Summer camp Bullet points, week 4…

We’re having a great week, and here’re some quick examples

-          On Tuesday, when I picked Dominic up from Camp, they were outside at the park that is adjacent to the YMCA and he saw me park.  He stayed in line, holding hands with a little girl (I think they were buddied up) instead of running towards me.

-          On Wednesday, when I picked him up, they’d gone on a field trip to Cottonwood Creek Park (in town) for a “field day”, and the counselors told me he particularly liked the water balloon station. (imagine that)

-          Dominic has been on a echolalia trip the last couple of weeks.  Most of what his verbals are something he repeats from what he hears you say.  However – we are noticing that his MLU (mean length of utterance) for those echoic statements are getting longer AND the actual words he’s repeating are getting more varied.   So last night as I was getting him ready for bed, I had just given the dog a bath.  I told Dominic to come in the bathroom because “now its your turn”.  And he looked in the mirror at himself and said “its my turn”.  He used the proper pronoun instead of echoing. I know that this seems small, but its really actually HUGE.   Rod was floored when I told him.

-          This morning, when Rod dropped him at the Y Camp, Dominic ran in, hung his backpack up and started walking and talking with a little girl.  (different little girl than Tuesday).  Rod couldn’t hear what he said, but Dominic was clearly initiating interaction.   Very pleased by this.

He’s actually taking a week off from camp next week because my parents will be visiting us for a few days, so we’ll see how that little shift in routine does when he starts back up the 8^th. I don’t think there’ll be any issues. 

We are so pleased that what we hoped he would work on this summer with the Y camp – the social piece – is actually happening.   We plan to do it again next year.

10 Ways to Enhance Relationships and Communication for Individuals With Special Needs

I have copied this whole thing into my blog so that I can find it later, because its tremendous.  Also, point number three does a very nice job of explaining why i never refer to Dominic as "Autistic", instead I say he "Has Autism".  Huge difference.

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From Presuming Intellect: Ten Ways to Enrich Our Relationships Through a Belief in Competence
by William Stillman

1. Don't define people by their diagnosis. Remember playing tag? Nobody wanted to be IT. And if you were IT, you wanted to get rid of IT because being IT was stigmatizing, a detriment, and something undesirable—that was the game; being IT was to be avoided and feared. Remaining IT longer than we'd like becomes challenging to catch up to the others, to belong, and to feel accepted.
   When we define someone by their diagnosis, our perception of them may become something to be dreaded: someone defective, someone who has the IT with which we don't wish to risk an association of any sort. For that person, this attitude is the lubricant that greases the wheel for the vicious cycle of a self-fulfilling prophecy. That is, when people define you as having IT and that's all you know of yourself, you will reflect back precisely what others project upon you. This is a natural and defensive reaction; and if you don't speak or can't articulate your feelings, your outpourings of "behaviors" will only further validate the diagnosis (hence the vicious cycle).
    
2. Shatter myths and stereotypes. Clinical diagnosis is but a framework for explaining "behaviors" or atypical attributes. This may include judgments about severe intellectual and physical limitations, and further speculation about other incapacities. It can also set a negative precedent of using "us and them" language in labeling someone as different, retarded, autistic or mentally unstable. However, it wasn't so long ago that persons who were epileptic, homosexual, or even those left-handed, were labeled as mentally deviant. This led to unfair, inaccurate and unjust myths and stereotypes.
   All of psychology and psychiatry is educated guesswork; no single clinician can state with absolute authority what someone experiences in the way that medical science usually can. In considering three factors, insight, foresight and hindsight, we need to encourage others and ourselves to look beyond our history of deficit-based labeling in favor of perceiving a person's humanity—regardless of their diagnosis or way of being. The label which may perpetuate clinical myths and stereotypes is an incomplete truth; it should be but one point of reference in fully.
    
3. Don't talk about people in front of them. Have you ever been in conversation with two or more people and someone talks out of turn, interrupting, belittling or disputing your contributions? Or have you temporarily lost the use of your voice as others tried to interpret your wants and needs? How did either instance make you feel? If we don't value what people have to offer, especially if they are unable to speak at all, we send a message of superiority versus inferiority. When we define people by their diagnosis and perpetuate myths and stereotypes, we presume the authority to talk about them in front of them as an entitlement. After all, it shouldn't matter if we share information about someone's "behaviors" with their parents, doctors, and others in front of them because they are retarded, autistic, and unaware—right? Wrong!
   Presuming intellect requires us to believe an individual's intellectual competence is intact. This means we do not speak about them in front of them in ways that are hurtful, embarrassing or humiliating. We must also gently but firmly advocate by disallowing others from doing it as well. We need to include people in conversation by directing questions to them not about and around them.
   It also means we employ person-first language (boy with autism, not autistic boy) because it compels us to be conscious of the words we use when discussing someone. So, before you speak, ask yourself if you would welcome someone talking about you in precisely the same way without a voice to defend yourself. We cannot have a mutually respectful and trusting relationship if we talk about someone in front of them.
    
4. Interpret "behavior" as communication. Have you ever been so angered that words escaped you in the moment, and the only way you could express yourself was by screaming or throwing something? You probably felt justified in your actions because it was the only way you could vent your expression of extreme upset. But what would life be like if you could never retrieve the words you wanted when you needed them and you always seemed to be grappling with overwhelming or frustrating circumstances that caused you to react in extreme ways as the only option? In the same way you could rationalize your own behavior, let's remember that we all have good reasons for doing what we're doing, and we're doing the best we know how to do in the moment.
   You wouldn't want to be defined or stereotyped by the times you just had to yell and shout would you? We need to extend the same courtesy to others by not jumping to conclusions about their "behaviors" as willful misconduct, noncompliance, or "attention seeking."
   You may respectfully deconstruct "behavior" in terms of communication by appreciating the following three reasons why people may engage in what others call "acting out" or "aggressive behaviors." 1) The inability to communicate in ways that are effective, reliable and universally understandable. 2) The inability to communicate one's own physical pain and discomfort in ways that are effective, reliable and universally understandable. 3) And the inability to communicate one's own mental health experience in ways that are effective reliable and universally understandable.
    
5. Offer communication enhancements and options. We have become a culture that values instantaneous, rapid-fire response to our need for information. This includes the immediacy with which we communicate to one another through e-mail, instant messaging, text messaging, and round-the-clock accessibility via cellular telephones.
   When others do not communicate with us on par with the manner with which we've become accustomed, we may lose patience, become bored or distracted, or dismiss their communication attempts altogether. This may be especially true of those challenged in articulating language such as small children, the elderly, and those with a neurological difference resulting from stroke, Tourette's, Alzheimer's, Cerebral Palsy or autism. We may wrongly interpret the inability of others to speak as quickly as we'd like as an incapacity when, in fact, most often just sensitively allowing for process time beyond what is standard is all that is required for those individuals to cognitively retrieve spoken language.
   In providing support to others, we must acknowledge that not everyone is neurologically "wired" for verbal communication; this is not the same as not having something to say. It is unacceptable to accept that because someone doesn't speak, there's nothing we can or should do.
   There are myriad communication options and opportunities to offer as speech alternatives. These may include pointing to "yes" and "no"; some basic sign language; photographs and symbols; computers and other keyboards; and technology of all kinds. The person will guide us to the device, or combination thereof, that makes sense for her. Engaging in conversation by discussing someone's most passionate of interests in the context of a mutually-pleasing relationship is a great incentive to entice someone into trying a communication alternative that is new and different. Honoring another's communication requires us to acknowledge that we might not like what we hear.
    
6. Offer age-appropriate life opportunities. When we are unpresuming of an individual's intellect, there is a belief that the individual likely possesses a juvenile aptitude, childish thought processes, and skills on par with someone who is chronologically much younger. This stereotype of the "perpetual child" leads some to interact with the stigmatized individual in ways that are pretentious, patronizing, and insulting. It also means that we limit the life opportunities that we offer someone in favor of preserving the "perpetual child" mindset. Instead, we provide adolescents, adults, and even persons who are elderly, with dolls and toys, and reading and viewing material suited and intended for very young children.
   You can only know what you know; and if someone is only ever afforded such opportunities, a childlike affect persists and permeates our interactions. But, if we presume intellect and acknowledge that an individual's "behaviors" might really be cries of boredom or offense with educational curriculum, vocational options, or recreational activities that are dehumanizing, we will know better how to partner with an individual in planning age-appropriate learning, work and free-time opportunities. The greatest obstacle to implementing this is our own attitude in how we perceive supporting someone with a different way of being.
    
7. Make compassionate accommodations. Have you ever been trying to read or listen attentively to something, and someone near you is constantly coughing? You can react one of two ways: either with annoyance, or with consideration. Reacting with annoyance will only foster bad feelings between both parties; you may feel as if the person should know to be more socially considerate, and the person, who may be struggling to care for themselves, may feel hurt or attacked.
   Reacting with consideration may include gently approaching the individual to offer them a cup of water, a mint or lozenge, or to simply commiserate about a human experience we've all endured at one time or another. Responding with the latter approach requires discounting initial impressions and making a compassionate accommodation, not only in our thoughts but in our deeds.
   In considering compassionate accommodations for the individual with a different way of being, think in terms of prevention instead of intervention. Prevention means knowing fully what an individual requires in advance of a situation, environment, or activity in order to feel safe and comfortable and able to participate. This relates to the ability to think, communicate, motor-plan movement, and assimilate with the senses. It means foregoing the antiquated model of multiple, overwhelming community integrations (which often sets the overloaded individual up for an intervention) in favor of simple, subtle, and interest-based activities in a qualitative relationship context.
    
8. Respect personal space and touch. If we perceive someone in our care to be less than equal, be it a child, adult or someone elderly, we seem to take ownership of touching their physical being with a sense of entitlement in order to gratify our own needs. For example, instead of allowing someone the time required to bathe, eat or dress for themselves, we may grow impatient and begin handling them ourselves to "get the job done." Or, in desiring to be affirmed, we initiate physical touch by embracing, back-rubbing or hair-tousling—all of which may be intrusive, unwelcomed and without permission. (In recent years, some colleges have even implemented "touch protocols" for dating co-eds to avoid misinterpretation of any sexual intent.) Conversely, many of us are extremely uncomfortable brushing against others in the cramped quarters of an airplane, bus, subway, or train.
   Personal space and touch are a matter of individualized perception for each of us based upon our culture, upbringing, and relationship experiences. A friendly slap on the back, which you've been conditioned to convey as communicating "hello," may send shock waves through the nervous system of the recipient. Instead, respectfully await the invitation in. Await the acknowledgment that coming closer, touching, even eye gazing, is welcomed once it's communicated by the person with whom you are developing a relationship.
   The invitation in may be as subtle as someone who rarely makes eye contact locking eyes with you and tracking your movement, or the individual who carefully, gently, extends a finger to initiate touching you. Be very mindful of the mixed messages we send to children whom we routinely embrace and then confuse once we define such as "inappropriate" come adolescence. It is also fair to state your own acceptable preferences for touch limitations.
    
9. Seek viable employment for others. The system that serves people with different ways of being endeavors to be altruistic and well-intentioned but it is an industry nonetheless; one that, in seeking viable employment opportunities for its clients, attempts to conjoin with mainstream industries that may be unpresuming of intellect. More often than not, this translates to menial tasks that are believed to require no thought: adult training facilities, repetitive factory work, janitorial clean­up, emptying trash receptacles, or replenishing the fast-food salad bar to name a few. For most others, such jobs are temporary steppingstones; but for persons who are perceived as largely incapable, these employments have become a norm that perpetuates stereotypes.
   In seeking to pursue viable employment, we need to think in terms of cultivating gifts, strengths, and talent areas as early on in one's life as possible. Begin by identifying an individual's most passionate of interests—those subjects or topics for which she wants most to talk about, watch, draw or write, reenact, engage with, and read about. When we value passions instead of labeling them as obsessions (unless they seriously impair one's quality of life), we are better poised to creatively envision a blueprint of possibilities for one's future. This may include higher education, virtual employment via the Internet, or self-employment opportunities.
    
10. Acknowledge that we are all more alike than different. Remember the last time you drove somewhere and, upon arriving, had no recollection of the drive? How about when you hear a song you haven't heard since high school, and memories you associate exclusively with that era come flooding back? Or what about the times you've halted, blocked, stuttered or stammered over calling up someone's name? These are examples of common neurological blips, misfires and disconnects that make us all kindred in our humanity. While others may have traits that appear more exaggerated, like physically rocking or handflapping, you may catch yourself engaging in a similar action if you've been shaking your leg, tapping a pen, or twirling your hair or a piece of jewelry.
    When we embrace the philosophy of presuming intellect we are in a position to become agents of transformation. Doing so requires forgiveness of our own ignorance—which need not hold negative connotations—as well as seeking the forgiveness of others whom we have not held in the same regard as our typical peers.
    We have become a culture that elevates perfectionism to exalted heights, which is an unrealistic and potentially damaging aspiration. When we acknowledge the kinship we share with one another, we are most apt to value diversity in our lives within the context of mutual respect, co-collaboration for greater good, and the presumption of intellect.

     William Stillman www.williamstillman.com

Success!

I was a bit of a nervous wreck the majority of the afternoon today with Dominic up at the Y camp near Deckers, particularly since yet another fire popped up, this one ~12 miles away from the camp. 

When we arrived to pick him up, one of the counselors saw me coming and waylaid me.  She said he had a tremendously good day -
~ He had Fun
~ He followed directions beautifully
~ He stayed perfectly with the group on their hike

They didn't swim in the lake with is fine with me (i was concerned about the water he'd inevitably drink and de-gooing him from it), and they didn't get to canoe, but apparently they had a blast anyway.   She apologized for being unable to get any pictures of him....

He had such a tremendous day that she, knowing how animal oriented he is, arranged a special trip for she and and he to go see the horses.  HE got to feed and groom the horses. 

He was exhausted almost to the point of tears at dinner (we went to Red Robin to celebrate the successful day with gluten free french fries), and filthy dirty with a few new bruises on his shins, but overall in a very good mood.  I saw zero stimming from the time we picked him until bed, so clearly the answer is to run him to exhaustion and he doesn't stim.  Go figure.

Goofy boy

So I left Dominic on the toilet yesterday evening and went outside to check my garden real quick. He was taking his time and kept telling me No when i asked if he was done and ready to get into the tub. 

Not 30 seconds after i was outside, he came out - buck naked - looking for me.  I just started to laugh and told him to go back inside.  Somehow he managed to trip going up the steps on the deck, and was jumping up and down (still naked) holding his shin saying owie.

He'll have a bruise, but he didn't break the skin and I got arnica on it immediately.   I am so lucky that the only neighbors who can see our backyard are laid back and flexible.  

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In other news, this week has been themed "Buggin Out" at the Y daycamp.  Today,  they are taking a field trip up to Camp Shady Brook, about 70 minutes into the Mountains for the day.  I'm both nervous and excited for him.  The counselor promised me she'd try to get some of him and text them to me, so presuming there aren't other kiddo's in the pictures, I will post them tomorrow.   They're going to go swimming in a lake, hiking, canoeing, and maybe even ride horses.  He will have such a good time.

Outside Observations

Todays blog is brought to you courtesy of a facebook conversation I had yesterday with a friend who had been over with her family briefly on Sunday to see my garden, and got to see Dominic for the first time probably in close to a year.

These are some of her observations about Dominic, and my responses.   Its always nice to have a different set of eyes see the differences too.  Her son is a year and a half or so older than Dominic.  They are physically the same size.

“I was noticing a certain amount of "high-chair" science, as it's termed, like dropping his toy car and seeing what forces act on it.”

I’m not sure that’s actually the case, I think he’s more visually stimming on the motion of the car moving.  

“Dominic IS using a lot more words and seems more inclined to use them, but it still has the scripted feel. Something I noticed, and I haven't even a clue about, since    never did this... Dominic seems to vary his voice, a lot…. Not sure if he's just experimenting with sound in a way that never really occurred to because he's so visual. “

Scripting and Echolalia are still issues for us and they seem to go in phases. Right now, we’re having a phase.  Even with the Echoilalia, he doesn’t do more than 4 words in a row, so his scripting and echolalia are different than other kids who rattle off whole long phrases they’ve heard but are otherwise non verbal.   I didn’t know all kids didn’t vary their voice… that’s an interesting observation. I think he just likes hearing the variety of sound. The hardest stim’s we have yet to get rid are the sounds… the squeals and the growls.

“Don't think we saw much in the way of biting or spitting type stims. He's still stimming but can't quite put my finger on what that was.”

Actually, I didn’t see any while they were there, but the little stuff, I don’t see anymore because its our normal.

“Holy mackerels, that kid is going to be tall”

He really is.

“Yes, I can see the progress, even if there's such a long way to go.  And one last thing... for a few minutes, he actually wanted to interact. Then I think maybe    overwhelmed him a bit.  I think maybe Dominic is coming into the world a little bit.”

And given that he’s met her child only a handful of times and they weren’t over long enough for him to relax (usually in a social setting, even with kids he knows, it takes an hour or so of parallel before he interacts)  that’s a pretty positive statement.

I cannot explain this.

But I'm fairly certain its imaginative play.

This, my friends, is a jar containing a Miller Moth, tied to a horse.  Sitting in my windowsill.

Alex.

On Monday, while I was waiting to get my sandwich from Schlotzky's, i surfed facebook on my phone.  And I found the headline that has had my gut torn apart since. Do you remember the teenager I told you about a few months ago?  Who the Autism community was trying to get real medical help for, and had been restrained inappropriately to a bed in a Chicago Hospital for a month?  This is him.  We failed. His mother and godmother have been charged with premeditated, first degree murder. 

I don't have a severely autistic child.  I cannot imagine life in their shoes.  Even with Dominic's being moderate to high functioning most days, its exhausting.  And I have what they didn't - a spouse, enough money to take care of the basics, and a support system.   I never blogged about it, but a couple of years ago, literally just up the street from me, a mother who i'd never met shot her autistic son and daughter, and then herself.  And I remember conversations with multiple people then making me promise them to call them first should I ever get to that point.   We have people to help us and soft places to land.  Many do not.

My point here is that Alex was not the first child, and Dorothy was not the first mother, who the system has failed... and who the community has failed.  And we have some fixing we need to do.

From my friend, who tried SO hard to help Alex and Dorothy, Lisa Joyce Goes:

I cannot thank everyone who intervened on Alex's behalf during the last few months of his life. On behalf of Autism Is Medical, The Autism Media Channel, Dawn Loughborough and myself, we gratefully acknowledge that every single person who involved themselves went above and beyond for Alex. I still cannot accept, that the efforts of hundreds of concerned parents and activists around the world went ignored. I cannot accept that a 230 lbs 15 year old, was released to his mother's care after a steady regimen of restraints, sedation, and psychiatric medicines. I cannot accept, that despite the delivery of sound repeatable science to the MANY physicians who were given an opportunity to treat Alex's very real medical conditions, his physical pain went ignored by every single person in a position to help him. His angst and misery escalated and escalated. Pain, violence, 911, repeat. Pain, violence, 911, repeat.
This has been Dorothy and Alex Spourdalakis's life for YEARS.
When I met this family, I met a mother at the edge of her life and her sanity. I met a violent sick child who could not bear life in his own skin. After 20 days of working with them, I pulled away, only allowing myself to work on their behalf on the periphery of my daily tasks. Because, the intensity, depression and darkness I experienced as a mere satellite orbiting their existence was too much for me to bear. 20 days and I felt hopelessness, perpetual sadness, depression, fear and unspeakable grief. 20 days for me. This was Dorothy and Alex's daily reality. Please believe me, when I tell you...this family had NO ONE. No supports. No help. No community. No qualified competent medical care. No soft place to fall. No hope. So very many of us stepped in to help. We implored the hospitals to treat this child. We begged our federal and state agencies to do something. We filed complaints, started Facebook pages, circulated petitions. We did all these things to avoid the worst case scenario. And it happened anyway.
Despite all our best efforts...
The press ignored us. The doctors shunned us. The hospitals dismissed us. The agencies with whom we filed complaints sniffed around but did nothing to intervene on Alex's behalf. We presented sound repeatable science to the physicians charged with Alex's care. Science that HAS HEALED AND REVERSED THE EFFECTS OF IATROGENIC AUTISM FOR THOUSANDS OF CHILDREN. It was denied.
For Alex's sake, please invest in our community and in each other. Please honor Alex by telling your own story. Please speak OUT to everyone who will listen, about what has happened to this poor child who was made sick and then abandoned by the system that claims to create "wellness".

Ear Sprouts!

Thursday morning, Dominic kept pulling on his right ear.  Rod looked in it with a flash light at lunch, got really big eyes and said "Holy Sh**".  Which of course, Dominic repeated.    I looked, got the ear cleaning hook thing and attempted to get this large (looked like a dry pea) out of his ear.  No luck.  Called the doctors office, and got schedule to see the nurse prac that afternoon.

It was the first time that this particular nurse prac had seen Dominic - normally we see our MD.  He came in, sat down and asked me for my suggestions on how to proceed.  I told him to start by looking in Dominic's ear and we'd go from there.  He looked in Dominic's ear, looked at me and said, yep, there's something in there.  "We'll get it out with some water", he said, "I'll send in the girls" (the med assistants).  I told him to be brave and he just laughed and ran out the door.

Two MA's came in and brought this weird contraption attached to the end of a spray bottle of warm water with a little shampoo.  Dominic freaked out.  Tears, screaming... we ended up having him squirt water into the ears of all of his little toys, then into my ears... before he'd hold it in front of his ears.  And then it took a little longer before he'd let us squirt water in... 

Eventually we got enough water that we could see the item at his ear canal, and the little turkey started sticking his finger in... and we lost the item.  We looked all over the room and didn't see it.  The MA ran to get the NP to look and see if it was pushed back in.  He couldn't find it.. and about that time she found it on the floor.

It was about the size of my pinkie fingernail, light green, and sprouting.  we have NO idea what it is, but are going to be asking at camp if they did any art work this week featuring seeds.

Colorado Springs is on Fire, but we're fine

We are all fine and not in any way near the path of the current Colorado Springs area fire.  I've gotten an email from a reader worried and wanted to make sure all of ya'll know we're fine.

Catch Up Post #1... The dog

Its been a ridiculous rollercoaster week, and i'm behind on blogging some of the things that I really wanted to write down... so I'm going to be putting a bunch of posts out (i hope!) over the next couple of days to catch up.

Saturday, when we returned from the circus, we realized that the dog wasn't feeling well.  He'd thrown up and was mopey.  We figured he would be fine the next morning.  He wasn't.  Dominic and I ended up taking him to the emergency vet on Sunday morning while Daddy went to work. He had pancreatitis.  Poor thing.

Anyway... Dominic and I were in a tiny little vet. cubicle for almost 3 hours with no ipad (it needed charging)... and just a handful of toys.  And it was uncomfortable. He had multiple xrays and tests (they wanted to make sure that the bone he had as a treat on Saturday didn't get ingested.  It didn't) and ended up with us leaving him there overnight.

Dominic did so well. I did download a game to my iphone while we were there and he played with my phone for a good portion of the time we were there.  Shanti sat between us while we waiting for test results and such. When we had to say goodbye to the dog, Dominic give him a ton of hugs and kisses.

At home, he asked for Shanti constantly the remainder of Sunday, and Monday until we picked him up.

(Shanti is fine now)

Circus!

Those of you who follow me on facebook already know that it was a tremendous success, but I wanted to post some of the pictures and tell everyone how the day went in more than just quick little updates.  The Circus was scheduled to start at 3, with the preshow starting at 2 and the animal barn area opened for viewing at 1:30.  We got there around 1:20, got in line and went to the animal barn where we saw elephants, horses, miniature horses, and tigers. (The tigers were taking a bath of all things.  it was really funny)

Then we stood in line at the doors for a good 20 minutes waiting for them to open.  Dominic amused himself by making faces at my phone and taking pictures of his tongue stuck out.  He thought it was great fun:

When we went in, we found our seats, marvelled at the price of the junky memorabilia (no, we didn't buy anything) and then I took Dominic down to the floor of the arena for the preshow.  We watched a clown act, and some horses and then went back and sat down to wait for it to start.  

The show was awesome... tigers, elephants that danced, horses, acrobats, high wire act, a magician that pulled bunnies out of a box (Dominic LOVED that part) lots of clowns... really good time.  However, his favorite act of all... was the girl getting shot out of a cannon. 

He sat between usand watched the whole thing, minus a bathroom break about an hour in.  Overall, he did RIDICULOUSLY well.  no fidgeting (except when he needed the bathroom), and minimal stimming.  I was personally overstimulated, so i'm sure he was too.

 

 

Summer Camp, Week 2 updates

Dominic has had a really good week at camp this week.  I know I haven’t been blogging as much, but wanted to throw a quick one out to keep track of this.

-  Wednesday they had a “field trip” to another YMCA in town for “Science Day”.  Apparently one of the 4 stations they had down there was bubbles with dry ice in them, so they were all cloudy when they popped.  He LOVED it and spent the whole time at that station.  The counselor told me when I picked him up that they got a TON of talking out of him about the bubbles… which they had not up to that point. 

-  Yesterday, when I picked him up, he was showing another little boy his fidget toys (currently these weird plastic bug things that stretch).  That little boy looked at me and said “Dominic is nice” which totally made my day.   The counselor told me that the little boy had asked to see his bugs and Dominic was sharing.

-  He has not complained once this week that we’re not turning on a movie in the evening.  Instead, he’s actually getting out his toys and playing quietly with them. Yesterday he broke out his slinky dog.   Oh, and he’s been catching bugs again.  I do believe we’ve broken the movie after camp/school habit.  We’re going to let this gel for another week or two, and then work on reducing the movie time on non-school/camp days.

He’s ridiculously excited for the circus tomorrow, so we’re hoping it will not be sensory overload.  We’re taking the camera and I’m sure there’ll be a picture post up at some point this weekend.

Edited To Add
Last summer some of Dominic's worst meltdowns occurred because he wanted to bring home from Alpine the little animal toys that they reinforced him with and I (or they) made him leave them there.  We're talking screaming, crying, flailing, biting, hitting... and continuing for well over half an hour at a time.  Tonight when I picked Dominic up at the YMCA camp, he was holding 2 small toys, a Woody and Dinosaur from Toy Story.  I knew right off that they weren't his and took a deep breath.   I asked him to give them to me and he ran to put them in his backback.  I asked again, and he brought them to me.  I gave them to the counselor who told me that a little girl had brought them in for Dominic to play with.  The little girl had left and the counselor didn't know if she was signed up for next week, or meant them to be a forever present.  While we were chatting, Dominic hugged and kissed each tiny toy about a dozen times.  The counselor and I decided to leave them there in case the little girl was back next week.   And Dominic and I left.  No meltdown. No tears...  and we came home, and he promptly got out HIS toy story toys and is playing nice with them.   I would call that a HUGE gain.

Out of Routine

I think most of you know that in general we strive to stay INSIDE routine with Dominic.  Historically, he hasn't handled changes to his routine very well, so we shoot for steady.

Yesterday that didn't work so well.

On my way to pick him up from the YMCA Day camp, the clutch in my car went out.  (Impressively at an intersection only a block or so away from the Y, and the girl behind me helped me push it out of traffic).  I had a little leeway since the Y allows pickup as late as 6pm and it was only 4:45, but I knew that I didn't want to be too late because he wasn't used to being the last kiddo there.  I called a friend to come help out, a tow truck, and my husband (who was on his way into work).  Then I walked to the Y, retrieved Dominic, called a mechanic, and went back to the Car with Dominic to wait for the tow.  My friend arrived right about then and we sat in her lovely air conditioned van and chitchatted.  45 minutes or so later, Rod got there to take Dominic home while I continued waiting for the tow truck.

For 45 minutes, he sat still in a strange vehicle and played with his fidget toys.  No stimming, no freaking out, just sat nicely.

He was sad to leave me there waiting, but overall he did ridiculously well with the break in his regular after camp routine.  such progress.

Week in bullet points...

.... and just like that almost a whole week has passed with no blog updates.  Sorry about that guys, but it was a busy week catching back up at work.


*  Dominic's first week at the Y daycamp went really well.  Every afternoon, when i asked if he had fun he said "yes".  And every day the counselors told me he had a really good day.  Not surprisingly,  he swam and played in the pool a ton. 

*  We had a little gathering last night and there were other kiddo's Dominics age.  not only did he play with them, by the time the evening was over, the kids were taking turns spinning each other on our new chair that spins around and giggling maniacally.

*  While its been a rough parasite protocol week with lots of gunk coming out of him (and corresponding behaviors), in general i'm seeing more spontaneous 4 word sentences now where just a few weeks ago, they were three word -  For example, in the morning, he always brings us the dogs collar and asks us to put it on.  until this week, he was doing that by saying "put it on" or "put on collar".  This week, he has spontaneously - no prompting - been saying "put on collar please".  So thats a nice shift.

* We have, rather optimistically, purchased circus tickets for next Saturday.  Dominic knows we're gonig to the circus and is tremendously excited about it.  We are really hoping it goes well, and think he will love it.