Some Summer Thoughts

 

I was watching T.V. the other day with Michael and a commercial for water balloons came on
You have seen this one, I am sure, it is the self-sealing water balloons. You can make up to several dozen at one time.
I was watching these kids on the commercial wind up and throw them and I started thinking of how fun that would be and also how easy it would be to use that fun thing as a learning moment.
Like for instance that your child cannot throw well. How much more fun for them to practice this skill with these fun water balloons than a ball or bean bag?
And this got me thinking.
Summer is always thought of as a fun, relaxing time.
But the truth, for those who have a child with special needs, is that it is not quite the case.

While others are signing their children up for summer reading programs, we are arranging tutoring, so skills will not be lost.
While time with “nothing to do” sounds fantastic to many, for a child with Dyspraxia or Sensory Processing Disorder, this may actually increase their anxiety because open ended time to fill can be challenging for them.
So for us, summer takes on a new form, sort of a combination of therapies, schedules and summer activities.
And this is where my thoughts went to after I watched the commercial.
I think I see summer activities as chances to teach something to Elizabeth.
I have always, ever since she was very little, learned to approach everything as a teachable

So:
• Some may see water balloons, I see a chance to encourage fine motor skills as she tries to fill them up. ( unless you are getting those really cool ones that seal themselves :) )
• Some may see plain side walk chalk, I see an opportunity to play a word game or have fun tracing each other, to encourage concentration and patience.
• Some may see a fun trip to the pool, I see an chance for her to practice ordering and paying for her own snacks.
The list goes on, but you get the point.!”
For as hard as we work for our children from September to June, I know that we all want those skills and things learned to grow in June through August.
We want the summer to be fun for our children.

We want the summer to be productive, because it needs to be.

I know with Elizabeth’s dyspraxia, it is so important to repeat and review the skills and concepts she has learned. This is the best way to keep skills and concepts current.

I think the key, for me, is to see each activity. To see them as the fun thing they are and then ask myself what this activity can teach or reinforce for Elizabeth.

We are on the official countdown to summer. In our world this begins when Michael gets done with school. Which is eight days, seven if you go by Michael’s philosophy the you really don’t count the last day anyway. “Since we are only there a little bit”

I am excited for the time together and for the fun that summer brings.

And I will be getting some of those balloons. I know Elizabeth will throw them well.

I wish everyone a peaceful week.

IEP Thoughts

As sure as the first flowers are arriving, so IEP time.
It almost sounds celebratory….but for those who have a special needs child, we know it is not like that.
I know we have an IEP meeting scheduled for Elizabeth on May 29th.
She is 20 years old but because we chose Option 23, where she is technically still under the auspices of our local school system until the age of 22 years old.
So with this in mind, the local schools and the college program she is in, meet to form the new IEP that will guide her into the next school year. So even at this age, we are looking at the IEP and making changes.
So with about 16 years of IEP prep times, meetings, re-evaluations and IEP adjustments, I wanted to tell you how I am approaching this meeting:
-IF Elizabeth was given a standardized test right now, I know her scores would not be what we want to see. But, if we were talking with her and helping her organize her thoughts about things like budgets and safety scenarios, she would answer really well.
So my take away, is to focus on how well she can do when her needed supports are in place. Because that is what she truly needs and how she does best.
So when an IEP time comes, I take a good, truthful look at things like this and gain strength from recognizing her growth.
-IF she did not fully reach a goal and it reappears on the IEP, instead of feeling defeated ( as I would have many years ago) I tell myself to look at the gains made toward the goal itself. Meaning did she do more steps toward independence? How many steps did she meet?
I try to see the gains made not what is left until the goals are completely met. This way I try to see what she has accomplished instead of what she did not. And I have learned over the years just how important it is to do this and keep shooting for future successes.
-IF I have any real concerns then I do not hesitate to bring them up or if I have any goals that I know are more in line with Elizabeth’s wishes then again, I do not hesitate to address them.
Often, goals and experiences can be geared on a default setting kind of mind set, meaning, that they are not as tailored to someone’s wishes as much as, I feel, they could be.
-LASTLY and do not do this often, I allow myself to think back to where we started and then think of where she is right now. I do this to keep perspective, to see how far she has come and to know she will continue to succeed. Will it be at the pace of a child who does not have special needs? Probably not. But will she continue to succeed? I truly believe ….ABSOLUTELY
Trust me, I know how hard the experiences are. But preparing a good mindset before and allowing yourself to feel whatever you feel after the meeting is really important to successfully getting through another IEP season. And just like the early Spring flowers that are here then fade away, the IEP season does the same thing.
Good luck to all!
I wish everyone a peaceful month and I will let you know how our meeting goes Continue reading

Graduation Thoughts


Can I believe Elizabeth is graduating in a few months?

Can I believe that another leg of her journey in life is ending?

Can I believe that all the hard work she has done in her life to get to this point will matter now more than ever?

The answer to all the above is pretty much a big NO.

I mean logically I know that graduation is coming Continue reading