Beyond all of that when the date rolls around .....it obvious that he is well aware of it and he becomes almost traumatized and fixated ....that SOMETHING IS GOING TO HAPPEN...
As early as yesterday morning I noticed he was "touchy"and he had escalated behavior. Had a minor meltdown , was sleeping or napping a couple of times during the day and just an overall sketchy day. Last night he usually sleeps quite well, falls asleep easily and wakes up predictably around the same time..BUT not last night
First thing out of his mouth this morning was "Mom....It's April 27"
I sat down and looked him in the EYES and told him it was Ok and we would have a good day...We
would be careful and I would make sure that nothing happened...
he seemed to be relieved and and trusted me..but I knew until the time passed and the clock struck midnight we wouldn't be out of the woods....
It's now 11:39pm and barring any unforeseen freaky happening I think we made it through about April 27...10 years down....hopefully by the time we hit 20 years I won't be writing about it !!
Thursday, April 2, 2015
APRIL is AUTISM Awareness....not Celebration but Information!
A friend shared this and I thought it was very consise .......
April is Autism Awareness Month and today is World Autism Awareness Day! While awareness IS still necessary, I hope that it leads to more action! 1 in 68 are diagnosed with autism. 1 in 42 boys!! These numbers are staggering and continue to rise!
What is Autism?
Autism is a bio-neurological developmental disability that generally appears before the age of 3
Autism impacts the normal development of the brain in the areas of social interaction, communication skills, and cognitive function. Individuals with autism typically have difficulties in verbal and non-verbal communication, social interactions, and leisure or play activities
Individuals with autism often suffer from numerous co-morbid medical conditions which may include: allergies, asthma, epilepsy, digestive disorders, persistent viral infections, feeding disorders, sensory integration dysfunction, sleeping disorders, and more
Autism is diagnosed four times more often in boys than girls. Its prevalence is not affected by race, region, or socio-economic status. Since autism was first diagnosed in the U.S. the incidence has climbed to an alarming one in 68 children in the U.S.
Autism itself does not affect life expectancy, however research has shown that the mortality risk among individuals with autism is twice as high as the general population, in large part due to drowning and other accidents.
Currently there is no cure for autism, though with early intervention and treatment, the diverse symptoms related to autism can be greatly improved and in some cases completely overcome.
Autism Facts & Stats
Autism now affects 1 in 68 children
Boys are four times more likely to have autism than girls
About 40% of children with autism do not speak. About 25%–30% of children with autism have some words at 12 to 18 months of age and then lose them. Others might speak, but not until later in childhood
Autism greatly varies from person to person (no two people with autism are alike)
The rate of autism has steadily grown over the last twenty years
Comorbid conditions often associated with autism include Fragile X, allergies, asthma, epilepsy, bowel disease, gastrointestinal/digestive disorders, persistent viral infections, PANDAS, feeding disorders, anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, ADHD, Tourette Syndrome, OCD, sensory integration dysfunction, sleeping disorders, immune disorders, autoimmune disorders, and neuroinflammation.
Autism is the fastest growing developmental disorder, yet most underfunded
A 2008 Danish Study found that the mortality risk among those with autism was nearly twice that of the general population
Children with autism do progress – early intervention is key
Autism is treatable, not a hopeless condition
April is Autism Awareness Month and today is World Autism Awareness Day! While awareness IS still necessary, I hope that it leads to more action! 1 in 68 are diagnosed with autism. 1 in 42 boys!! These numbers are staggering and continue to rise!
What is Autism?
Autism is a bio-neurological developmental disability that generally appears before the age of 3
Autism impacts the normal development of the brain in the areas of social interaction, communication skills, and cognitive function. Individuals with autism typically have difficulties in verbal and non-verbal communication, social interactions, and leisure or play activities
Individuals with autism often suffer from numerous co-morbid medical conditions which may include: allergies, asthma, epilepsy, digestive disorders, persistent viral infections, feeding disorders, sensory integration dysfunction, sleeping disorders, and more
Autism is diagnosed four times more often in boys than girls. Its prevalence is not affected by race, region, or socio-economic status. Since autism was first diagnosed in the U.S. the incidence has climbed to an alarming one in 68 children in the U.S.
Autism itself does not affect life expectancy, however research has shown that the mortality risk among individuals with autism is twice as high as the general population, in large part due to drowning and other accidents.
Currently there is no cure for autism, though with early intervention and treatment, the diverse symptoms related to autism can be greatly improved and in some cases completely overcome.
Autism Facts & Stats
Autism now affects 1 in 68 children
Boys are four times more likely to have autism than girls
About 40% of children with autism do not speak. About 25%–30% of children with autism have some words at 12 to 18 months of age and then lose them. Others might speak, but not until later in childhood
Autism greatly varies from person to person (no two people with autism are alike)
The rate of autism has steadily grown over the last twenty years
Comorbid conditions often associated with autism include Fragile X, allergies, asthma, epilepsy, bowel disease, gastrointestinal/digestive disorders, persistent viral infections, PANDAS, feeding disorders, anxiety disorder, bipolar disorder, ADHD, Tourette Syndrome, OCD, sensory integration dysfunction, sleeping disorders, immune disorders, autoimmune disorders, and neuroinflammation.
Autism is the fastest growing developmental disorder, yet most underfunded
A 2008 Danish Study found that the mortality risk among those with autism was nearly twice that of the general population
Children with autism do progress – early intervention is key
Autism is treatable, not a hopeless condition
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)