Jo Jo's first week of School

Jo Jo had an amazing first week of school! He is adjusting just fine without any issues. He loves going out the door in the morning and going to school. His teacher said he is cooperating very well. I cried on the first day of school. Must have cried for nearly an hour. I felt like a basket case but my baby was at school. It was hard getting used to it. His teacher has been sending home a sheet every day about how Jo Jo's day went and sometime's it cracks me up. They were working on some picture's this week and she showed him a picture of a dog and he just keep's saying "ruff ruff". She want's him to say dog or doggie. He love's making animal sounds. There was also a day where he ate someone's food too. The teacher said it was okay cause the other student was done eating. I just laughed, he is a chow hound. My little garbage disposal. I think he is going through a growth spurt cause he just want's to eat all of the time.

Caylee has adjusted well to Jo Jo going to school with her every day. She actually seems to enjoy it. She is getting dressed on her own and been trying to be the big girl! It was very nice having the house back to. I am enjoying not having daily visitor's! The kids have been tired all week and eating all meals!!! If only they went full day!!!

We are now starting February Vacation week!!! Kids will be home all week with me. I am going to enjoy not having to get up and out the door first thing. We might go to the aquarium this week.

Jo Jo Graduated from Early Intervention!!!

Today we had a blast at the Bamsi Early Intervention Center in Brockton! Today was Jo Jo's last Sensory play group and we had a small graduation for him. It was also the end of services from Bamsi because I also signed the discharge paperwork today. It was so bitter sweet. Every Tuesday we have been going to Brockton for a play group since September and we have really enjoyed it. We have made many friends and memories! 

There were goodies and coffee, we sang Happy Birthday to Jo Jo and Caylee and I got to cap Jo Jo with his hat and give him his certificate. He really seemed to enjoy everyone singing happy birthday to him, big smile's, laughing, and he clapped at the end of the song. Next Jo Jo marched over the stair's and down the stair's and onto the next adventure, Preschool!!!!

The I.E.P. Has Arrived!!!

Jo Jo's first I.E.P. arrived today!!! A copy for us and a copy to sign and return. I was able to read it over today and so far I am very pleased. I still need to read it over with the hubby, but I'm pretty sure he will be happy with it too. Everything that we talked about with the school is in it. Everything is covered.

I plan to turn everything in on Monday! I still have to complete his enrollment paperwork and make copies for proof of residency and pick up a medical form from his doctor, but we are so excited for February 10th!!! First day of school for Jo Jo is coming up so fast!!!

Until the first day of school we are trying to cram in as much ABA Therapy as we can. Which Jo Jo is tolerating very well so I am happy he is able to handle the extra load of work. Which means school should not be to stressful for him because if he can handle 6 hours of ABA a day then he can 2 1/2 hours of preschool.

I also got some amazing news today! I know someone who work's at South Shore Therapies and they work with a lot of children with Autism. They wanted to run our insurance and see if we are able to get therapy through there office so Jo Jo can get something extra besides school. Well we are lucky because the insurance is going to cover Jo Jo!!! We have to go through a step by step process first before we can start. First we have to have a phone intake interview which I am doing tomorrow! Then we have to schedule a Evaluation at there office, and after that we will have to get a referral from our pediatrician. Then once we have the referral we can start therapy. They offer several kinds of therapy such as Speech, Occupational Therapy, Sensory, and more. This will probably be a once a week type of thing but it's only 10 minutes from my house and we will have a copay every week. This news has made me so happy because I have been so bummed about all of our home services ending and not being able to continue ABA so this was news we really needed!

Jo Jo will be 3 in two Week's!

Can't believe my little man will be 3 in two week's from today! So many thing's will be changing, no more play group, no more ABA at home, no more speech, and no more visit's from our Developmental Specialist. But he will be starting school which I already know he is going to love it! We have started our enrollment paperwork and we are still waiting for the official IEP to sign.

The past two week's have been very long, Jo Jo dislocated his elbow, then we all got the stomach bug that took day's to get rid of. Jo Jo has been very cranky with ABA and becoming very picky. I am hoping it is just him still recouping from being sick. But he really has become extremely stubborn and starting to become very set in his ways and if it is not his way he has a tantrum or just cry's. I sure hope it is just a stage or something.

I am looking forward to all the changes! Kinda tired of our crazy schedule and always being home in the house because most of our services are at home. Having a regular schedule will make thing's so much easier for everyone. I really hope that when Jo Jo start's school it will make my morning's at home with Caylee getting her ready much more easy going. She hate's getting ready for school but once she is there she is happy. So hopefully her seeing Jo Jo getting ready every morning she will be more motivated.

Half way through January!!!

I honestly can not wait for January to be over! The rest of the month has filled in with ABA and meeting's. I am looking forward for Jo Jo to start school and have a more smooth schedule. Monday morning we had speech Therapy and our Service Coordinator was over for our 6 month review and to sign more paperwork. Today we had ABA therapy for 3 hour's, then play group in Brockton for 1 1/2 hour's, and we were supposed to meet with our Service Coordinator and ABA Coordinator to sign the consent to add 6 more hour's of ABA to our schedule. The meeting got cancelled after already waiting for 20 minutes with a very uncooperative little boy! Tomorrow we have 6 hour's of ABA therapy, 3 hour's on Thursday, and 3 hour's on Friday. I'm exhausted! Oh almost forgot also on Friday is our first IEP Meeting with everyone!!!

I also have bad new's which I am so bummed out about because I feel it is working for him, We will no longer be receiving ABA Therapy after Jo Jo turn's 3. Our insurance plan does not cover ABA Therapy after he turn's 3. Although we can request it at our IEP meeting. I hope they will help us with the ABA Therapy.

30 Days and Jo Jo will be 3!!!

Hard to believe that those little toes will be 3! In this picture Jo Jo is enjoying sitting in his basket of book's reading all the page number's from his favorite book's. I find it adorable, funny and cute when I glance over and just see the feet sticking up. Also in this picture is his favorite blanket, it goes everywhere with him, he also like's to chew on the corner of his blanket and make's it all wet and soggy and not to mention disgusting. I have tried to get him to stop chewing on it but he keep's doing it. So I just wash it once a week and the corner is getting frayed but he is happy with his blanket so I have stopped fighting with him over the chewing. I just hope it will be something he will grow out of.

We had three hour's of ABA yesterday and Jo Jo seemed to have a really hard time tolerating the work. He didn't want to clean up when it was time, and had a hard time following commands. But we also had someone training with out Therapist so at the same time it could have been because of the new face in the house. He had almost two week's without ABA so we are all readjusting to our schedule.

One thing I would really like to share, and that is how amazing the Rockland Preschool has been!!! I am overly impressed! They have not missed a beat!!! Before Christmas they observed Jo Jo during his session with the developmental specialist and we had our evaluation at the school, and this week there were three therapist who drove all the way to Jo Jo's play group and observed him during group, and just yesterday his actual teacher came to our house and observed during his ABA session. Next week is our big meeting at the school for his Evaluation/IEP hearing and they requested that Early intervention and Beacon ABA be there. I can't stop bragging about them. They have never been late and have never rescheduled anything. I have heard so many horror stories and this experience has made me realize how lucky we are to be living in Rockland Massachusetts!!!!!!!!!!!!

Time is Everything at the Moment

There is just never enough time in the day!

Hope Everyone had a amazing Christmas and a very Happy New Year!!! Jo Jo enjoyed Christmas, he was really happy with the first thing he opened and could have cared less about opening any other gifts. Caylee opened everything else LOL! We spent the day with family and Jo Jo just ran around my sister's house playing with toys and trying to sit on the dog's. He didn't eat much but I'm pretty sure that was due to all the excitement and visitor's.

Only 5 Weeks till Jo Jo will turn 3 and Early Intervention ends. I'm having a hard time getting past that idea. I just love Early Intervention! The service's have been amazing and we have been very lucky and blessed to have them come into our lives and teach us so much! They have been amazing with Jo Jo and scheduling was always flexible. I just can't say enough about BAMSI!

Things have been quiet at our house around the holidays, Jo Jo's play group was cancelled last week, and we didn't have much ABA therapy due to weather, holidays, and everyone has been getting sick. We did have our developmental specialist so he did get some therapy. We also received some good new's that our ABA Therapy is going from 9 hours a week to 15 hour's a week. 4 days instead of 2 days a week. Then after he turn's 3 and if our insurance will cover ABA, he will continue with 12 hours a week. So much to remember!!!

Lately Jo Jo has been making a lot of changes, most of them are good, some thing's are driving me crazy lol! But mostly he is talking so much! He is mimicking almost everything he is watching. He is picking up on sign language. He is trying to put words together and complete phrases or sentences. He still loves counting and can count to 31 now.

Some of the thing's he is doing that I am not so happy about is his lack of fear for height's! He has been jumping off of thing's, he is climbing on top of his little table and jumping off, then I caught him jumping off one of our kitchen stool's which is like a foot higher than his little table. He is such a boy!!!

But most of all he has been covering his eye's a lot lately, even hiding behind a chair curled up in a ball with his eyes shut tight and hands over them. I wish I knew what was bothering him. I can only assume that is a sensory processing issue and he is over stimulated. There have been commercials that he has been hiding his face too when they come on. I used to be able to take his hands and say hands down and he would follow but now he is fighting me with the hands down. He get's upset and try's to keep his hands up if not he won't open his eye's. It started as a once in a wile thing now it has progressed to several times a day. Anyway hopefully when we have ABA this upcoming week we can talk about it and work on it.

Here is to the next 5 weeks!!!!!

Preschool starts in February!!!!

Jo Jo's first day of preschool will be February 10th 2014!!!

Today Jo Jo had a evaluation at Rockland Preschool and he did a great job. They were really impressed with his attention span and being able to follow through with activities and transition. That's my boy!!! He is such a good little boy. Thank you to Early Intervention and ABA Therapy!!! Without these services Jo Jo would never have been able to complete the evaluation.

During the Evaluation I had to fill out more paperwork. It never ends! Today I had to fill out a sensory processing packet, a general information packet, and another evaluation packet. It becomes extremely repetitive and annoying with all the paperwork. 

We also got to visit Jo Jo's classroom and meet one of his new fellow student's. He was adorable and couldn't wait to play with Jo Jo, and Jo Jo could have cared less. The classroom was very similar to Caylee's classroom which is directly across the hall. Awesomeness!!!! They also have a lot of technology in the classroom, and they even have there own occupational therapy room with a therapy swing! So far loving the program and teacher's! 

There is a little but more left to do for Jo Jo's Eligibility Evaluation. The school will be observing in January at Jo Jo's play group and they will also come and observe ABA Therapy. Then mid January we will have our Eligibility Meeting with the director, therapists, teacher's, early intervention, and us of course. The meeting will be our first IEP Meeting also, They will tell us he is eligible for the program and we will talk about his education plan. 

The director has already told us that Jo Jo is eligible because he has a diagnosis but they still have to complete there evaluation in full by law and they also get to observe Jo Jo which gives them a better picture of what they will need to be doing for him. Jo Jo will go to preschool four days a week from 9 to 11:30. The same time as Caylee which makes everything easier! I'm very excited for Jo Jo to start school. I think he is going to love it! He is a fast learner and I think he will fit in just fine. I am also very sad because my baby is starting school. It's going to be weird not having any kids in the house. Gonna miss my little man!

There is a reason it is called a Safety Harness!

One of my biggest pet peeve's is when someone has to use a safety harness for there child, and people stair or make comments such as "why do you have your kid on a dog leash". Hhhmmm a dog leash what a awful way to describe someone who is trying to keep there child safe. I understand we all have our own belief's on parenting but is this mommy war necessary?

Every parent is different, every child is different, every situation is different. My situation is that I have a 2 1/2 year old son with Autism and he like's to wander, but most of all he run's! He also does not respond to his name. For us a safety harness is necessary for our Jo Jo.

I have once read and have been apart of conversation's with parent's and non parent's opinion's of a safety harness. Some people are very understanding and other people not so much. The excuses and reason's people come up with why a harness is bad is appalling.

Parent's have said thing's like "You should just put him in a stroller". Wow really how about my kid get some exercise and just walk with me. What's the difference, either way your child will still have a safety harness on. I have also heard comment's like "If you can't control your kid, then you shouldn't have had kids". Seriously!!! Who are these nasty mother's to judge my parenting!!!! I think the one that really light's a fire under me is when it is referred to as walking a dog, and last but not least "My child feel's like they have freedom when they can walk on there own". Ok well what toddler should have that much freedom? Your child could disappear in a second, no matter how vigilant you are. Accident's do happen even to the most cautious parent's.

I only want to protect my child, It's not cause I can't control him, it is because he has autism and doesn't understand what a normal developed toddler can. He doesn't understand walk with me, or don't run. The safety harness was designed for it's exact purpose, safety!

At Jo Jo's group I was talking to another mother who also uses a harness on her son. She uses it for all the same reason's as we do. She also expressed how hurt she get's when people stair at her or make comment's when they see her and her son with the harness. She said that times are already tough and the last thing I need is someone making me feel like a bad parent for using a harness, she is only trying to protect her son.

I guess the biggest point I want to get across is that you don't know everyone's unique situation and every parent has the right to use a safety harness if they feel it is necessary. Why bash another parent for protecting there child? Parenting is hard enough, if anything we should be empowering each other to be better parent's!

Every Tuesday

Every Tuesday Jo Jo goes to a Sensory Processing Play Group at the Early Intervention center in Brockton. It's usually about a 1/2 hour drive from our house. If anyone knows Brockton, Ma it is a adventure just driving through. Keep your doors locked and be prepared to see something you don't see every day. This week I just laughed! I needed some humor in my day and when I watched a car make a right hand turn and the driver's side back door swung open and the lady in the back seat screamed and reached for the door and closed it, I just died laughing waiting for the light to turn green. Yup love Tuesday's driving through Brockton!

Play group is from 1:30 to 3:00, it usually ends 10 minutes early. We have been going for about 2 1/2 months and will continue going until Jo Jo turns 3 in February. The group changes all the time. Sometimes there is only 3 kids, sometimes it's up to 7 or 8 kids.

Jo Jo loves his play group. He really enjoy's going. Every time we go I let him walk in first and he marches down to the classroom and heads to the chalk board every time. It is going to be really hard in February when we stop going. Everyone we have met there have been awesome!!! When Jo Jo is in his play group there is a parent group that meet's and I have met some awesome mom's! We usually talk about what our kids have been doing, achievements they have been, and services we are receiving. It has been an amazing support group to be apart of.