Where is Mommy?

While vacationing in the Bahamas (tough life I lead, LOL), Camryn had her first 'real' conversation with Grandma Fitz. The morning we left, Camryn woke up and asked Gma "Where is Mommy?" Grandma said "On a trip." Camryn asked "To see friends?" Gma (suprised at the question) said "Yes" Camryn replied, "I am sad"


This is TOTALLY amazing. She is just starting to ask these type of "WH" questions, but I am really excited about the 'friends'and 'sad' part. This means she is following up, asking for more information AND expressing her emotions verbally. These are very big steps for her.

She has had all of this speech in her, but she has trouble with the back and forth of natural conversation. She usually TELLS you things, like what she sees, wants, etc. There usually isn't a true two sided conversation. She will answer your simple questions and offer you information, but there is rarely an 'exchange' of sorts. This is surely a step in the right direction. YEAH!!!

Bahamas

Here are some pictures from our short, but VERY relaxing getaway to the Bahamas.

The Queen of Clean

Chloe as some extreme camera shyness, but I did manage to get this one of her while she was organizing her closet.

Therapy Pictures

Here are some pictures of Camryn doing what she does best with her therapist friends!!! She calls all of the big meetings "parties" LOL

Reality Check

Camryn is my "good child" now, I can take her almost anywhere, meltdowns are few and far between, I get cocky and think, we are doing great. We went out to eat tonight, Culvers, just a quick burger:-) Camryn was whining when we pull into the parking lot. Spit out her fries, kept asking for her coat and for us to "stand up" AKA go HOME. We shovel things in, pack up the rest, B/C I can see the meltdown coming. Get home (have to park around the corner instead of the driveway due to construction) Camryn has a fit the whole walk to the house, get inside and the top blows off, crying and fussing.

WHY??? How do I know, was it the new coat she was wearing? We sat on a different side of the restaurant (she picked out the seat though)? Her fries were too hot on the first bite? She is feeling ill (cough and runny nose)? We didn't park where we normally do? Seriously, I will never know. She has the language to tell me, she just can't in that moment...
WHAM!!!! Autism at it's finest

Successful zoo trip-turning over the power!!

Chloe and I visited the zoo again today. After the last trip was a disaster, I thought I needed to go again and try something different. After all, we find ourselves at the zoo AT LEAST once a week in the summer.
So, I decided to give Chloe the power. Instead of pushing her around in the stroller, stopping at the exhibits and talking about the animals, I would leave the stroller in the car, throw away the zoo map and leave it up to Chloe!!
She did AMAZING, she initiated all of the conversation about the animals, stopped at many exhibits, went through the fish building (with minimal tension in her body) and really ENJOYED the visit.
She listens very well and doesn't stray too far, so I think this might just work this summer. Time to renew the zoo pass!!!

My name is Dani and I am addicted to Culvers!!

Since learning that Chloe has an affinity for "butterburgers", I have officially become addicted to them. It started as a -get out of the house- trip for Chloe and I during the winter and getting her used to the restaurant scene so as to make future restaurant visits less painful. NOW, it has turned in to a full on addiction of mine. I am starting to get nervous about visiting the same location and thinking of things I 'could do' in other areas of town that have a Culvers. I feel like the employees are all looking at me thinking 'what is with this chick, she is here EVERYtime I am working'. What can I say, I have an addictive personality, I get it honestly, you should meet my Mom.

It's MY Birthday

This is a picture of Camryn on her 7th birthday. She looked gorgeous as always with her big cheesy grin. She had a wonderful day!!! She made a stuffed bunny and had a good time with the Rossa family.
She loved opening her gifts and enjoyed them all. She also enjoyed flaunting her reading skills by reading her birthday cards aloud to everyone and sang happy birthday to herself and Grandma.
We couldn't be prouder of her......

Build A BUNNY

This is how you know Camryn is truly happy with her choice of the pink bunny. She went through all the bins on animal bodies and put each one back, finding herself unsatisfied with something in each of them. When she found this pink bunny with rainbow ears it was love at first sight.
We named her HOPE, which is what we have for our future, we kissed the purple "autism awareness" heart, made a wish and stuck it in the puffy body. We looked for clothes to dress our little friend and after passing on the SpiderMan outfit (thank goodness) we settled on "jeans" and "kitten shirt". Hope is so beautiful and a perfect addition to our family!

NEVER give up

I SO feel like giving up today. Autism feels so much bigger than me, I am not sure I have the strength to fight it anymore.
I hardly ever see my kiddos next to "typical" kids their own age (subconsciously I must do this on purpose) We went out to dinner tonight (a small accomplishment in itself, not to be overlooked)and a family with 3 kids sat next to us. It was amazing how different they were than my kids, they sat quietly (no bouncing, climbing under the table, no weird humming noises) and talked to their parents about their day. They didn't have to be reminded to "take a bite" before they put food in their mouth. They also did not read verbatim the Mickey Mouse book that is hidden on the top of my fridge because if I hear it ONE MORE TIME my head will explode!!!
Although my kids have come a long way it reminds me of how far they have yet to come and makes me very sad. I need to muster up some strength to get through tomorrow....

Zoo Trip

Well, we ventured out to the zoo on Sunday. Andrew was in CO skiing this weekend so it was just me and the girls. On the way there I was asking Camryn what animals she wanted to see she told me "polar bear" and "spider monkey", pretty good responses, I thought.
As we were looking at the animals she was naming all of their features(we are working on features, functions and classes in therapy) she told me about the fur, antlers, horns, paws, stripes you name it. She was a little chatter box about everything that was going on and what animals were in what building.
She has always been really good at the zoo, but man she has really added to her vocabulary!!!
Chloe, on the other hand, is afraid of almost every animal that moves and definately has a fear of the skyglider overhead. She got scared and we left early :-( I so wish my kiddos enjoyed the same things, it would really make my life easier.

Claudia's Story

A very moving video that I saw at an autism fundraiser last night. About a little girl here in WI, unfortunately there are many, many more stories like this one.

The Myths of Autism

A diagnosis of autism is not the end of love and hope. But media stories thrive on the most overwhelming and horrifying circumstances. Here are just a few of the myths perpetuated by TV, magazines and movies -- myths that, at least in my opinion, deserve to be blown away!

1) Autistic People Are All Alike
Myth: If I’ve met an autistic person (or seen the movie Rain Man), I have a good idea of what all autistic people are like.
Fact: Autistic people are as different from one another as they could be. The only elements that ALL autistic people seem to have in common are unusual difficulty with social communication.

2) Autistic People Don't Have Feelings
Myth: Autistic people cannot feel or express love or empathy.
Fact: Many -- in fact, most -- autistic people are extremely capable of feeling and expressing love, though sometimes in idiosyncratic ways! What's more, many autistic people are far more empathetic than the average person, though they may express their empathy in unusual ways.

3) Autistic People Don't Build Relationships
Myth: Autistic people cannot build solid relationships with others.
Fact: While it’s unlikely that an autistic child will be a cheerleader, it is very likely that they will have solid relationships with, at the very least, their closest family members. And many autistic people do build strong friendships through shared passionate interests. There are also plenty of autistic people who marry and have satisfying romantic relationships.

4) Autistic People Are a Danger to Society
Myth: Autistic people are dangerous.
Fact: Recent news reports of an individual with Asperger Syndrome committing violent acts have led to fears about violence and autism. While there are many autistic individuals who exhibit violent behaviors, those behaviors are almost always caused by frustration, physical and/or sensory overload, and similar issues. It’s very rare for an autistic person to act violently out of malice.

5) All Autistic People Are Savants
Myth: Autistic people have amazing “savant” abilities, such as extraordinary math skills or musical skills.
Fact: It is true that a relatively few autistic people are “savants.” These individuals have what are called “splinter skills” which relate only to one or two areas of extraordinary ability. By far the majority of autistic people, though, have ordinary or even less-than-ordinary skill sets.

6) Autistic People Have No Language Skills
Myth: Most autistic people are non-verbal or close to non-verbal.
Fact: Individuals with a classic autism diagnosis are sometimes non-verbal or nearly non-verbal. But the autism spectrum also includes extremely verbal individuals with very high reading skills. Diagnoses at the higher end of the spectrum are increasing much faster than diagnoses at the lower end of the spectrum.

7) Autistic People Can't Do Much of Anything
Myth: I shouldn’t expect much of an autistic person.
Fact: This is one myth that, in my opinion, truly injures our children. Autistic individuals can achieve great things -- but only if they're supported by people who believe in their potential. Autistic people are often the creative innovators in our midst. They see the world through a different lens -- and when their perspective is respected, they can change the world.

Welcome To Holland

The following poem really describes how it feels to have a special needs child/children. It is so hard to put into words, but this woman did it beautifully.




WELCOME TO HOLLAND
By: Emily Perl Kingsley.
I am often asked to describe the experience of raising a child with a
disability - to try to help people who have not shared that unique
experience to understand it, to imagine how it would feel. It's like
this......
When you're going to have a baby, it's like planning a fabulous
vacation trip - to Italy. You buy a bunch of guide books and make
your wonderful plans. The Coliseum. The Michelangelo David. The
gondolas in Venice. You may learn some handy phrases in Italian. It's
all very exciting.
After months of eager anticipation, the day finally arrives. You pack
your bags and off you go. Several hours later, the plane lands. The
stewardess comes in and says, "Welcome to Holland."
"Holland?!?" you say. "What do you mean Holland?? I signed up for
Italy! I'm supposed to be in Italy. All my life I've dreamed of going
to Italy."
But there's been a change in the flight plan. They've landed in
Holland and there you must stay.
The important thing is that they haven't taken you to a horrible,
disgusting, filthy place, full of pestilence, famine and disease.
It's just a different place.
So you must go out and buy new guide books. And you must learn a
whole new language. And you will meet a whole new group of people you
would never have met.
It's just a different place. It's slower-paced than Italy, less
flashy than Italy. But after you've been there for a while and you
catch your breath, you look around.... and you begin to notice that
Holland has windmills... .and Holland has tulips. Holland even has
Rembrandts.
But everyone you know is busy coming and going from Italy... and
they're all bragging about what a wonderful time they had there. And
for the rest of your life, you will say "Yes, that's where I was
supposed to go. That's what I had planned."
And the pain of that will never, ever, ever, ever go away... because
the loss of that dream is a very very significant loss.
But... if you spend your life mourning the fact that you didn't get
to Italy, you may never be free to enjoy the very special, the very
lovely things ... about Holland.
c1987 by Emily Perl Kingsley. All rights reserved

Chloe

When I talk about autism spectrum disorders my focus is on Camryn, I very rarely bring Chloe into the mix. Why? I guess it is because Camryn is in the middle of it and is getting the therapy and is older and therefor "more behind" if that makes any sense.
Chloe is a whole other can of worms. She does not have apraxia of speech and even though her speech was late in developing, it is in full force now. She is doing many things on her own that we had to teach to Camryn (like requesting items, greeting people etc)and that makes us very happy. She is also benefiting from Camryn being in therapy (because she will do or say ANYTHING if Camryn does it first, LOL) So when Camryn learns a new phrase or skill, Chloe picks it up right away too.
I have high hopes for both of my girls and am doing what I can and know to do to give them the best chance at success. I am not picking favorites or doing more for one than the other (sometimes it seems that way with all of the Camryn talk) just thankfully, right now Chloe is picking things up very rapidly.

Mark Leland Video- Missing Pieces

Camryn's Therapy Team

In the picture you will see (from L to R) Camryn's therapy team. Jessica, Lauren, Tammi and Marissa. Missing from the photo is the latest addition to her team Eric. They are under the autism puzzle piece blankets I made them for Christmas. Just a small token of my gratitude for all they do for Camryn on a daily basis. These gals (and guy) are really a part of our family, they work very hard and are always thinking of new ways to teach Camryn things in a fun and exciting way.
We are currently teaching Camryn features (things with buttons, things with pockets, things with beaks etc) functions (things you cook with, things you build with, things you ride etc) and classes (bugs, snacks, animals, etc) She is also working on some visual performance skills, such as replicting block designs and simple patterns. Also, she is always continuing to work on her speech and language skills. The functor words (is, the, a , an, etc) are difficult for her because they don't really have "meaning" and she doesn't have a very long history of speech to know when things -just sound right-. Also teaching her the proper use of prepositions (the English language is so very complicated, really)
As you can see she is VERY busy and is learning many basic skills so her academic skills become easier for her to learn.
She has come a LONG way and continues to work hard everyday, and of course she always has a smile on her face.

Learn more about her therapy team here:
http://www.centerautismtreatment.org/home/OurMission/tabid/36/Default.aspx

Be sure to read the *Note from the Director*

Autism Awareness Ribbon

The puzzle pattern of this ribbon reflects the mystery and complexity of autism.

The different colors and shpaes represent the diversity of the people and families living with this disorder.

The brightness of the ribbon signals hope-hope through research and increasing awareness in people like you.

A KITE A KITE A KITE

OK, so we are working on teaching Camryn to recall "remote events" or something that has happened in the past, with no prompts. (Something that just comes naturally for "neuro-typical" children).

I picked her up from school yesterday and knowing she has art class on Monday afternoon, I decided to experiment and see if the therapy is working :-) I asked her "what did you make in art class today?" Fully expecting her to say "art class today" (when she doesn't know the answer or has no clue what you are talking about she will echo the last words she has heard). Instead she says "A KITE, A KITE, A KITE!!!"

Now, I don't know what to do, I didn't expect an answer and I have NO IDEA what she made in art class. So today, I pick her up from school and ask her teacher "what did Camryn make in art class yesterday?" Her response, "oh, she made a beautiful KITE"

Guess the therapy is working, way to go Camryn!!!!

April is Autism Awareness Month

Above is a photo of children with an Autism Spectrum Disorder, all of their parents belong to a support group I created (with a little help, LOL!) You can find our group website at http://www.asdsewi.org