WEEK 5: July 13-July17th

Continuing to update a daily journal to make sure we have the most accurate data for our upcoming decision making...

July 13th: Paige had a t-ball game.  We allowed him to take the tablet.  He chose to sit away from everyone, and I eventually led him to a seat in the middle of the area.  I had to chase Peyton who had run to the opposite end of the field.  I could still see Hunter, and I was repeatedly looking over to make sure he was ok...guess I should have been closer.  One of the moms came up to me and said, "Hunter looks sad.  His bottom lip is quivering so I asked him if he wanted mommy and he said yes."  By the time I got over there, his eyes had filled with tears and he reached out to me. "It's going to die!" he said with sobs.  I walked him back over to a quiet area under a tree and assured him that he had plenty of battery power left to play.  After a minute, with a quavering voice, he said, "Mommy?  Where did you go?  I looked and I couldn't find you."

BROKE. MY. HEART.  My sweet boy was searching for me and didn't have the tools or enough confidence to ask another person. 

Hunter did go to swim team practice later that morning and actually got in the pool!  He swam several laps with a new instructor and we were SO proud of him.

We had a birthday party later that day, and the kids were to wear their swim clothes for a water slide bounce house.  Hunter did well with the kids, interacted with his sister and brother, and enjoyed jumping on the trampoline.  He even hit the piñata!!

Peyton taking a whack at the dino

Can you tell this girlie plays t-ball??

Big swing!

July 14th: Noticed lots of hair twirling.  At one point when Dad asked to give tablet back, he gave it back without a word, but then hit him, ran to the kitchen and knocked over a chair.  I put him in the laundry room until he could be "safe."  He slammed the washer one time, and walked out.  I stopped him and asked him if he was being safe now- he said yes and apologized to daddy.

Great conversational skills today.  Seemed happy the majority of the day.

July 15th: Had a good day at the preschool- no issues walking in, no hitting.  Had an even better day at the IOP.

 

As we were leaving the IOP, Hunter told his friend Jacob, "This is my sister, Paige!"  He said it for a third time, and as we were walking out, I told him, "Hunter, you only have to say it one time."

 

He looked at me and said, "Mommy, you know why I said it so many times?  Because he didn't answer me."

 

And he was right- he hadn't answered Hunter.  Can we get a WOOT WOOT for this conversational awareness progress???

 

We headed to the Dr to have Paige's asthma checked out.  On the way there, I said "OK, everyone!  No touching anything in the doctor's office!"  Yes, I am ultraparanoid and didn't want to take anything home with us.

 

Hunter, who was playing the tablet in the back of the car, and I didn't even think was listening, said immediately, "We got it.  Peytonn- No Touching Toys!!"

 

So glad he is participating in conversations without much prompting.

 

Asked the doctor to run his labs again, CMV, HHV6, AntiBNase Strep, Coxsackie...all the ones that were previously elevated to see where we were.  I also asked for a copy of his medical records from November 2009, when he first got sick until now.  I was like a kid in the candy store when the nurse handed me this packet.  Going to go through it with a fine-tooth comb.

Might not do it justice, but the stack was ENORMOUS.  labs, notes, etc...

 

July 16th: Peyton had a toy, Mac, on his breakfast tray.  Hunter took it away and I asked him to give it back.  He grunted and gave it back to him, but as I was praising him for handing it back, he hit the table twice, but then sat for breakfast.  Again, still agitation, but SO much more controlled.

 

He cut and colored a book at the preschool in the AM, very little prompting.  Since it is a Montessouri type curriculum, the teachers don't make the children do anything they don't want to do.  I know, not the typical placement for a child on the spectrum, but after having a bad experience with school at the end of the year, we thought a "fun" school might make it more appealing to him.

 

In-home ABA in the afternoon, which the first two hours were great- no tantrums.  He even chose to ride his scooter and his bike for his break times.  They have introduced a "red card" and "green card" system, where he has to comply with their tasks when the red card is out, but gets to choose his activity when it's the green card.  His supervisor came for the last two hours to help train new staff, and he had many meltdowns, things I hadn't seen in a long time..  He slammed a door, threw himself on the floor, was in the "safe" room several times...I don't know if it is b/c he associates her with program changes or bad behavior, since that's when she typically comes to the session.  Or is it b/c we are seeing the steroid wear off...

 

After the session, our neighbor was outside with her new puppies...we had to go and get some puppy love!

 

 

July 17th: Had a so-so day at the preschool.  Had a few challenging behaviors.  Teacher said it seemed anxiety driven.  Had to stop at Walgreens with the kids to exchange something, and he ran to the toy aisle.  As I tried to coax him away, he became loud and ran up behind me and hit me.  He ran past us, down an aisle to the large mirrors on the ceiling by the pharmacy.  I think seeing himself in the mirrors stopped him quick in his tracks, b/c he eventually turned around and came back to me.  Made him have a two minute time out from the tablet before he could play due to hitting me.  When I was reviewing with him why he had to wait two minutes, he said, "I'm not going to tell the truth!"  hadn't heard that one before. :)

 

Had a great day at the IOP.  One of the lead therapists said she pushed his buttons pretty good and no meltdowns. 

 

I took the kids on two errands after the program, and not one meltdown. 

 

Still seeing favorable behavior...don't think we are making any gains, but I will take status quo.

 

Signing off for a full week of data collecting. 

 

Wish us luck!