It's the Small Things

Hi friends!

I just wanted to share something that happened today. 

As you know, J has sensory issues. This has, in the past, made things such as showers, clipping nails, and haircuts very traumatic for him. He tolerates most things pretty well now, but haircuts are still rough. We've never been able to take him to a salon, because as soon as he hears the clippers he falls apart, with kicking, screaming, crying, the works.  Today was haircut day. We've just bought our own clippers. J calls it Mister Clipper and says to me "Mommy, I don't like Mister Clipper if he touches me."

I got the bright idea to let him play with them before we ever used them, and today went amazing. He watched cartoons on the playbook, ate peanut butter M&Ms, and didn't utter a peep of protest. What would normally have taken forty-five minutes took fifteen. 

People often say that we're all so busy looking for the next big thing, that we fail to appreciate the small things. Today was a definite reminder to me of how important the small things can really be. We're feeling pretty happy for J today, and as for myself, I'm feeling very happy, and grateful. Hopefully this means that there is one more thing in this world that J doesn't feel overwhelmed by. (Awkwardly constructed sentence right there. I need coffee :) )

Hope your day is wonderful. 

~Dee~

Back to School

Hi friends!

Well, the school year is back on full swing, and I figured it was time for an update. J's return to school has gone fairly smooth. He has the same EA that he had last year, but pretty much everything else has changed. We have a new teacher, principal, and resource teacher, and he's taken to them all really well.  The Teacher for the Visually Impaired has already been in touch, and with J reading now, we're looking at magnifying tools to help him see the mages more easily. A lot of his friends from last year are in his class, and he's already reestablished some of those friendships.  

I'm not sure if I've mentioned this before, but J spends a good part of his time in a separate room with his EA, doing work that the teacher, Mrs. C, gives them. He's been given a lot of time in the classroom with the other kids, and it is going so much better than we could have hoped.  Carpet time is the hardest for him, so he only stays for a little while, but his EA is letting him lead, and the times have been getting longer quickly. 

We've been working with him on ways to keep himself calm, and productive, non violent ways to deal with his anger as it comes. His tendency is to scream or hit, and we're really working on ways to avoid that without bottling up his feelings.   It's a slow process, but there's been progress. 

There's not much else to add.  We walk home with my best friend, who just so happens to be the mother of J's best friend, and though they antagonize each other to no end, it's going better. He's really loving school and is super excited to go every day. He's usually trying to push Daddy out of the door by seven thirty!  

Anyway, that's all for now. Have a wonderful day!  

~Dee~

Sorry guys!

Hi friends!  

Once again I've been neglecting the blog, and I'm sorry for that. It's summertime, and J is out of school.  Life has been crazy busy what with beach dates, barbecues, and all that other fun summer stuff!  We've had a lot going on, and I'm working on a post explaining it all, but it isn't ready yet. Thanks for being patient, and sticking with us. Hope you're having a wonderful day!  

~Dee~

Hello Out There

Hello friends!

Well, it's been a LONG time.  Things have been really crazy around here with J's school and all.  He's still having a rough time.  We're trying an assortment of different ideas to help him learn to deal with his feelings of anger and being overwhelmed, and there has been some improvement, but it is definitely slow going. On the plus side, his team is amazing. His EA and I talk every day, And we're building a good rapport. The woman who covers for her when she has a break, (we'll call her T) is also fantastic.  We meet up every day before J is let out, and we talk about the day and discuss new strategies for the following day.  He has been having trouble seeing well enough to write, so they are letting him use a whiteboard to draw his letters on.  He can make them as big as he needs to, and that is helping. Also, he does not go straight to the class at the start of the day, nor does he leave the class and come right to me.  He "transitions" in another room for about five minutes, and that has helped a lot.  Overall he is really enjoying school. His speech is coming along so well, and we've noticed that he is becoming much more confident in himself.  He's become such a little leader for his sister.

We have gotten some amazing news, which is a big part of the reason I decided to make a new post.  Just saw his ophthalmologist last week. He usually is very difficult, but this time he wasn't.  Doctor P was very excited, as, because of J's compliance, he was able to get the most accurate refraction he's ever gotten from J.  He made a huge discovery.  A year and a half ago, J's glasses were at +16 for strength.  That's about normal for a child with 20/500 vision. Well, J's glasses are TOO STRONG!  His new prescription is a 10.25 in one eye, and a 12.50 in the other, which is a HUGE improvement.  No one expected this, but we are all so happy for J.  His new glasses will really help him.  Right now, the doctor says he probably has constantly blurry vision, and headaches.  I wish we had noticed sooner :(.

Well, that's all for now. As always, feel free to ask if you're curious about anything!

Enjoy your day,

~Dee