ADHD in Young Children: Unlocking the Secrets to Good Behavior

This is a great article - raging ADHD behaviors are so common with ASD kids...I checked out the website - several other interesting articles.

ADHD in Young Children: Unlocking the Secrets to Good Behavior

Special Kids Day 12-5-12

This looks great - we will try to make it out there...

http://specialkidsday.org/events.htm

Music Man

I am once again blown away by the kindness and tolerance directed at my child in yet another show, "Music Man," performed with the Beverly Theatre Guild.  My husband and I know too well that Sean can be hard to understand.  The theatre community is the polar opposite of our neighbors. Theatre people “get” him better than the general public. When he exhibits "behaviors," they don't judge and he works through what he needs to work through.  I think those with artistic abilities exist on a different level and that level is closer to the wavelength autistics are on.  He has fit right in as a kindred spirit with the theatre crowd. His teacher sent me a note asking if he was in another play because he was talking about rehearsal.

 He had a line this time.  This is a new concept for him.  I actually thought he wouldn’t get it and the line would just be assigned to another child.  That is sort of the case – it was made into a cute bit where each child says “good morning, Mayor Shinn” and the mayor is annoyed by all the attention.  Sean was initially set to say the line first, but was re-set to be last. He got it right every time and projected his voice nice and loud.  I’m very proud of him.  Baby step victories.

 

He's become quite comfortable having his photo taken.  Lots of photos are taken during the production of a show.  I received a phone call from his school asking if he could be videotaped as a demo to show other students how to have their picture taken.

 

He was fascinated with the technical aspects of the show.  During tech rehearsals, he was mesmerized by the lighting, sound and set activities and the communications between the individual crews.

We have so far been lucky in shows to have young people willing and able to “Sean wrangle” when my husband and I are on stage or changing costumes.  The other kids, especially the teenagers, are wonderful to him.

Sean was hilarious on the ride home.  During both “Wizard of Oz” and “Music Man,” he sang songs from the show in the correct key, a cappella, in the car.  He would imitate solos exactly the way the actor in the show sang them – even if they were off-key, he would sing the exact wrong notes that they sang.  He also chose different characters to act out at home – one day Mayor Shinn, the next Charlie Cowell, then Marcellus, Harold Hill.  Spot on imitations there, too.

He’s developed a better sense of sequence through both school and theatre.  A member of the costume crew was asked to help him with a costume change.  She came backstage, saying he wouldn’t let her change him at that point.  Turns out, she was told the wrong time to change him, it wasn’t time yet, he was correct!

There was a section during the “76 Trombones” dance break where he was center stage.  Sometimes he would do the dance, sometimes dance while looking at other dancers’ feet behind him, sometimes just stand there and grin at the audience.  When he would just stand there, the conductor and orchestra would encourage him to keep dancing.  The last few performances, he just broke out and did his own freestyle dance at this point in the number.  That got a good reaction from the crowd!  The smallest cast member can get usually away with stuff like that.

As in “Wizard of Oz,” a big group of teachers and therapists from Sean’s school came to see him perform.  I was so happy for them to be there, not just because it made Sean happy, but I’m glad they could see Sean up on stage.  When he came to Elim School, he could barely speak a few words and was so easily distracted he couldn’t focus on anything for longer than a few seconds.  He was lost in a fog.  Now, several years later, he’s able to sing, dance and act in a show.  The staff at his school had a lot to do with that.  They work very hard with him and what a lovely result!

 The show ran two weekends and he was so upset on the days all he had to do was go to school.  “I don’t want to go to school!  I just want to sing and dance!”  He’s officially a theatre kid!

In the end, Sean once again had a terrific theatre experience.  I don’t believe our director or music director have a background dealing with special needs children, however, they were absolutely wonderful to Sean.  They saw past his difficulties through to his abilities and spirit.  Our second to last performance, he came offstage after curtain call, threw his arms up in the air and shouted, “I LOVE THIS PLACE!”  I think that sums up his experience.

Our next show is “Scrooge & Marley,” with Opening Night Arts Group, to be performed at Trinity College in Palos Heights, Illinois the first weekend of December.  Sean will be one of the Cratchit children.  I will be playing Mrs. Cratchit, so if he calls me Mama on stage, no biggie, I am his mama in this show. I have been working with him on his line: “The goose has arrived to be eaten.”  So far, he says, “The goose is here and we eat it.”  Close enough!  Either way, I’m sure the line delivery will be received well.  More theatre posts to come!

Helping your special needs child understand the difference between reality and fiction at One Place for Special Needs

Helping your special needs child understand the difference between reality and fiction at One Place for Special Needs

Halloween 2012 Part 2

You know those moms who meticulously plan every detail of their child’s costume starting in September?  I’m not that mom.  I wish I was that woman who handwrites lovely thank you notes in a timely fashion and brings appropriately-themed hostess gifts to every gathering.  I’m not and neither was my mother.  Those women must know about a secret eighth day of the week that the rest of us don’t know about and that’s where they find the time to be all Martha Stewart.  Sean wore a Spiderman costume for his first Halloween that I bought online.  Second year, Todd joined us and the boys were the Scarecrow and Lion, costumes bought online.  Next, Sean was Thomas the Train (bought on the Thomas website) and Todd was his engineer – found blue and white striped overalls, a red bandana for his neck and a blue cap. 

 

The following year, I was way ahead.  Every August, we go to the Day Out with Thomas at the Illinois Railway Museum in Union, Illinois.  Nearby, there is an old-school theme park called Wild West Town.  Those cheesy low-budget theme parks are a rarity these days and that’s a shame.  I was sad when Kiddieland in Melrose Park, Illinois closed.  At least I got to bring my kids to Kiddieland once.  Anyway, in the gift shop of Wild West Town, they had little Civil War uniforms.  I bought one gray and one blue.  On Halloween, I just drew makeup mustaches and beard stubble on them and that was that.

 

This year, Sean decided he wasn’t afraid of Halloween and wanted to dress up at about 9:00 p.m. on October 30^th.  I was still skeptical, knowing he could easily change his mind by the time the bus arrived at 7:30 a.m. on October 31^st. 

 

Thank God for my friend Julie who gave me a bunch of costumes and accessories that her children outgrew.  This was in the summer of 2011.  This collection has saved my butt in providing me with costume options for my kids two years in a row now.  Yes, I put together their costumes Halloween morning.  Last year, Sean was also afraid until Halloween morning and Todd was having texture issues in regard to clothing.  Last year, Sean agreed to be Woody from Toy Story at the last minute and in the costume collection, I also found a soft gown, hat and a wand, so Todd was Mickey the Wizard from Fantasia. Back to this year.  First, I made sure Sean was still up for wearing a costume.  He was.  Yay!  I found a velvet jacket, black knickers, a pirate hat and a hook.  Captain Hook!  He was thrilled because he currently loves “Jake and the Neverland Pirates” on Disney Junior.  He also said his teachers would be “so excited to see my costume!” Todd was amiable to a costume as well.  I found bits and pieces of pirate wear and pieces of what appeared to be a Mulan costume, so Todd was a pirate-ninja hybrid.  He’s non-verbal, but was in high spirits – giggling and flapping all the way to the school bus, so I know he was happy.

 

Even if they weren’t going to wear costumes, I bought four bags of candy to send for the school Halloween party.  I also bought festive-colored baggies and sticker tags to put together gift bags.  I was so tired the night before and since we were throwing costumes together that morning, I just put the unopened bags in their backpacks.  I felt like such a terrible non-Martha Stewart mom! 

 

They had a great party at school and went trick-or-treating around the school building to different classrooms and offices. 

 

Tim and the kids picked me up at the train that evening.  They love watching the train pull in and then see me getting off the train.  When my train leaves our station, Sean says, “the train is now taking the nudders to their home, then going to sleep at Tidmouth Sheds.” 

 

They had a motherload of candy.  They were allowed to eat some and the rest was hidden to be doled out gradually.  Sean has a habit of literally eating (anything, not just candy) until he makes himself sick, so you need to cut him off.

 

After dinner (pizza and tater tots, two of their favorite things), we all watched “Addams Family Values,” “The Simpsons” and “It’s the Great Pumpkin, Charlie Brown.”  The kids think that Snoopy is hilarious and especially enjoyed the Red Baron sections of that tv special.

 

The upside of not putting up decorations this year is I don’t have any to take down today.  On to Thanksgiving.  I refuse to put up anything Christmas until Thanksgiving is over.  I refuse to skip over that holiday.  What a wonderful holiday that’s all about gratitude for the blessings in our lives!  Since I didn’t get to decorate for Halloween, I may go a little crazy with turkey and Pilgrim decorations this year.  We are spending Thanksgiving in the Wisconsin Dells this year at the Chula Vista Resort.  Since we will be eating at a restaurant on Thanksgiving Day, I will be cooking a traditional Thanksgiving dinner at our place Sunday of Thanksgiving weekend.

 

A blessed November to all!  I will continue to post on events as they occur! Thanks for reading! J

Halloween 2012 Part 1

Well, here we are again in November.  Where do the months go?  Yesterday, I reflected on Halloweens past.  When I was a kid, my mom would make my costume.  She loved the fact that whatever character I chose to be, I wanted the glamour angle.  If I was a witch, it had to be a glamorous witch.  If I was a gypsy, I had to be a beautiful, glamorous gypsy.  I also loved girly-girl choices like can-can girl, princess, queen, Princess Leia, ballerina.  All three kids in my family were bunnies for our first Halloween.  Mom would just sew a puff tail on a blanket sleeper and sew ears onto a hat.  Done!  We’re still in our condo that won’t sell, so we never have any trick or treaters.  There’s also no sidewalk on most of our street, so we have to drive the kids to trick or treat, usually to the homes of family and friends. 

 

Last year Sean was scared of some things Halloween.  This year he was scared of all things Halloween.  He wouldn’t let me put up our usual decorations and orange lights.  I tried to tell him wearing a Halloween costume is no different from when he wears a costume in a play.  Nope.  Couldn’t even bribe him with the promise of candy and other treats.  He has, however, been enjoying the Halloween-themed episodes of his favorite shows on Nick and Disney Junior.  He even enjoyed a series featuring a ghost named Spookly (reminiscent of Casper the Friendly Ghost) and his friend the Square Pumpkin.

 

This past weekend (and this coming weekend, stay tuned for shameless plug to follow in another post), my husband, Sean and I were (are) in a production of “Music Man.”  After the Sunday matinee last week, there was a Halloween-themed cast party.  I was worried.  We got there and Sean was completely mesmerized by the decorations.  “Mommy, look at this place! I love the Halloween party!”  All of a sudden, Halloween was okay.  That is, until we got home.