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Autism & Public School: My Experience

  • Humming Along in Second Grade

    DuckyBoy is doing so well in school this year that I hardly have anything to write here. An update on a variety of areas, in no particular order although I will start with his strongest suit:

    Reading: Way above grade level. He's at level N, when the highest they [...]
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    Posted: December 06, 2009, 10:24pm EST

  • Imagination

    This is just too cute, Marni's latest blog post is about her son's developing imagination and includes an audio clip of him pretending to be on the phone with Superman.
    As I said in a comment, the transcript alone is adorable, but the audio is too cute for words.[...]
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    Posted: October 16, 2009, 10:44am EDT

  • Today's Lesson from After School

    You shouldn't call people's babies ugly.

    Nuff said.

    (DB is actually doing fine in after-school, and the coordinator is awesome with him. But he is a piece of work! [...]
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    Posted: September 30, 2009, 6:25pm EDT

  • Dietary Issues and Autism

    This post could also be titled: Rowing Out to Meet the Boat I Missed...

    Last week was Autism Awareness Week at DietsinReview.com. I was honored that they asked me to write about my experiences with the GFCF diet, so even though we only did the "CF" [...]
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    Posted: September 30, 2009, 7:41am EDT

  • Anger Management with PDD

    On Friday, DuckyBoy got THREE Consequence Reports. Needless to say Husband and I were NOT happy.

    First he tackled his cluster teacher when she got upset that he kept bonking into her while swinging his arms. (I'm gonna guess they were standing in line and, therefore, supposed to be' [...]
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    Posted: September 20, 2009, 11:47am EDT

  • A Little Bit of Teasing

    DuckyBoy is doing great so far in second grade, and he loves the after-school program.

    "Mommy, after-school makes school fun!" he said when I picked him up the first day.

    The downside of 2 hours of less-structured time with his peers is the chance for situations he [...]
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    Posted: September 16, 2009, 2:13pm EDT

  • Pervasive Developmental Delay in Real Life

    When I worked at American Baby, we loved and relied on the month-by-month What to Expect books. What to Expect the Toddler Years puts this behavior in Month 29. Of course they clarify that every child develops differently, and 29 months is likely on the early side of when [...]
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    Posted: September 10, 2009, 10:21pm EDT

  • A Super Start

    I'm delighted that DB came home saying his first day was "perfect..." except for one incident. His girlfriend sits next to him, his lunch was delicious, and his teachers are "really nice."

    The incident was small but marks a big and positive shift in how it was handled at' [...]
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    Posted: September 09, 2009, 5:31pm EDT

  • Off to a Good Start (I Hope)

    Wow. What a difference it made that Husband got DuckyBoy out of bed. And set the coffee maker to start automatically.

    And -- DB dressed himself! Big props for Husband there, he got that going during summer camp so it wasn't new to DB. Do you have any idea' [...]
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    Posted: September 09, 2009, 8:34am EDT

  • Looking Forward to 2nd Grade

    I'm very excited, I'm 99.9 percent sure that DB will have the teachers I was hoping for next year. One of his classmates' moms confirmed it, and she flat-out asked them directly.

    We've done so little this summer that he's actually looking forward to school, a little bit --' [...]
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    Posted: September 04, 2009, 1:08pm EDT

  • Why I Worry

    Just read a fascinating article about creativity versus group norms. Apropos of Nest program struggles I have, it flat-out states that the norms of a group stifle creativity. It seems that the mere fact of being in a group changes people's responses, and of course the outcome.

    I' [...]
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    Posted: August 21, 2009, 7:36am EDT

  • Last Day of Camp

    DuckyBoy had, overall, a great time at camp. The teachers did a wonderful job engaging the kids with interesting topics -- the ocean, transportation, dinosaurs, the future (with an environmental focus), and -- get this! -- ancient Greece.

    Not bad for early elementary, right? Clearly they get this crowd, [...]
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    Posted: August 06, 2009, 2:15pm EDT

  • We {Heart} Camp

    Summer camp (at school) is going great for DB. We're 3 weeks in out of 4, and today of all things a note came home from the teachers saying what a great day he had, and how he earned computer time. Wow!

    In the car he told us all' [...]
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    Posted: July 23, 2009, 10:00pm EDT

  • Last Full Day of First Grade

    DuckyBoy is doing great handling the transition from first to second grade. Last year at this time he was a basket case, aggressive and sad and scared.

    This year, he's been a little "off" but overall no big slip like we saw last spring.

    And, he has a' [...]
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    Posted: June 25, 2009, 9:34am EDT

  • First Grade: Little Things That Have Helped

    These are some non-IEP things that I'd like to keep track of for next school year. It's the kind of thing that's easily forgotten.

    * Having a 1:1 with one of the adults on his team early Monday morning. For a while he met with the social worker, now' [...]
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    Posted: June 22, 2009, 2:41pm EDT

  • Vacation vs. Practice: Vacation Wins!

    Monday was a last-minute concert by the first grade. (Whose bright idea was that? Is there no end to the torture?) The idea was to celebrate the end of the year, so there was the short concert and then families and first graders could adjourn to the cafeteria (was [...]
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    Posted: June 11, 2009, 10:29am EDT

  • Playing With Other Kids

    DuckyBoy spent last week at Grandma's on Long Island, visiting lots of playgrounds. While we were on vacation in Cozumel, he was playing with a new kid, or two or three, almost every day.

    When we picked him up on Sunday, Grandma proudly told us story after story about' [...]
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    Posted: June 10, 2009, 9:24pm EDT

  • Math Homework

    DuckyBoy was doing his math homework last night with his dad when I heard what sounded like guesses of random numbers: "15? 45? 9?"

    Husband said something to the effect of "No, try to figure it out," to which DB replied, "But I'm brainstorming!"

    To his credit, Husband' [...]
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    Posted: June 10, 2009, 4:45pm EDT

  • Saying Mean Things

    This is more about autism and city life since it's about the playground. It also could be apropos for my blog instead of here since my feelings are in it too.

    DB wants to play with other kids but also wants to impose an ever-increasing, and advantageous-to-him, series of' [...]
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    Posted: May 27, 2009, 4:52pm EDT

  • Twin Day Success

    My subterfuge of putting DB in the same shirt that I know a couple of his classmates also have, seemed to work. DB came home yesterday pleased that his classmate was his twin. "We're friends sometimes now," he said, or something like that.

    When I saw them today, that' [...]
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    Posted: May 22, 2009, 7:01pm EDT

  • Concert Finale

    Yay! The school spring concert was Tuesday and we didn't go. Yay!

    On Monday night DB was thinking he might like to attend. I explained that because he wasn't in it, his dad and I had made other plans for Tuesday night (there was a class we wanted to [...]
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    Posted: May 21, 2009, 8:53am EDT

  • Management Issues: Classrooms, Parents, Anxiety

    Just read an interesting post on classroom management techniques. I'm amazed at how well these ideas could work not all ages and across the learning spectrum (pun intended).

    And they really are pretty basic. Would love to see them used particularly in Nest middle-school environment, where so many' [...]
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    Posted: May 21, 2009, 8:36am EDT

  • Concert Practice Update

    So, DuckyBoy did fine -- "happy as a clam," went the report -- sitting in the back of the auditorium reading a book during Wednesday's practice.

    "I don't need a heads-up," he told the teacher who gave him the news there would be practice that day. Lucky for him [...]
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    Posted: May 15, 2009, 11:53pm EDT

  • Special Ed Parents as Squeaky Wheels

    This morning I emailed DuckyBoy's team right after he got on the bus. This is an excerpt:

    Subj: Concert Practice

    Good morning everyone!
    I'm sending this just in case anyone reads this before practice -- FYI, [DB] did not get any "warning" that there is practice today.
    [...]
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    Posted: May 13, 2009, 8:44am EDT

  • One of the Lucky Ones

    Last night I attended a little-publicized, hastily-called meeting designed for parents to have the chance to talk with the NYC Board of Ed's new Senior Coordinator for Special Education, Garth Harries. First he said he was asked by the Chancellor (and Vice Chancellor! he stressed that several times) to take' [...]
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    Posted: May 12, 2009, 2:35pm EDT

  • Breakfast: It's All About Control

    I just ran across an old post about breakfast and realized I've not posted how DuckyBoy's breakfast-at-school issue has resolved itself.

    First of all, the caring attention of his speech therapist has gone a long way. I think she was instrumental in his being allowed to eat breakfast [...]
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    Posted: May 12, 2009, 9:36am EDT

  • He CAN Do It!

    I'm so proud I don't know which blog to post this on. DuckyBoy went a whole week without a "strike," meaning his behavior never got to the point where a consequence was required.

    And for that, he earned a new Cars movie car! He knew he was working for [...]
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    Posted: May 08, 2009, 10:57pm EDT

  • Spring Concert: The Decision Is His

    Thank goodness no one is pushing DB to participate in the spring concert. They exposed him to the opportunity, encouraged him when he decided he wanted to "be part of the group," but are not making life difficult for him now that he seems to have changed his mind.

    [...]
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    Posted: May 07, 2009, 5:17pm EDT

  • Homework Stumper: "Long O Sound"

    This was one of last night's homework sheets. The idea is to write the words that have the long "O" sound. (The checkmark just means the teacher checked that the page was done.)



    Take a closer look at number 7:

    [...]
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    Posted: May 07, 2009, 5:11pm EDT

  • The Squirmy Model

    This isn't exactly about school but it's the real story (honest!) about where babies come from ... one of them anyway.

    My husband and I told this story to DuckyBoy a few weeks or so for the first time, and he's asked for it repeatedly since then.
    [...]
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    Posted: May 07, 2009, 4:28pm EDT

  • Is Mediocrity the New Definition of Success?

    Today we got the next edition of our Nest program newsletter that updates us on the current "SDI Unit," in other words, what they do when they separate the Nest kids in each class and work with them, as a group, on interacting with one another and with several teachers [...]
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    Posted: May 04, 2009, 4:29pm EDT

  • Which Arts Appeal Most to Aspies?

    My son's school may have a dilemma next year. The art room is being eliminated due to space needs (the room is going to become a regular classroom), but I think the idea is that Art will become an itinerant subject, traveling to each classroom. The beloved art teacher is' [...]
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    Posted: April 29, 2009, 11:47am EDT

  • Anxiety Dreams

    This doesn't really have to do with school specifically but it does have to do with the fact that DuckyBoy has special needs.

    The other night I had a dream that was 2 parts, seemingly separate but felt the same after I woke up. In Part 1, I was' [...]
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    Posted: April 26, 2009, 7:20pm EDT

  • Organized Desk Success Story

    I have a happy update on the Desk Inspection issue:

    Yesterday during DuckyBoy's session with the occupational therapist (one of the people I'd emailed about the desk issue), they talked about what a clean desk would mean and planned how he might get -- and keep -- one.
    [...]
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    Posted: April 07, 2009, 7:59am EDT

  • Social Skills Classes

    How frustrating is it that the classes that are supposed to help are sometimes the least helpful?
    Kari had a recent post where she mentioned that a social skills camp for her son may have had some positive impact, but she wonders whether it had negative consquences as well.
    [...]
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    Posted: April 02, 2009, 1:11pm EDT

  • The Sound of Complaining in the Morning

    DB tends to complain about any little thing in the mornings, school mornings. Sometimes he's just grumpy when he wakes up, but other times something comes out he's actually anxious about. And if I can listen, I can actually help with something.

    For example, once a week the physical [...]
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    Posted: April 01, 2009, 10:08pm EDT

  • Does Your Child Know His/Her Dx?

    Had an interesting conversation the other day about what to tell a child and when about his (or her) diagnosis. particularly with our high-functioning PDD/Asperger's kids, since they overhear so much and figure out so much and know when something's not like everything else.

    I know people on both [...]
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    Posted: March 30, 2009, 8:50am EDT

  • Board Games - Finally!

    I have been waiting for this for years: DuckyBoy is finally into board games and card games!

    What a pleasure it is to be able to play a structured game with him and have us both enjoy it. It's a relief as well, since often our play consists of' [...]
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    Posted: March 28, 2009, 12:46pm EDT

  • Hyperlexia

    Every hear of hyperlexia? I hadn't until Sandy mentioned it in a recent post.

    The symptoms sound a lot like our experience with PDD.

    Sandy says it's a recently developed diagnosis, still being figured out where it fits -- is it a subgroup of PDD? Is [...]
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    Posted: March 24, 2009, 8:12am EDT

  • The Breakfast at School Story

    The whole topic of breakfast is frustrating for DuckyBoy. Based on talking with him this morning, here's what happens:

    * He isn't hungry when he first gets up (most days).

    * After the bus arrives in front of school, the kids sits on the bus for 5 minutes [...]
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    Posted: March 11, 2009, 9:15am EDT

  • DuckyBoys-isms

    Yesterday morning in the cafeteria, I heard DB ask as he approached the counter, "Got any Pajama Day specials?"

    Where does he get this stuff? There's so much wrapped up in that: optimism, connection to the events of the day, making a connection with the ladies behind the counter...' [...]
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    Posted: March 10, 2009, 7:40am EDT

  • Hooray for Dr Seuss

    Today is Dr Seuss day at DB's school. It's only scheduled for the morning but since we took a cab here at a cost of $35 I'm here for the day (yes! posting at school, a first!) so I've run into him a couple of other times. So far he's' [...]
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    Posted: March 09, 2009, 12:59pm EDT

  • I'm Featured on the Soft Clothing Blog!

    Check it out, I'm featured on the Soft clothing blog!

    I love the idea for this kids clothing line and can hardly wait for it to go live. In the meantime the proprietors are expanding their online service to the autism and sensory-sensitivity community by profiling bloggers on' [...]
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    Posted: February 26, 2009, 3:51pm EST

  • The Word Plane

    Last night we found another way to incorporate play into homework time.

    Each week DB gets 6 "Words of the Week" which I originally thought they only need to recognize and know, but as it turns out they are expected to spell them by Friday as well. (If [...]
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    Posted: February 24, 2009, 2:30pm EST

  • Typing Troubles

    The typing program DB's school uses is difficult for an easily-distractable child like DB. But I think part of the problem may be with the keyboard "skin" that covers the letters so the kids won't cheat by looking at the letters as they type.

    Honestly, I think I'd have' [...]
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    Posted: February 21, 2009, 10:23pm EST

  • Understanding Feelings

    The SDI unti current/upcoming is on feelings. Coincidentally (I think), one of the homework sheets from yesterday was something like "My Feelings." It was like this:
    I was scared when _____________.
    I was disappointed when ____________.
    I was embarrassed when _____________.
    I felt important when______________.
    Then there was a box [...]
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    Posted: February 11, 2009, 9:21pm EST

  • Fostering Classroom Communication

    I see an elephant in the Nest program room that no one is mentioning. And that's us -- the parents. Either we have unrealistic expectations of our classroom teachers, or some of them are not living up to their end of the bargain. In which case we make pests of' [...]
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    Posted: February 11, 2009, 8:28pm EST

  • Math and Thomas Trains

    Every once in a while, I come up with a way to help DB learn difficult-for-him concepts in a way he'll enjoy. Usually he scorns my efforts -- "I know what you're doing!!" he'll say, and ignore me.

    We had the Thomas trains out yesterday,' [...]
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    Posted: January 28, 2009, 8:50am EST

  • Choosing Playtime over Homework

    Last night I let DB play for a long time.

    When he gets home he usually wants to watch tv, I think so he can give his brain some time off from working so hard all day.

    I prefer the days when he comes home ready to play [...]
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    Posted: January 28, 2009, 8:20am EST

  • Fresh Perspective

    "I think he manages to act responsibly at school most of the time."
    --received in an email from a friend, talking about her second-grader.

    Hey, I think I can say that, too! Maybe DuckyBoy is going to be all right after all...
    [...]
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    Posted: January 26, 2009, 12:03pm EST
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Autism & Public School: My Experience

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