school, school here we come!

Well I know that I have been not keeping up so well on this but there is alot going on right now, I am feeling kinds over whelmmed with my life, I am (I say me as David is not emotionally able to go to all the schools with me) trying to choose a school for next year for my boys, now both still are able to get PUF (program unit funding) which pretty much means that they can have there own aid at any place I pick! makes it all easy right NOT! I am stressing alot about this as you want the right place for each child, not the one you get busing too only, in my mind if you have to drive thats what you do!
so for little Joshua as he is going to be 4 he is second year of PUF (you are allowed 3) but this is your last year before kindergarten! so you want the right place to build and shape so you can do kindergarten, even with your own aid but you can do it without it being too much if that makes sense...so I have 2 schools I am trying to pick between for him, now both of these Dallin could go too but it would be a bit different but I will go there..
1. was Beacon Heights.....there instructional focus is "meaningful communication" I have many reason I like this school, they seemed very much on top of things which was nice, it is a smaller school and when I asked if they were allowed extra sensory time, the Principal was like oh yes, if they need it we work it in!
2. was Homesteader.....there instructional focus is "language comprehension" this school was friendly but my instant thought was not right for my boys but they do have some good part about it! so I am still looking at it all, my reason for this was if I compared the 2 schools the first one seems that they would understand Joshua the best and that is sooooooooooooooo important! so David and i will do the school visits together to see if he gets the same feelings that I am!

now for our Dallin, I am still very very lost I have a few more schools to look at, homesteader will not work for him as they would put him in with second years and I don't think that will challenge him enough! and Beacon Heights does have a program but that would change his other in home programing and that is something that I really need to look at if that makes sense!
I am also looking at King Edward school as they deal with kids with Autism...which I know many have comments about but I believe there is a reason for every type of program, someones child may need this and it may be mine, I am going to go look at it next week
I also called our community elementary school, Overlanders, they lady seemed a little stressed when I talked to her, she just kept saying you need to talk to Jim who is the Asst. Principal....I am very scared to put him in a regular classroom, I am not sure how he would do he is still delayed on many levels, but advanced on many others

I am a parent that believes in letting my child become the best they are, I know we will fail at times, and that life is not always going to be easy but I am not sure I agree with the public system in sayin put them in a normal class and if they don't do well you can pull them out and put them some where else, is it not better to help them do there best and slowly move them into normal programs? just a ton going through my mind on all of this, as soon as this all gets settled a bit I will update the rest of my life!

our sensory room is getting better and better!

Anyone that knows us know that we will do anything to help our kids, and make sure there time in life is too the fullest, we have been having a hard time since moving over here bring them down more, they are just full of energy and full of life, our basement was just going to be a play room but now it has changed again too our sensory room to try and help them come down and relax and bit more and work on the deep pressure they need really to give them there sensory diet at home and anyone who knows about these type of kids knows it is soooooooooooooooooooo important so here are some pictures of our basment so far, it is very very far from what i see it totally being but I can't afford to do it all at once, there is a ton of money involed in these rooms, so as you saw in my last post here is Sara in the swing , David actually watch us play down there this morning and he was so shocked and the grabbering she was doing he was like this is what they mean about filling the sensory diet and I was like yep! it is awsome to me when he see's it all coming together and making it worth it! Today we also went and go a swimming pool to make our ball pit right now because we want to spend alot of money on making it but we just don't have it right now so this is what we did and let me tell you even David was loving it he even had to get back in later when we went down again!

To be a kids again!

this is pretty much the basment right now, looking at getting more of the mat pads to cover the set of the floor and we are going to put a screen around the ball bit so the balls aren't going every where and some different lights down there......and maybe some dog beds to play "hot dog" or hamburger and all those other squishing games :)

here is a video just for grandma :)

Sara.....to the dr.....

Today was her check up with the height and weight dr.....she was 20lbs and 12.8ozs at just over 18months old which puts her in the 10% on the charts which is better that the 4 or 5% she wasat better so things are going well and well as much as I am not worried, there is always a worry in the back of my mind about alot of things....and even time I go to the dr I get the normal questions of what does she eat, what type of milk and how much? and so on and then you get the question that brings many thoughts and opinons.....are all her needles up to date.....the answer for the first time no....and then I get the why? my comment today was I just feel for me that I need to wait till she is 2 to get the rest, as the important time frame is here, from 18 months to 2yrs old is when they normally see the autism, and as much as I see Sara being up to date and not the same as the boys, there is still a ton of worries, so for my own mind right now I need to wait and she what happens, I know Heavenly Father knows what I can handle but I don't need to jump off the cliff without my shoot either so I am just standing back on a few things with Sara...

Anyways here Sara is on her 18months birthday :) in our new swing downstairs

snow day

Well we are suppose to get a ton more snow tonight so when we got home I thought I would let the kids play outside so I could get some pictures of the before and after type snow.....the kids loved it, it is so fun to watch them play and enjoy being outside, I really really want it too warm up anytime now!
here is the link to the picture of tonight!
http://www.facebook.com/album.php?aid=40370&l=d88f9&id=589445629

Mommy Tag

I don't normally do these tags because 1. it takes time that I don't really have latley and 2. because I am lazy and 3. I sometimes don't want people to know the real me.....but my goal this year is too not hide who I am as much! We will see how it goes....

Typical time of wake-up: my alarm goes off at 6:30 and then I get out about 7:30 and try to get out in like 10mins to drive my husband and kids too school, beakfeast in a ziploc bag ain't it great!

On a good night when you/kids go to sleep: the kids go down about 7ish and if lucky go to sleep within the hour and then I stay up till about 11ish or later because it is my down time from my day but I am trying to get there earlier

How long you have been a momma: 4 yrs 7months (tommorrow)

How many times have you been a new mom: 3

How old were you when you became a mom (is this to personal?): 24

Favorite Kids show: Poko

Least Favorite Kids show: toopy and binoo, what is he?, and how about max and ruby where the heck are there parents?.....among many many others

Favorite chore: orgainzing, dishes

Least favorite chore: ironing and folding and putting away clothes.

Meal you cook most often: spaghetti, tacos, and meat sauce pasta

Kids favorite meal: Dallin-grilled chesse sandwich, Joshua- chicken nuggets, Sara--potatoes.....yes I do make many different meals some days!

5 things that make you smile when you are being a mom:
1. getting loves/cuddles from the kids
2. the joy of seeing my boys learning new words and loving to learn
3. Watching Sara tease her brothers, as mean as it is it just makes me laugh that she is so small and can make them so mad.
4. Watching Dallin draw, on sunday during Scarement he drew a train on a train track it was awsome, he is just so visual
5. hearing Joshua trying to sing a song, he doesn't have alot of the words but he is aleast trying to make it go together

Favorite thing your husband does with your kids: bath time and bed time, by that point I am normally emotionally done from my day

Last time you went out with no kids: last month some time to meet my sister in laws new "boy" Kevin! but let me tell you I do miss my every week time out....

If you could take your kids anywhere where would it be: DISNEYLAND!!! when they are older that is.
Favorite pastime/activity with kids: anything outside. pleeeease get here early spring!

1 thing you said you would never do when you were a mom: tell your kids they were slow!

If you had an afternoon to yourself what would you do? WOW this is a hard one, I would have to say SLEEP or go and look very slowly at the mall, but let me tell you I know this would be hard cause when I do go out with out kids I am always like I need to hurry because I feel like I am always needed and I can't have time off

1 thing you do that your mom did & now you do: forget to spend more time with my kids over keeping my house clean cause I am just cleaning a mess to clean a mess to clean a mess, I just need to learn to stop trying to clean always and enjoy my kids

Favorite quality of your own mom:.......wow I think this is a hard one, is that sad? I think my favortie quality would be the love and passion my mom had for the church when I was younger it has very much stuck with me, and even though she is not active and it is hard for me that passion and love for the church is there now as I teach my own childern

I would also have to say that my mother-in-law is amazing too she has been there to help us through many moments but without here I am sure things would be very different as she was a huge part of making David who he is, and as much as we have days he is amazing and does try very hard to help out with the kids which is a huge thing!

Favorite kids book: your not my monster

Best advice for a new mom: i better not be giving out any advice, i barely know what i am doing. maybe, whatever the problem is, they'll grow out of it, so don't stress the small stuff.( this was from Lindsay but I trully feel the same way), love the moments when they trully are there for you it changes so quick

Scariest or most heartbreaking moment as a mom: Well this is a load question! well lets start with one of the first and move on, as many know there has been ALOT in the last 2 yrs, I think the most scariest moment was seeing my baby in the NICU box, I had been told she(Sara) was doing good and because of having the c-section I was not able to check on here during the night after I given birth so it was the next morning before I saw her and when they wheeled me up too her I broke into tears as I thought something worse had happened over night, no one told me that was what they did with the babies in there! it was along couple days in there......And then my second would have been about 6 weeks later when I learned that Dallin had a severe language delay and some other world that I then later looked up on the intrent to find that it fit in the Autism spectrum which was had and then on the 20th of Dec that year learning that he was on the Spectrum, I would think to most you could see some of it but for me, I really didn't see it as there was just too much that had gone on in his poor life.....ummmmm okay I did 2 the third.....Joshua.......finding out that he was legally blind in one eye and that there was a reason in walked into walls when we went to places he did not know!

Most joyful moment as a mom: hearing I love for the first time from my kids

Last time your child told you they love you: before they went to bed

Last time you said I love you to your kid: before they went to bed

Joshua's eye check up

Today Joshua had to go back and see how his eyes were doing after patching it for the last couple months and the lady today said even though they said 6-8 hrs and we have only been able to keep it on for the 2/2.5hrs a day, she said his eye is doing much better so now we wait for july to see what the actual eye dr says and then we will go from there, I still have issues with it all espically because of the comment the eyes will just not work together the rest of his life, I think there has to be other options, so we will see where we go from all of this!

Dallin's field trip

Well today Dallin had a field trip to Save-on- foods the kids thought it was great and Dallin was loving the fact that both mommy and daddy went, it was too cold for David to work and we decided that we already had a babysitter planned we should stick to it, and I think it was good for David to come as we don't get him on many trips as he normally is working! and then we got back to the school at 11 and so we watched a movie in the classroom well we waited for Joshua to be done! I love watching Dallin in his classroom as he has change HUGE amounts since year when we started all of this

the meeting of Charla

Well we got to meet Dallin and I with Charla, she seems so great! it is nice to have the chance to meet the people that are helping Shape my baby! it is hard to believe how much he has change into a boy but here are some of the goals that he is going to work on for the next bit.....



OCCUPATIONAL THERAPY OBSERVATIONS/RECOMMENDATIONS


I had a chance to observe Dallin during his lunch, with the following observations:

Dallin’s repertoire is limited at home. He has several food jags (i.e. he insists on eating the same food in the same manner over a long period of time).
Although mom reported that Dallin has very picky eating habits with a stronger flavour perception (i.e. he will only eat one brand of hotdog and notices if it is different), he did however tolerate eating a brand new pizza flavoured macaroni during lunch without difficulty. He seems, however, to be far less flexible in his home environment then at the Achieve office.
Dallin does not chew his food. For example he carefully took small bites of his macaroni and swallowed them whole. According to mom, Dallin becomes overwhelmed if presented with portions or foods that he is unable to swallow. For example he will only eat and request that his meat be cut up into small pieces (including if the hamburger is too big in spaghetti) and avoids muti-textured foods such as soup. He also refuses to eat cereal until it is soggy, again to accommodate easy swallowing. Therefore his food selection is limited again contributing to his restricted repertoire of foods.
Mom reported that he has chocked on his snack at school requiring the Heimlich maneuver and has made many accommodations to Dallin’s diet to ensure safety.
Dallin had difficulty crossing the midline of the body and positioned his food items to accommodate this challenge. He also displayed poor postural control, although he did not have trouble staying in his seat for over 20 minutes while he ate his lunch.
According to Christine, Dallin’s drooling has decreased over the last year. He still however, displays increased drooling with activities that are challenging or when he is deeply concentrating. He does not seem to notice when his mouth and chin are wet.
Dallin sometimes displayed a “wet voice” (e.g. following drinking or during periods of increased drooling).
He has just transitioned from a sippy to drinking from a regular cup and displayed immature utensils skills.

Recommendations:
Angie to develop a visual script to cue Dallin to chew in between bites and swallows. As Dallin seems really responsive to imitating exaggerated actions, Angie to model “bite = chew…chew…chew…chew = swallow” during mealtime. To improve chewing skills, try creating a mouth box filled with chewable toys for him to practice.
Dallin is displaying some significant oral-motor challenges (chocking, inefficient chewing, drooling, limited food texture, immature spoon and cup feeding skills, wet/gurgly voice) and would therefore benefit from a follow-up consultation by the Glenrose Feeding and Swallowing team. Christine to follow-up.
To support effective and safe eating and swallowing, it is important to provide Dallin with adequate postural support while eating. Therefore ensure that his feet are on a stable surface and his hips, shoulders and head are in alignment. Also consider that the table top is the right height for him to freely use his arms during eating.
To minimize opportunities for food jags, make small changes to Dallin’s preferred food items. For instance, introducing a new brand of the preferred Kraft macaroni like pizza macaroni J.
Prior to quiet sitting, try the following postural activities to “wake” Dallin’s muscles up:
Ø Ball chair games
Ø Silly animal walks
Ø Chair Push ups
Ø Rocking Puppy: On your hands and knees (with your arms and hands under your shoulders, your knees under your hips and your toes flat on the floor, elbows slightly bent) rock slowly backwards and forwards.
Ø Airplane: Lie on your stomach (legs straight and together). Bend your arms 90 degrees at elbows with hands and fingers open pointing forward. Bring your head, arms and chest up at the same time with your legs. Do not arch the neck, simply look straight ahead.
As Dallin does not chew his food and is at high risk for choking, be sure to minimize distractions while eating, provide ongoing supervision and always be aware of the size, shape and texture of foods presented.

NEW GOAL: Dallin will chew soft foods before swallowing.
NEW GOAL: Dallin will accept small changes to preferred food items.
NEW GOAL: Dallin will clear his plate at home, including putting utensils in the sink (not the garbage).

Dallin also participated in a variety of self-help and fine/visual motor and perceptual activities during the session with the following observations:

Dallin is displaying some excellent visual perceptual skills. He had no trouble completing puzzle requiring significant visual discrimination, visual closure and spatial relations.
He transitioned easily from task to task (even from highly preferred activities) and followed the adults lead in play without difficulty.
As described above, Dallin has difficulty crossing the midline of his body and continues to switch hands during most tasks. This is likely related to his poor core stability.
Aside from his motor challenges, he had no troubles attending to and participating in single step activities (i.e. using tweezers to sort coloured “caterpillars” on leaves) When the complexity of the activity increased (i.e. roll dice to determine colour), he was very capable and interested, however, needed more support. Continue to expand and introduce more complex games. As number concepts are difficult for Dallin at this time, games that require number dice may be very challenging. However as he knows all his colours substituting for coloured dice as demonstrated will work well. You can choose games such as candy land, or make up your own (as shown) or even expand on existing games (i.e. roll dice to determine sword to remove in pop up pirate).
He also needed verbal cues and standby support to complete the sequence of brushing his teeth.
Christine reported that Dallin struggles with haircutting, and feels it is likely related to both hypersensitivities to touch on his head and tolerating his hair being sniped.
Christine also reported although Dallin is very compliant and holds it together during school and therapy times, he consistently falls apart by the time he gets home. She reports that he spends a couple of hours jumping and trying to self-regulate. She indicated that he is far less flexible/tolerant, has difficulty with transitions, and that his arousal quickly escalates especially during sibling play. This makes evening/family time very difficult for parents. We discussed implementing sensory breaks during his home program to hopefully decrease the amount of time Dallin needs to self-regulate and calm when he gets home. A sensory diet consisting of a calming sensory break for every three activities presented will be implemented. Charla also to follow-up with OT at school (Christine to provide email).
A toilet schedule was provided to Christine to be complete sometime during the next two weeks in order to obtain an accurate schedule of when Dallin is voiding. Charla to follow-up.

NEW GOAL: While laying on his tummy, Dallin will independently maintain an upright/propped position (on his elbows) while playing a game for 5 minutes.
NEW GOAL: Dallin will complete all the steps in brushing his teeth independently.
NEW GOAL: Dallin will tolerate sensory stimulation to his head without behavioural overreaction.
NEW GOAL: Dallin will tolerate an adult taking small snips of his hair without behavioural overreaction.
NEW GOAL: Dallin will display a consistent hand preference.
NEW GOAL: Dallin will require less time to self-regulate and calm (45 minutes) at the end of his day, when he gets home.
NEW GOAL: Dallin will independently participate in two step game sequences (e.g. Candy Land).
NEW GOAL: Dallin will maintain a tripod grasp on 1-inch chalk or wax crayons.
NEW GOAL: Dallin will stay dry 50% of time between regularly scheduled trips to the toilet.
NEW GOAL: Dallin will cross the midline of his body with both arms during bilateral activities, 25% of the time.

I am struggling to keep up.....

Yes, this driving thing makes it hard to keep up to my life, as someone said to me you are a stay at home mom you must have a lot of time during the day........I am almost died laughing......I call myself the van mom or the apt mom cause those are the 2 things I do more than being home, I finally even have someone to do deep cleaning for me because I never am home, I am in the van by normally 8 in the morning and some days I am lucky to come home at lunch and stay home and maybe if lucky my kids will nap or have quiet time and then other days I am driving Dallin to his in-home therapy that is ummmmmmm not in his home at the company office and so I drop him there and then come home for about 2 hrs and then go back and get him and then depending in the day I go get David from work but that means we sit and wait anywhere from 30mins to a hour till he is done and then come home but that is still 6ish as it takes almost a hr during rush hour unless there is a accident and then we you guessed it, it is even longer.......do that is a little of my life......I do love it but it does take alot out of me most weeks, I can't wait for June to be here in a large way but then I have to worry about what am I going to do for summer that is a whole nother subject! Oh well only 139 day till the last day of school!

count your many blessings

Today this song has been on my mind, I guess with anyone some days are better than others but I have had a rough couple days with my frustration level I know we can’t get everything tomorrow but why is there always what seems like a minimum of a 4 month wait for most apt and they take so long to get things going…….well as I start talking to this dad at school who I use to talk with his wife more but now she is working and he is Mr. mom as she can make more money which is kinda sad but it works for there family as ways I am going off my point…..I was telling him about my frustrations about waiting for everything and his comment was we see this place as a God sent as with out this province his son would not be getting the help he needs…….a long wait still means he is getting the help sooner or later, and it took me back as I know I have lost a lot of patience lately, I have forgot to be grateful for the things that have happened for us because our waits on a lot of things could have been a lot worse. I know there is a Heavenly Father that loves us and won’t give us anything we can’t handle it is just the out look we give it that we think it is all good, I know I burn out easy and don’t take as much time for me as I should because I feel like there is so much more I can do for my kids or something else it is just one of those things, but at the same time I need that time for me more than ever with all the driving I am doing I am feeling like I am just a taxi and not a mom or a wife my home has been suffering and I have been frustrated about that I am hoping with the new housekeeping that it will help me feel a bit better and put in the extra effort to be organized on all levels I think it is helping it is a lot of work right now as I am not home to do a lot of it but I know once we have it totally here it will be great and not nearly as much work as I feel right now if that makes sense…………..all I can say at the end of all this is that….. I am so thankful for a great heavenly father and a testimony to know that what we are doing has a purpose and that at the end of the end there are blessings for us all

Team Meeting for Dallin

Today we had our Team meeting with Achieve to set goals for Dallins in home services, it was again neat that David was able to come as the cold is stopping the working! But with him going to this meeting he got to hear what others are seeing and not just from me.....when I get all those goals I will post them as it will be neat for some to see those so they can see the new changes in the last year.

a question for all that are reading this......

What is the point to a ground hog day, now tell me how the gopher see's it own shadow and how it tells anyone this, last time I check they don't talk, I am just confused how we all trust a animal that can't talk too us! and again how in the heavens is it going to get out of the snow here in Edmonton when there is no chance of our snow melting over night if you get my point! Oh wait I just went and looked up more on this.....the thing we trust to tell us of spring is around the corner or we have 6 more weeks of snow is in Ontario, that is the otherside of the Canada really how is that the same for all of Canada even more confusion....

anyways I would love to hear ideas on this one.......

http://www.southbrucepeninsula.com/index.cfm?member=willie

Pysch home visit

today was our first home visit of Roz and it was really nice to get to meet her finally to see another part of the picture here was Roz'z notes.....


January 25, 2008
Psych Consult Notes
In attendance: Jes, Christine, Roz

Meet and greet with Christine, Dallin and his siblings, Josh and Sarah. It was wonderful meeting you all! The following areas regarding behavior were discussed, along with provided suggestions.

1) Frustration Tolerance
· Dallin has a low frustration tolerance to having other(s) in his play space. Dallin does use his words to tell (for example) Josh to “go away” but it can escalate to aggressive behaviors if his words are not honored. Aggressive behaviors include punching, biting, sometimes spiting, head-butting.
· Dallin also has low frustration tolerance to not getting his way/ being told “no”.
Suggestions:
-Honor Dallin when he uses his words by responding, (for example) “Thank you for using your words. Josh, please play over there”. May need to physically prompt Josh to move. This will prevent escalation.
-During programming, work on building his frustration tolerance by starting with CDT (child developmental therapist) to use a visual timer and let Dallin know they will be playing together for this (e.g., start with 1 minute) long , then Dallin can play by himself for this (e.g., 1 minute) long (CDT to sit back and observe, no interaction). Once Dallin has success with 1 minute (i.e., 5 out of 5 times he can tolerate with minimal prompting or meltdowns), build on the time by 1 minute.
*Note: The duration of time should be something that would be easy for Dallin to start with, where he can tolerate the other with little difficulty. It’s important to build on success. The adult can always increase the time once Dallin understands how the visual timer concept works.
-The cue can be “When red all gone….all done/play on your own/time to play with me”
-Use a first-then visual to support. For example, may want to have a “play together” visual in FIRST box, and a “play alone” visual in THEN box. Or can be more concrete and have a picture of Angie and Dallin in first box, and Dallin alone in THEN box. What ever you think would be more meaningful to help him understanding.

-A Social Story to support. I have attached one for a sample. If you would like to use it, feel free to adapt it to Dallin.

-A calming script can also be created to teach Dallin to calm. It should be kept visually simple. An example of a calm script:

I’m mad (mad face)
It’s ok, I can calm.
I can:
-go to my calm spot (usually room or corner with bean bag or couch – somewhere neutral and away from high activity)
-have a visual list of calming activities (e.g. read book, deep breaths, deep pressure, squeeze a ball – include behavioral and sensory methods)

I am now calm (calm/happy face).



2) Community Outings
· Tied to frustration tolerance with not getting what he wants.
Suggestions:
-Social story in helping him understand that he can’t always have what he wants, and how to deal with this. (Jes, anything like this at the office?)
-A powercard to support his understanding (see http://www.autismspectrum.ilstu.edu/resources/factsheets/powercard.shtml for more info on powercard)

3) Safety
In home: Dallin is engaging in dangerous activities:
-turning on stove (he enjoys watching the red light up)
-dumps things in fridge (currently fridge is locked)

Street safety: -walking onto street without looking for cars
-running towards area of interest without looking for cars

Suggestions:
-Social story on home safety, implementing a natural consequence (e.g., time out).
-Support social story by using visual signs of “NO” or “STOP” on stove, door, fridge.
-Teach and review daily with Dallin (and siblings)
-Important to be consistent with consequence if they don’t listen (e.g., time out).
-Be sure that time outs are NOT in the same area as calming spot and are not reinforcing in any way. As I am sure you know, no interaction (positive or negative) should take place during time outs.

4) Cognition:
Dallin will benefit from learning about “yesterday/today/tomorrow”

Suggestions:
Use visuals, calendar

5) Sleep
Currently Dallin has difficulty sleeping (Christine, I can’t remember, is it with falling asleep or staying asleep?). Josh shares a room with Dallin, and he is afraid of the dark. Currently, the light in the room stays on, which probably makes it more difficult for Dallin to fall/remain (?) asleep.

Suggestions:
-lava lamp, tent cover for Dallin’s bed
-Christine is currently making heavier blankets.
-Please consult with OT for further suggestions- may want to consider having a calming sensory routine if that would help – again OT will know more. J

6) Transitioning
Dallin has difficulties with transitions, especially going into the weekend (i.e., Fridays) and coming out of a weekend (i.e., Mondays). These days tend to be tougher for Dallin to progress through the day, as demonstrated by more meltdowns.

Suggestions:
Consider giving Dallin more downtime and more breaks on Fridays and Mondays. So for example, that might look like he gets time alone more often and longer than other days. During programming, this also looks like he will get more breaks and self-regulation/sensory exercises (please consult with OT).
-Family is in process of building sensory room in basement J

7) Cognitive Flexibility
Dallin is very rigid at school. However, at the office, he does not demonstrate the same rigidity as he is quite excited to play. It sounds like he is rigid about being on his agenda, but not the routine itself. Is this correct?

Suggestions:
-Less following his lead, more adult directed during programming. Work on building his frustration tolerance. If he has a meltdown, redirect him to calm (i.e. calm script). Be sure to bring him back to original activity to finish (even if only for 30 seconds) after he is calm.
-use a visual timer to let him know how long he has for each activity. Include using for preferred activities as well, so that he does not associate visual timer only with non-preferred activities.

I think those are the areas we touched upon! If I missed anything let me know. Any questions, please contact me!

Joshua's field trip

Today we went to the public libray, the lady leading it was great as she was ready and soooooooooooo excited to see the kids and play with them and show them how things are done, the kids were so excited as well and they even sat pretty good for the story time, over all it was a great trip I so love how much Donna is doing with the kids she trys so super hard and you can see it paying off with some of these kids, I know Joshua has come along ways this year, he still has along way but he is changing soooooooooooo much

first snow fall

for our first snow fall the support workers that work with the boys thought it would be fun to take them out and play in the snow as it was really warm still and they had so much fun here is a few pictures from it.