Today was a bit of a rough day, just ask my Dad the two times he called Dylan was screaming in the background! It was more of a power struggle day then anything. I was trying to pack for the move and we were packing board games. Dylan saw the Connect 4 game and wanted to play(dump it everywhere) so I held on tight. Before long the pieces came out and went flying EVERYWHERE. That was the type of day it was all day long!!! But....
During several of my yelling fits and telling him, "NO," "Don't do that," "Get down," etc. 85% of the time he LISTENED and actually did what I was asking. Sometimes it was followed by a fit, but the fact that he stopped what he was doing impressed me! My Dad told me he needed a good spat on the butt and I told him that I had several times today. When that happens he bawls and is confused, but at the same time before stem cells it didn't phase him, so now he at least knows that is something he doesn't like! We went to the store and he sat in the cart and would stand up and when I told him to sit down, he followed that command at least 90% of the time. So amidst our struggles of the day, I am also seeing the positives!
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
Thursday, May 21, 2015
Last day of Preschool 2015!
Today was Dylan's last day of Preschool for the school year, but luckily(unluckily) he has met the requirements to go to summer school which begins the middle of June! I am not going to lie, I am freaking out a bit at the thought of having him home all day because lately it only takes him minutes to have the house just the way he wants it..... Just as if a tornado has ripped through and has left nothing untouched! I told Brandon that is partly the reason I spend so much money, because I need out of the house so that he can't destroy it, but you can't get out of the house with out spending money. Decisions, decisions: Stay home and have a completely torn up house or go spend money eating at McDonalds(yes that is usually what happens). Leaving the house is usually the better option! Hopefully, once we move into our new house, with a yard, I can divert his energy outside and we can just play and play and play!!!
Dylan's teacher, Sherry, put together a field trip to Thanksgiving Point Farm Country and was so nice to allow Boston to come with us. Boston and I drove and met them at Thanksgiving Point since Boston isn't a student and so it is against school policies to let him ride the bus. Poor Boston really wants to ride a bus, but we were able to get on the bus to put Dylan in his seat so he got to see the inside of it! We walked around and looked at the animals, rode a pony(Which afterwards the teacher aides commented that I need to buy him a pony because he wanted to get back on. I told them the funny thing was that Dylan's Grandpa Rick had in fact bought the exact same type of pony for the grandkids but got rid of it because the excitement didn't last too long, but it was fun while it lasted!), went on a wagon ride and then played in the garden shop play area thing. I couldn't help but notice that all the parents had the same death grip on their children's hands and all the kids had their moments of falling to the floor when they didn't want to do something. It helped me to see we are not the only ones going through this and that Dylan is completely "normal" in Autism World!
Afterwards, Boston and I drove back to the school to get Dylan because they had a few end of year papers that they wanted Dylan to take home. We pulled up as the bus did and they were just unloading. Dylan was crying and confused as to why he was going back to school for a second time today, poor kid just wanted to go home! We went in to his class and I kept telling him that we just needed to get his papers and tell his teachers "bye." He kept giving me kisses, and that was him saying, "come on, it's time to go." One of the aides(Loni) came over and started talking to Dylan and after a minute he leaned in and gave her a kiss! I just laughed and told them I had wondered if he gave them kisses because I always ask him to give me a kiss when he wants something. She told me that was actually a first and made her feel really good! That also makes me feel good because lately he has been giving more and more relatives(siblings, grandparents, aunts/uncles, cousins, etc.) kisses and maybe he really is understanding the relations rather than somebody that he just meets!
I love Dylan's Teacher and Teacher Aides! You can see the love they have for these kids and they genuinely care about them. I know Dylan is in good hands and is where he is supposed to be! It sounds like he is the only one returning next year because the rest of them, except one that is moving away and will go to a different pre-school, will be going on to Kindergarten. They will start out with about 5 kids next year and then gradually get more. So Dylan will have seniority ha ha! They sent home a little picture book and one of the pictures was captioned: "Mr Handsome" I LOVE IT because that is a nickname he has always had since he was little, thanks to his sister, and for some reason has carried on to school! I think I may have called him that one time when I picked him up, so I don't know if they heard me and started calling him that or if they have just given him, and all the other boys, that nickname, but for me and the background, it made me happy!!
Here are some pages of a little scrap book they made for Dylan:
Dylan's teacher, Sherry, put together a field trip to Thanksgiving Point Farm Country and was so nice to allow Boston to come with us. Boston and I drove and met them at Thanksgiving Point since Boston isn't a student and so it is against school policies to let him ride the bus. Poor Boston really wants to ride a bus, but we were able to get on the bus to put Dylan in his seat so he got to see the inside of it! We walked around and looked at the animals, rode a pony(Which afterwards the teacher aides commented that I need to buy him a pony because he wanted to get back on. I told them the funny thing was that Dylan's Grandpa Rick had in fact bought the exact same type of pony for the grandkids but got rid of it because the excitement didn't last too long, but it was fun while it lasted!), went on a wagon ride and then played in the garden shop play area thing. I couldn't help but notice that all the parents had the same death grip on their children's hands and all the kids had their moments of falling to the floor when they didn't want to do something. It helped me to see we are not the only ones going through this and that Dylan is completely "normal" in Autism World!
Afterwards, Boston and I drove back to the school to get Dylan because they had a few end of year papers that they wanted Dylan to take home. We pulled up as the bus did and they were just unloading. Dylan was crying and confused as to why he was going back to school for a second time today, poor kid just wanted to go home! We went in to his class and I kept telling him that we just needed to get his papers and tell his teachers "bye." He kept giving me kisses, and that was him saying, "come on, it's time to go." One of the aides(Loni) came over and started talking to Dylan and after a minute he leaned in and gave her a kiss! I just laughed and told them I had wondered if he gave them kisses because I always ask him to give me a kiss when he wants something. She told me that was actually a first and made her feel really good! That also makes me feel good because lately he has been giving more and more relatives(siblings, grandparents, aunts/uncles, cousins, etc.) kisses and maybe he really is understanding the relations rather than somebody that he just meets!
I love Dylan's Teacher and Teacher Aides! You can see the love they have for these kids and they genuinely care about them. I know Dylan is in good hands and is where he is supposed to be! It sounds like he is the only one returning next year because the rest of them, except one that is moving away and will go to a different pre-school, will be going on to Kindergarten. They will start out with about 5 kids next year and then gradually get more. So Dylan will have seniority ha ha! They sent home a little picture book and one of the pictures was captioned: "Mr Handsome" I LOVE IT because that is a nickname he has always had since he was little, thanks to his sister, and for some reason has carried on to school! I think I may have called him that one time when I picked him up, so I don't know if they heard me and started calling him that or if they have just given him, and all the other boys, that nickname, but for me and the background, it made me happy!!
Here are some pages of a little scrap book they made for Dylan:
Wednesday, May 20, 2015
Overwhelmed!
Today was Dylan's cousins birthday party (J&N) so we went over to their house for cake and ice cream. When we walked in, there was already a group gathered in the room and I think it overwhelmed Dylan. He had been pretty good throughout the day, other than eating constantly and getting tons of stuff out of the fridge and pantry, so I was not sure why he was reacting the way he was. He just kept screaming and trying to get out, but I held him and pretty much forced him to stay in. Once we got out of the hallway and into the room where it was more opened he eventually calmed down, so that was good. I really thought we were going to have to leave, because it was raining so we couldn't really go out to play and get in a more open environment, but I am glad he calmed down and we got to stick around.
I was nervous how he was going to act at their house since he had been having an eat everything kind of day, but he sat at the bar and played with their sink and then really didn't eat the cake but smeared it on the table. Lacy started talking to him and grabbed him and kind of played with and teased him a bit and before you knew it he was smiling and looked like he was going in for the kiss. She sat down with him and sure enough he started smooching on her and even gave her a few hugs. He had such a big cute smile on his face, and it was such a cute sight to see.
He eventually ended up upstairs playing "near" the kids again. Brandon stayed up there with him for a bit and then came down and I went up about 10 minutes later to check on him. I was afraid what mess I was going to find, but other than kids being kids, Dylan had not made a big mess. I was so excited! Again like on Mothers Day, he didn't necessarily play with the kids, but he stayed right there in the vicinity and to me that is a big improvement from the past year!
I was nervous how he was going to act at their house since he had been having an eat everything kind of day, but he sat at the bar and played with their sink and then really didn't eat the cake but smeared it on the table. Lacy started talking to him and grabbed him and kind of played with and teased him a bit and before you knew it he was smiling and looked like he was going in for the kiss. She sat down with him and sure enough he started smooching on her and even gave her a few hugs. He had such a big cute smile on his face, and it was such a cute sight to see.
He eventually ended up upstairs playing "near" the kids again. Brandon stayed up there with him for a bit and then came down and I went up about 10 minutes later to check on him. I was afraid what mess I was going to find, but other than kids being kids, Dylan had not made a big mess. I was so excited! Again like on Mothers Day, he didn't necessarily play with the kids, but he stayed right there in the vicinity and to me that is a big improvement from the past year!
Monday, May 18, 2015
Hair Cut
I remember there was a time in his life when I was cutting Boston's hair. When I finished, Dylan came and sat on the chair and said, "Dy, Dy" and let me cut his hair, but not this time:
Dylan's hair had been getting long so we decided it was time for a haircut. I honestly love his hair when it is a little longer, but I decided to try out cutting the sideburns off and that looked horrible. I tried trimming them one day when he was asleep and half way through the first one, he woke up and wanted nothing to do with it. I sent him to school that way too, ha ha. When Brandon came home I had him hold him down so I could use the razor and shave both sideburns off. He kicked and screamed and even the neighbors mentioned hearing him the next day!
We let him go a couple days that way and then decided to just get it over with and cut his hair. I only know how to cut the boys hair one way and that is short with the electric razor, so that is what we do! This was not a fun process and if you would have witnessed it, you probably would have thought we were really torturing the kid. I even dare say, you would have thought we were trying to kill him, but I promise, we were only trying to cut his hair! Brandon had to bear hug him several different ways because he would break free from kicking and squirming. He was screaming and thrashing about. I am surprised it turned out as good as it did, for the tantrum that he was throwing. He had worked himself up in a sweat with in a few minutes and by the time we were done he was red an splotchy all over his body between his fear/anxiety and Brandon having to hold him down. Good thing we can let his hair grow out for a few months until we have to do this again!!
I have also noticed he has been flapping his arms a lot lately. He has never really be an arm flapper, so I will keep my eye on this and see how long it lasts. He seems to do it quite a bit, but not really for one particular emotion. I have seen him do it when he is happy, sad, excited, etc.
Dylan's hair had been getting long so we decided it was time for a haircut. I honestly love his hair when it is a little longer, but I decided to try out cutting the sideburns off and that looked horrible. I tried trimming them one day when he was asleep and half way through the first one, he woke up and wanted nothing to do with it. I sent him to school that way too, ha ha. When Brandon came home I had him hold him down so I could use the razor and shave both sideburns off. He kicked and screamed and even the neighbors mentioned hearing him the next day!
We let him go a couple days that way and then decided to just get it over with and cut his hair. I only know how to cut the boys hair one way and that is short with the electric razor, so that is what we do! This was not a fun process and if you would have witnessed it, you probably would have thought we were really torturing the kid. I even dare say, you would have thought we were trying to kill him, but I promise, we were only trying to cut his hair! Brandon had to bear hug him several different ways because he would break free from kicking and squirming. He was screaming and thrashing about. I am surprised it turned out as good as it did, for the tantrum that he was throwing. He had worked himself up in a sweat with in a few minutes and by the time we were done he was red an splotchy all over his body between his fear/anxiety and Brandon having to hold him down. Good thing we can let his hair grow out for a few months until we have to do this again!!
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| You can't really see that well, but this picture was taken a good 30 minutes after the hair cut, but his cheeks are still pretty red. |
I have also noticed he has been flapping his arms a lot lately. He has never really be an arm flapper, so I will keep my eye on this and see how long it lasts. He seems to do it quite a bit, but not really for one particular emotion. I have seen him do it when he is happy, sad, excited, etc.
Sunday, May 17, 2015
5 Weeks Down!
Life has been... life and a little crazy between school, Dylan's brother and sisters sports, dance, martial arts, Dylan being Dylan and tearing off the couch cushions, getting into the fridge, taking his diapers and clothes off, just the everyday life of the Gadd's! We have had a few not so fun messes with the diaper coming off in the past week or two, however, when this happens I can't get mad at him because he finds his way to the bathroom. If you are not right there when he poops his diaper, he usually takes it off and heads to the bathroom to dump it because he knows that is where it goes. Just getting it there causes messes because he usually grabs the poop, getting it on his hands and wiping his dirty hands on the wall or toilet, but he is trying and that is why I can't really get mad!! I just have to explain that he needs to come to me first, but Thanks for putting it in the toilet!
Other than saying a few words here and there we haven't really heard any one word consistently but I can see in his eyes that there are times that he is thinking and trying. There has been times he looks me in the eye and says something and just stares me down almost as if waiting for my response. It is hard to see this because I feel bad because he is trying but I have no idea what he wants so I try to guess and respond to what I think he may be saying. At least, we have the idea of a conversation going!
5/10/2015
Mothers Day weekend was a great week for seeing little improvements and others opinions! We went to Rick and Lori's and we were all impressed with how well Dylan "played" with the kids. Most of the day was spent on the Trampoline with the other kids! He didn't necessarily play "with" the kids, but he played near them ALL DAY LONG! For Dylan that is big! Usually he ends up pulling Lori around and wanting to go for a ride or go downstairs to watch a show(he did end up in her car to watch a show at one point but that was later on and he ended up falling asleep, so I think he was tired and several kids joined him). There was one point on the tramp where I had to laugh because Trever's girlfriend son, Ethan, went up to Dylan and shoved a stuffed Olaf doll at him. Brandon and I sat back to see Dylan's reaction and it was worth it. Dylan just stops in his tracks, turns, bear hugs Ethan, and bam body slams him! It happened so fast but you could see the thought process go through Dylan's mind, that it was funny. After Ethan tried it again and this time Dylan started swinging, He is a tough kid, so we put a stop to it because we didn't want him hurting Ethan. Although, he did not play with the kids it was so good to be able to sit back a bit, relax, and watch him out there "with" the other kids! Trever said he noticed he seemed more focused! That was good to hear because he hasn't seen him since probably a month or so before we did stem cells.
Week of 5/11-5/15/2015
This week I picked Dylan up from school and I walked up behind him where he was sitting on a chair looking through a book and was greeted with a kiss. I bent down and said, "you ready to go home bud?" He just looked up and instantly kissed me! I loved it! However, like I've said before I wonder if he tries to kiss his teachers because I always ask for a kiss when he wants something ha ha. My Dad had stopped by this week as well and he was kind of giving Dylan a hard time for having the cushions all over the floor. Dylan reached up and kissed him and then at Brielle's dance review he greeted my Dad with a kiss then too. When Lori picked the kids up for the dance review she was putting Desi's jacket on, so I grabbed Dylan to get his on. He immediately reached up for Lori as if to say to me, "no, I am going with her!" Then she picked him up and he gave her a kiss! The topic of this week seems to be "Showing Affection!" I love it!
Someone on this Facebook group that we are a part of, mentioned the little things that you need to pay attention to. She mentioned her son no longer "mouths" things like he used to. That made me realize that Dylan has stopped biting at his shirt like he used to do before stem cells. He did that, then stopped and then right after started doing it again. For the past week or so his shirt has not been stretched out and all wet because he isn't doing that, unless he has long sleeves on then he bites at the sleeves. Like I said, the little things!
This past week he does seem to be more "all over the place" which we are into the 6-8 week post cells where they warned us he may regress and become more hyper! Hyper is an understatement. He is constantly taking cushions off the couch, jumping around, getting in the fridge, getting in the pantry, eating, you name it he is probably doing it. The tantrums do seem to have tapered off a bit though! He actually sat through Brielle's dance review for the most part, with a binky, but he sat there on someone's lap until the last 15 minutes or so. I was amazed by that, especially since Lori was there because when he sees her, he just pulls her around. He spent the majority of the dance review sitting on her lap and that, to me, is amazing!!!
He and Desi went to Lori's for the weekend, so it will be interesting to see what changes her and Rick notice where they aren't with him constantly.
This came home with Dylan the other day. It is his Occupational Therapy progress report and it isn't too promising. He hasn't made any improvement since January according to them, but we'll just keep waiting and watching. I KNOW we are going to start seeing something soon!
Other than saying a few words here and there we haven't really heard any one word consistently but I can see in his eyes that there are times that he is thinking and trying. There has been times he looks me in the eye and says something and just stares me down almost as if waiting for my response. It is hard to see this because I feel bad because he is trying but I have no idea what he wants so I try to guess and respond to what I think he may be saying. At least, we have the idea of a conversation going!
5/10/2015
Mothers Day weekend was a great week for seeing little improvements and others opinions! We went to Rick and Lori's and we were all impressed with how well Dylan "played" with the kids. Most of the day was spent on the Trampoline with the other kids! He didn't necessarily play "with" the kids, but he played near them ALL DAY LONG! For Dylan that is big! Usually he ends up pulling Lori around and wanting to go for a ride or go downstairs to watch a show(he did end up in her car to watch a show at one point but that was later on and he ended up falling asleep, so I think he was tired and several kids joined him). There was one point on the tramp where I had to laugh because Trever's girlfriend son, Ethan, went up to Dylan and shoved a stuffed Olaf doll at him. Brandon and I sat back to see Dylan's reaction and it was worth it. Dylan just stops in his tracks, turns, bear hugs Ethan, and bam body slams him! It happened so fast but you could see the thought process go through Dylan's mind, that it was funny. After Ethan tried it again and this time Dylan started swinging, He is a tough kid, so we put a stop to it because we didn't want him hurting Ethan. Although, he did not play with the kids it was so good to be able to sit back a bit, relax, and watch him out there "with" the other kids! Trever said he noticed he seemed more focused! That was good to hear because he hasn't seen him since probably a month or so before we did stem cells.
Week of 5/11-5/15/2015
This week I picked Dylan up from school and I walked up behind him where he was sitting on a chair looking through a book and was greeted with a kiss. I bent down and said, "you ready to go home bud?" He just looked up and instantly kissed me! I loved it! However, like I've said before I wonder if he tries to kiss his teachers because I always ask for a kiss when he wants something ha ha. My Dad had stopped by this week as well and he was kind of giving Dylan a hard time for having the cushions all over the floor. Dylan reached up and kissed him and then at Brielle's dance review he greeted my Dad with a kiss then too. When Lori picked the kids up for the dance review she was putting Desi's jacket on, so I grabbed Dylan to get his on. He immediately reached up for Lori as if to say to me, "no, I am going with her!" Then she picked him up and he gave her a kiss! The topic of this week seems to be "Showing Affection!" I love it!
Someone on this Facebook group that we are a part of, mentioned the little things that you need to pay attention to. She mentioned her son no longer "mouths" things like he used to. That made me realize that Dylan has stopped biting at his shirt like he used to do before stem cells. He did that, then stopped and then right after started doing it again. For the past week or so his shirt has not been stretched out and all wet because he isn't doing that, unless he has long sleeves on then he bites at the sleeves. Like I said, the little things!
This past week he does seem to be more "all over the place" which we are into the 6-8 week post cells where they warned us he may regress and become more hyper! Hyper is an understatement. He is constantly taking cushions off the couch, jumping around, getting in the fridge, getting in the pantry, eating, you name it he is probably doing it. The tantrums do seem to have tapered off a bit though! He actually sat through Brielle's dance review for the most part, with a binky, but he sat there on someone's lap until the last 15 minutes or so. I was amazed by that, especially since Lori was there because when he sees her, he just pulls her around. He spent the majority of the dance review sitting on her lap and that, to me, is amazing!!!
He and Desi went to Lori's for the weekend, so it will be interesting to see what changes her and Rick notice where they aren't with him constantly.
Friday, May 8, 2015
Daddy's Bedtime Kiss
The last week has been a rough one on Brandon. Boston's teacher informed me earlier this week that she has been concerned about him in the past few months because of his fine motor skills(he holds the pencil with his whole fist rather than the proper grasp) and his focus and attention at times. She wondered if it would be good to have the school test him just so we could know how to help him. (I think Bos is fine, but he does have some attention problems at times, so worse case scenario ADD or something but I am not really concerned) So I had told Brandon this and then with Dylan's tantrums and just Dylan's behavior in general and the stress of it all, it has just worn on him. He is where I was several months ago, and just feels there is NOTHING we can do and NOT worth trying because it is a lost cause. Don't get me wrong, because Brandon and I love this little guy and will do anything for him, but it is hard when you do and do and do and do and there is nothing coming from all that effort. I am at the point where I have been letting him watch his shows a lot more than I should just because it is too exhausting to try and hold his attention to "try" and get him to play with you. However, I have noticed this past week if the kids have been downstairs playing Dylan has wandered down there and stays down for 10-15 minutes and then comes back up and then will go back down after another 10 minutes. So that is progress!
Anyway, so tonight we went to Brielle's soccer game and came home. I am not sure why or what set Dylan off(sometimes Brandon holds him like a baby or holds him down to get him to pay attention and try to interact but that usually ends with Dylan doing this) but he was having a major fit. I was getting the kids dinner and after 5-10 minutes of non stop Dylan screaming I asked Brandon what he was doing? He said nothing, but did have him held "like a baby." So I think he was just in Dylan's space and not wanted there. Brandon got Dylan's pajamas on and he ate. Then he headed to the pantry to find something else to munch on, so at that point and because it was bedtime, Brandon was ready to take him to bed. He asked Dylan if he wanted to go to bed and Dylan grabbed his blanket and headed right up, so apparently he was ready!
I went up to help Brandon put the mattresses on top of the crib. I always ask Dylan for a kiss and tell him I love him and will see him in the morning. Sometimes I get a kiss in return others Desi and I have our faces smashed up to the crib waiting but never getting that kiss. Tonight, I did not get that kiss. I followed Brandon out the door and told Dylan "goodnight" and shut the door. As soon as the door shut, Dylan yelled out. I opened the door and walked over to the crib and asked "What was wrong?' He held his hand out towards the door and just looked over there. I looked up and Brandon was standing there, so he headed over. As soon as Brandon bent down Dylan moved to the front of the crib and gave Brandon a kiss. I asked for one, but still nothing!
This definitely made Brandon's night and I think showed him that although we have lots of tough days, these little moments make it all worth it. I told Brandon that was probably Dylan's way for apologizing for their little "fight" tonight. Or maybe Dylan had sensed the frustration in Brandon and wanted to remind him that he is worth it. We are all a team and we are all going to be OK. It is not going to be easy, but it is definitely going to be worth it!
Anyway, so tonight we went to Brielle's soccer game and came home. I am not sure why or what set Dylan off(sometimes Brandon holds him like a baby or holds him down to get him to pay attention and try to interact but that usually ends with Dylan doing this) but he was having a major fit. I was getting the kids dinner and after 5-10 minutes of non stop Dylan screaming I asked Brandon what he was doing? He said nothing, but did have him held "like a baby." So I think he was just in Dylan's space and not wanted there. Brandon got Dylan's pajamas on and he ate. Then he headed to the pantry to find something else to munch on, so at that point and because it was bedtime, Brandon was ready to take him to bed. He asked Dylan if he wanted to go to bed and Dylan grabbed his blanket and headed right up, so apparently he was ready!
I went up to help Brandon put the mattresses on top of the crib. I always ask Dylan for a kiss and tell him I love him and will see him in the morning. Sometimes I get a kiss in return others Desi and I have our faces smashed up to the crib waiting but never getting that kiss. Tonight, I did not get that kiss. I followed Brandon out the door and told Dylan "goodnight" and shut the door. As soon as the door shut, Dylan yelled out. I opened the door and walked over to the crib and asked "What was wrong?' He held his hand out towards the door and just looked over there. I looked up and Brandon was standing there, so he headed over. As soon as Brandon bent down Dylan moved to the front of the crib and gave Brandon a kiss. I asked for one, but still nothing!
This definitely made Brandon's night and I think showed him that although we have lots of tough days, these little moments make it all worth it. I told Brandon that was probably Dylan's way for apologizing for their little "fight" tonight. Or maybe Dylan had sensed the frustration in Brandon and wanted to remind him that he is worth it. We are all a team and we are all going to be OK. It is not going to be easy, but it is definitely going to be worth it!
One Month Down!
We have had many more tantrums and a little bit of aggression, but no big "aha" moments. When I picked Dylan up from school yesterday, one of the aides was holding Dylan so he wouldn't escape, as the Teacher was doing the lesson at "Circle Time." Mrs Heelis asked me if he had been aggressive at home because they had seen it this week, particularly that day. I pointed to Desi and said, "she is the target." He usually pushes her around or swats at her, but mainly because she thinks they are "bff's" and doesn't keep her distance and he wants that space.(I know one day, Desi will get that wish and they will be "bff's") We went on our way, because they were in the middle of teaching and didn't want to interrupt and ask more questions.
I went and picked him up today and it was a little different and more encouraging, not because they told me any amazing news, but because I could see and tell the love the teacher and the aides have for my son! Just before Bos and I got to the class, I saw Dylan, (through the little window) wandering around and didn't know what I was walking into. It looked like they were just finishing up lunch, so I think it was kind of a "free time" for those that were done eating. Boston looked through the window for a minute and we walked in, just in time to witness his teacher running after him as he escaped out the back door which leads to a fenced in area and the playground. They lead him over to me and I said, "have you had a busy day Dylan!" Then Mrs Heelis laughed and said, "Let me tell you about his busy day!" She continued to tell me how (and mentioned that I had warned her about this at the beginning) he decided it was lunch time at one point in the day and made his way to the fridge. He got out several of the lunch bags and carried them to the table, almost as if he was saying it was time for lunch. They got them put back in the fridge and then he made his way over to where they keep snacks and climbed up to help himself. They gave in at this point and gave him something to hold him over until lunch time. Then there was the "escaping out the door" which we got there to witness, ha ha. She again told me that that was something I warned her about. I don't think he was necessarily trying to escape, just wanted to play, ha ha.
Then one of the aides chimed in and said, "Oh no, let me tell you this one" and was laughing again. During lunch time, someone had a slice of pizza(I am not sure if it was one of the teachers or a student) but Dylan was eyeing that pizza down the whole time the person was eating it. Then as soon as the last bite went into the persons mouth Dylan jumped right up and, from what I understood, more or less tried getting that last bite for himself. I am not sure if he was reaching and trying to pry their mouth open or swatting at them or what for sure, but it was apparent he wanted that pizza. She said it was so funny and he was so smart because he KNEW that was the last bite! I told Dylan we'll send him pizza for lunch sometime. The aide said, "can you say p-p-p-pizza?" Dylan looked at me, in the eye mind you, and you could tell he was thinking about saying it, but nothing came out.
It is days like this that I love! Even though these are not really "good news" stories, but they are funny and although Dyl keeps them busy, I can tell they really enjoy him! I asked Mrs Heelis if he had been aggressive today and she said not as bad today, but it had been an all week thing. She said yesterday was the worse, but it wasn't really bad considering what some kids can be like. She said that at one point yesterday, Dylan just hauled off and shoved one of the kids knocking him over. She did mention that that particular kid has a reputation of "pushing buttons" so she wasn't sure if he had done something to Dylan at some point in the day or if Dylan just shoved him just because. From what she saw, it was the latter, but she also said she wouldn't be surprised if the kid just got to Dylan and he finally had enough. She said it was as if Dylan was saying, "I am not going to be pushed around." So she said it is good he is standing up for himself(if that was the case) but of course they are not encouraging that type of behavior. From what I have seen on the Facebook Group page, some parents have seen aggressive behaviors in their kids for about 6 weeks and then it mellows out. So we are 4 weeks out, so we'll see how it goes for the next 2 weeks and maybe things will settle down a bit!
I went and picked him up today and it was a little different and more encouraging, not because they told me any amazing news, but because I could see and tell the love the teacher and the aides have for my son! Just before Bos and I got to the class, I saw Dylan, (through the little window) wandering around and didn't know what I was walking into. It looked like they were just finishing up lunch, so I think it was kind of a "free time" for those that were done eating. Boston looked through the window for a minute and we walked in, just in time to witness his teacher running after him as he escaped out the back door which leads to a fenced in area and the playground. They lead him over to me and I said, "have you had a busy day Dylan!" Then Mrs Heelis laughed and said, "Let me tell you about his busy day!" She continued to tell me how (and mentioned that I had warned her about this at the beginning) he decided it was lunch time at one point in the day and made his way to the fridge. He got out several of the lunch bags and carried them to the table, almost as if he was saying it was time for lunch. They got them put back in the fridge and then he made his way over to where they keep snacks and climbed up to help himself. They gave in at this point and gave him something to hold him over until lunch time. Then there was the "escaping out the door" which we got there to witness, ha ha. She again told me that that was something I warned her about. I don't think he was necessarily trying to escape, just wanted to play, ha ha.
Then one of the aides chimed in and said, "Oh no, let me tell you this one" and was laughing again. During lunch time, someone had a slice of pizza(I am not sure if it was one of the teachers or a student) but Dylan was eyeing that pizza down the whole time the person was eating it. Then as soon as the last bite went into the persons mouth Dylan jumped right up and, from what I understood, more or less tried getting that last bite for himself. I am not sure if he was reaching and trying to pry their mouth open or swatting at them or what for sure, but it was apparent he wanted that pizza. She said it was so funny and he was so smart because he KNEW that was the last bite! I told Dylan we'll send him pizza for lunch sometime. The aide said, "can you say p-p-p-pizza?" Dylan looked at me, in the eye mind you, and you could tell he was thinking about saying it, but nothing came out.
It is days like this that I love! Even though these are not really "good news" stories, but they are funny and although Dyl keeps them busy, I can tell they really enjoy him! I asked Mrs Heelis if he had been aggressive today and she said not as bad today, but it had been an all week thing. She said yesterday was the worse, but it wasn't really bad considering what some kids can be like. She said that at one point yesterday, Dylan just hauled off and shoved one of the kids knocking him over. She did mention that that particular kid has a reputation of "pushing buttons" so she wasn't sure if he had done something to Dylan at some point in the day or if Dylan just shoved him just because. From what she saw, it was the latter, but she also said she wouldn't be surprised if the kid just got to Dylan and he finally had enough. She said it was as if Dylan was saying, "I am not going to be pushed around." So she said it is good he is standing up for himself(if that was the case) but of course they are not encouraging that type of behavior. From what I have seen on the Facebook Group page, some parents have seen aggressive behaviors in their kids for about 6 weeks and then it mellows out. So we are 4 weeks out, so we'll see how it goes for the next 2 weeks and maybe things will settle down a bit!
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