My Autism Insights

I very nearly missed that it was Thursday; I was somehow running a day behind!  Anyway today’s gratitude:

I am thankful that whatever virus or germy thing is attacking my body, it’s being held at bay and hasn’t knocked me out completely.  It would probably be wise to get to a doctor since I’ve probably jinxed myself by writing that.

I am thankful that Sesame Street has never wavered in its quality or entertainment value.  Gus and MM are watching now - Pre School Musical - and I don’t feel the need to beat my head against the wall (unlike when I watch Blues Clues).  Sesame Street rocks.

I am thankful that today is only a school delay day and not a full snow day.  Gus really needs to go to school and get some of his energy channeled into something more productive than building structures out of furniture or testing the recliner to see just how much force it can stand before snapping.  I think he has a possible career in quality control.  Or demolition.  Or comedy.  Or gymnastics.  Good to know he’s got options.

Must run now - I totally did jinx myself.

Please share your thankfulness in the comment section and have a great day.

Because we couldn’t possibly keep the kids cooped up for another weekend, we spent a couple of hours at the children’s museum today.  Gus loves it and MM seems to be gaining an appreciation as well.  Two of the favorite attractions today were a Revolutionary period exhibit and a DJ booth where Gus could play music while I pressed some buttons to turn on some funky disco lights.  He looks good in a sound booth and he loves mics, so maybe…

I’ve been noticing for over a week now that he’s blinking excessively.  He says his eyes don’t hurt, no headache, and he can see.  It may be that he’s tired or that his eyes are straining.  Or he could be developing a tic.  He made a comment the other night just before bed that he was trying to open his eyes.  That freaked me out quite a bit until I was convinced that he could in fact see me.  The problem is that if his vision is getting wonky, he doesn’t have the expressive skills to articulate what’s going on.  So he resorts to language that only makes sense to him.  Still, I think I’ve watched and waited long enough.  I’m taking him to the doctor and hopefully can get the name of a good opthamologist to take him to.

So that’s the update for this Sunday.  Anything interesting with your weekend?

Today I am particularly thankful.  It’s a frosty 12 degrees with a windchill of -6.  I despise the cold above all other things, so why am I so grateful today?

1. For starters, the cold and light snow we got last night meant a 2 hour school delay this morning.  Usually, that would make me groan, but not today!  Delay meant that  a) I had to cancel my client and b)  no bus stop.  Both of which translate to me not having to be out in the cold.  I did have to clean & move my car, but it was a small price to pay in order to be able to stay home near a blazing fire.

2. I am thankful that our pellet stove is (knock on wood) in good working order today!  It’s a pain to have to clean every morning, but it is rather toasty in here, and for only the same cost as it would be to run a fan.  Gus loves it too, and he’s gotten pretty good about being near it for warmth without being unsafe.

3. On a more serious note, I am thankful that Gus has never been in a situation where anyone’s felt the need to physically restrain him.  I came across the story of  8 year old Evelyn Towry yesterday, and it tied my stomach in knots for the rest of the night.  There is something seriously wrong when a group of adults can’t think of any other means of handling a situation with a child that young - a child with known disabilities - that don’t involve physically restraining the child.  Clearly the school is in need of some education.  Best wishes to Evelyn and her family.

Chime in and share what you’re thankful for today.

Thankfully, the weather has cooperated and everyone is back in school today!  That means I can actually make my post at a reasonable time.  So this week, I am thankful:

• For only having one casualty of the school cancellation yesterday: our trampoline.  DH made the mistake of jumping on it with MM and the rest is history (so is the trampoline).  But it could have been worse.  There was a sort of chair sculpture, very reminiscent of the one in Poltergeist II, that could have been a real disaster.  Gus was feeling particularly creative, but oddly he was not the destroyer yesterday.
• For being able to go work with my prenatal yoga client today.  After 2 weeks of Holiday break followed by school delays and cancellations, I really needed to get away for some adult time.
• For Gus learning how to meet some of his own needs even if he can’t always express them.  This morning, MM got a bad splinter stuck deep in her finger.  As soon as Gus heard this, he started looking for hiding places, because he knew she was going to be crying at some point.  When he realized his first hiding spot wasn’t getting him far away enough, he went up to his room, closed the door, and got into another of his favorite hideaways.  He’s grown enough to be proactive about avoiding the things that disturb him instead of waiting until he’s at the edge of his rope!  Go Gus!

What are you thankful for today?

P.S. Opinions on the new header would be greatly appreciated.  I won’t be able to change the layout because Today.com is going to a universal layout for all bloggers, but I can at least have my own header.  What do you think?

Our last ‘holiday’ activity was to take a trip into New York City to visit the Swedish Cottage Marionette Theater located near 79th Street and Central Park West (there’s an entrance across from the Museum of Natural History).  You may question, “Why not visit the Museum?”  For a kid like Gus who gets overwhelmed with sensory overload very easily and wants to be everywhere at once, the Museum is fun, but it’s also an endurance trial that greatly shortens the length of time that he can manage himself.  The puppet theater, however, was just his speed.

We saw a production of Peter Pan.  The show lasted 55 minutes, perfect for short attention spans (of a 5 year old and a 7 year old with ADHD symptoms in addition to his Asperger’s).  It’s a very small theater, so even at its most crowded, there aren’t but so many kids.  It wasn’t very noisy or busy, and even the little bit of chatter before the show started was annoying Gus who was trying to listen to the music playing.  He coped.  Once the show started, he was thoroughly engaged and sat through it, probably better than some adults who were (very rudely) up and down, in and out of the theater.  At one point during a set change, there was music playing and a disco ball shone lights on the curtain, stage and ceiling.  It was like when Gus was a kid and used to get mesmerized by the ceiling fan or the wind blowing through the leaves in the trees.  Complete fascination.  Even MM got a little zoned out watching the lights.

It was a very long car trip for us, but worth it in the end, despite the obscene parking cost and the subsequent back pain I’m dealing with today.  We thought about taking the train and then subway, but I was worried about Gus getting overwhelmed and overly ‘bouncy’ in what would be for him a dangerous environment.  In the car though, the kids had a packed lunch and chilled out listening to their favorite music.  We got there early enough that they could spend some time at a playground near the theater to work out some of their energy before having to sit through the show.  Before making the trek home, we stopped in the boroughs to visit with my sister and have a bite to eat.  They slept on the ride home - easy peasy.

Many times it can be a challenge to find entertainment for children on the spectrum because of all the sensitivities to their environment.   I’ve found that little excursions to things like community theater, the puppet theater, smaller kids museums, or outdoor activities have worked best for us.  Both kids enjoy their time without getting sent over the edge.  And that works for me.

Hope you all enjoyed/are enjoying your holidays!  We spent Christmas day visiting family.  Although it was a long day involving a good bit of travel, it was lower-key than usual, which was a good thing.  The last leg of our journey was to my husband’s aunt’s house.

They have a collection of singing plushies: singing Christmas trees, snowmen and penguins, dancing Santas…the works.  There was even a tree that danced and walked toward you.  Gus is always fascinated by them.  He especially enjoys making them all sing at the same time!  So apparently, his noise sensitivity does not extend to lots of different toys singing different songs all at once!  But when his sister cries it’s like the end of the world as we know it.  As irritating as all the mixed songs were to me, the unabashed bliss on his face eventually made me keep my mouth shut and just let him have his fun.

Always interesting to note all the little nuances of Gus’s Asperger’s and Sensory Integration Disorder.

Did you notice anything new or interesting over this holiday?

Happy Winter Solstice!  In keeping with our family tradition, we got up early this morning and went outside to greet the sun.  From now on the days will start to gradually lengthen - what’s not to celebrate?  As we trekked through calf-deep snow (knee deep for poor MM) I realized what a sensory wonderland it was for Gus!

I’ve read that kids with ADHD and many on the autism spectrum do particularly well when they can spend some time out in nature.  I’ve found this to be true for Gus (Asperger’s and borderline ADHD).  I did some videotaping and tried to experience the moment from his perspective.  I’m not expert at video-making yet, but here’s a brief glimpse of our trip to the lake this morning:

• Trudging through the snow allowed Gus to use his large muscles providing proprioceptive sensory input and also strengthening the weaker core muscles.
• Being bundled in several layers of warm clothing gave him some deep pressure (squeezing) which tends to be calming for him.
• At one point, Gus lay down in the snow which also provided deep pressure with the added bonus of a snow angel thrown in with the deal.
• Early morning, cold, snowy day - very quiet and heavenly for a child with noise sensitivity.
• The rushing wind created a white noise that added to the soothing feel, especially when listening to it through a jacket hood.

On the way back, we decided to take the long scenic route, and I noticed that Gus was exuberant and loving the morning, but not in the manic way we typically see when he’s racing through the house.  That was a gift in itself!

Speaking of gifts, the kids were allowed to open a couple of gifts last night and this morning.  Celebrating both Solstice/Yule and Christmas helps to mitigate some of the craziness of Christmas day.  They get less overwhelmed by too much ’stuff’ and can take the time to enjoy their presents a little at a time.  He loved the mini Hot Wheels set and the new Leapster game; the MP3 player didn’t go over as well as I thought.  Perhaps when he learns to use it, he’ll warm up a little to it.

So that was our morning.  How does your special sensory needs child do with outdoor/nature time?

As I watched Gus diving on top of the other two kids in the snow tube, I reflected on how far he’s come in the past few years in terms of handling the snow.  It’s always been an interesting paradox: he hates things that are wet, especially clothing, but he loves the snow.  There was a time when he would refuse to keep gloves on, but his hands would freeze.  Snow days used to be fun, but tough.

I’ve learned to bundle him up enough so that he stays dry, and I don’t skimp on the winter gear.  Lands End is my favorite for winter wear, especially their snow boots.  Being that I also have trouble with being cold and/or wet, I can personally attest that we have never had a problem with any of their products.

Aside from waterproof boots and gloves, a few minor things have made snow play a little easier:

• hats with ear flaps and hooded jackets
• jacket that comes just below the hips
• neck gaiters instead of a scarf - they don’t come undone, they’re soft, and they aren’t bulky
• snow bibs instead of just pants, and the ones that have gaiters to go inside snow boots

I also make sure that Gus puts his mittens on before his jacket.  That way we extend the amount of time it takes for snow to start getting inside them.  Once the snow gets in, we’re pretty much done.  And, while all these things seem fairly obvious, it took me years of drama to figure them out, especially since I wasn’t much into snow growing up.  I wouldn’t be now if it wasn’t for my kids.

We had a pretty good time today, and when they came in, Gus was almost completely dry, except for the edges of his shirt sleeves (snow got in the mittens eventually).  MM was another story, but she all but buried herself in the snow, loving every second of it.  She was relatively dry all things considered.

When we came in, the kids both wanted something hot.  Of course, Gus hates hot cocoa or tea.  But today he asked for hot cocoa (big shocker) so I obliged.  Now, I almost never give him chocolate, but we found a hot cocoa without caffeine called Hershey’s Goodnight Kisses, which I bought for the express purpose of letting him try it.  He did and still hates hot cocoa.  So we settled for hot apple juice and called it a day.

The snow is still falling, and I expect it will for the rest of the night.  Tomorrow, we’ll probably try snow-tubing down one of the big hills, and maybe we’ll even get to build a snow man.  I’m sure Gus will treat us to a song - he’s been big on the Christmas carols for a few days now.  Funny how a foot of snow can really make things fall into place during this season - even for those of us who have sensory issues with the cold, wet stuff.

It’s that time again!  I very nearly missed the fact that it is in fact Thursday.  Forgive me - I lose track sometimes!

Anyway, on to thankfulness…

I am thankful that the snowstorm that we are being threatened with is coming tomorrow instead of today even though that means Gus’s teachers won’t get their gifts until after Christmas.  But not having school canceled today allowed me to get some deadlines met, which is a BIG plus!

I am thankful that we did not decide to bake for Gus’s teacher gifts because they wouldn’t have lasted the two weeks that he will be out of school.

I am thankful that I don’t have to fight with Gus over homework for the next two weeks.  I think we were both a little done with it and the break will be much appreciated.  I’m going to try some online learning software if he’s open to trying something new to see how he does with them.

Finally, thanks so much to Barbara at Goal for the Green for two awards:

I’ll pass these along in tomorrow’s post.  Thanks for reading, and please post your thankful thoughts in a comment!