Thank You BTLC

HE DID IT!!

Have you been wondering how Logan did on the bus? He did great he woke up and was nervous. We got ready and walked to the bus. We did not speak about the pending adventure we barley made eye contact. He was holding it together by a string. I am sure he would have lost it if we tried to have a conversation about it. He waited in line with Ruby. He paced a bit. Then the bus drove up and he followed Ruby on board. Here he is on his first bus ride.

This is a perfect picture of how he was feeling. Not sure if he was nervous, scared, terrified, excited, happy or all of the above...lol. When he came home and got off the bus for the first time he said "Mom am I going to take the bus everyday?" and I said yes. He said "wicked". When I asked him how was your first day taking the bus and going to school he said "brilliant".

I must also tell you a funny story. Logan has anxiety and worries about things that can't be controlled. One being the weather. He has learned a lot about the weather. So we were in the kitchen and he says "I really don't like Salami. Salami worries me. Do you think we will have a salami?" Dad and I looked at each other a bit confused. When we asked him "Salami? What do you mean? He says "you know a big wave comes and sucks everyone and everything out to the ocean and people die and all their stuff goes out in the ocean and showed up on the beach in California?". So dad said "Logan that is a tsunami not salami!" Logan says "that what I said"! It reminded me of a time when Logan, Ruby and I were in the car not long ago and Logan was looking out the window and says "Oh no! there is a big potato coming!! we need to get home before this potato hits" I brushed it off like he was joking around and he frantically carried on. Finally Ruby pipes up and said "mom I don't think he means potato, I think he means tornado!"

A New Path

Is this the beginning or is this the end? Kindergarten marks a new path for Logan. We are amazed to see how far Logan has come. Kindergarten in a typical Calgary Board of Education school. This is the stuff dreams are made of. When we started this journey at two we did not know where we would end up. I am full of joy to know my two kiddos will be at the same school. My heart races when I think there will be no aide in class with him to make sure he is not talking to loud, playing nicely with the other kids or watching out for the dreaded stim. Then I think to myself he has five up on these kids. He has had a "personal trainer" in socializing with others, he has learned how to manage his stim and really it does not seem to bother the other kids that he is loud. Maybe his teacher will teach him to use an indoor voice? I was wondering to myself why am I having such a difficult time sending him off to school. Then it hit me...it is the other parents that should be concerned. I should be happy the principle, vice principle and teacher got a 50 page Psychologists report on who Logan really is. Where his challenges are and what causes him anxiety. It is nice to know two years (15 pages each) of Individual Personal Program Plan (detailed report card) from his specialized preschool were included in the package. These detailed everything and anything that Logan needed to learn, was taught and how they taught it. We met with the the Program Specialist in early May and she observed Logan in preschool for an afternoon then met with the staff at school to share her observations. Logan also attended Kindergarten one morning with last years class before the end of school with his aide and we came up with a list of thing to work on over summer which have all been achieved. So why on the eve of his first bus ride to school am I wondering if he is ready? I know that with Autism anything and everything could go wrong at the drop of a hat. That sometimes nothing is as it seems. That we have worked so hard to teach him (literally) everything he knows. We have been there every step of the way and tomorrow he will take every step himself. He is nervous/anxious but I need believe in him. He has gotten us this far. At the beginning of this post I wondered if this was the beginning or the end. It is the ending of the path we needed to take to get to this point. It is the beginning of a new path for our family. I am anticipating Kindergarten to be full of wonderful memories that we will continue to share I hope you will join us.

Integration

With the holidays done and a new year upon us I thought it would be a great time for an update.
We had a wonderful summer with fewer tantrums and more fun. We were able to travel, visit family, attend weddings, and go camping. This summer we enjoyed our kids and watched as both kids enjoyed themselves. As the school year started to approach I noticed Logan becoming anxious and full of nervous energy. The stimming started to creep back in and behaviours we have seen before started to show themselves. Was this the beginning of a regression?
When I spoke with his team about the anxiety and behaviour they assured us it happens to many kids, not just those with an autism diagnosis. As I started to watch Ruby I noticed she was getting more frustrated with tasks and moody or snappy but with Ruby I needed to look for it. In Logan it was right there showing itself to me. I realized it was the pre-school jitters.
Logan knew he would be starting a new preschool, integrating to a typical preschool with typical kids three days a week. The other two days would be at his specialized school. He would also still have his morning sessions from 8-11:30. His first day at Bearspaw (the new school) was a huge success and as the year has progressed, Logan's anxiety is less and less. He has made many new friends and fits right in.I can't tell you how happy this makes us! After my volunteer day I could see the things that he still needed to work on but I can see the other kids don't really seem to notice these things.
In October our house was buzzing with Halloween talk. Logan wanted to be an Oreo Cookie, but ended up going as Iron Man to school and a as Hockey Player trick or treating. Ruby went as a Witch.
Come December, both kids were full of energy with the pending holidays. School was going smooth and the thought of a break was nice. Logan's sessions were going well and Bearspaw was the highlight three days a week. A decision has been made and his aide will be transitioning out of the Bearspaw class. There will be regular checks with the school that all in on track. It is bitter sweet for Bill and I because we like that someone is there making sure he is ok but if we really want him to fit in he will have to be like everyone else. The other two days at his specialized preschool were not as appealing and Logan started telling me he did not want to go and he did not like it. After a meeting with the director we decided to try and reduce the amount of time he spends in the specialized classroom and look for a kindergarten placement two days a week to get him around children his age or older and also get him used to kindergarten for next year. I am happy to report a placement has been found and Logan will be attending Dalhousie Jr. Kindergarten. If you are no familiar with Jr. Kindergarten it is a kindergarten setting but the kids like Logan were not ready or too young for Kindergarten but to old for a four year old preschool. Our home program has also changed a bit with three days a week as regular sessions and the other two having Logan taking part in activities within the community with other children. The goal for the rest of this school year will be to expose Logan to as many social opportunities as possible.
I am exited to report registration for kindergarten is taking place this month and Logan will be registered in a typical elementary school! This is something many families with children with Autism strive for and many can't find the right placement within the school board and are forced to go private. I count my blessings everyday that Logan has made such amazing progress and I will keep you posted.
The next few months should be interesting as Logan's Contract with (FSCD)Family Services runs out. He is doing so well in December I could have guaranteed he would not be renewed. After a recent meeting with his FSCD case worker and her supervisor they are on board with a transition year. This means his funding will be renewed but by this time next year he should be fully transitioned out of Autism Partnership. To my relief they are so happy at all the progress he has made. I love the feeling of a light at the end of the tunnel!
Logan's PUF (school funding) contract is also running out after this school year and it is up in the air weather he will get another year or not. PUF determines weather or not Logan will have an aide in the classroom for kindergarten or not. I am ok with whatever happens and will try my best not to worry. I think with the progress Logan has made we can handle whatever comes our way.

What I know now

I was digging through old pictures and videos of Logan and my reaction surprised me. They were from a time when this little boy was lost and unable to communicate. The images should have brought back all those feelings of helplessness, fear and uncertainty. I should have been crying. But I wasn't. I was laughing. From the crash course in autism I have had since Logan's diagnosis, I now look at these images and wonder how I could have questioned whether or not my son had autism. From the first day I noticed one of Logan's behaviours until the day we walked into Autism Partnership, I knew that Logan was developing differently than other children. I just didn't know if it was autism. People would tell me he was fine or that he would "grow out of it". I didn't believe them. As a mom, I knew and I accepted that Logan was different. I just needed to know what "it" was. As I learned about autistic traits, it felt like I was seeing "it" everywhere. I want to share with you some traits you often see in children with autism.

1. Eye Contact - It was very difficult for Logan to make eye contact. I felt like I had to work really hard to get his attention. The doctors initially thought Logan had a hearing problem.

2. Flapping -Flapping is very common in children with autism. Because Logan was so young when he was diagnosed I didn't notice it as much as when he grew older. This is one of those things I look back on and see clearly now. To the unaware, in toddlers, the flapping may just look like they are excited. I can remember I would call Logan my little bird because he would flap so much. Our doctors initially tested him for seizures.

3. Toe Walking & Bouncing - From the moment he could walk, Logan would walk on his tippy toes and bounce a lot. Our doctors wondered if the muscles in his legs were long enough.

I am not sure why these traits are often present in children with autism but they are very common. The flapping is what sent me to the doctors with Logan. I was worried about seizures. His whole body would stiffen up and shake and it would happen numerous times a day. Once seizures were ruled out and his hearing test came back normal, they put it all together and suggested we have him assessed for autism. It seems so clear to me now but hindsight is always 20/20.... At the time, it seemed to take a long time to get a diagnosis. In reality, Logan was diagnosed with autism earlier than many children and therefore has been able to benefit from early intensive intervention.

I am happy to report that Logan is now able to control all of the traits listed above. It was a lot of hard work with his behavioral consultant and aides. It is also a daily struggle but he is aware of it and has control. We are so proud of him.

This video is of Logan "not cool" flapping.



This video is of Logan "cool" not flapping.



** "cool" and "not cool" are terms used in therapy with Logan. He understands that the goal is to keep his body "cool".

Logan Singing

Spring is here!

Great news our contract for Specialized Services has been renewed for another year. We are so happy to receive this news. This time around our experience with FSCD was wonderful. I felt that our worker was behind us 100%. I wonder now if it is because I understood the process, had more confidence and a past experience under my belt? Or was it that FSCD realized we are dedicated parents willing to do anything to help our son?

We had a wonderful Spring Break it was great that both Ruby and Logan were out of school at the same time. Logan continued with his morning sessions so it gave Ruby and I some one on one time together. I feel that our days are really full during a regular week so I tried not to plan too much. I just wanted the kids to have some fun at home together and spend time playing outside and just being kids.

We pulled the bikes out of the garage. Logan surprised us all when he got on his bike and started to peddle away!! This is huge...last year we tried and tried to get him interested to learn how to bike but he hated every minute of it. He would protest even sitting on it. He peddled to the bottom of a small incline then abandoned the bike and came back to the garage, I still consider it a major accomplishment. Since then he has shown interest in continuing to bike.

Biking is not the only thing Logan tried this past month. We celebrated Ruby's 7th Birthday. For her party we went Roller Skating. Logan gave it a try and loved it. They had a great time and it was a wonderful party.

Easter was so much fun. We created an Easter Egg Hunt for Ruby and Logan with 7 clues. Ruby is reading now and Logan has been working on listening for information. Ruby was told the Easter Bunny wanted her to read each clue and wait until Logan knew where to look. She read each clue to Logan and they made their way around the house finally finding their baskets in the tub! They were so into it they have make Clues a regular game at home. We are hoping this helps Logan learn how to play hide and seek.

I wanted to share with you a link from Autism Partnership (Logan's Service Provider)on The Today Show. The video is about half way down the page.
http://moms.today.com/_news/2011/04/15/6473011-finding-calm-in-the-storm-saving-my-family-from-the-chaos-of-autism

Hope you enjoy it talk to you soon!!

"Dad, when you want to do something, you need to stop and look ahead!"

The title for this post came from Logan this morning. What he doesn't understand is how true that is! A year ago I would never dream that he would say that phrase! My name is Bill and I am Logan's Dad. I wanted to share some thoughts on the past year and half since we had found out Logan had Autism, looked for options and then started his therapy. Initially when Glenda first started talking about something being wrong with Logan and that he might have have Autism, I brushed it off and was adamant that he would grow out of it. He was just behind a bit on some things and it would sort itself out as he got older. I also thought that there was no way Logan had Autism as he wasn't sitting in the corner banging his head against the wall like you see in the movies. Glenda didn't buy it and thank God for that! Mother's intuition, it's a very real and powerful force! The weeks passed and he didn't change and I came to the realization that something for sure wasn't right. Glenda had done a ton of research by this point and through various processes we received funding, Logan started therapy and we are where we are today. Sounds easy right? Well, what you don't see is the time spent angry that this happened to your little man, the time spent crying because you didn't think there was anything that you could do for your boy, the time spent thinking about what kind of life would Logan lead and feeling so helpless that I had no control. It's a roller coaster of feelings, but you are in the dark on this roller coaster as you don't really know what your are dealing with each day! I wish I could say it passes, but there are still days where these thoughts run through my head and I still feel angry, sad, helpless. What I do know is there isn't anything that we as parents wouldn't do for him.
It's funny because one of the first things I thought of was that Logan wouldn't want to go to hockey games because it was too loud and that he would stop liking hockey and probably never play hockey either! Selfish right? Well Logan does like to go to the Hitmen games and likes to watch hockey with me just before he goes to bed and plays hockey taking turns being from the Hitmen, Canucks, Coyotes, Capitals, etc. on the living room or playroom floors. Hockey, amidst all the therapy, clinics, emotions, feelings, etc. has become the one thing that seems "normal"! Logan loves to read this new comic book "The Guardian Project" which has superheroes for all 30 NHL teams in it. Well I am here to tell you that Logan is one of my superheroes! Not surprising as he was named afer one.(No there was no Logan in our family tree but his name comes from his Dad's favourite superhero, Wolverine.) This past year I watched as my son initially had no control over a great many things and now today has mastered many of them! He works so hard! When he gets really excited and he starts to stim and you can see him work so hard to stop doing it. He corrects himself when he says the wrong things, such as he/she, her/him "what did/do you", and during therapy, school and clinics he tries so hard and does so well! He has come so far this past year and as far as I am concerned he is the real Wolverine! Well I'll leave it there for my first post, but there is lots more I want to say, so until next time...

We have made progress

The title is a bit of an understatement. There are so many things that we have accomplished since our last post! First off we began potty training in November. Logan is now successfully using the facilities to go #1. #2 on the other hand has been hit and miss. We have now resorted to bribing him. We are using Hot Chocolate and the Guardian Project (an NHL comic book). Both are favorites to Logan and very motivational. I thought we were done with 'training' before Christmas but after the flu, colds and some other setbacks, we had to start again. I am looking forward to the day when #2 is always deposited in the toilet but we are not there yet!
Next on our list of accomplishments was a successful roadtrip to Edmonton. Until now, we have only stayed with Nana and Pop, Aunt B, Aunt G and of course camped in our trailer. On this most recent roadtrip, we ventured into new territory and stayed with friends. It was awesome and Logan did great. Ruby and Logan got in lots of playtime with their good friend Erin and we got in a great visit with friends. We were so happy Logan did well and thankful our friends were so understanding and supportive. During this trip we went bowling (disco style). The combination of bowling, flashing lights and loud music were all new experiences to Logan. There was some stimming and impatience from Logan but all things considered, the outing a success. I should also mention Logan won! He bowled a 96 (highest). I, on the other hand, bowled a 74 (lowest).
Now onto our best news. The Executive Director of Logan's specialized preschool has recommended that Logan might be ready in September to begin integrating into a regular preschool. This year, Logan's days are divided between one-on-one with an aide at home and half days at BTLC (a specialized preschool). In September, Logan's preschool half days would be split between time in the new regular preschool program and BTLC. Logan would have an aide in the 'regular' classroom to support him in following direction and interacting appropriately with the teacher and other children. In addition to the half days in preschool, Logan would continue his one-on-one work with an aide in our home. Although it is not a change in the amount of time Logan spents in school, integration will bring a host of changes for Logan. Fortunately Logan loves the structure of his programming and works very hard both in his class and in one-on-one time.
Beginning with the next post, Logan's dad will be adding his perspective to the blog. Two bloggers will mean more frequent posts (hopefully!).
We hope that you will consider becoming a follower on our blog so that you will receive notification of new posts. As always, we welcome your comments and questions. The whole reason for this blog is to get the word of autism out there and for people to see what life is like on our journey. We want to share what we have learned and are learning! One thing we will not do is pass judgement. Thanks for joining us on this journey.

We're back....finally

It has been too long since I last blogged. School, Work, Volunteering etc...the list goes on and on. In the past month we have accomplished so much. Fist off a successful Silent Auction for Logan's school (www.btlc.ca) where we raised $25,000.00that will be put to great use I am sure. We also had a very successful Halloween. Where we received way to much candy!

Over the summer I read a great book by Jodi Picoult called House Rules. I started wonder why most of the fiction books that I have read that involve Autism are always based on someone with Aspergers? Is it that Aspergers is more socially acceptable? Is it that their "quirks" fit neatly into the box we label normal? Is Aspergers "just enough" difference?

I want you know that no matter where a child falls on the Autism spectrum it is Autism. Please do not tell me that my child is "higher functioning" please do not tell me that he may have Aspergers. Logan is on the Autism Spectrum. The spectrum looks an Awful lot like a rainbow but this rainbow has no pot of gold at the end.

It frustrates me when I tell someone Logan is Autistic and their reply is "he looks normal" or "he must be high functioning...does he have aspergers?". I know it is that they are not familiar with Autism like our family is and I try to remember that I have been there before. I just want people to know Autistic Children do not look different. It is how they learn, how they behave, how they socialize that is different. There is no "good" Autism. Just like there is no "good" cancer. No matter where a child is on the spectrum they are on it. Just like no matter what cancer you are diagnosed with it is cancer and scary as hell! Each family that is given the ASD diagnosis will have their own challenges, each child will have their own potential or best outcome to meet. Just remember they have potential!

Would I change it if I could? No....I was put on this road for a reason. I am happy that early intervention has made a huge difference in our lives. That Logan is becoming more aware of his environment and his peers. His vocabulary is growing and his behaviour is coming around but it will be a long road filled with ups and downs.

Busy Days

Well school is well underway and both kids are loving it. Our first day was met with confusion on Logan's part. He used to have sessions alone with an aide but we called it "going to school". So on our first day of school we arrived and there were other kids and aides and the teacher so Logan was a bit overwhelmed. Once he understood what school was he was geared up to go the following day. Ruby is loving grade one and when she comes home to do homework Logan feels he should do his homework as well. Early mornings make for early bed times and thank goodness because by 7pm I feel I could crawl into bed. I am so proud of both kids they are up and ready to go by 7:15am when we leave to drop Ruby off at the bus. Then Logan and I hang out until 8:30 when his session starts and it goes till 12. Then we are off after a quick lunch to his school for 12:45. During that time I pick up Ruby at 2:25 then we pick up Logan at 3:45 then drive home for dinner, baths and after some playing they are in bed. Once we put in Ruby's Sparks, Skating and Curling it makes for some busy weeks. It is nice to have a schedule even if it is busy. As long as they love it we will continue it. They both know school is not an option!!!

Workshop Week

First I must say I am so excited about the Emmys. Temple Grandin kicked butt! If you have not see it you must it was a great Movie. Anyways what a week. I signed up for a workshop at Autism Partnership to learn how to teach children with Autism. I learned so much and got to work with a fabulous team of ladies and a wonderful bunch of children. The most important thing I learned was not to react when you are hit yes that is right ignore it and it will stop (it did)! I also learned their are so many myths around Autism for example:

Myth:A child with autism never gives eye contact.
There are children with autism who make eye contact. Others take years to learn how to make eye contact.

Myth: Autistic people are usually geniuses or have a savant ability (Rain Man).
Autism is characterized by an uneven development of skills. That means that people with autism generally have some skills that are very well-developed and others that lag far behind. An autistic child, for instance, may have an amazing capacity to memorize facts, but be unable to relate those facts to each other.

Myth: Autistic people are incapable of giving affection.
Autism causes a dysfunction in the ability of a person to communicate and interact with others. Their expressions of affection may be unusual, or not fit the norm, but autistic people are certainly capable of feeling and showing affection.

Myth: Autistic people can not function in society.
There are many people who are diagnosed with autism who hold jobs, maintain their own apartments, have relationships with other people and do everything that people without autism can do. Autism is a broad spectrum of symptoms of varying degrees of severity.

Myth: Most children with autism never learn to talk.
With early identification and intensive intervention, as many as three-quarters of children with autism are able to talk. Those children with autism who never acquire spoken language often have severe mental retardation in addition to their autism, making the learning of language especially difficult. With training, however, even these children can often learn to communicate non-verbally

Myth: Autism can be caused by vaccinations.
At least two large studies have looked for a link between vaccinations and autism and did not find any evidence for it. Autism usually first appears within the first two years of life, at a time when children are receiving many immunizations. The appearance of autistic symptoms shortly after an immunization is bound to happen some of the time solely by chance.

Myth: Autism is caused by chemical imbalances or allergies that can be cured by special diets or nutritional supplements.
While these theories have undeniable appeal, no credible scientific evidence exists that diet or nutritional supplements can cure autism. Children with autism certainly can have allergies and nutritional deficiencies, and correcting these problems can help such a child to be healthier. This, in turn, may improve the child's behavior and general outlook, but special diets or vitamins are very unlikely to cure the autism itself, no matter what testimonials say.

Myth:Autism is caused by a lack of maternal affection
Professor Bruno Bettelheim believed that autism was caused by a lack of maternal affection. This led to the concept of the ‘refrigerator mother’ i.e. a mother who was emotionally distant. This theory has since been disproved.
We now beleive that autism has nothing to do with lack of affection from parents. Most mothers and fathers of children with autism spectrum disorders are extremely caring and loving parents.

These are just a few that I have been asked time and time again. I hope you pass it along. As Harry S. Truman said "it's what you learn after you know that counts."

Gearing up for school!

Isn't it always the way. I was so excited for Ruby to start preschool. What was I thinking? I know that she is exceptional, she enjoys being around other kids and it was a wonderful experience for her. I just can't help thinking (now that she is starting grade one) what was the rush? Then cringing about the money we spent on it! With Logan I was looking at things differently I would just let him be. We would find kids he could "socialize" with and when kindergarten came we would just go with the flow. That is until he was diagnosed. Then he started daily Therapy it's close to being in school only at home. Now that he is in a program they are suggesting he go to preschool to teach him the skills that do not come naturally to him. So instead of spending the day with Logan while Ruby spends full days at school. Our day will go a little something like this...Monday - Friday 8:30-12 therapy at home, 12-12:45 Lunch and driving to preschool, 12:45 - 3:45 preschool, in between I will pick up Ruby at school @ 2:25 and head back to pick up Logan then head home. Are you jealous yet? Oh well like the quote says you can wait out the storm or dance in the rain....I am going to be very wet!!!

We Will Survive!

So a few months have past...didn't I promise to keep in touch more often? It is always the intention...right? Well here I am after what I would chalk up to two long challenging months that for once didn't have anything to do with Logan or Autism. My dad went through open heart surgery (aortic valve replacement)with a few complications and a 20 day stay at VGH. Then my uncle passed away after a 6 month fight with Lung Cancer and ten days after his passing his wife (my aunt) was rushed to the hospital after her lung collapsed.

I must say the challenges that I have faced with Logan have made me a much stronger person because in the past I am not sure I could have kept it together through such a tumultuous time.

I have also learned that children face death with much more grace than we give them credit for. Ruby and I returned from Vancouver immediately after hearing that my uncle had taken a turn for the worse. Upon returning we went straight to my aunts house to see my uncle. I had told Ruby that he was dying and we needed to say goodbye. When we got to her house we went into the bedroom and Ruby started talking to him as if he was answering her back. She kept his mouth moist until she fell asleep in the chair and when she woke the next morning he had passed she went to the door of the room and said he doesn't hurt anymore he looks like he is sleeping. After a brief cry she dried her face and asked if she could pick out a star that night for her uncle. That was that. She has mentioned her and there that she misses him but she has carried on. It was truly inspiring.

Being away from Logan for 10 days when I was in Vancouver with my dad taught me two things one Bill can definitely take care of things when I am not here and Logan can make progress when I am away. It blew me away when I came home and saw the leaps he had taken in everything. His speech seemed clearer there were sentences I had never heard. I am not even sure Logan realized I was gone until I came home. He has been getting some separation anxiety whenever I leave the room which is a struggle we want to nip in the bud.

We are looking forward to the summer that we have left and we home it is a happier one. We are off camping for a week so I am sure we will have some stories upon returning.

Life is Sweet

So we have has some memorable moments around our house lately. The first was for the past week when asked to do something Logan would say Yes Sir! or Yes Master! I am not sure where he heard it but it has made us giggle every time. It has recently subsided which is great because it started to get old after a week. The next phrase that got a giggle was when Logan needed help instead of asking for Help! He was saying Mayday Mayday Mayday we are losing altitude! I finally figured out it is from one of the three Ice Age movies. If you are not too familiar with Logan he tends to memorize a movie after watching it once. He will repeat movie quotes back when he is at a loss of words. It is rather cute.

I had a wonderful Mothers Day. Logan and Ruby let me sleep in...thanks to Dad and Aunt B (as Ruby had a sleep over). When we were driving somewhere with Logan he said I love watching movie, and I Love Mama! There were times I never thought I would hear those words from our son. It brought tears to my eyes and warm my heart. He has come so far.

Logan is continuing to make progress! The other day he took off his own Pajamas and put on his shirt and pants.....yeah Logan. That evening when Logan took his shirt off and put on his Pajama shirt for Ruby she cheered and said I think I am going to cry!! We are all so proud of him. I just went to his clinic yesterday and they are thrilled with the strides he is making!

I have noticed a change in Logan when we play outside with the kids in the complex. Logan now chases them around instead of wanting to play in the puddle or sandbox alone. The other day he had a complete melt down because he wanted the a toy gun the kids were playing laser tag with they let him have it for a bit and he chased them around with it but was not keen on sharing the gun. I carried him in the house kicking and screaming and I had a smile from ear to ear because my boy wanted to continue to play with the other kids. It made me remember that life is sweet and we have come so far!

Haircut time

After months of desensitizing and practicing for a haircut it was finally time to book an appointment at our local hairdressers. Logan was going for his first haircut! Well not really first but the first that I did not have to hold him down in the chair and listen to him scream and cry for half an hour. There was one hitch. We woke up to 20cm of snow....What do you do? In hindsight I should have called the salon asked if they were open and maybe postponed it! I had been telling Logan that we were going and he seemed excited so I wanted to seize the opportunity. The aides and OT had been working since January to walk through all the steps of a haircut which included cutting small bit of hair on a daily basis. I was so excited to see Logan with a "normal" haircut. Again in hindsight I should have been patient. The salon was closed due to weather when we showed up. Damn! So instead of going home I found another salon that was open. Our aide and I tried to explain to the non English speaking hairdresser that Logan needed to take baby steps. If he could only sit in the chair today that was fine. So Logan got in the chair. The cape was put around him...I was so proud of these accomplishments alone as they were huge for Logan. The hairdresser pulled out the razor still good we practiced this at home....then the razor nip his skin and that was enough. After a five minute break Logan sat in the chair again. We asked the hairdresser to go slow when cutting a few cuts then stop a few more then stop but she did not speak English she went all Edward Sissorhands on Logan's hair when the hair fell on his lap that was the end of that. He was done for the day. After telling the hairdresser we were all done she insisted she could finish. We said no we are all done. When she was following Logan with the sissors cutting his hair when he was walking his aide just told her NO MORE he is done thank you. So I did not get a "normal" looking haircut on my boy but it did teach me that slow and steady works for Logan. We have an appointment next week at the original Salon that understands Logan's needs. If he can only sit in the chair that will be fine with me.
After our "lesson" with the hairdresser I told Logan he was so brave. I asked what he would like for a treat and because we were close to Costco he said he wanted a cookie. So into Costco and to the bakery so we could get him a free cookie. Then we went to get some lunch in the cafeteria part of Costco. Logan was stimming alot after his haircut and he was not listening. So it should not have been a surprise when he fell off his bench and onto the cement floor head first! This is where I must vent. To any parent or person who knows about Autism it would have been clear that Logan was Autistic he was (spinning, flapping, jumping on his toes..ect). On that day though none of those educated people were in Costco when Logan fell. The people that were there all looked at me and shook their heads. Most likely thinking what a brat. My son is not a brat...he was not ignoring me by choice. In my perfect world everyone will know what Autism "looks like". So today when you see a "bratty" kid in the mall try walking by without judgement you just never know maybe he just made it though his first haircut!

It has been too long

So the idea of keeping everyone up to date was a great one but boy does time fly. We are going in to month three of Logan's full time therapy and the changes are amazing. I can't believe a few months ago I was excited about Logan wanting chocolate milk. The other day he was sitting in the living room with me I mentioned it was time for dinner and Logan yelled to Ruby (she was upstairs) come down now it is time for dinner.

Ruby is still having some difficulties adjusting and I am just trying to be patient and understand it is so much for a five year old to absorb. We have a psychologist that is spending sometime with her to help her understand everything. She was over the other day and she asked Ruby "how is Logan different from you" Ruby said he is a boy, he is smaller/younger than me, and he is stronger than me. In my mind I was thinking it is so refreshing that to her Autism does not have a label. Don't get me wrong there are down sides at times. I have dealt with her asking if Logan will be autistic for the rest of his life, she has asked for a different brother, and she has warned her friends that want to come over for a playdate that her brother is autistic and they have to be nice even if he is not. But in all she is so wonderful with him. She must say to me "that was so cute" at least once a day.

Logan is learning new tasks everyday. He can now put on his jacket. He can use his daily scheduler so he knows what is going on day to day. He has mastered Cariboo, Pop up Pirate, and Memory. So at this time family game night is almost Typical. I used typical because what is "normal". He is currently learning how to play Go Fish I can't get over how fast he has learned it. These games provide Logan with joint attention skills and turn taking. While he is playing he is making eye contact, taking turns and waiting patiently.

He has mastered many clothing labels and all most all body parts. It is so int resting to see him learn these labels and watching how his brain works. When going through all the body parts if you are to switch and pull on you pant leg and say what is this he says knee because his brain is still focused on body parts. After working on body parts then moving and playing something else if you were to pull on your pant leg and say what is this he says pants! The brain is a funny thing. It would work the same way if we were working on shapes and then pointed at the door he would say rectangle. Every thing is so literal.

If Autism has never touch your life and you just don't get is you need to see Temple Grandin the movie. It was recently on HBO. I watched it and was speech let.

I will post more often.

Clinic Day

We went to Logans first clinic. This is where our team all gets together to talk about Logans progress and brainstorm ideas to solve challenges and come up with new goals. It gives us all an opportunity to get on the same page. As parents it shows us how to work with Logan and allows us to ask questions.
His clinic went really well the General Comments/Observations were as follows:
Logan has been doing very well; he is progressing nicely through his programs. However staff have seen an increase in number of tantrums over the past couple of weeks. The antecedent for tantrums are normally based on transitions (moving from something highly preferred to something else.) On average there are 1.25 tantrums a day that range in length from 2minutes up to 30 minutes. Logan's hoarding behaviour is almost non-existent in sessions and his flapping has also decreased, on average Logan flaps nine times per session. Logan's flapping behaviour is only occurring when he is very excited. All in all Logan has been showing great progress!
It is also noted that Logan will sit at his desk during non preferred tasks 9 out of ten times, after a short period of time on something preferred Logan remains calm when asked to clean it up without a warning, he is responding to clean up, come here, sit down, give it to me. Logan also is answering yes/no, and asking to do it again, asking help please, and saying I don't know. They are working on Turn taking and Logan will wait for the other person to complete their turn before taking his turn. 77% of the time. As he currently waits his turn playing with two people they will now add another person. When it is Logans turn he will only take one piece at a time instead of hoarding all the pieces. Logan is also playing memory when he is presented with 3 cards he will only flip over two to see if it is a match. If they match he will put one on top of the other and place them in the container. If there is no match then he will flip both cards back over and leave them in place then choose 2 new cards till he finds a match. They will now go to four cards. Logan will complete 3 simple close-ended activities that take up to 5 minutes to complete. They will now up the time to 10 minutes. When playing Cariboo Logan will match a colour card to its appropriate match 40% of the time they will now move on to letter cards. When handing something to anther person Logan will make eye contact 43% of the time next they will work on when receiving an item from another person Logan will make eye contact. When working on haircutting desensitization 83% of the time Logan will remain calm when running fingers through hair as if getting it ready to cut with the scissors open, and when opening and closing the scissors. He will also remain calm when running a comb through is hair dry and wet. They have also introduced getting Logan to put on and take off his boots and are working on show Logan which is right and which is left for his boots. They have also shown Logan grabbing his jacket off a hook by the hood and finding the tag inside. Logan is also working very hard on his pincer grasp using clothes pins (clipping it to paper) and tweezers (to pick stuff up). Last but not least they have been working on Ruby time to show both kids how to play by simple turn taking and for Logan to ask Ruby for help and asking her to give him items he needs.
In all Daddy and I are so proud of the progress Logan has made and we enjoyed watching him on Clinic day. He was so proud of himself and when working on everything Logan had a huge smile on his face that tells me we are on the right road.

Happy Valentines Day!!

Logan's therapy is progressing well. He is now starting to realize that it is not all play and there are expectations for him in sessions. At times he does not like these expectations and has a tantrum. He has met another milestone as he has learned to put on and take off his shoe. He is so proud when he does this. Who knew I would be so happy about him putting on/taking off his shoes but it is wonderful to see him become a bit more independant. He is also doing well with teeth brushing. He actually tolerates it without me pinning him down. My next challenge is the dentist....Tuesday we go to the dentist I am expecting the worst hoping for the best. I will keep you posted on what transpires.