All thirty teams in Major League Baseball are doing Autism Awareness Days. The Orioles had theirs yesterday (which is why there wasn’t a post) and we got out to the game for a change.
We were there with the Baltimore-Chesapeake Chapter of the Autism Society of America, though there was also a large contingent from Autism Speaks and a school that had raised money for research as well. Continue reading
Obviously, we’re already on top of everything having to do with the Monster and how his Autism affects him. We’re keeping on top of his therapy and trying to get him still more (thanks to my insurance), and he’s being tested on a regular basis as part of the various studies he and the baby are in.
But then there’s the times where results from the baby’s tests start making us nervous. Continue reading
As we’ve gone through the IEP process again recently to get the Monster his ESY services, we’ve been left with the feeling that we’re just not getting all of the services that we would really care to get.
A lot of this comes in the area of speech therapy – he does get three sessions a week. None of these sessions are individual – they’re all small group or a push-in to his class (which, itself, is not very large) – and while both of us would like to see him get at least one individual session a week, I’m very quickly coming to the realization that a) we’re not going to get it and b) it’s not going to happen even if they wanted to, as they’re already short on resources. Continue reading
Today is Autism Awareness Day.
Since I obviously turn my twitter stream on first thing in the morning (<shamelessplug>@dadenoughblog if you’re not already following</shamelessplug>, I’ve seen quite a few posts about the day, reminding folks to “light it up blue” and foster further awareness about Autism Spectrum Disorder. Continue reading
The Monster plays with a lot of toys. His favorites, though, are the electronic ones – be they his iPad, my Nook, or the computer.
My biggest problem is, despite the huge number of applications out there to encourage children to model social behavior, there’s yet to be invented one that really encourages and rewards proper social behavior. Continue reading
The wife had originally thought of taking the kids to the Zoo today – it seemed to make perfect sense, since (in theory) folks would be in church and we could squeeze in a few hours before it started to rain. Of course, it was cold all day and started to drizzle, and the baby decided he needed a morning nap, so that went right out the window. Instead, I took it on myself to try to get at least some of the Monster’s homework done before the wife’s left with it. Continue reading
And just when I thought I had found what was a “good time” for me to write about my thoughts on vaccinations…
National Public Radio ran a story this morning regarding a study on autism and vaccines, based on studying 1000 children – 250 with Autism, 750 neurotypical. And the results are… Continue reading
Just to warn folks – I know what I’m about to say is “controversial” and is liable to either lose me followers or whatnot. Feel free to tell me what you really think and start a discussion – as always, my blog is my opinion… and so there, nyah.
A few weeks ago, a family friend asked my mother-in-law if we are getting the baby vaccinated, given that the Monster has Autism. Continue reading
I couldn’t resist, especially after the wife and I (for once) watched “Dancing with the Stars” to see how Jacoby Jones did.
I mentioned yesterday that the Monster was going for yet another ADOS as part of a study that he’s involved in. Unlike the last time, they gave the wife more than just general feedback as to what the results actually were. Continue reading
So today, when I headed off to work, the kids went with the wife to head down the hill to Kennedy Krieger for yet another research study.
I don’t know, myself, just how many times now that they’ve each taken the ADOS (the “Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule” for those of you not in the know) – I think that the baby’s had it once, perhaps, since he’s minimally verbal as one might expect from a fifteen month old, but the Monster’s easily had it five times now. Continue reading