I'm gonna make this quick, I just wanted to tell everyone what my oldest son did at the store the other day!
We had gone to Walmart with my best friend who was in town visiting, we had used her van to go and when we were walking out to leave Anthony decided to run up ahead of us all (he has a bad habit of trying to beat everyone at everything!) he hurried to swing open the door, and hopped in as quick as he could, completely ignoring me yelling to him, and gave us all a look like ha-ha I beat ya! What he missed me yelling to him was "Anthony, NO...NOT THAT ONE...Aunt Katy's is the one on the other side!!!!!!" He had jumped into someone elses van!!! LMBO!!!! I will NEVER let him live this one down!:)
Friday, September 19, 2008
Update...Update:
After the IEP meeting Munchie was evaluated on Social, Emotional Skills to see if he met the criteria to attend the classes 4 days a week. He had that evaluation a week and a half ago, and this past Wednsday I was told that he does qualify!
This is aweome news for us. It means that he will be getting 4 of the 5 hours of therapy he needs right there in his school. They will be coming to get him and bringing him home each day on the bus. He will be in a school type setting, prepearing him for the real thing, getting him used to being around his peers, and helping him to detatch from me and his dad!
Munchie is very upset about the whole thing, he is NOT at all willing to get go and I know it is going to be a huge struggle for at least the first few weeks! It's okay though, I believe that in the long run this is going to help all of us out tremendously! :)
I hope to talk to all of you soon! Where is everyone?! I miss ya'all! :) ~Jenn
This is aweome news for us. It means that he will be getting 4 of the 5 hours of therapy he needs right there in his school. They will be coming to get him and bringing him home each day on the bus. He will be in a school type setting, prepearing him for the real thing, getting him used to being around his peers, and helping him to detatch from me and his dad!
Munchie is very upset about the whole thing, he is NOT at all willing to get go and I know it is going to be a huge struggle for at least the first few weeks! It's okay though, I believe that in the long run this is going to help all of us out tremendously! :)
I hope to talk to all of you soon! Where is everyone?! I miss ya'all! :) ~Jenn
Friday, September 5, 2008
IEP Meeting Update...
Today was the day! The dreaded IEP meeting for Munchie! My stomach was in knots all morning before I got there...I was feeling very intimidated having to present myself and speak in front of all of these professionals...it was finally over!
I walked away feeling pretty good though, it went much better than I had anticipated! I truly believed I was going to have to battle my way through all of this, and for the most part I found that they agreed with me on almost every aspect of my concerns! :)
Next Wednsday, when Munchie would normally be receiving therapy, they will be evaluating him for Social-Emotional skills...due to his melt down the other day, they think he may need more opportunity to be involved with some other kids his age. If this evaluation goes as planned and we get the results we are expecting, he will qualify for 4 days a week in the classroom...which at first I was concerned about simply because I thought that if we did that, he would only receive group therapy, which is NOT what you want for a child with CAS! After questioning them on this I was relieved to hear that instead he would actually be removed from the classroom for an hour each day for indivualized 1 on 1 therapy with the SLP!!! That means that, out of the 5 hours a week he needs, he would get 4 of them right here, close to home, and I would only need to take him to the other SLP (45 minutes away from us) once a week!!!!!!! :)
I also mentioned the fact that I felt it was necessary that I be allowed to sit in on the sessions, at least some of them! Patty, the SLP said that she agreed, and that from now on I will be in there with them! I had printed out a lot of info I got from the Apraxia Kids website specifically for SLP's who do not know much about Apraxia, I told her that I was unsure of how much experience she has with this disorder, and how much she knows about it, and that I decided to give this to her so that she could learn more about how to best take care of my son's needs. She thanked me and said that any info I can give her is more than welcome...that made me feel much better! We need an SLP who will advocate for us also...I may be his biggest and strongest advocate...but I am NOT his only one!
I will update this as soon as I find out more from the evaluation on Wednsday and whether or not he will qualify for extended services...Please keep us in mind during your prayers...we sure can use them! :)
I walked away feeling pretty good though, it went much better than I had anticipated! I truly believed I was going to have to battle my way through all of this, and for the most part I found that they agreed with me on almost every aspect of my concerns! :)
Next Wednsday, when Munchie would normally be receiving therapy, they will be evaluating him for Social-Emotional skills...due to his melt down the other day, they think he may need more opportunity to be involved with some other kids his age. If this evaluation goes as planned and we get the results we are expecting, he will qualify for 4 days a week in the classroom...which at first I was concerned about simply because I thought that if we did that, he would only receive group therapy, which is NOT what you want for a child with CAS! After questioning them on this I was relieved to hear that instead he would actually be removed from the classroom for an hour each day for indivualized 1 on 1 therapy with the SLP!!! That means that, out of the 5 hours a week he needs, he would get 4 of them right here, close to home, and I would only need to take him to the other SLP (45 minutes away from us) once a week!!!!!!! :)
I also mentioned the fact that I felt it was necessary that I be allowed to sit in on the sessions, at least some of them! Patty, the SLP said that she agreed, and that from now on I will be in there with them! I had printed out a lot of info I got from the Apraxia Kids website specifically for SLP's who do not know much about Apraxia, I told her that I was unsure of how much experience she has with this disorder, and how much she knows about it, and that I decided to give this to her so that she could learn more about how to best take care of my son's needs. She thanked me and said that any info I can give her is more than welcome...that made me feel much better! We need an SLP who will advocate for us also...I may be his biggest and strongest advocate...but I am NOT his only one!
I will update this as soon as I find out more from the evaluation on Wednsday and whether or not he will qualify for extended services...Please keep us in mind during your prayers...we sure can use them! :)
Preview of my sister's work...she is AWESOME!!
This is just 1 of the latest photo sessions my amazingly talented sister has done with her neighbor's new daughter! If you would like to see more of her work click on the link underneath the photo!
She is truly gifted, and I had to take this opportunity to brag on her! :) Don't forget to come back here and let me know what you think!
She is truly gifted, and I had to take this opportunity to brag on her! :) Don't forget to come back here and let me know what you think!
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Therapy today....
Munchie had his 2nd therapy session of this school year with ECSE today. We just got back and I was wrong...today is not lookin to be much better than yesterday!
Last week..he went into his session ready to jump right in without a second thought and did great! Today, he walked with Patty (SLP) holding her hand and with his other, chewing on his fingers. It was obvious he was holding back some tears...and within the first few minutes of being inside apparently had gotten himself so worked up that he began puking all over the place!! Patty comes outside with Munchie in tow, imforming me she thinks he may be sick (Nope...that's pretty much Munchie)...she says, "Well, he was just fine last week!! What happened?" That's a great question, and one that I ask everyday!
She decided to end the session with that (which I assumed from the time I watched her walk out the door with Munchie crying and gagging!) and gave me instruction on what she was going to work with today, and told me to go ahead and just do this at home and she will review it next week!!!!!!! I don't get it...why is he there??? Am I the SLP??? Why is she going to review the work I do with him....shouldn't that go the other way?????!!!!! She COULD just let me go in and sit in on each session, the same way his SLP last year did...I'm not that type of parent that butts in every second...I sit back, quietly and pay attention so I DO know what to review at home! I only speak when asked, and if she asked the other SLP this, she would know that! I was more than willing to sit it out, not happy about it...but willing! BUT, if this is how things will work...what is the point!? Why am I stressin over all this when it seems to make NO difference at all! What is she there for!
I am ready to hang up the towel...give it all up...and just run away!!! But as always I will keep on truckin...after all, it's just another day in mí vida, and there's always tomorrow!!! :)
Last week..he went into his session ready to jump right in without a second thought and did great! Today, he walked with Patty (SLP) holding her hand and with his other, chewing on his fingers. It was obvious he was holding back some tears...and within the first few minutes of being inside apparently had gotten himself so worked up that he began puking all over the place!! Patty comes outside with Munchie in tow, imforming me she thinks he may be sick (Nope...that's pretty much Munchie)...she says, "Well, he was just fine last week!! What happened?" That's a great question, and one that I ask everyday!
She decided to end the session with that (which I assumed from the time I watched her walk out the door with Munchie crying and gagging!) and gave me instruction on what she was going to work with today, and told me to go ahead and just do this at home and she will review it next week!!!!!!! I don't get it...why is he there??? Am I the SLP??? Why is she going to review the work I do with him....shouldn't that go the other way?????!!!!! She COULD just let me go in and sit in on each session, the same way his SLP last year did...I'm not that type of parent that butts in every second...I sit back, quietly and pay attention so I DO know what to review at home! I only speak when asked, and if she asked the other SLP this, she would know that! I was more than willing to sit it out, not happy about it...but willing! BUT, if this is how things will work...what is the point!? Why am I stressin over all this when it seems to make NO difference at all! What is she there for!
I am ready to hang up the towel...give it all up...and just run away!!! But as always I will keep on truckin...after all, it's just another day in mí vida, and there's always tomorrow!!! :)
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
Preparing for our IEP meeting...
I have been busy for the past couple of days trying to prepare for a meeting I have this Friday for Munchie! I have asked that ECSE (Early Child Special Education) review his IEP (Individual Education Plan) with the hopes that since he was officially DX'd (Diagnosed) with Apraxia over the summer (and with the instruction of his SLP (Speech & Language Pathologist...I know...sorry...alot of abbreviations!) that they raise the amount of therapy he currently recieves from them from 30 minutes a week to at least 90 minutes a week!
If you have ever had any experience with an IEP meeting you know why I am dreading this so much! I need to have all of his reports in order and ready to go, I also need to find as much educated information I possibly can explaining why it is exactly that this much therapy is necessary for a child like him (this amount will be added to an additional 3 and a half hours, stretched over the course of 4 days of therapy he recieves from his SLP!) And I have to have a few realistic goals set in my mind as to what exactly I expect to get out of this and within what time frame I expect for it to be accomplished!
I have decided that, realisticly, all I am looking for, is that he be capable of producing just 1....ONE...real word, not ma-ma, or ba-baaaa(bye-bye!) that a complete stranger will understand! The truth is that right now my son is over 3 and a half years old, and the only reason that I (his MOMMY!!!) can understand 99% of what I do understand is due to tonation...he copies the rythym basically that we use with most words....for instance, when I say "It's right there!" I always use the same basic tone to say it....when my Munchie says it, it sounds like..."i..uh...uh!" with the same tone! I hope that this makes some sort of sense to someone...this is the most difficult thing I have ever tried to explain to anyone, even in person when you can hear what I am saying....and trying to type it for you to read it and make sense to you...well you get my drift!
That 1 goal is NOT going to do it for them! They will expect me to have so much more in mind...and to tell you the truth...my mind is in overdrive constantly, I cannot think anymore...I cannot concentrate, and I feel completely exhausted...all of these "little" things that I have to keep up with due to his Apraxia DX has taken it's toll on me!!! It's enough trying to keep up with the house, a 3 and 4 year old at home all day...a second grader, and keeping my relationship with Hector at least partially in tact...add dealing with insurance companies, finding an SLP wo is qualified to deal with this, looking for a new pediatricain for all of the kids (due to the old one not giving a crap!!!!!!!) IEP meetings, therapy all those days...worrying how exactly you are going to get there with a broken down car and no gas money...driving 45 miles each way....with a 3 and 4 year old....now being made to wait outside in the HOT car with my 4 year old daughter at therapy at ECSE...okay I think you get it! I'm POOPED! :|
That being said....I think it's about time for this woman to get to bed...as Munchie says it....
NA-NA...everyone....maybe tomorrow will be a better day! :)
If you have ever had any experience with an IEP meeting you know why I am dreading this so much! I need to have all of his reports in order and ready to go, I also need to find as much educated information I possibly can explaining why it is exactly that this much therapy is necessary for a child like him (this amount will be added to an additional 3 and a half hours, stretched over the course of 4 days of therapy he recieves from his SLP!) And I have to have a few realistic goals set in my mind as to what exactly I expect to get out of this and within what time frame I expect for it to be accomplished!
I have decided that, realisticly, all I am looking for, is that he be capable of producing just 1....ONE...real word, not ma-ma, or ba-baaaa(bye-bye!) that a complete stranger will understand! The truth is that right now my son is over 3 and a half years old, and the only reason that I (his MOMMY!!!) can understand 99% of what I do understand is due to tonation...he copies the rythym basically that we use with most words....for instance, when I say "It's right there!" I always use the same basic tone to say it....when my Munchie says it, it sounds like..."i..uh...uh!" with the same tone! I hope that this makes some sort of sense to someone...this is the most difficult thing I have ever tried to explain to anyone, even in person when you can hear what I am saying....and trying to type it for you to read it and make sense to you...well you get my drift!
That 1 goal is NOT going to do it for them! They will expect me to have so much more in mind...and to tell you the truth...my mind is in overdrive constantly, I cannot think anymore...I cannot concentrate, and I feel completely exhausted...all of these "little" things that I have to keep up with due to his Apraxia DX has taken it's toll on me!!! It's enough trying to keep up with the house, a 3 and 4 year old at home all day...a second grader, and keeping my relationship with Hector at least partially in tact...add dealing with insurance companies, finding an SLP wo is qualified to deal with this, looking for a new pediatricain for all of the kids (due to the old one not giving a crap!!!!!!!) IEP meetings, therapy all those days...worrying how exactly you are going to get there with a broken down car and no gas money...driving 45 miles each way....with a 3 and 4 year old....now being made to wait outside in the HOT car with my 4 year old daughter at therapy at ECSE...okay I think you get it! I'm POOPED! :|
That being said....I think it's about time for this woman to get to bed...as Munchie says it....
NA-NA...everyone....maybe tomorrow will be a better day! :)
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