|
Post by YoshsMom on Nov 18, 2005 8:36:08 GMT -5
Thanks everyone, I think your're right about letting it go. There's no way for me to know what she really meant. Knowing her its just as likely that she meant is as a compliment as it is that she was being deliberately hurtful, or even that she meant it casually. She's a very strange woman.
But there's no point in spoiling our holiday, and possibly ruining a very much improved relationship. Maybe this is all just more evidence of Yosh's good influence on people.
In case I'm not back here any time soon, I wish everyone a Happy Thanksgiving.
|
|
|
Post by YoshsMom on Nov 17, 2005 19:14:46 GMT -5
I've posted here many times about how supportive my family has been and how much they love and accept Yosh. Recently, my Mom told me that none of them wanted me to have him. She said they all felt a child with ds would be too much for me and thought I should terminate. I should add that I have a history of depression and my relationship with my family before Yosh was not a good one.
From the moment Yosh was born, they have been there and they don't treat him any differently than my nieces and nephews, but it was a real shock to find out that not only did they think I would consider not having him, but they're surprised that I turned out to be a good parent. Nest week at thanksgiving will be the first time I see everyone since finding this out and I don't know if I can act like everything's ok. But even though I'm just finding out now, all this happened over 3 years ago, so maybe I just need to let it go.
BTW, since my last post things at Yosh's school have improved and he's back to his old self and doing great.
|
|
|
Post by YoshsMom on Nov 4, 2005 14:46:38 GMT -5
Thanks everyone, Yosh is bused and this is his first year in school. With all his other therapies I have been there in the room, or drove him back and forth and its really hard not knowing what's going on. I have put it in writing, twice. Yesterday, after my note to the teacher, they sent home a photo album with pictures I had given them of us to work on signing and recognizing pictures of Mommy, Abba and himself and a little note that they're working on signing yes and no. But I think its time I visited the class. In alost every area, I'm pretty shy but when I comes to Yosh I can be a real pain in the you know what when I have to be. Thanks for all the good ideas.
|
|
|
Post by YoshsMom on Nov 3, 2005 15:42:38 GMT -5
I'm having a problem with Yosh's preschool teacher. She doesn't communicate with us at all. He has a communication book and his nurse (he has a 1 on 1) writes in it almost every day, but only about feeding, sleeping, and diapers. His teacher hasn't written in it once and neither have any of his therapists. I have asked her in person, I sent a leter of introduction in which I stressed being kept informed, and today I wrote specifically to her in his book and got nothing back. On top of this, he's regressing since school started and Yosh never regresses. He's gone through major surgery twice and come out of it with new skills, but 2 months in school and he's not signing or talking.
When I taught pre-K spec ed, I wrote to or called each parent once a week. I even learned spanish when that was the main language of most of the families .
How often do you hear form your kid's teachers, especially those of you with little ones like mine? I'm ging there tomorrow to drop stuff off and I'd like to know if you think a note once a week is a reasonable request.
|
|
|
Post by YoshsMom on Oct 12, 2005 13:14:12 GMT -5
I just learned about a great organization for older kids with disabilities. Its called Best Buddies and it pairs special needs kids with typical kids their own age for friendship and social interaction. The website is www.bestbuddies.org and for those of you with middle school and older kids should check it out.
|
|
|
Post by YoshsMom on Sept 28, 2005 13:11:30 GMT -5
Your timing was great for me. One of the nurses who does one on one with Yosh called yesterday to tell me that his teacher is not sure how to include him in class activities and leaves him out of things, asking the nurse to work with him. The nurses aren't supposed to be teaching him, their job is to work on feeding, but they seem to be doing more with him than the teacher. They can also get in trouble for "tattling" to me. So I wrote to the teacher, saying I got the idea here, and letting her know that Yosh is a lot more capable than he seems and that I want him to be part of the class. So thanks for the great idea.
|
|
|
Post by YoshsMom on Sept 21, 2005 18:21:57 GMT -5
Yosh started pre-k last week and already has the teacher and aide wrapped around his little finger. Tonight was open school night, my first as a parent instead of a teacher, and I had to fill them in on all his little tricks. All he has to do is tilt his head and flash that smile and everybody melts. If they still try to make him work, he throws or gives kisses. Most people think he's just being so sweet, but its all a deliberate act. My little charmer thinks that smile will get him whatever he wants.
I'm pretty happy with the class, so far. He gets plenty of st, ot and pt and a private nurse to work on feeding. Its a full day program, which is a little weird for me. I've never spent so much of the day away from him. But he seems to love it. My only concern is that he is by far the lowest functioning child in the class and the curriculum may be too far above him for him to get anything out of it. But I like the teacher, and I think she'll be able to adapt thing so that he fits in better once the class really gets settled in.
|
|
|
Choking
Sept 16, 2005 17:16:56 GMT -5
Post by YoshsMom on Sept 16, 2005 17:16:56 GMT -5
Yosh used to do the same thing and he has reflux. Does he spit up a lot and is it worse when he's on his tummy? Another sign is crying for no apparent reason, 'cause reflux hurts. There are a lot of goo medicines, Yosh is on Prevacid and it works wonders. Hope everything works out.
|
|
|
Post by YoshsMom on Sept 9, 2005 12:48:56 GMT -5
Welcome to UnoMas. It is addictive isn't it? Thanks for letting us get to know Jacob. My son Yosh is 3 also. Even though he's about a year and a half behind the "norm" we don't worry about it. Keep focusing on the progress he is making and ignore anyone who can't see how great he is. We learned a long time ago that Yosh was on his own schedule and would learn what he needed when he was ready and not a minute before.
|
|
|
Post by YoshsMom on Sept 1, 2005 21:49:17 GMT -5
You absolutely did the right thing. Yosh rode the bus to pre-k this summer and his nurse was supposed to ride with him, but was not allowed on the bus because we didn't have written authorization from the district. HIs driver and aide on the bus wore uniforms and were polite and well groomed. Trust your instincts.
|
|
|
Post by YoshsMom on Aug 30, 2005 8:35:34 GMT -5
I don't get impatient or depresed, but boy do I get frustrated. Our biggest hurdle is still eating and sometimes it drives me up the wall. As for impatient, 15 years of teaching special ed taught me that the more you try to hurry a child, whether its about learning something new or just getting ready to leave, the slower he gets. And Yosh is what gets me out of my depression over other things. I actually have had a depressive disorder for 20 years and when I get low, dh hands me Yosh. After kisses and giggles from him, nothing feels bad. We made the sign for his name the letter Y combined with the sign for happy because no one can be sad around this little guy.
|
|
|
Post by YoshsMom on Aug 27, 2005 20:48:23 GMT -5
Yosh's hippotherapy has done wonders. He took his first steps 5 months after he started and is now walking and climbing all over the place. We started with speech, cause our insurance would cover it, but switched to ot because he needed more sensory integration. He loves it and his first animal sign was horse.
|
|
|
Post by YoshsMom on Aug 22, 2005 13:10:47 GMT -5
I use the word cognitive when discussing learning skills as opposed to motor skills. But I try to be very specific and start with the positive, as in your child can do ... and needs to work on ... I think using global terms is a cop out and useless besides. And what I do with students is what I expect from those working with my son. I want to know what he is doing and what to work on next. And I never assume a child, mine or someone else's, can't learn something until I've done everything I can think of to teach it to him. Even then I ask around to see if someone else knows a better way to teach it. If a child can't learn something, it could be more my problem than his. I would hope that all Yosh's teachers would be open to this possibility as well.
|
|
|
Post by YoshsMom on Aug 21, 2005 18:36:50 GMT -5
We went out to dinner tonight with my MIL and apparently Yosh got tired of sitting there and said bye bye. Now he's said this before, when we say it first or when someone is going out the door, or he is. This was a whole new level of communication. He wanted to go home and he let us know. At first I thought it was just babble, but he kept repeating it, getting louder and more forceful. He didn't yell, whine or hit to get attention and he didn't give up. He didn't even try to get out of his seat, which he could easily have done since he was sitting next to dh in the booth. Of course dh immediately took him outside while we hurried to finish dinner.
Yosh has asked for things before, but only book, music and bottle and when he says book he usually has thrown a book in my face first. This was a much more abstract concept. I'm just so proud and happy!
|
|
|
Post by YoshsMom on Aug 20, 2005 21:53:19 GMT -5
If he was doing it in anger, I would say to give him another outlet, like a pillow or punching clown but hitting himself for no apparent reason seems like a sensory issue to me.
We use a body sock with Yosh when he's over stimulated. Its a big lycra bag that you put the whole child into. Yosh loves it. It gives him sensory input by pressing in on him, helps him be aware of his body in space, and being closed in seems to be very comforting. I would talk to Justin's OT, if he has one and if not get an OT eval. He may have sensory integration issues.
|
|