Here is the link to a transition handbook, it is from the ARC of Tennessee. You may find some of the information helpful.
Link to the Secondary Transition Handbook From School to Adulthood
Saturday, February 18, 2012
The Boy & His Dog
This is Astro he is one of our dogs, therapy dog he is not. We have had him since he was born two years ago today. Here is Noah & Astro playing together in the back yard. I posted the pic on Hartz's Facebook page and they want to feature Astro as Pet of the Week on their blog, and I get to write a post about their relationship!! So another opportunity for Autism Awareness!! I will post the link when they do it should come out next Thursday!!!
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| Astro & Noah |
Thursday, February 16, 2012
Communicaton MUCH IMPROVED!!
Noah comes to mommy & says, "Did you get me the Gameboy Advance System that I asked you for??
Mommy, doesn't get to say a word.
Noah, " I can't believe you didn't get the Gameboy Advanced System for me"
Mommy still nothing.
Noah, "How am I supposed to play Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga without a Gameboy Advanced System?"
Then Mommy finally gets to laugh and say, "you can play it on your DS"
This is the kid who LOVES video games, he has researched all these old gaming systems and he wants them. Now I know you have tried "reasoning" with someone who has autism, sometimes that does not work. I tell him the DS is newer and better than the old systems. He has been shopping on Amazon AGAIN, he calls me over, he needs my code (which is my card) to buy these systems, he has several in his cart totaling over $400 NO CODE FOR YOU!!!
Mommy, doesn't get to say a word.
Noah, " I can't believe you didn't get the Gameboy Advanced System for me"
Mommy still nothing.
Noah, "How am I supposed to play Mario & Luigi Superstar Saga without a Gameboy Advanced System?"
Then Mommy finally gets to laugh and say, "you can play it on your DS"
This is the kid who LOVES video games, he has researched all these old gaming systems and he wants them. Now I know you have tried "reasoning" with someone who has autism, sometimes that does not work. I tell him the DS is newer and better than the old systems. He has been shopping on Amazon AGAIN, he calls me over, he needs my code (which is my card) to buy these systems, he has several in his cart totaling over $400 NO CODE FOR YOU!!!
Wednesday, February 15, 2012
Autism Quirkiness (is that a word??) Toilet Troubles!!
Autism Quirkiness (is that a word??) I think I have made more of my own words (or
Noah words) since having been diagnosed with ASD. Explain this… He use to be OBSESSED with
toilet flushing, he would come in the bathroom and flush while you are still
using the toilet. Now he doesn’t want to
flush because he has to wait for the water to come back up. Go figure?? So he was in the bathroom with me
of course, I got done I flushed OMG you would have thought I had created the
cardinal sin. He was in hurry and I wasn’t
suppose to flush. He told me well its
not poop so we don’t have to flush. NO
NO NO, I don’t know where that came from. Gross, where does he come up with this stuff. He learned a new word on You Tube "boner" GREAT so he answers to phone yesterday and just keeps saying, "Boner, Boner, Boner," Over & Over it was his older step brother thank goodness, and the fact that he has speech difficulty, for once I was happy someone could not understand him!!! LOL
Thursday, February 2, 2012
Roses for Autism
Here is a brief description of what they do, grow, cut, package ALL DONE by individuals with Autism!!!
Today the Roses for Autism Program is making Pinchbeck’s prized roses available to the community once again. The only difference in the roses offered today is that they are grown, cut and packaged in an integrated community with individuals on the autism spectrum.
We have 16 varieties of full blooming beautiful fragrant roses, three varieties of lilies and multiple colors of Gerbera Daisies…all grown locally here in Connecticut, year round in our heated greenhouses.
Happy Valentines Day!!
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
My Typical Child "Super Savannah"
Incredible things are happening in our house tonight, Savannah my 12 year old, is teaching her brother, we home school but for some reason he responds really well to her teaching him.
Sometimes I think I forget what an important part of the plan she is that God has for life as a family. Autism is a family centered disability; our "typical" kids/siblings are such an important piece of the puzzle. She needs an outlet to express herself she does it through drawing, hanging with her friends, watching movies, we go places together just she & I.
This past Saturday we went to the mall UGH I DO NOT like going to the mall, but we really needed to do something together, so we went. they were having "Chocolate Fantasy" at the mall we went to tickets were $18 that's about $18 over budget. We were headed to the Food Court an a lady stopped and asked us if we were leaving the mall. I told her we were headed to the Food Court, she worked for a local radio station and GAVE us 2 tickets to the Chocolate thing. COOL Right, WRONG Meme called Noah was having a mini- meltdown because he couldn't find me, I told him we were leaving for a little while, I guess in his opinion we were gone long enough. So I tell Savannah and she is SO understanding, she look a little disappointed, but we still had the Chocolate tickets, it was only 2pm & it ended at 5pm we don't live far from that mall. So we came home, pull up in driveway, Noah is on the porch swing by himself, Meme is behind the door watching him, Savannah opens her door and Noah comes to the car and said to me,"I was SO worried about you!"
I apologized and reminded him that I told him I was going with Savannah. SO I spent about an hour with Noah, Savannah & I loaded back up and headed to Chocolate land we had a great time. She is such a great kid, she loves her brother so much and looks out for him, do they fight? Yeah, their brother & sister. Do they get "sick" of each other? YES especially since they are home schooled. Time away from each other is a valued asset for them, however them being together all the time gives Savannah a little more insight to him, triggers, likes & dislikes. Our life is so crazy as it is, if I had the power would I change some things SURE I would. But God has given me this Special Family for a reason, and it was through Noah's autism diagnosis that I finally figured it out. Life is too short to not enjoy EVERY moment that we can. As parents of kids on the Spectrum we don't take ANYTHING for granted anymore. We take it as it comes and do the absolute
BEST that we can for our child. THANK YOU to our "typical" kids we couldn't do it without you!!
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| School/Play room is messy but it works for us!! |
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| Working TOGETHER!! AWESOME! |
Sometimes I think I forget what an important part of the plan she is that God has for life as a family. Autism is a family centered disability; our "typical" kids/siblings are such an important piece of the puzzle. She needs an outlet to express herself she does it through drawing, hanging with her friends, watching movies, we go places together just she & I.
This past Saturday we went to the mall UGH I DO NOT like going to the mall, but we really needed to do something together, so we went. they were having "Chocolate Fantasy" at the mall we went to tickets were $18 that's about $18 over budget. We were headed to the Food Court an a lady stopped and asked us if we were leaving the mall. I told her we were headed to the Food Court, she worked for a local radio station and GAVE us 2 tickets to the Chocolate thing. COOL Right, WRONG Meme called Noah was having a mini- meltdown because he couldn't find me, I told him we were leaving for a little while, I guess in his opinion we were gone long enough. So I tell Savannah and she is SO understanding, she look a little disappointed, but we still had the Chocolate tickets, it was only 2pm & it ended at 5pm we don't live far from that mall. So we came home, pull up in driveway, Noah is on the porch swing by himself, Meme is behind the door watching him, Savannah opens her door and Noah comes to the car and said to me,"I was SO worried about you!"
I apologized and reminded him that I told him I was going with Savannah. SO I spent about an hour with Noah, Savannah & I loaded back up and headed to Chocolate land we had a great time. She is such a great kid, she loves her brother so much and looks out for him, do they fight? Yeah, their brother & sister. Do they get "sick" of each other? YES especially since they are home schooled. Time away from each other is a valued asset for them, however them being together all the time gives Savannah a little more insight to him, triggers, likes & dislikes. Our life is so crazy as it is, if I had the power would I change some things SURE I would. But God has given me this Special Family for a reason, and it was through Noah's autism diagnosis that I finally figured it out. Life is too short to not enjoy EVERY moment that we can. As parents of kids on the Spectrum we don't take ANYTHING for granted anymore. We take it as it comes and do the absolute
BEST that we can for our child. THANK YOU to our "typical" kids we couldn't do it without you!!
A Moment I wanted to Last Forever
In my case as an autism mom I don't have many moments that I want to "last forever" unless it's the fact that he is sleeping!! Had one yesterday WOO HOO!! Noah & I went to the zoo yesterday, it was free afternoon at the Memphis zoo and it was packed, the weather has been unseasonably warm here. So we go look at animals we went into the Creatures of the Night, I didn't think we were ever going to leave....you know how the get obsessed with things, well it was BATS, yes flying rodents GROSS, we watched those bats for at LEAST 30 minutes Noah was fascinated with them.
So the zoo got new playground equipment, YEAH!! Noah wanted to go to the crowded playground so we did. He made a friend, did you get that HE MADE A FRIEND!!! Noah was just running and jumping, I am standing there on "pins & needles" just waiting to have to explain that he has autism to another parent that is usually giving us the eye in disapprovement, you know the parents I'm talking about. I didn't have to do that yesterday. A boy named Levi befriended Noah, and it was perfect. That little boy didn't notice that there was something "wrong" or he just didn't care either way Noah had such a GREAT time, Levi had a younger sister and they played tag and chase and follow the leader. I sat down on a bench and began to tear up; for a few moments in time it was like he was a "typical" child. I never wanted to leave yesterday I wanted to preserve this moment for as long as I could. It was beautiful=)
So the zoo got new playground equipment, YEAH!! Noah wanted to go to the crowded playground so we did. He made a friend, did you get that HE MADE A FRIEND!!! Noah was just running and jumping, I am standing there on "pins & needles" just waiting to have to explain that he has autism to another parent that is usually giving us the eye in disapprovement, you know the parents I'm talking about. I didn't have to do that yesterday. A boy named Levi befriended Noah, and it was perfect. That little boy didn't notice that there was something "wrong" or he just didn't care either way Noah had such a GREAT time, Levi had a younger sister and they played tag and chase and follow the leader. I sat down on a bench and began to tear up; for a few moments in time it was like he was a "typical" child. I never wanted to leave yesterday I wanted to preserve this moment for as long as I could. It was beautiful=)
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