Clean or Just clean enough....

Difficult to say, but when one is talking about the bathroom, I believe there is not such thing as too clean. I read an article once that stated that people shouldn't be afraid to use public toilets because, by law, the are kept super clean and usually have to be clean every six hours. (or something to that effect). They were basically saying that public toilets were cleaner then the one you sit on every day! Eww. So this spawned my obsessive compulsive bathroom cleaning disorder. I (for this post) went online to try to find out what the average person considers normal for cleaning their bathroom. The results were shocking to say the least. Once a month was common (gross), as was bi-monthly, once a week and when people come over. Seriously people. Two rooms in every house that should be CLEANED DAILY??! Kitchen and Bathroom. Seriously.

I am not saying I am a perfect housekeeper. I'm not. I just think that the bathroom and kitchen should be at the top of list of things to clean...daily!

 The above picture belongs to: http://hyperboleandahalf.blogspot.com/...go to that site...be amazed and overjoyed at the wonder you have found! :)

Evaluation Meeting

Today I met with the fine people from Metro Therapy, the Southampton School districts special education team, and his Pre-K teacher. The outcome of the meeting was this. He is the smartest person in his class. He is beyond kindergarten level. He has issues with socialization and fine motor skills. Also with cognitive development. The recommendation is to have Speech Therapy three times a week and OT therapy twice a week.
Basically five days a week for 1/2 an hour he will be getting some one on one time with a specialist. In addition to going to school.
He will be re-evaluated in the Spring, to see whether he needs to continue his therapy into Kindergarten or if he can stop. All very positive, very good news. This will all start after the first of the year.
His teacher did mention that he was greatly improving in the last couple of months, and she feels that the delay is going to be a easy fix. That Cody is bright, happy well adjusted child who should have no problems once he gets this attention. :) Yay Cody!!!

The first half of the meeting though was all technical and I was a little lost!! Thankfully, the mediator was very kind to slow it down a little and take it test by test...the PDD-NOS is still in place, but over the course of the year, its possible that it will be taken off.

So that is it in a nutshell. Any questions? :)

We've been Downgraded....

....to PDD-NOS -

We finally got the report back from all the specialists. They say that Cody has PDD-NOS because he doesn't actually have all the characteristics of Asperger's. Instead he has just a couple, and they aren't sever enough. Good news right?

Yes and no.

Listen I had this whole post in my mind and here is the thing. I love my son. He is AMAZING. He has the most beautiful personality to those who are lucky enough to see it. He loves music, dancing, acting...he loves dogs and cats. Enjoys swinging and climbing. He is awesome at swimming, has a soft spot for that little red monster Elmo. He may not be social, okay. I know he needs to work on his communication, his reasoning. We plan on getting him the help he needs with communicating, cognitive development...

In regards to his social development, I am going to let that play out on its own for now. He has no problems in school (aside from not being involved), he enjoys going, has a great time and I don't see any reason to make the social problems a big deal at this time.

We are moving in a few months. We have friends, family at home. Thankfully these friends also have kids. I believe that after he has gotten some occupational help, the social problems he has will come together.

He may never be social or "Normal" (How I hate that word anyway) and that is FINE with me. Honestly, who wants normal anyway. He wouldn't fit in with our family if he was normal! He is a unique, beautiful spirit that is LOVED by anyone who gets to know him. That is good enough for me. I really do want to help him with his cognitive development and we will. But as to the test and all the information, you can't test a child's ability's. His personality, his potential. He can't be categorized by a number. And we aren't going to do that to him. He will get the help he needs to succeed at school, but I will not put a limit on what he can do.

Word of the Day - Asperger's Syndrome

Which is what my son was diagnosed with today.

At his parent/teacher conference his teacher thought it would be good for him to get evaluated for OT therapy because he was having a hard time with his fine motor skills. (buttoning pants, writing his name etc). I talked to other parents and they didn't find this odd. None the less we decided it couldn't hurt for Cody to have a little extra help.

So the therapy began. First he met with the psychologist, then with the OT therapist, then the speech therapist. The psychologist is the one who has been the most communicative during all this. I filled out a behavior form, he evaluated Cody in school. His findings were the following:

Cody seems unaware of people/surroundings (only sometimes but enough)
Doesn't engage in social actives
Doesn't initiate conversation
Doesn't engage in imaginative play
Wanders
Stands outside a group, part of group but not involved
When I added his obsession for lining things up, which to be honest was the only thing really concerning me, he made the decision to diagnose Cody with mild PDD or Asperger's.

Doing my own research, sure I can see where this makes sense. There is something in my child's brain that isn't quite clicking. On the other hand he is very bright, and high functioning. Meaning he doesn't have any real tics. For example, you can hug him, he has no aversion to any material or food, or color. Etc. He does like his food to line up, therefore if its food you can't line up he doesn't really like it. Its strange, I know but hey I don't like my food to touch so...there you go.

At least he is high functioning. He allows me to hug him, he doesn't have fits, he will look you in the eye. The psychologist tried putting it like this, he has two toes in his own world and the rest of him is with us. To me, that isn't so bad.

His speech therapist said, that he has a hard time processing information and the relaying to others. This is where the big block seems to be. So this is something that we need to work on.

For the next six months (mind you I still haven't had the BIG meeting but I am assuming they are going to suggest further therapy!), so for the next six months I am going to have him get extra help. Then we move back to our home town. There, I will get him re-evaluated and see where he stands. Whether he needs more therapy or not. This seems like the best plan of action.

I considered doing nothing until we moved, but we would waste and entire year. I don't want to do that to him.

So this is what is going on. As the blog states, I am just Treading Water...but hey aren't all parents?

Some links:
http://www.webmd.com/brain/autism/tc/aspergers-syndrome-symptoms

http://www.webmd.com/brain/autism/development-disorder
http://www.aspergersyndrome.org/

Musing from Driving...Part 1

Don't you hate it when you get behind a truck, and you come to a fork in the road and you are PRAYING that Mr. Slow Truck Man is going to turn? Then he doesn't and you get all annoyed all over again...Happens all the time.

I love when I am cleaning and I run out of paper towels.

I love a fast food places, when you are standing in line forever, and the person ahead of you takes ten minutes ordering. You have been here the same amount of time, seen the same 'menu', as it were...how hard is the ordering?

I think the rat race is fun, know what is funner though? Picking your kid up from school. I swear its like a free for all. Moms, dads, grandparents, caregivers etc, all running through open doors (when they finally open), like the crazy people on Black Friday. Instead of the elusive 50inch TV for $100.00 they are getting a kid. I am not kidding. Go to an elementary school at pick up someday. Just don't be a creeper about it, we parents hate that.

Circulars - you know the ones you get in the mail once a week for the local drugstore and supermarket...WHY? I can find them online, THANK YOU!! Stop wasting the trees, and my time, with these!

That was just today...I wonder what tomorrow will bring....