Staying In the Game

Here in Atlanta, we get really nasty winter weather about twice a year and all go into a panic. This morning, I woke up to an iced over parking lot and nearly bit it when I went to check out the road. On the 4-lane road outside my complex, cars were attempting to drive up the hill, then backing down once they hit the shady spots and the ice. Friends and coworkers were fishtailing into work and getting in accidents and everyone on the news was saying stay home.

But the sun is shining. But there's black ice. But maybe I can make it into the hospital. But there's a lot of hilly roads and bridges I have to cross. But I have an outing scheduled with the kids. But all outing requests are being denied. But what does Facebook say? Twitter? Weather Channel? The news? Coworkers on the road? (That's how I heard about the fishtailing and the accidents). This is what I was dealing with for a good half hour this morning, trying to decide whether or not to risk my neck for my darlings.

And this is how I ultimately decided to stay at home for at least part of the day and catch up on some work reading. Today, it's Staying in the Game: Providing Social Opportunities for Children and Adolescents with Autism Spectrum Disorders and Other Developmental Disabilities by James Loomis. I've had trouble finding books aimed at working with children with low-functioning autism, so I'm hoping this one might give me some guidance and insight.

I'm taking my program in a whole new direction with the new year, much more focused on community reintegration and social skills and I'm very excited about it. Any suggestions of good reads or resources are welcome and would be much appreciated!

Update: Well, it seems to be another book that would be a great resource for higher functioning kids with autism and Aspergers who go to school, join clubs, go to church and scouts, and even go to slumber parties and camps. But not my kiddos. I'll keep reading though, because there are a few things I can probably pull out of it, but I do wish I could find something that is specifically for lower functioning kids.

Listen to Part 3 if nothing else...Temple Grandin

Just listened to a great Independent Minds program on NPR about Temple Grandin, the animal scientist with autism who is also known for inventing the "hug machine." I turned in on about 10 minutes in, thinking, "well, I've heard lots of interviews with her, I pretty much know her story, this won't be that new," but I was pleasantly surprised. Maybe it helps that I now know autism more intimately than ever before or that the program delved a little deeper than just how she created humane cattle chutes and instead got into her mind and how she works.

The best part of the program though was Part 3, and if you click on the link above and only listen to one part, listen to Part 3. About the face of autism, what it is, why it's diagnosis is skyrocketing, explains the spectrum, varying symptoms and prognoses, possible origins, and how we really just.don't.know. There is supposed to be a script on the site soon and I'll post it here once it's available.

Working Christmas Isn't Half Bad

There are no young kids in my family (the youngest cousin is 22 so she outgrew dolls and tea sets a few years ago), so I will admit that didn't put up a huge fuss when I learned that I would need to work on Christmas morning this year. It meant I would get to see my work kids (kiddos, kidoodles, babes, youguns, nutcases, crazyones, psychos, their names vary depending on my/their mood) see Santa and open presents.

I helped shop for all 18 of them a few weeks ago, and while it was an exhausting morning running up and down the aisles of Target with lists and gift cards in hand, picking out clothes and toys for the children that I've come to know over the last six months was such a joy. It was especially fun to find the toys for the ones who had been able to make their own lists and ask for specific things and I could picture their faces on Christmas morning when they opened their gifts.

Sure enough, when T. opened his gift bag this morning and found a sweatshirt, he proudly proclaimed that it was a GREEN sweatshirt, just like he'd asked for! Santa had gotten it right! And C. is so excited to have her very own MP3 player to listen to Disney songs on, D. loves the book of maps we picked out for him, J.'s got his own beanbag chair, and P. can bounce on his exercise ball whenever he wants (well, until he pops it). Sure, many of the kids are completely unaware that today is different from any other and that they've got a whole bag of new stuff just for them, but to enjoy a few moments with the ones that do get it, well, that was worth getting up at 6:30 for.

Ice cream: The great pacifier.

I took two of my more difficult and aggressive kids on what I like to call a "Drive-By Outing" today.

Really, we load up the van and go through the drive-through at McDonald's for a Happy Meal, or like today, an ice cream sundae. We talked about the cars, the busses, the trucks, the bulldozers, the dogs, everything along the way, but what really got them excited was whenever we mentioned those two magic words, "ice cream." One got strawberry (I think that's what he wanted) and the other most definitely and emphatically wanted HOT FUDGE!! (my kind of kid) A good outing was had by all.

After a day like yesterday and week like this week, it was nice to end on a sugary sweet note.

Some days are just hard.

Today was one of them.

It's hard to let go.

One of the higher functioning teens I've worked with for the last 3 months moved to a different unit last night. It was the right move and he will undoubtedly grow and mature there more than he ever could have where he had been.

I saw him today with his new peers, and got a lump in my throat. Just surrounded by these new boys in his new environment, he looked so much more mature, like the teenager he is. I wanted so much to sit and talk to him and ask him how things were going, but it wasn't the right place or time. I waved as I walked out the door and had to blink back tears. Is that what it's like to watch a child grow up?

Always check your pockets before bed.

Tonight I found sticky jellybeans I'd been carrying around as edible reinforcers. Some nights it's Lite Bright pegs. Other nights it's broken crayons, peeled paint, puzzle pieces, dice, laminated pictures for my picture schedules. My pockets are like those mystery grab bags you get at the fair, only much stickier.