Autism Goes Mainstream

Autism Goes Mainstream; Chuckie Cheese Goes Sensory Friendly Improving the Experience for Some Children with ASD. I'm not sure if this modification would have helped Nick, but it's a great thing for many children who have ASD accompanied by sensory processing disorder.  

Most people envision kids with autism with sensory issues as holding their ears, or not being able to tolerate the overwhelming stimuli of places like Chuckie Cheese, but that's not the only sensory response children with autism can have, and it's not the response Nick has.

Nick's first birthday party was at Chuckie Cheese, before he developed autism, and before I had a clue how the environment might be affecting him, and he sure seemed to love it. Then post diagnosis (Nick was diagnosed at 23 months) during his preschool and elementary school years Chuckie Cheese was the place to go.  It was a safe haven where his behaviors and noises for the most part just blended in with the general chaos. A place where the typical kids were acting like my spectrum kiddo, running, yelling, darting, jumping, slamming into one another and all was accepted.  Perhaps best of all, parents were too busy trying to keep up with their own kiddo's to pay attention to mine. Oh how I miss those days!

Unfortunately reality set in and we had to stop taking Nick to Chuckie Cheese when he phased out of the "kiddo" age zone. Unlike other families we didn't stop because the never ending noises, lights and crowds were too much for Nick, in our case it was exactly the opposite we went for the chaos and Nick loved it! He loves all the lights, sounds, running kids, and the games that over stimulate his nervous system.  It's like a drug, a high for him. He loves the way it winds him up and he slowly spins into a frenzy, until he is jumping, spinning, drooling and exploding with uncontrollable laughter. He's escalates into a "Happy Frenzy".

In this overwhelmed state he hears nothing from the outside world, he loses all impulse control and just wants more, and more and more. The result is inevitably his flailing body gets the attention of other parents and kids as stare, grab their children and I can tell they are wondering if Nick is a danger to their children. Before I know it a space clears between Nick and everyone else and the reality that his excitement could prose a danger to the smaller kids becomes really obvious.  So we fade away, and go home. Then comes the slow and painful crash from his sensory high.  For days to follow Nick is agitated, unable to sleep, experiences bouts of aggression, and his repetitive behaviors escalate.  A terrible price to pay for loving a place.

An 8 Year Old Blind, Autistic Boy Came Across a Street Performer

This video reminded me of a day when Nicky heard a man on the street play the saxophone. He just stopped, and began rocking to the music. I, being no where near as enlightened as Nicky wanted to keep moving. I was uncomfortable, I didn't feel safe.  The man looked homeless and the street corner was less than desirable. Then I heard Nicky say "Saxophone", a word he had never said before, in a happy excited tone. So for several minutes we just stood there, Nick enjoying the music and me appreciating Nick's language and how it had been inspired by a stranger on a street corner that would of gone un noticed by me. It was one of those days when it was so clear to me that our kids are better people than most of us, I was ashamed. I got over it, but I never forgot.     

This is a wonderful video enjoy

An 8 Year Old Blind, Autistic Boy Came Across a Street Performer

What happens next is beautiful.
http://www.liveleak.com/view?i=e48_1337585880

Coconut Oil and Autism, Epilepsy and Alzheimer's...amazing!

A few weeks ago I put up a blog chatting about homemade chicken tenders made with coconut oil, that Nick can't get enough of. What I didn't mention is, I opted for coconut oil not just because I know it's good for you, but mostly because Nicky has been known to go into the pantry and eat scoops of coconut oil straight out of the jar. Which causes me to make that "yuck...that's gross face" and in turn I've made him stop. Seem's his body might have known something, all this time, that I didn't. Something like, coconut oil is good for me.

I just watched a video talking about how coconut oil has improved the lives of people living with Alzheimer's disease.  As I watched, I was thinking the friend who sent it to me must of been thinking it was just good information to spread around. Then I kept listening to how the oil was positively affecting brain function and thinking to myself "I wonder if it would help Nicky"?. I continued to listen and before the video ended they mentioned Autism and Epilepsy!!!   Wow, I am so keeping it on hand and feeding it to him every day.  Heck I would rather experiment with coconut oil than pharmaceuticals!

Coconut oil  - A Real Eye Opener! http://www.cbn.com/media/player/index.aspx?s=/mp4/LJO190v1_WS For more info on additional benefits including weight loss (A huge issue for many of our kids on meds) and proper oil storage.... http://www.nutriinspector.com/coconut-oil-for-weight-loss-and-many-health-benefits/

What Happens When You Get off Track...Diploma track that is!

I opened Nick's report card and busted out laughing! Well, it was actually a very loud smile. Finally, now that he's off the diploma track it seems everyone has relaxed and reached a place where they can reward and appreciate him for who HE is.  It's a good day!

ASD's Missing Link: Empathy. Nicky Made A Connection!

I'm in shock! Nicky unprompted, went into the kitchen and put chicken nuggets on the grill. When they were cooked he proceeded to get two plates. He divided the nuggets evenly on the grill, took half off and put them on a plate. Then he took the plate over to his longtime behaviorist "Miss Wendy" said "Thank You" and then went back and put the other nuggets on a plate for himself! This is HUGH. Nicky has NEVER made food for or served anyone other than himself unless we were right over his shoulder telling him what to do, armed with a reinforcer.

Equally miraculous was how he did this, with such ease and non chi lance as if this was just a part of his normal routine. Maybe in his mind, it always has been, he just wasn't able to express it yet.

Good Day!

PS: Another tribute to ABA and the pains of repeating! Never give up!!!

Nicky "Draw what you are thinking"

Nicky was given a coloring sheet titled "Quieting the Mind" in Church. The direction, "Draw what you are Thinking?" with no help, no prompting.




Before & After, who knew........... He made me cry".  

Amazing Minds and Things I Know For Sure

Things I know for sure...
Nicky hears everything
Nicky takes in more than I can imagine.
He memorizes images, words, video's, directions, locations and just about everything he pays attention to.

The down side is he's STINGY!. He takes stuff in, but he doesn't let much out. I don't get confirmation about what he knows until he decides to share.  The upside, those occasional wonderful surprises that take my breath away.  Sometimes it's the clear sentences complete with humor even sarcasm; delivered perfectly, when I didn't even think he was paying attention to what was happening around him. Or a moment when I reintroduce a concept, that failed when first introduced, and he picks it up as if it was never a challenge.  For example, I remember when he signed the entire alphabet perfectly, without having even done it before, and without any of us knowing where he learned it. After lot's of research we learned that he has been exposed to a "Sign Your ABC's"poster in his 1st grade classroom .  He memorized it and five years later, he began signing perfectly!  His latest has been keeping his TV turned on when he goes to sleep, tuned into our local PBS station. Can't wait to see how that manifests itself! 

Colors and ASD...A Unique Perspective with Purpose

Nothing with Nicky happens in developmental order, but everything has order, including colors! Check this out….  

When Nicky was a little guy I couldn't get him to pick up a crayon or show the slightest interest in a coloring book. When he was 10, I introduced him to word searches to build off of his love of the alphabet and develop an age appropriate activity he could do on his own.  He took to the word searches. At first he circled the words with a pencil, then pen and next he found color markers. He loved circling each word with a different color marker. He 

loves all the colors of the markers. Now he's into his coloring books. (Good thing I didn't toss them all in the trash!.)  But, he doesn't color like the other kids, he does it his way! ASD is so interesting. You can see how he uses all the colors in a single image from a coloring book and if you look closely at the word search you see he circles the word and marks it off the list with the same color. He's created his own color key! Amazing :)