Autism Assistance Dog for JoJo!!!

http://www.gofundme.com/cnmm08

Jo Jo is Potty Trained!!!

Potty training Jo Jo has been one of the biggest challenges we have been facing lately. So I had started reading more about potty training a child with autism. I got a lot of tips from one of my favorite blogs and Facebook page's that I follow regularly Autism Daddy. I loved his post about potty training.

After taking some advice from autism daddy, I also have noticed lately that Jo Jo keep's watching videos of himself on his iPad and mimicking himself. So the other day when he was on the potty I decided to record him on the potty. So on Wednesday he started watching the video and by Thursday morning he was telling me Elmo potty. He has never done that before so I took it as a hint that he needed the potty. Since that moment he has been putting himself on the potty and he has been diaper free all day except at bedtime. We even went to speech and grocery shopping with no accidents and he had no problem using the potty at speech and at the store. He has even learned to pull his own underwear down! Sounds funny but he never messes with his clothes. At the most he will put his own shoes on but that's it.

When we went to speech yesterday I told his speech therapist about how fast he all of sudden understand's what he needs to do on the potty, including him watching the video. She thinks it is amazing but she also told me that it is most likely Jo Jo is very much a visual learner, especially when it is video. She suggested that i try to capture as much video as I can of Jo Jo playing with Caylee, and as much normal behavior that I can. She said when he watches the video's he will mimic the behavior and learn faster from it! Here's to many home movies!!!

Occupational Therapy Intake

Intake's can be so boring sometimes, it's usually just a bunch of questions you have answered before many times. It can become so repetitive. Today's occupational therapy intake was the opposite. I feel like I was listening to a lecture but it was a good lecture. I feel like I really learned something. It was priceless information! We went through all the boring questions at first but them she schooled me! 

Now that the intake is complete I will hear from billing for approval from our health insurance and what the copayment will be. The next step will be to schedule a 45 minute evaluation with Jo Jo so they can put together a plan. Then we will start weekly visits at south shore therapies for occupational therapy. So yes that means we will be there twice a week for speech and O.T.!

Jo Jo Update!

My last blog post was back in February when Jo Jo started preschool. Can't believe it's been 5 month's, that time went by very fast and Jo Jo is doing great!!! He transitioned into school very smoothly and loves going. Every morning when he gets to school he runs in very excited and gives his teacher a big hug!

* School Update: Jo Jo has started the summer program. He is going 4 days a week for 4 hours a day with Fridays off. He has also started taking the bus to and from school and he loves it! He runs out to the bus every morning, and in the afternoon when he gets off the bus a waves goodbye bus until the bus is gone. He was only going to school for 2 1/2 hours a day so this is an increase in hours at school. He will also continue with speech therapy and occupational therapy in school during the summer to keep up with his skills and to prevent any regression. In September he will be in school full day for 6 hours!!!

* Private Speech Update: We are still currently attending speech once a week at South Shore Therapies. Jo Jo loves going and works very hard with his speech therapist. He has made huge progress during therapy and we will continue going until insurance says we can't lol! but that shouldn't be a problem because he was just approved for 75 more visit's!!!

* Developmental Behavioral Pediatrician Update: A couple of weeks ago we had a follow up with the pediatrician who diagnosed Jo Jo with Autism. We have not seen his doctor since September when he was diagnosed so I was very excited for this visit because I knew she would be impressed with his progression!!! The doctor spent a whole hour with us which really impressed me because I didn't think we would be there that long at all. She was so amazed with the eye contact he was giving, he was pretend playing, and he put three words together right there in the office. She was extremely satisfied with the progress he has made and his school. She was also very happy to hear we are going to private speech therapy. We will go back in 6 months for another follow up.

* Social and Communication Skills Update: Jo Jo's social skills are improving on a daily basis! He really enjoys playing with Caylee, he has been following and copying kids at the park, he is giving amazing eye contact, and he is saying hi and greeting friends and family. His communication continues to improve on a daily basis also. He is able to tell me what he wants to eat or drink. He is also able to tell me what he wants or what he wants to do. He is only putting up to 3 words together but he mostly uses 2 words. He is asking for help frequently when he can't do something. He knows most family member's by name. He can also identify most animals.

We are currently still struggling to get Jo Jo potty trained, it has been a long road so far but we are making some progress. He understands what to do on the potty and loves the rewards, but he is having a hard time communicating when he has to go.

Jo Jo is also currently struggling with his sensory processing disorder and has been seeking a lot of sensory input. The type of sensory input that Jo Jo is seeking is called Vestibular Seeking Behavior. It's almost like having a very hyperactive child at the moment so I included a brief description of what I'm going through with Jo Jo.

Sensory Seeking Vestibular Sensations:

• Described as hyperactive – always running, jumping, and hopping
• Engages in rocking or rhythmic movements
• Trouble sitting still or staying seated
• May vigorously shake head or rock rhythmically
• Crave intense movement including jumping, upside-down positions
• Enjoy swinging very high
• Loves seesaws, teeter totters or trampolines more than other children
• Can’t seem to sit still
• Likes spinning in circles

I spoke with our private speech therapist today and she got to witness some of Jo Jo's activities and explained all of this to me today. She highly recommended that we start the intake and evaluation process for private occupational therapy because he is not getting enough sensory input and school is not providing enough either. Our insurance should cover it hopefully!!! We start the intake tomorrow. So what this will mean is that we will need to go to South Shore Therapies twice a week for speech and occupational therapy if approved. The only part that is tough is more copay's, but our developmental pediatrician has been helping us trying to get social security and mass health which will cover the copay's and any other cost's that may arise. Sometime's it feels like a never ending battle!

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!!!!!!!!!!!!