Update on Luke:
Been a little slow on updating things! Luke is now responding not only to the question "What is your name?" but now "How old are you?" on a consistent basis. How wonderful!
He started occupational therapy this week and did really well! We also hired a third ABA therapist who started with Luke last week, Miss Heidi. Things are going well so far!
Onto other things. . .
Being a working mom of a special needs child is just completely exhausting. I could literally fall asleep at my desk right now. I don't do coffee, Coke is my main source of caffeine. Not working to well. I wish I could take a lunch and take a nap, but I spent two hours with ds this morning running him to ST, so that pretty much cuts out my lunch break. No time to take off from work as I have to save what little I have left for ds appointments.
We have just begun our first round of appeals with the insurance company regarding our ST claims. I have spent hours with them on the phone, because not only are they giving us fits about ST, but now they claim they never received the three other ABA claims I sent by fax on three different occasions, which I have a confirmation messages from all of them. Bunch of bologna in my opinion. So, I had to resend those and got a phone call back saying that they did get them. Watch, I will call them in a few days and they will say they didn't get them. Dealing with them is exhausting in itself.
We are also trying the medicaid route, still awaiting a decision of acceptance on that. Still have a few months before we hear anything on that. And what completely stinks is that we live in one state right accross the river/state line from Louisville, where all of our ds services are coming from. There is crap available in our state, and I have a feeling that medicaid will give us problems with paying for services in another state. Another battle we may have to face as well.
I wish medicaid/insurance would be a little easier on us parents of ASD, I mean just raising a child with ASD in itself is challenging, why make it that much more difficult for us.
I feel like I am stuck between a rock and a hard place and about to fall asleep there.
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Monday, June 15, 2009
Lunch Break
So, this is terrible, but I spend a lot of time running errands, coordinating therapy schedules, talking on the phone with insurance companies, etc, etc while on my lunch break. Sometimes it is hard to remember to eat, or that is I don't want to take out the time too. I really need to work on that. But, I do have some good news to report. Last Friday, I started to tickle Luke, just being playful and I asked him what his name was, and he said "Luke," I stopped and he said "again" and I asked him again what his name was before I would tickle him. The tickling was his reward/reinforcer for responding (alot of what ABA is about). And he said it again, and again and again. Praise God! We randomly asked him all weekend what his name was and he answered correctly. Such a relief to know he now responds to that question. That was a big thing for us!
Last night he also spontaneously told Jonathon that he loved him when he kissed him good night. No prompts, so no echolalia involved. Just a random, "I love you." It was sweet music.
Had a meeting this morning with Luke's program supervisor over his ABA program. His therapist were there too. It went well and the PS was very happy with his progress so far!
We may have landed yet another therapist to work with Luke. When you need up to 30-40 hours a week of therapy and the need for Luke to generalize his behaviors'responses to more than one person, it is almost impossible not to have at least 3 therapists working with an Autistic child at a time. Overwhelming to say the least in trying to coordinate a schedule that works around the other therapist, Luke's naps, or shall I say lack of naps, his OT and ST schedules and of coure Jonathon and I's work schedules. Thank goodness we have the help of family to pitch in. Just praying that God will work out the best schedule for him and us as a family!
I think that is all for now to report. Oh, I forgot I had food in the microwave. Need to run and eat!
Last night he also spontaneously told Jonathon that he loved him when he kissed him good night. No prompts, so no echolalia involved. Just a random, "I love you." It was sweet music.
Had a meeting this morning with Luke's program supervisor over his ABA program. His therapist were there too. It went well and the PS was very happy with his progress so far!
We may have landed yet another therapist to work with Luke. When you need up to 30-40 hours a week of therapy and the need for Luke to generalize his behaviors'responses to more than one person, it is almost impossible not to have at least 3 therapists working with an Autistic child at a time. Overwhelming to say the least in trying to coordinate a schedule that works around the other therapist, Luke's naps, or shall I say lack of naps, his OT and ST schedules and of coure Jonathon and I's work schedules. Thank goodness we have the help of family to pitch in. Just praying that God will work out the best schedule for him and us as a family!
I think that is all for now to report. Oh, I forgot I had food in the microwave. Need to run and eat!
Wednesday, June 3, 2009
Feeling guilty
So we are just about to finish Luke's first whole week of ABA therapy. Going well so far!
He is also in the process of being potty trained. We have been taking him on a regular schedule about every hour. He has been wearing big boy pants every weekend the past month or so and has only had a few #1 accidents, so he is doing well! Today was the first day we sent him to preschool in big boy pants and had zero accidents until about 3:30 pm in the afternoon. He was even telling them when he needed to potty on several occasions. His last hour there he had two #2 accidents. Still haven't quite mastered the number 2 yet. But he is telling us that he has gone, so that is progress!
Apparently this is quite an accomplishment for a child with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder). His stage in the potty training process is actually pretty close to age appropriate for boys!
I was very pleased with how well he did today. Then I get his progress report mailed to us from his special needs preschool. He had a lot of lofty goals, many of which are goals to reach within one calender year. He only got to be part of the program for its last 6 weeks of regular school year, so I shouldn't expect him to have made all A's! But, still, seeing a list of all the goals and everything he has yet to do, really was depressing to me. It made me question whether or not we made the right decision to 1) only enroll him 2 days a week in the program when they reccomended 4, and 2) not enroll him in the 3 week summer school program, going on now.
Maybe I will feel different once the ABA stuff starts proving its worth, hopefully by the end of the summer, when we again have to make another decision about special needs preschool. I am praying that is the case. The ABA therapists and our consultant really feel confident that this is going to be a great thing for Luke. And they also think our decision to keep him at his mainstream preschool 3 days a week was also an excellent choice. So, I am trying to keep that in the back of my mind. But, it is just so hard, because every decision you make at this age, could dramatically affect his prognosis and success later in life. Why does this all have to be so stressful?
At this point, I just need to leave it up to God.
He is also in the process of being potty trained. We have been taking him on a regular schedule about every hour. He has been wearing big boy pants every weekend the past month or so and has only had a few #1 accidents, so he is doing well! Today was the first day we sent him to preschool in big boy pants and had zero accidents until about 3:30 pm in the afternoon. He was even telling them when he needed to potty on several occasions. His last hour there he had two #2 accidents. Still haven't quite mastered the number 2 yet. But he is telling us that he has gone, so that is progress!
Apparently this is quite an accomplishment for a child with ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder). His stage in the potty training process is actually pretty close to age appropriate for boys!
I was very pleased with how well he did today. Then I get his progress report mailed to us from his special needs preschool. He had a lot of lofty goals, many of which are goals to reach within one calender year. He only got to be part of the program for its last 6 weeks of regular school year, so I shouldn't expect him to have made all A's! But, still, seeing a list of all the goals and everything he has yet to do, really was depressing to me. It made me question whether or not we made the right decision to 1) only enroll him 2 days a week in the program when they reccomended 4, and 2) not enroll him in the 3 week summer school program, going on now.
Maybe I will feel different once the ABA stuff starts proving its worth, hopefully by the end of the summer, when we again have to make another decision about special needs preschool. I am praying that is the case. The ABA therapists and our consultant really feel confident that this is going to be a great thing for Luke. And they also think our decision to keep him at his mainstream preschool 3 days a week was also an excellent choice. So, I am trying to keep that in the back of my mind. But, it is just so hard, because every decision you make at this age, could dramatically affect his prognosis and success later in life. Why does this all have to be so stressful?
At this point, I just need to leave it up to God.
Monday, June 1, 2009
Started ABA therapy. . .
So I have been doing about an hour a day of ABA therapy with Luke since last Friday. It isn't really that hard, but it is time consuming and requires lots of patience. He did start his first official day of therapy with one of his two therapist this past Saturday, Miss Johanne. Things went well with her, so we are very excited and pleased!
His other therapist, Miss Lacy started today and is doing therapy with him as I write. She will be going to his preschool to do his therapy! She will incorporate more of the social stuff, since he will be there with his friends.
We did make the difficult decision to not put Luke in the special ed preschool for their 3 week summer program starting this week. This is because he will be meeting with Ms. Johanne during that time. From the people I have spoken with in the ABA, Autism, and medical community, Luke's top two needs are to be exposed to "typical"children and ABA therapy. So UofL preschool and Ms. Johanne/Ms. Lacy became our priority.
We can already see progress since starting. Luke is a fast learner, so I am looking forward to seeing all the milestones he will be meeting!
So today is my birthday, just remembered that a few days ago. Turned 29 today for the 3rd time! We are going to my moms for dinner tonight to celebrate.
Abigail is doing great. She is saying lots of words now, wa wa for water, signing for milk, da for dog, uh oh, dada, and hi. She also just started giving kisses and blows her nose (she has been doing that for several months now, very odd!). She points when she wants something too! It is so reassuring to see her meet all her milestones at an age appropriate time. Not walking quite yet, but close! She is such a blessing to our family and especially to Luke!
His other therapist, Miss Lacy started today and is doing therapy with him as I write. She will be going to his preschool to do his therapy! She will incorporate more of the social stuff, since he will be there with his friends.
We did make the difficult decision to not put Luke in the special ed preschool for their 3 week summer program starting this week. This is because he will be meeting with Ms. Johanne during that time. From the people I have spoken with in the ABA, Autism, and medical community, Luke's top two needs are to be exposed to "typical"children and ABA therapy. So UofL preschool and Ms. Johanne/Ms. Lacy became our priority.
We can already see progress since starting. Luke is a fast learner, so I am looking forward to seeing all the milestones he will be meeting!
So today is my birthday, just remembered that a few days ago. Turned 29 today for the 3rd time! We are going to my moms for dinner tonight to celebrate.
Abigail is doing great. She is saying lots of words now, wa wa for water, signing for milk, da for dog, uh oh, dada, and hi. She also just started giving kisses and blows her nose (she has been doing that for several months now, very odd!). She points when she wants something too! It is so reassuring to see her meet all her milestones at an age appropriate time. Not walking quite yet, but close! She is such a blessing to our family and especially to Luke!
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