True Co-Parenting, Fun Times On The Spectrum

I feel like I've regressed back to being a teenager.  Never thought in a million years I'd ever live with a room mate again, and here I am...  Not only am I living with a room mate, but I'm living with four children.  Three boys (Dayton included), one awesome girl.  Two of the four are on the spectrum.  Dayton and an older, teenage version of Dayton.

I thought about living on my own, but knew that if I did, I would:  a) spend more money on rent than I want to as I still want to do things with Dayton, living on our own would not give us much money to do that and with no child support coming in, every penny counts; and b) Dayton would seclude himself further and miss out on making social gains.

Living with a room mate that has a child on the autism spectrum has had its ups and downs. The up side is that I've had a taste of what co-parenting is all about, and wish Dayton's dad and I could tag team the way my room mate and I do.  It's nice having two parents under one roof, even if we're both moms.  And yes, while there are more children for me to co-parent than having Dayton alone, the children work together as a team in EVERYTHING.  When the boys misbehave, they all misbehave.  When they're good, they're all good together.  So, disciplining one means I'm disciplining all as one.  Same with my room mate.  Raising little boys is not just a job. It's an adventure...  with sound effects.  And my room mate's oldest daughter...  I LOVE HER!!!  She's seventeen and more responsible then most adults I know.  She's a blessing to share a home with, and helps with the other three kiddos, cleaning the home and she likes the same kinds of things I do.  Now if I could just be her small, slender size...

On the down side, I don't have the privacy to walk around naked from the shower to my bedroom.  Sometimes when I cry no one sees my tears.  Sometimes when I'm happy no one sees me smile.  But FART!!  Just ONE time...  And everybody in the house knows!

That's it for the down side.

For the first time in my life, I now know what it feels like to co-parent and I LIKE IT!  I like taking the kids to school, picking them up after school and hearing about their day.  I love sitting around the dinner table and having them tell me what they've learned.  I like the serenity (I know, how do you achieve serenity with children, but you haven't lived my life the last few years) of everyone knowing that today we may have had a rough day, but tomorrow's another day.  I love hearing laughter again.  And when the meltdowns come, they don't take nearly as long to diffuse.

At the end of the day, I know everything's going to be all right.  When things get rough, I just remember God's promise to take care of us, always.  God loves the birds, and they don't starve, so he'll take care of Dayton and I too.  As long as we have each other and God in our lives, we'll be fine.


Consider yourselves hugged,

Lou

Wanted: An Exorcism For My Butt

My butt needs an exorcism.  This is not a joke.  I'm in pain.  It hurts to sit, and it hurts to lie down.  Why you may ask.  Because Big Momma had a wee bit too much fun.  No, really.  PACE's first Kid Gymboree happened this past Tuesday.  And it's gonna happen again.

It appears my body is made of muscle that just so happens to be covered in this sheet of bumpy 'adipose tissue' to protect the delicate structure of my gorgeous muscles, especially my six pack stomach.  Oh yes, and around the hips...  Who am I kidding, my arms, legs, heck... even my fingers and toes.

SuperDad literally flew ever so gracefully around the gym, while your's truly kept tripping over her own feet.  At one point I thought taking my shoes off would be a good idea...  Remember Bambi on ice?  Yup, now picture a hippo...  that was me on the gym floor, playing badminton with the girls. They kicked my butt.  Literally.

The most important thing to me was that the kids had FUN!  We had the whole autism spectrum there, all age groups, from four years old to 13.  We even had a really cute respite worker there, compliments of a fellow autism mom who brought her cutie pie son and daughter with her.

We played hockey, basketball, badminton, put puzzles together and just ran around the gym.  There was lots of laughter, lots of action, and SMILES!!!  There's nothing more gratifying than a child's genuine smile.  It just makes me melt.  Their smiles tell me that the pain I'm going through now is worth it, and I can hardly wait to get into the gym again.

It's all worth it.  Look at them!!!

I wanted to go next...

At one point, little Johnny snatched a puzzle piece from me because I was taking too long...

SuperDad plays ball with his girl

Jonathan Toews???  Why, yes...  he's my daddy!  LOL

Looks like I'm not getting a turn...  LOL

I've killed Lou's butt, your turn SuperDad!

Putting together a 3D puzzle...  The girls were super at this!!!

Holla hoops!

Can we combine hockey with medicine ball?!

Hoola hooped out!

If you know of a butt exorcist, please send them my way.

PACE Kid's gymboree meets every Tuesday from 6:30pm till 8pm.  For more information, check out www.pacewithasd.com.


Consider yourselves hugged,

Lou

We Got It!!! Time To Celebrate!!!

We finally did it.  Well, SuperDad did it.  We got a gym for the kids!  I'm so excited, I can hardly contain it all from erupting in the form of projectile vomit.  I mean this in a good way.  Whenever I get super happy excited, I end up sick to my stomach...

So you're thinking "Big deal...  the girl's got a gym.  I don't get it...

Let me explain:  All kids in Winnipeg on the autism spectrum get to enjoy this gym every Tuesday night, from 6:30pm to 8pm.  It's a home for PACE!!!  This is huge!!!  We finally have a home away from home, and our kiddos will reap the benefits of interacting with THEIR true peers, without the fear of being bullied, harassed or teased for their disabilities.  They will be celebrated for being a truly unique individual, because let's face it.  If you've met a child on the autism spectrum, you've only met ONE child on the autism spectrum.  It's a broad spectrum, full of beautiful colors and cool puzzles pieces.

Parents benefit by interacting with other parents of children on the autism spectrum, supporting one another without judgement!  How many of us have felt judged by people that just 'don't get it?'  Oh, I don't know...  how about your child's school?

Yeah...  That's what I thought.

Wouldn't it be nice to have a good cup of coffee, hang out with other parents who get you and your kid?  That's what we're offering, so make sure to visit us and check out our website for up to date information!

Anyhow, thought I'd share the fantastic news with y'all.  Hope you're as excited as I am!  For those wanting more information and a schedule of events, please visit www.pacewithasd.com.  Save it as a favorite on your web browser, and make sure to keep updated at this website people!  Let me help you bring some sanity back to your life.


Consider yourselves hugged,

Lou

Do You Still Have Autism: Changes In DSM V For Autism Diagnosis

Scary thought.  The psychiatric community is changing the the criteria in diagnosing mental disorders, including the autism spectrum disorder.  The autism community is freaking out, as the separate diagnoses such as classic autism, asperger's syndrome and PDD-NOS (Dayton's diagnosis) are no longer going to be classified by their "type" of autism, but lumped into one diagnosis:  AUTISM.  Period.

I'm not quite sure how to feel about this myself.  But I know that the diagnosis for PDD-NOS has caused confusion with Dayton's educators.  Now that he's diagnosis will be AUTISM, there should be less confusion.  Unless of course "they've" made it more difficult to diagnose a child with autism...  That's a whole new story.

If you're concerned about you child keeping their diagnosis, make an appointment with your child psychologist and ask him straight out!

Anyways, here's the link for the new DSM V diagnostic manual for the autism spectrum disorder:  http://www.dsm5.org/ProposedRevision/Pages/proposedrevision.aspx?rid=94

This revision was approved last week.  What are your thoughts?  As for us, it seems even though Dayton fits on the higher end of the autism spectrum, he still meets the criteria listed in the new DSM.


Consider yourselves hugged,

Lou

Non-Violent Crisis Intervention Or Abuse?

You know how we as parents have no rights to our children and are not allowed to spank them?  Excuse me...  Yes, we're allowed to give them one spank on a fully clothed bum with our hand and no object.  Makes sense.  I mean, I can't imagine wielding the cooking spoon my mamma used to spank me with, as my butt broke them and than she'd get even madder.  But one?  One time only?

Please don't get me wrong, I'm certainly not implying that we should abuse our kids.  I'm simply showing you how much rights we have in our own decisions when it comes to our kids.  But the schools...  oh yes, they have much more rights over the child I had the complicated and strenuous, life threatening pregnancy with.  They get to treat my babe any way they want to, whether I like it or not.  Which is why when I read this article, I nearly had a stroke.  No kidding, my right eye is still twitching and it has been for the last two days since I read this:
http://www.facebook.com/notes/autism-canada-foundation/protect-all-students-from-deadly-restraint-and-seclusion-practices-in-schools/10150609115612868

So, let me get this straight...  Right now, today, there are no federal regulations in place for the safety of our children who are disciplined by their teachers...  But there are against us as parents...  ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!  Pardon my French, but what the hell is wrong with this picture?

Now imagine what parents go through when their child is manhandled by teachers we put our trust in.  Dayton and I can tell you what it's like.  We've experienced it many times, the most recent horrifying experience for me was two years ago when four teachers (yes, I said four teachers) struggled to do "non-violent crisis intervention."

Can you imagine if we threw a party and decided that four of us should throw ourselves on  my boy to "calm him down?"  Seriously?  Before I continue, I'd like to add that I would rather dig out my eye balls, pull out my nails with tweezers along with all body hair and lie on a bed of nails and bleed to death before I'd ever throw myself, never mind allow three more adults to throw themselves on my baby.

In saying that, let's pretend that I'm the monster that hides in the closet your child talks of in the middle of the night and did that...  CFS would come in here and take my baby away without blinking an eye.  But the school?  Yeah, that's right.  Nothing.  Notta.  No investigation, no chastisement.  My babe was traumatized and couldn't eat or drink for two days, hiding under his bed and refused to come out.  You can imagine the stench coming out of that room.  No one from the school came to clean it either.

While I understand that some children become violent, we need to look at why they become violent.  I know the incident with the four teachers and my son took place because of another student's back pack.  Had the teacher or aid not argued with Dayton, having two different arguments, they would not have had to "throw themselves" on top of Dayton to "calm him down."  Dayton is very literal.  The question posed to him was "Dayton, did you rip the back pack,"  when they watched him stick his finger in a tear that was already there, and pull his finger down to make the rip longer.  Can you see where their argument led to?  Let me clear it up for you in case you're a parent reading this with a neurotypical child...  Children on the autism spectrum are "literal thinkers."  In Dayton's mind, the back pack was already ripped, and that was his argument.  To this day, he'll freak out and yell at you:  "I didn't rip the damn back pack!!!"  He's not able to tell you that he ripped it further.  He's not able to articulate that the back pack had a small rip in it, and that he tore it further, but he did not start the rip.  All he can tell you is that "I didn't do it."

If you stick your finger in my face and accuse me of doing something I didn't do, get ready to lose your finger.  Just saying.  I'm not a violent person, but push me far enough, and you'll get it.  There's only so much a person can handle, and my babe is no different.

So, I ask you, with all do respect...  Does the situation really need to become a non-crisis intervention?  Are you sure you've discussed the situation with the child and come to understand what he/she is trying to tell you?  If the answer is yes, then perhaps we need to see if inclusion is truly working.  While I don't want my babe to be manhandled, I certainly don't want to put a teacher or another child in danger either.

Fortunately for me, Dayton has a principal and teacher with a brain this year.  Thank goodness for us, manhandling is no longer an issue.  Dayton's teacher is a saint, and his principal truly cares about Dayton and the rest of the kids attending the school.  We are blessed.  I pray you are as well.


Consider yourselves hugged,

Lou

Coffee Addicts Annonymous

Had another "coffee break" with a group of autism parents last night and met two new ladies thanks to the Autism Winnipeg Facebook page.

This was our second time out for "coffee" as a group and Mike and I really need to come up with a name for this coffee meeting we're trying to get started, to create a sense of community for parents with children on the autism spectrum.  You know, a place where you can vent if you want with, no one looking at you as though you've gone completely insane because they can not possibly understand what your life is like.  Like the time where I told my friend how Dayton as a toddler would press his ear to the floor and crawl in my kitchen while feeling the texture on the side of his face...  Maybe his ear was itchy?  She kind of looked at me like I was raising a freak or something...

Getting out with the parents was nice because I felt like I'm not alone.  It was hard for me to leave the comfort of my nice warm living room when all I felt like doing was cuddling up under a blankie and watch a movie with Dayton who was sad because daddy's left town again for a month.  In saying this, I know that secluding ourselves in the house is NOT healthy.  However...  it is soooooo much easier to just stay at home.  Staying at home means that Dayton has his toys at his finger tips.  I have my jammies and am super comfortable wrapped in a blankie.  If Dayton has a hissy fit, I don't have to explain anything to anyone.  I just deal with it.  There's no one there to judge us.  Life is so much easier this way, with no one there to judge my son, my parenting or me.

Listening to the two moms' stories of their younger boys, I recalled similarities with Dayton at their age.  Another thing that came up that we had in common was extreme morning sickness requiring the anti-nausea drug Diclectin (doxylamine succinate, pyridoxine hydrochloride), which is the only anti-nauseant / antiemetic specifically prescribed by doctors to pregnant women to manage nausea.

We also shared gestational diabetes, and I myself had pre-eclampsia (formerly known as toxemia - sounds harsh).  We all have mercury fillings...  Makes you wonder, doesn't it?  I think research should direct it's way into pre-natal care, just saying.  In saying that, a lot more research needs to be done on helping our kids as they will be adults soon.  Dayton's already turning ten this February, how FAST time flew by!  And no wonder...  I've been so busy with doctors appointments, hospital trips, observations, numerous ear infections, surgeries, EEG's, behaviour therapists, neurologist, developmental specialists, school, etc...

It's good getting out of the house, sharing stories and feeling accepted no matter what.  We even talked about CFS being called on us because of our children's behaviour, and the emotional turmoil and humiliation it brought.

It doesn't look that the world around us is going to change.  It's up to us to cope, but how do you cope alone?  I don't know about you, but I for one need some emotional support, not counselling, but meeting with parents out there that understand.  But getting out of the house...  It's just so time consuming, and I'm lazy.  Yeah, I said it, you heard me - I AM LAZY.  If I don't have to do it, I won't do it.  It's one more thing on my list of things I have to do, and my list is huge.  Whopping big.  Enormous.  Gigantic.  I have many things to do and people to annoy.  It's my thing.

But then I think of one of my autism mom friends, God bless her, who is in immense pain, using crutches to get out in this weather, and I think to myself:  if she is doing it, you need to get your butt in gear and just do it!  Plus, she made the mistake of trusting my driving...  and didn't get scared even when I got us lost and made illegal U-turns...

The toughest exercise in life is to just get out and do it.  Once you're doing it, it becomes easier and easier and eventually becomes a routine.

So, if you live in the Winnipeg area, keep an eye out on the Autism Winnipeg Facebook page.  That's where we post when and where we'll meet up.  Feel free to email me as well for times and places.

autism.diva.help@gmail.com


Consider yourselves hugged,

Lou

And A Happy New Year To All (iPod, iPad info too)

The Christmas holidays have come and gone, and so has my money.  Yes, I am officially b.r.o.k.e...  Thank goodness Santa got me a new job to pay off the holiday bills!

The boys have torn down my Christmas tree (that is the cat, Dayton and Glen), then packed up the decorations while I tried to get better.  I'm either suffering from allergies or a cold and it's driving me to become a nasal spray junkie.  Coming off the stuff is just not pretty...

For Christmas night, we enjoyed a family dinner at Glen's uncle's Eddie's home...  Supper was AMAZING, as auntie Linda is a fantastic cook!  I nearly fell asleep on their sofa with my head in Dayton's lap while he played Angry Birds on his iPod touch with his cousin Diamond.  After about three hours, we ended up back at home and watched movies.  I love movies!

New Year's eve was spent at home watching movies and of course HOCKEY!  Canada won against the US, and then the Canucks disapointed me yet again by losing to LA 1-4.  Booooo Canucks.

Reading the Autism Winnipeg Facebook Page, I saw someone post a question about iPod touch apps for autism, and those of us with kids on the spectrum are pretty much all over iPod and iPad apps as most of us with kids on the autism spectrum have been sold on Apple's innovations.

The link below is not just for parents of kids on the autism spectrum, but for Educational Assistants, teachers and kids with ADD, ADHD or any other kind of cognitive delays.

Hope you find this as informative as I have.

Love this spread sheet!!!  https://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=0AjbIta8OTS0KdHRMVWx0Q3pvOWRXRXBfd01jc3lqakE&hl=en&single=true&gid=0&output=html

one more link:  http://www.autismclassroom.com/lessons/apps-section-added-to-autism-lesson-plans-book/



HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!


Lou

Wanted: New Friends

My best friend and I broke up almost a week ago now, and I miss her very much.  The silver lining (yes, remember I always try to look for the silver lining, otherwise I'd lose my ever living mind) has been found to be less stress and a lot less drama.

I no longer have to play referee between her seven year old and my babe.  I swear little E's mission in life is to get Dayton in trouble.  I know this because of the incident that caused the demise of our friendship:  the boys are playing hockey outside with another little boy Dayton's age.  It's 8pm, which means it's dark outside.  I'm visiting the other little boy's mom and standing on her balcony, the only parent watching the boys.  Little E is screaming:  "Dayton!  Don't hit me!!!" while Dayton is chasing after the hockey puck, running farther and farther away from little E.  I call out to E and tell him this, and he tells me to "shut up.  I don't care."

I'm done with working my butt off to not offend the neurotypical kids around us when they themselves are inconsiderate, rude little pukes.

So here's what I'm wanting to do...

I want to rent out a gym, probably in St. Vital to make it central to everyone living in Winnipeg.  I'm thinking of every second Sunday afternoon for about an hour and a half.  I have no problem making this a free event for everyone, as I'm not after making a buck.  I will pay for the gym facilities for the year, providing I have enough of a turnout.  What I want from you is to tell me if you're interested in participating before I spend the money I could use somewhere else...  

Here's how I see it turning out:  

We meet every second Sunday.  The kids have two options:  play in the gym or play board games in the lobby or maybe do some crafting.  Parents have coffee while volunteers are with the kids.  Naturally, anyone supervising the kids will have a criminal record and child abuse registry check.  I will go and have this done for myself some time this week.  

This will be a time for parents to have a break and mingle with other parents, support each other and get ideas.  There is no excuse of "can't find respite, or can't afford it."  Your children with autism will have the opportunity to interact with other children who will accept them because they 'understand' them.  They will be interacting naturally with their peers in a social setting without the fear of being bullied or discriminated against.  Siblings and friends are allowed to come and participate in play as we want to encourage friendships and support with neurotypical children under the supervision of a caring, understanding adult who's main purpose will be to support the children with autism to reach out to others.  

Your child's placement on the spectrum may be important to you as a family, but not here...  We will include everyone.  Participation of the children on the spectrum is minimal:  if they chose to interact, great!  If they are comfortable to sit back and watch, then that's fine too.  The point is not to excel at something, but to feel accepted, something most of our kids don't feel at school or on the play ground. Who knows, maybe by not participating but by sitting and watching, they'll meet others on the spectrum doing the same and enjoy each other's company!!!   Everyone needs to get out of the house, right?  Let's create a sense of community not just for our kids, but for us parents too!


What I need from you:


All I need from you is to email me at autism.diva.help@gmail.com if you're interested in attending.  


If you're interested in volunteering, please let me know this in your email as well.  I am prepared to pay for your criminal record check and your child abuse registry check, so this will be of no cost to you.  Consider this my Christmas present to you.

Super Dad and I are thinking of a name for this group, and he's come up with a really good one, but we'd like to hear from you in your email with some suggestions too!



Consider yourselves hugged,


Lou

Autism Night Before Christmas

Wow, wish I had the wit this woman obviously does.  I just had to share with all of you.  Hope you enjoy as much as I did.

Autism Night Before Christmas
by Cindy Waeltermann

Twas the Night Before Christmas
And all through the house
The creatures were stirring
Yes, even the mouse

We tried melatonin
And gave a hot bath
But the holiday jitters
They always distract

The children were finally
All nestled in bed
When nightmares of terror
Ran through my OWN head

Did I get the right gift
The right color and style
Would there be a tantrum
Or even, maybe, a smile?

Our relatives come
But they don’t understand
The pleasure he gets
Just from flapping his hands.

“He needs discipline,” they say
“Just a well-needed smack,
You must learn to parent…”
And on goes the attack

We smile and nod
Because we know deep inside
The argument is moot
Let them all take a side

We know what it’s like
To live with the spectrum
The struggles and triumphs
Achievements, regressions…

But what they don’t know
And what they don’t see
Is the joy that we feel
Over simplicity

He said “hello”
He ate something green!
He told his first lie!
He did not cause a scene!

He peed on the potty
Who cares if he’s ten,
He stopped saying the same thing
Again and again!

Others don’t realize
Just how we can cope
How we bravely hang on
At the end of our rope

But what they don’t see
Is the joy we can’t hide
When our children with autism
Make the tiniest stride

We may look at others
Without the problems we face
With jealousy, hatred
Or even distaste,

But what they don’t know
Nor sometimes do we
Is that children with autism
Bring simplicity.

We don’t get excited
Over expensive things
We jump for joy
With the progress work brings

Children with autism
Try hard every day
That they make us proud
More than words can say.

They work even harder
Than you or I
To achieve something small
To reach a star in the sky

So to those who don’t get it
Or can’t get a clue
Take a walk in my shoes
And I’ll assure you

That even 10 minutes
Into the walk
You’ll look at me
With respect, even shock.

You will realize
What it is I go through
And the next time you judge
I can assure you

That you won’t say a thing
You’ll be quiet and learn,
Like the years that I did
When the tables were turned…….

Consider yourselves hugged y'all!

Lou

Abused In School

Not everyone is meant to be a teacher or child care professional.  You really need to have a love for children and truly enjoy seeing little people's light bulbs go off when they 'get' your lesson.  I enjoyed this feeling with adults as a Pharmacy Technician Instructor at a local college, just didn't really enjoy marking the lengthy assignments and tests...  
You can not view the little people as a burden.  If you do, then you're definitely in the wrong place, not just for the children's sake, but your own.  I imagine that when someone becomes abusive, it is because they've lost their 'self control,' and losing 'it' ain't pretty...  You know the song "she ain't pretty" by the Northern Pikes?  Yeah, that's what a teacher with no self control ends up looking like.  All dressed nice and looking the part, but then she opens her mouth and pow!  She ain't too pretty no more.
I've met a few of these not so pretty teachers in the last few years.  Teachers and daycares.  I think the worst incident I had with Dayton where he was abused by a worker was at River Road Child Care which is located in the St. Amant Centre.  Here's a quote straight from their website at http://www.stamant.mb.ca/about-us:  

Founded by the Grey Nuns in 1931 as the St. Boniface Sanatorium, the Grey Nuns originally cared for patients with tuberculosis. The building was re-named the St. Vital Hospital in 1961.

Children with disabilities were first admitted to the St.Amant Ward in 1959. The organization was re-named St.Amant Centre in 1974 as the space became dedicated to meeting the needs of persons with developmental disabilities.

The Grey Nuns nurtured the physical, social, emotional and spiritual needs of every individual they cared for, laying the foundation for many generations of work to come. The Grey Nuns were strong advocates for the people they cared for and were determined to teach those who it was said could not be taught, to help children learn to walk who it was said would never walk. They helped each and every individual develop to the best of their abilities.The Grey Nuns were fearless leaders, unafraid to go against the grain or be defeated by the attitudes that prevailed toward those with developmental disabilities at the time. They provided direction and leadership of the organization into the 1990’s.

St.Amant is now the largest provider of community living services in Manitoba supporting individuals and their families with residential options, family care and outreach services. St.Amant also has a growing program for pre-school and school aged children with Autism.

You can see why I would think this was a fantastic place for my little guy!  Wow!  And speaking with the director of the daycare, I was told that yes, they would have no problems with Dayton.  At the time, Dayton's diagnoses were ADHD and global developmental delays.  I informed the director that Dayton was also being observed for autism.  She assured me there would be no problems, didn't I know where I was?  I was at St. Amant!  I could not have chosen a better place on the world for my babe.  
Here's some information on River Road Child Care located in the St. Amant Centre, again right off their website which you can find at:  http://www.stamant.mb.ca/child-care:

We provide high-quality childcare in a warm, loving environment and promote the full development and well-being of all children with various needs and characteristics. We believe children have the right to be cared for in an atmosphere of warmth, acceptance, respect, love and laughter.

Our programming includes:

• Emergent and thematic curriculum
• Special events and field trips
• Gymnasium time
• Computer-assisted learning
• Inclusive approaches
• Natural external environment
• A scheduled, daily routine

Here's a link to the daycare's brochure:  http://www.stamant.mb.ca/sites/default/files/River%20Road%20Child%20Care.pdf


So, you can see I did my homework before I decided to enlist their help in taking care of my babe's needs...  They found a wonderful assistant to help Dayton throughout the day, who really bonded well with Dayton.  We had become friends, play dates with our children were arranged.  She's still a friend today.  If it were not for her, I never would have found out what they did to my baby...
"Mamma, C hurt me."
"Dayton, how could you say something like that about C?  She loves you, and she's like an auntie to you!  She would never hurt you."
"Mamma, I no wanna go to deeeecare.  Not like.  C hurt me."
"Dayton, don't ever let me hear you talk about C like that again!!!"
And then the biting began.  My boy had become a carnivore, and his appetite insatiable....  In roughly one month's time, he had bit C as well as other child care professionals a total of seven times.  I was informed that Dayton either stopped biting or I would have to find another daycare.  Daycares in Winnipeg are not easy to come by.  I'm struggling without daycare for the last two years now...  Talk about a financial oweeee!  Anyways...


I made two crucial mistakes...  
Mistake number one:  Dayton tried to tell me he someone was hurting him, and I did NOT believe him.
Mistake number two:  I didn't question WHY Dayton was becoming a carnivore...  
ALL behaviour is COMMUNICATION.  Dayton's communication skills were severely delayed, they still are.  He was also five years old, functioning at about a three year old level.  About half of his communication at age five for Dayton was PHYSICAL.
C called me and wanted to talk to me in person, without the kids present.  Just the two of us.  She told me, then because of my stunned look had to physically show me what was happening to my child at the hands of the director of the River Road Child Care...  I can honestly tell you exactly what it feels like to have your heart ripped in half...
Dayton was forced to sit on the floor with his legs stretched straight in front of him in front of ALL the children at the daycare.  Dayton was the example to the other children, treated like an animal.  The director would sit behind him with her legs parallel to his, his back against her upper body.  She then grabbed his wrists and pinned them behind his back.  She put one of her legs across Dayton's upper legs or thighs in order to keep him rooted to the floor.  With Dayton's arms stretched out tight, wrists pinned together in her hands, she lifted...  she could have dislocated his shoulders!!!  All Dayton could do was bite, it was his only defence!!!  It seemed she didn't like being bit, so she made C do this to Dayton once a week, in front of EVERYBODY!!!
How painful was this for Dayton?  How humiliating for my baby!!!  He must have been so scared, so wounded, and he tried to tell me, he wanted me to protect and defend him and I didn't believe him...  I let my baby down...  Never, ever again will I take someone else's word over his, EVER.  
After surviving this experience, I can honestly tell you exactly what it feels like to have your heart ripped in half...  I went through four of the five stages of grief, missing only the 'bargaining' stage, which believe it or not, when I reached the anger stage, River Road Child Care tried to bargain with me.  Their bargain?  They would take Dayton back for one month while I searched for appropriate child care that could take care of his needs!!!  What???  Over my dead body!  My anger sky rocketed and I contacted the media.  The story hit the air, and before it did, the daycare issued a letter to all parents who's children were taken care of at the daycare that I was an angry and desperate mother, and I would lie about their practice because I couldn't find daycare?!  Whatever!  


It took me every ounce of energy not to drive to the daycare and take matters into my own hands.  The woman is lucky to be alive and well.  Instead, I did an interview with Global TV, and had my 15 minutes three nights in a row, twice a night, warning everyone in Winnipeg NOT to enrol their child into River Road Child Care. 
The province launched an investigation into the matter, and the director had to go back to school...  


Come again Lou?
Yes, that's right.  She got training which was covered by her employer...  How fantastic is that? 


Dayton is not the only child that has been abused by "professionals."  It happens all the time.  Our kiddos with special needs are like moving targets.  Child care professionals, teachers and educational assistants are over worked and underpaid (not our problem, I know).  Everyone, including the children are fantastic in September, but come December with Christmas holidays...  tempers flare up, on both ends.  
Here's the latest abuse story in school, this time recorded by a 15 year old, using his cell phone:


http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2011/11/16/julio-artuz-15-records-teacher-verbally-abusing_n_1097166.html?ref=fb&src=sp&comm_ref=false


Dreadful.  Sick.  Demented...  My heart splits in half again for this family...


Consider yourselves hugged,


Lou

Super Dad, A Hero In My Eyes

Finally, I finally got a chance to meet my new hero, whom I will from now on refer to as Super Dad.  He's earned the title.  I know of no other man who is as selfless, warm and caring as this man.

Super Dad is a single father of five, that's right, FIVE children, three of which are biologically his, and the two youngest are his niece and nephew.  Their ages range from seventeen to...  drum roll please...  three!!!  Wow!!!  I don't know where the man gets the energy to do it, but he does it and does it well.  The three oldest are on the autism spectrum...  Given these circumstances, Super Dad still finds the time to decorate his home and all of his front yard with Halloween decorations, and come Christmas, he'll do the same!  He does this for his five children, bringing to mind the saying that there is a difference between a 'daddy' and a sperm donor.  Sorry, I don't mean to sound so harsh, but I've met both, and the ones in between.

Super Dad's Halloween work

My favourite snap shot of Super Dad's handy work

He's such a proud Super Dad!  He even brought out pictures for me to see his kiddos.  How embarrassing for me...  I have tons of pictures of Dayton on my blackberry, but I forgot it on my trip home from BC, and it's in the mail, so I had none to show him...  And here I think of myself as an awesome mom!  Woops.

Raising five kids, Super Dad even finds time to keep a beautiful garden of flowers around his home.  He showed me pictures of tiger lilies and other flowers, and I shamefully had to admit I have a black thumb.  My plants have all died since I moved, including my cactus.  How do you kill a cactus you may ask...  Just bring it over to my home,  I'll have it dead in a week.

Why am I raving about Super Dad?  I have one child on the autism spectrum, ONE.  I dread Halloween.  A hyper boy to begin with, Dayton looks and behaves like a squirrel on acid with OCD when introduced to candy.  Even his voice changes and he talks so fast I can hardly understand him.  I have no energy to put up Halloween decorations.  Christmas time is different.  While I still don't have the energy, celebrating the birth of Christ is very important to me.  There's no candy involved in my house other than baked cookies.  I can handle that.  How Super Dad does it with three on the autism spectrum is remarkable.

It gets better...  Super Dad is changing careers...  He's just recently got hired as an educational assistant.  He's inspired me to take a look at this career choice myself.  I love pharmacy, but I really want to make a change in someone's life.  As  Leo Tolstoy has said:  "Everyone thinks of changing the world, but no one thinks of changing themself."  Time to make a change within myself.

Super Dad without caffeine, LOL.  Can you believe this guy is single ladies?  Once you get past  the mask, he's a heart breaker, I swear!  LOL

Consider yourselves hugged,

Lou

What Happened To The Boy From Campbell River?!

For those of you who know me, you know I love my son more than the air I breathe.  Heck, he IS the air I breathe.  Without him, I would not have gone through the surgeries that no doubt have saved my life.  He gave me a reason to care about my life expectancy.

What I don't understand though is why, oh why he's changed...  Let me explain.

As most children on the autism spectrum, Dayton hates change.  Any kind of change will set him off, whether it be a good change or a bad change.  Christmas, birthdays, Halloween...  they're a nightmare in my home.  Well, not completely.  Christmas is very special to me and always will be, no matter what anyone's mood is.  My point, excuse my Menopause brain, it's in full swing again today...  My point is, that the recent two week stay of ours in BC went FANTASTIC.  No meltdowns.  No confusion, no freak outs.  Dayton was a perfect angel.  He was absolutely wonderful, even though our visit wasn't particularly meant as a vacation.  He was sad his grandpa Jerry passed away, but behaved spectacularly.

It seems he was allergic to something or got a rash on his face due to the stress of a change.  Taking him to a walk in clinic didn't help; the doctor had no clue what the problem was.  Not wanting to chance allergies, he suggested I give Dayton Benadryl, something I had already done before he advised it.  But he did suggest I give him an adult dose to see if it would be of more help since the children's dose had little to no affect.

Benadryl should have made Dayton drowsy, but it didn't.  He functioned perfectly, wasn't drugged or sleepy. In fact, my boy was cool, calm and collected for most of our "visit", with the exception of bed time, which is typical for any nine year old.  He complained that his rash was itchy and burned and that his eyes hurt, so I added children's Advil to his Benadryl regime.  As long as he had his Benadryl every four hours and his Advil every six hours, he was pain and irritant free.

Once we got home and didn't need the Benadryl anymore, he went back to the Dayton I've known for the past nine years.  Hyper, hyper, hyper!  Fortunately, I haven't had any complaints from his school, but at home...  Ugh.  His inner motor's been cranked on high!  He's lost all aim in the washroom, and I'm threatening to make him sit on the throne like a girl.  He didn't have this problem in Campbell River, I thought he'd mastered his aim!  We even celebrated with a freaking cake!  What the heck?!

Yesterday morning the little turkey decided to pee in the waste basket beside the toilet!  Just thinking about it is making me drive heave.  There was pee around the toilet, in the waste basket...  I literally blew a gasket.  His aim's always been a wee bit off in the mornings, but not like this.  And when I asked him about it, he had no answer.  Of course, at first he claimed "I didn't do it".  Jeez!  I want to find this "I didn't do it" kid and claim him on my income tax...  He also brings up this kid called "I don't know."  I'll be calling Revenue Canada in the morning...

I could understand if the toilet looked something like this...  I wouldn't want to pee in it either!  But this is NOT the case!

The stench of pee emanating from the waste basket was driving me insane, so I cleaned it, but held firm to stomaching the pee around the toilet for him to clean up after school.  Of course he didn't like it and thought cleaning pee was "gross."  He started crying, which made me feel bad for a split second until my gag reflex kicked in and made me dry heave again.  Leaning over the sink dry heaving, I did my best to explain to him during the wee breaths I managed to take that it's not fair that I have to clean up his pee.  "The M in MOM is for mom, not maid Dayton!"
"The S in SON is for son, not slave mamma."
I thought he didn't know how to spell!  Well excuse me!  I suppose I've used the mom argument for too many years.  I wonder how long he's been thinking of the son argument.  I didn't even know he knew what the word slave meant.  I suppose I had it coming.  He is, after all, my son.


As dad Paul has taught me, consider yourselves hugged,

Lou

This Is It!!!

Our last day home before we head out to BC.  We're flying from Winnipeg to Edmonton, then to Vancouver, then finally to Nanaimo.  Flight with layover time will take 7 hours and 35 minutes.  But it ain't over yet.  We have to drive another two hours from Nanaimo to get to Campbell River.  This gives us 9 and 1/2 hours of travel for the day.

The more I think about it, the more freaked out I'm getting.  How will a kid on the autism spectrum make out on this long trip?  But then I think of his aunties and their husbands traveling from Australia to be there with their father, one of the couples with an infant.  27 hours of travel with a baby can't be an easy thing either, so I really gotta pull up my big girl panties here and chill out.  If they can do it, I can do it with Dayton.  I just hope he gets tired and passes out, at least during our two hour car ride.  I can't have Dayton be too cranky when he sees his grandpa, otherwise I'm going to have to wait an extra day to see him.

So...  my plan to keep Dayton preoccupied?  Let's see...  thank God for the guidance counselor's interactive social story!!!  I'm so going to be all over that!!!  We're definitely using the books she gave us on air travel.  Dayton's teacher also gave us some work to do, so I'm packing Dayton's school backpack with all of the work given to us by the school, this way he can not be bored.  I'm going to bring some Uno cards to pass the time during layovers.  Naturally, the iPod touch is coming with us too, as is the Nintendo DSi.  I've gotta find his little MP3 player, it's around here somewhere...  And I cannot forget to buy some gum, and a little wee bit of sedatives for your's truly...

Today will be spent finishing up on laundry, cleaning my home, and packing...  Yey!  You know I'm going to forget to pack something.  There is every reason to believe I'll forget something personal, like my underwear...  What did mamma say about accidents and clean underwear again?

I've got to get Dayton and I for a haircut, pick up our medication and some time tonight make time for Dayton to say goodbye to his buddies. 

We're told Jerry needs help with the simplest of things, to sit up, to stretch his arms and legs, and he's lying in a hospital bed in the living room.  He's surrounded by his favorite music, friends and family.  Communicating has become difficult for him and exhausting.  He's described by one of his daughters as kind, gentle and loving, much more so in the last few days.  While he may not be able to have a long winded conversation, and may only say two to three word sentences, his sense of humor is still in tact, and his witty personality still shines through.  

I do not know how much time I will have to write while in BC, but I will do my best to try. 


In the mean time, consider yourselves hugged,

Lou

Are You NORMAL Enough?

If there's one thing that grates on my nerves, it's hearing "Oh, he looks so normal!  I see nothing wrong with him...  You're being too hard on him."

And then Dayton does something that hurts someone.  And discipline is expected.  And I don't wanna give it.  And I see other kids not being disciplined for hurting my son.  And I don't like it.  And the other kids annoy the ever living $#@! out of me.  And the kids actually look for things to get Dayton in trouble.

No, I'm not imagining things.  Before Dayton got grounded, his little seven year old buddy came running in tow with another kid whining that "Dayton picked his nose and wiped his finger on his pants."  Seriously?!  Sitting with his mom, I looked him straight in the eye and said:  "Seriously?!  That's what you came to squeal on Dayton for?  Get out of here!"  His mom, my friend, did NOT look impressed.  Oh well.   I'm tired of the chihuahua barking at my heals, telling me every single time Dayton goes pee, wipes his face, or picks his nose.  Enough already.  Maybe I'm getting fed up with kids in general, or maybe it's the stress talking.  I have been going through quite a bit of stress lately, haven't I...

Anyways...  Yes, Dayton looks normal.  He's a beautiful child, with blond hair and light green eyes, almost blue.  Doesn't change the fact he has autism.  That's why it's called a spectrum.  Dayton fits on the higher functioning end of the autism spectrum (diagnosed with PDD-NOS), but less functioning than someone with aspergers syndrome.  He is cognitively delayed, which means it takes Dayton twice as long to learn something, which means he's behind academically, which means he needs more help in communicating, etc...

Maybe I am a little more protective of him than the average mom.  Maybe I am a little more apprehensive of letting him play outside with his friends without me being present.  Maybe I am a little more anal retentive than I should be.  Maybe I intervene too much with his friends in order to prevent a physical fight or melt down for Dayton.

It's even more frustrating when a friend tells me that I'm too involved with Dayton's play with his friends, or that maybe this is just who Dayton is...  it's a personality "thing."

Really?  A personality thing?  Seriously? 

I hate the term 'normal,' but here we go...

Dayton is cognitively delayed, making him academically behind his peers, yet he is normal enough to know it and feel embarrassed enough to have a melt down.

Dayton's communication skills are delayed, and he has a problem expressing his feelings to others, yet he is normal enough to know when his peers are getting annoyed with him, interrupting him constantly so he can't finish telling them what his problem is, which makes him blow up and throw a fit.

Dayton's got swag like his big mamma.  We tend to trip over air, which means he's not very coordinated and he's normal enough to know that the kids are laughing at him.  This makes him not want to participate in playing sports like soccer.

Dayton needs to be explained the rules to a game, or he'll make his own.  If you break the rules, he freaks.  And he's not "normal" enough to understand that people break rules and cheat ALL the time...

Dayton can't handle loud music, it hurts his ears!  He has sensory issues that most of us don't.  What would you do in order to avoid pain?

These are just five examples, there are many more.  But I'm sure you get the idea.

Personality types are completely different from deficits.  Just sayin.  Like my personality...  I'm a giver, a care taker and a fixer.  I have to fix everything and everyone.  If someone's sad, I have to get them to smile.  I'm a people pleaser, and can't stand it when I feel someone doesn't like me.  I mean come on!  I'm awesome, right?!  As a parent, I don't want my boy being looked upon as a trouble maker or a bad kid.  That's my 'personality.'  I know that sometimes I can be overbearing, and that's OK.  I know as I'm doing it that it's something I can continue or should stop and I can.  Dayton on the other hand has no control over his 'personality.'  That's the difference.

Anyways...


Consider yourselves hugged,

Lou

Don't Cha Wish Your Girlfriend Was Fat Like Me? Don't Cha Wish Your Girlfriend Liked KFC? Don't Cha...

Ahh yes...  at its finest!  A mom came up on facebook telling us how her son this morning heard the new song by lmfao, "I'm sexy and I know it" on the radio, then proceeded to repeatedly sing this one line for an hour.  Made me choke on my coffee, remembering some of Dayton's finest moments.

For those of you not familiar with the term "echolalia," it is the automatic repetition of vocalizations made by another person.  Echolalia is a common thread with kids on the autism spectrum.  The repetition can happen once or last for hours.  Typically done a the most inopportune time.  Sometimes embarrassing, but mostly funny, at least with Dayton.

Scene 1:  Dayton just heard the song Don't Cha by the Pussycat Dolls.  You know the one:  "Don't Cha wish your girlfriend was hot like me, don't cha wish your girlfriend was a freak like me, don't cha, don't cha..."  Ahhh yes...  He liked the song so much, he memorized the above verse just by hearing it once.  Dayton kept singing the verse over and over and over again...  Oh my God!!!  What if he sings it in front of the boys at school?  What will they think?  They're gonna make fun of him and call him gay, I just know it.  How the heck do I combat this?!

Here's what quick thinkin' mamma came up with and started singing...  "Don't cha wish your boyfriend was built like me, don't cha wish your boyfriend liked KFC, don't cha, don't cha." 

I got a few giggles from Dayton, and pretty soon he joined in with me.  Whew!  Close call!!!

Scene 2:  Remember Aqua, and their song Barbie Girl?  Oh boy oh boy...  I mean, how could you not memorize the lines of that song?  It's so much fun!  And the tune is catchy, geared towards kids, but not really meant for their ears.  Dayton:  "I'm a Barbie girl, in the Barbie world, life in plastic, it's fantastic!  You can brush my hair, undress me everywhere..."  OH MY GOD!!!  Dayton was only five at this time, so no school bullies to worry about.  But I couldn't take him anywhere for a while.  Quick thinking mamma wasn't smart enough to come up with anything.  Furthermore, he had JUST started talking!!!  All this time begging him to talk, I wasn't about to tell him to stop!!!  Ugh!

Scene 3:  My all time favorite.  This was bound to come to light, so you may as well all hear it from me.  I have a nasty habit.  I am a smoker.  There, I admitted it.  I enjoy a cigarette.  Benson and Hedges Deluxe, 100's.  Ma'bad.  Far from perfect me is.  And I like to eat, A LOT.  I don't like to exercise, which is why the first thought to Dayton's Scene 1 that came to me was "Don't cha wish your girlfriend was fat like me, don't cha wish your girlfriend liked KFC, don't cha..."  But that still wouldn't fix HIS problem.  Anyways...  I'm a smoker, not a heavy one (oooh, no pun intended, bazinga!), but one none the less.

Dayton and I found a TV show we both enjoyed watching together called The Big Bang Theory.  You must have heard of it, it's freaking hilarious!  I swear Sheldon has asperger's, and he totally reminds me of Dayton.  Dayton's made a connection with this character and hangs on every word he says.  For those of you that have seen the show, do you remember the episode where Sheldon has to hold a secret for Penny?  The one where Penny lies to Leonard, telling him she attended a community college because she wanted him to think she was smart?  And then Sheldon not being able to keep a secret, takes cold medication to knock himself out because he can't sleep.  Well, in this episode he was so medicated, he uttered to Leonard:  "Mamma smokes in the car, Jesus is OK with it, but don't tell dad." 

Just at this time a law was passed making it illegal to smoke in your car with a child in the car with you.  Not that I ever thought it was a good idea to do it in the first place, law or not.

We're sitting at the supper table with friends and family and all of a sudden, completely out of context, Dayton says:  "Mamma smokes in the car, Jesus is OK with it, but don't tell dad."  The table goes silent.  Dayton repeats himeself again, and again, and again, and again...  Everyone looks at me without saying a word.  All I can say is thank God for PVR's.  If you don't have one and your child gets hung up on echolalia, you definitely have to get one and KEEP THE RECORDINGS!

I ran to the TV, found the episode and played it for everyone.  We all had a good laugh, tears of relief spilling down my face.  Whew!



Consider yourselves hugged,

Lou

Warning: I Take The Term 'Bite Me' More Literally Than You Meant It!

Ah yes, the literal thinker.  So many arguments I've had with Dayton, then realized mid way through that we were having two different arguments - LITERALLY.  I can't even begin to tell you the arguments Dayton has had at school with his educators, and upon having Dayton tell me his side of the story, then listening to the school's side of the story, it turns out that they too have had two different arguments.  Unfortunately for Dayton, those misunderstandings ended up becoming physical for him because of his sense of being misunderstood, bullied and not given a chance to explain his side, and therefore completely frustrated.  The only left for him to communicate in order to get anyone's attention was to use his body like a weapon.

Taking wording literally is quite common in children and adults on the autism spectrum.  Forget having autism, think of your own autistic moments...  I remember my past employer at a local college telling me:  "Lou, we're going to move pharmacy again," meaning changing the program, and of course as I was the expert in the field, he wanted my help.  Instead my response was:  "But we haven't even found a suitable spot in the building to move the program this time, and now you're saying you're going to be moving my class again?  What about the lab, the sinks, the hoods..." and then I realized what he had meant by his comment, and felt like a total moron.  Great.  His look of disapproval did not help my downward spiraling confidence as an expert at all.  Ugh!!!

Now think how difficult this is for our kiddos on the autism spectrum.  To have to live with this every day, risk being ridiculed or looking dumb.  I suppose it is easier to just not participate in school activities or become the class clown.  Or do both like my babe does.  Sure, it gets him in trouble, but the reward of getting in trouble is much nicer than his peers ridiculing him.  Poor kid.

"Dayton, stop pushing my buttons!!!"
"Buttons?  You have buttons?  Where are your buttons and how many of them do you have for me to push?"  Then he starts shoving my shirt up to see if they're on my belly, walking around me to see if they're on my back..."  "I see your belly button, what happens if I push it?"

"Dayton, I got a bone to pick with you."
"Really?  Awesome!!!  Where are the bones?  Are they human bones, animal bones...  Ooooohhhh, please tell me they're dinosaur bones!!!"

In class one day:  "Class, draw your 'sneaker.'
Dayton:  "I don't wear 'sneakers, I wear 'skater shoes.'"  Now you can see the potential of a teacher thinking he was being defiant or refusing to do work here, right?  Yup. 

Teacher:  "Dayton, did you rip that back pack?"  This incident happened two years ago...  The teacher and his aid were standing across the room from Dayton, watching him stick his finger into a back pack that already HAD a small rip in it.  When Dayton stuck his finger in it, he pulled down hard, making the rip larger.
"No."
"Yes, yes you did, I saw you do it!"
"No I didn't!!!"
The two of them were having two different arguments.  Dayton's argument being there was already a rip in the back pack, the teacher's being that he ripped it further.  Furthermore, I see no point in questioning a child if you saw he did something inappropriate.  Choose your words carefully and be literal if you want him to answer a question, and don't bother asking questions you know the answer to.  This incident resulted in Dayton pulling desks out of the way to get away from his teacher as she approached him (big no, no.  Now you're intimidating and threatening him) as well as his aid who was coming in for the kill.  Apparently the principal at that time decided to join in on restraining my babe to the floor, and another large, male teacher came in to 'help.'  The daycare owner came running to see what was happening because she heard my baby scream, and watched Dayton fight off the four school staff.  She evicted Dayton out of daycare as a result of seeing this.  Awesome!!!  You can see my frustration, can't you?

At home, playing wrestling on his playstation with his buddy...  Buddy gets mad with Dayton for beating him in a game and tells Dayton:  "BITE ME!!!"
Dayton scoots over to him, bites him, then goes back to his seat and keeps playing his game.  His buddy is crying and holding on to his arm...
"Why did you do that Dayton?"
"Ummm, because you told me to."
"What?!"
"Ugh!!!  You told me to bite you, so I did!"
Oh dear...  Buddy hits Dayton in the arm.  Dayton plows him one in the face.  Huge fight.  Name calling.  Buddy's sent home, Dayton's confused and his feelings are hurt.

Expressions of speech are a nightmare for most kids on the autism spectrum.  A dare from another child is never looked upon as a dare.  A dare to Dayton is to do what he's told so his "buddy" will like him.  He wants to be included and just doesn't stop and think about the consequences.  Besides, even if he did, the most important consequence for him is acceptance, not his mother's wrath.  Or the principal's.  Or the teacher's.  Know what I mean?


Consider yourselves hugged!

Lou

Organization In Education Is Crucial

I know Dayton's been in school for only three days, but WOW!!!  I sure pray I'm not jinxing myself in announcing this, but I am sooooo pleased with Dayton's teacher, aid and principal right now.  Dayton just came home and showed me all his "check marks" he earned at school, and I am so proud of my little guy, I'm practically GUSHING!!!  It must have taken Dayton's teacher quite some time to make up this check mark system, and his aid and teacher time again to fill it out.  And the sense of accomplishment Dayton feels right at this very moment shines right through him.  I haven't seen him so happy to be in school EVER.  I have never been this impressed before either!!!

Again, I'm terrified that I'm jinxing myself, but I am so very, very pleased.  I pray this continues throughout this school year, and worry that Dayton's educators may not have the stamina to keep this up through the whole year, but for now I choose to relish in Dayton's success and celebrate with him.  I feel fortunate that Dayton has a teacher and an aid who obviously recognize that being organized is key in education, and that children on the autism spectrum must see immediate and positive results before being able to comply with what we as adults wish for them to achieve. 

Anyways, back to celebrating!  I just had to take a few minutes to share with everyone!  I'm so happy!!!  And most importantly, Dayton is happy.  The old saying "If mamma ain't happy, ain't no body happy" is not true in my home.  Here the motto goes "If Dayton ain't happy, ain't no body happy" is the very much the case.  And Dayton is HAPPY!!!  Hoooray!!! 

If Dayton's teacher, aid and principal are reading this, THANK YOU!!!  You've made our home a happy home tonight!


Consider yourselves hugged,

Lou