Plan # ?????

I've lost track of what "plan #" we are on but anyway.....

We saw Dr. T today and after talking about what was happening with Dylan, he said it sounds like the dose we have him on may be too high.  We are reducing his dose by half and should be able to tell by next week if that helps.  If it doesn't, we will need to stop this one and try something different.

Fingers tightly crossed that this a smaller dose works.

It did my heart good today....

As I mentioned in my last few posts, it's been challenging lately with my boy.  The medication changes have been rough but I believe that we will find the right one.  I do believe that he will benefit from them.

Tonight he tested for his yellow belt at martial arts.  Let me say that he is an COMPLETELY different child when he is at martial arts.  We can have a really rough day at home and he gets there and it's like he's in his zone.  He is focus, determined and ready to go.  I love it.  He loves it.  It's SUCH a positive thing for him and I am very thankful for that.

I LOVE this picture!!

Waiting for testing to start....

Basics....

Getting ready for kicks.....this was REALLY funny to watch.  Jason said it best..."it's like rolling a dice!"  Kids going all over! ;-)

 Sparring....D's least favorite but he did good.

Grappling...he likes this a lot more and did really great tonight!

 And what he was MOST looking forward too....breaking his board!

Getting his yellow belt!!

Still so, so tired....

This medication change has been so frustrating for me.  D's last day of Risperdal was a week ago Sunday.  I was so hoping that the sleepiness would get better once we had him off that.  Nope......and I have a bad feeling that we we see Dr. T again in a week, that there's a good possibility he's going to say that this medication isn't going to work either.  Arg.

This is how D's day goes right now.....

Awake EARLY (between 5:30 and 6:00 AM, normally he would get up around 6:45 or 7:15) and hyper as all get out.  He's unable to keep his hands to himself and he doesn't listen.  He's not a kid who will eat breakfast until he's ready and it's not at that early hour so around 7:00 or so he's usually ready to eat.  He HAS to eat a meal with this medication. 

Then by 9:00 AM, he's sleepy.  Very, very sleepy.  Most days he's been falling asleep and will sleep a couple of hours.  If we have something going on, he'll go but let's just say he won't "do" anything.  He's fallen asleep in the front yard, at the park and during therapy.

Once he wakes up, he's groggy for some time.  Around 2:30 PM or so, he starts getting wired, not listening, not keeping his hands to himself, yelling, hitting, and very, very defiant, etc.  And it stays that way until his dinner does (5:30 ish) hits him around 7:00 or so, then he wants to go to bed.

Yeah, I don't think that this is going to work.  How in the world will be function in school?

Sigh....it's just hard to know how well the Risperdal worked in all but one area.  The weight gain was not do good.  So, so hard right now.

So, so tired....

We are on day 5 of Dylan's medication change and it's been hard in a lot of ways.  

He's sooo tired.  Dr T. warned me that the would be but he's so sleepy.  He's okay mid-day but in the morning and evening, he struggles to just stay awake.

We've had a few REALLY major meltdowns that we hadn't seen since we started the Risperdal.  It broke my heart when he had the first one....all because his quesadilla fell apart.  It lasted 25 minutes.  Not good.

His temper has definitely been short.  Things that hadn't been an issue the last couple months have been setting him off.  His focus just seems off.

Fingers crossed that once we have this switch done, we'll get back to a better place.

I just love my boy!

Stomping my feet with my hands on my hips....

And saying, no yelling, 

"IT'S NOT FAIR!"

And quite frankly, I don't care if I sound like a 5 year old right now. 

(and I'm sure that my serious lack of sleep is playing a part of me just not caring what I sound like right now!)

Dylan has his appointment this morning with Dr. T. (child psych).  I went into it feeling really good and hopeful that MAYBE we wouldn't have to keep going monthly since things have been going so great.  The Risperidone that we started Dylan on a couple of months ago has been working GREAT and we've been so excited and very relieved to see the positive changes happening.  He's been handling situations with ease that before would have been a challenge.  He handled staying 4 nights with my parent while we are at Mayo Clinic with Kira and did fabulous.

The downfall of the medicine is that it makes me hungry......all.the.time.  I felt like we were doing a pretty good job of offering healthy options....lots of veggies.  We made a lot of changes and I was really feeling like we were handling it well.

Today we got there, he weighed Dylan and as we were talking he was looking at his growth curve and then it happened.....he moved his computer over by me and I knew what was coming or at least I thought I did.  I was NOT expecting to see a 10 pound weight gain in 2 months. (this is where I was working hard to keep the tears from falling because I KNEW what was coming).  Yep, we have to stop the Risperidone.  Dr. T. knew I was fighting tears and apologized but I knew where he was coming from and I agree that it's too much of a weight gain but IT'S NOT FAIR.

We talked about our options and agreed that we didn't want to wean off one medication before starting another because we know how D is with no meds at all. We have a plan that will hopefully work well.  

It's frustrating for me but even looking past how I am feeling, I want to do everything I can to make sure that Dylan continues to feel good about himself and all the great things that are happening with him right now.  I am hoping that he will breeze through this change with little problem.  I want him to continue to have all the successes that he has been.  Dr. T stressed that it could be tricky to find another med that will be AS effective as the Risperidone was but he's committed to do everything he can to make the best choices possible for D.

So that's where we are at.....I'm trying hard to not stomp my feet with my hands on my hips and yell "it's not fair" but it's hard today.  Really, really hard.........

I, Cori, vow to NEVER.....

Publicly discuss when Dylan has a  really, really good day because when I do, all holy heck breaks loose within hours.

WOW!  The last couple days have been rough.  Hoping it's just the change in schedules with school coming to an end, being outside a lot or something that he will adjust to soon because I'm close to losing it! :-)  Not really but it's rough on all of us when we have days with lots  of tantrums and hitting.

On an upside, his IEP is finally final.  The meeting was interesting and I had an advocate come with me.  It was extremely helpful to have her there.  In the end, the changes that we wanted made were made and most of the team agreed that they were reasonable changed.  We will meeting in November to look at his services and see if we can reduce anywhere.  I would love for him not need as many services once he's adjusted.  Time will tell.

FINALLY FINAL!

Dylan's IEP has been finalized!

FINALLY!

Today was a GREAT day!

Today was a GREAT day!  Yes, I felt like I needed to say that twice!!

I had Dylan's conference this morning and it was so reassuring to hear his teachers talk about the differences they have seen since we started his medication.  For me, I HATE to have my kids on any medication long-term even though medications have been a part of our kids lives for a long time.  But I am seeing the "good" more and more everyday.

At Dylan's conference today, his teachers showed me a video of Dylan dancing and playing rhythm sticks at circle time while listening to music on a CD.  I know for a lot of kids this wouldn't be a big deal but there are 3 things in that sentence that brought tears to my eyes.

1) Dancing

2) Playing rhythm sticks

3) Listening to music on a CD

All three of these things have been known to send Dylan running to his quiet area in the room....always taking time to calm himself down and sometimes, really struggling to re-enter group time.

He was doing it and I have gotten teary-eyed many times today as I thought about the video.

Tonight was martial arts.  Dylan loves martial arts and usually does pretty well while he's there.  There are nights that he struggles but for the most part, he does really well.  The past few weeks the kids in his class has been goofing off, not paying attention, etc but for the most part, Dylan has handled it well and not gotten to involved in all of that.  He's not perfect but he REALLY likes martial arts. ;-)  

The kids tonight were really out of control and my heart swelled as I watched Dylan doing EXACTLY what he was supposed to be doing and encouraging the others to do the same.  They were supposed to be running in place while waiting in line...the other 7 kids were rolling around on the floor, brothers were punching each other, etc. (and for the record, their instructor did know what was going on but was watching to see IF they would pick up on his instructions of what they were supposed to be doing....he's great!).....Dylan was jogging in place and said, "Hey guys!  We're all supposed to be running in place."  The instructor noticed and pointed out that D was being a great leader.  Dylan's behavior was pointed out several times during class and he was BEAMING!  He was SO proud of himself.  

And this Mommy was pretty darn proud too! :-)

"The" meeting....and our weekend.

Yesterday I had "the" meeting with the school district about Dylan's IEP.  I was very relieved that I had a parent advocate with me from WI Facets.  I couldn't believe how nervous I was going into this meeting.

We weren't asking for major changes to his IEP.  We were not comfortable with the way that parts of the IEP were written.  At his meeting on April 20th, the team determined that Dylan have an aide available 33.5 hours a week (which is basically "Bell to Bell") was appropriate.  When who ever looks over the IEP's downtown wasn't willing to approve that, we talked about them leaving the IEP as it was but adding in that there would be a review of services at the end of the 1st quarter (November).  We were perfectly fine with all of that.

What we weren't feeling good about was the fact that it was written in the IEP that on November 8th (1st day of the 2nd quarter), Dylan's aide services were to be cut in half.  We never agreed to that.

As the meeting go started yesterday, I made it clear that we had no issues with meeting to review his services in November but we needed come up with a better way to write the parts about after the 1st quarter. We also wanted something added that would make it clear that we would review all 3 areas of aide service: in the classroom, in specials and transitions/recess.  There is also the possibility that not all areas will have the same amount of service after the 1st quarter......we wanted it to be clear that just because we could determine that there is one area that we decide to change services in but others need to stay the same.  It was a lengthy discussion and I felt like we went in some circles before everyone was on the same page.

I am not waiting to get the "final draft" of his IEP to look over before it's officially final.  I was not going to sign anything yesterday until 1) I can show it to Jason and 2) I can be sure that all the changes we talked about are made and 3) the advocate can also look it over.  I'm pretty sure the team wasn't real happy that I wouldn't sign yesterday but one thing is for sure, this whole "thing" with D's IEP has opened my eyes.  Kira's IEP's have always been fairly straight forward....his, not-so-much.

In other news... :-)

We were in Iowa over the weekend and went to a family picnic on Saturday.  I was absolutely SHOCKED at how well Dylan did.  He was interacting with people APPROPRIATELY and really enjoyed himself.  I have no doubt that his meds are really working and we are seeing some very positive results!  YEAH!

I know this is how it goes.....

But I cannot even put into words how frustrating I am finding things lately.

Just when I dare think that things are "evening out" and getting easier, we have a couple of days like we have had yesterday and today and it's a smack back to reality.

I really thought that things were getting easier with Dylan and we were seeing a more consistent, positive behavior pattern.  I know that this isn't a sprint.....it's more like a long distant journey with hills and valleys.  I get that but it's so frustrating.

Dylan has been very defiant the last couple of days and very in everyone's space and face.  It's been challenging at home and it's been challenging at home.  I feel very much at a loss right now as to what to do.

I feel like I am in a constant state of trying to figure out what triggers what behaviors and right now, I feel like that's looking for a needle in a haystack.

Don't get me wrong.....we have seen some great changes since starting the Risperdal with him and I am so very thankful for that.

Tomorrow is a new day.

Autism in Reverse

I absolutely LOVE this!!

Patience is not always my strong point....

I'll just admit that up front.

I am trying my hardest to be patient as I wait yet again to hear anything....something....about Dylan's IEP. I feel like I shouldn't really be shocked that we hit this blib in the road but sometimes it does just shock me.  But with my next breath, it doesn't shock me one bit.

I have made it very clear that I will NOT under any circumstances agree to ANYTHING verbally...NOTHING.  I don't think that made some people very happy but it's not my job to make them happy.  It's my job to make sure that Dylan has services in place when school starts in the fall.  I have also made it clear that I am aware that I am more than in my rights to not send him to school until we have an IEP in place.  Again, I don't think that made some people very happy but it's the truth and I will NOT be sending him without a very clear IEP in place, officially.

What has been proposed to "them" is that we leave Dylan's IEP written the way that it is through the 1st quarter of school and then meet to re-evaluate if he needs the services that we wrote for at his IEP meeting 3 weeks ago. 

I am fine with this.  I don't like the fact that there will have to be an extra meeting, both for me and for the school staff involved who are already busy, but if it's what we need to do, we'll do it.

Stay tuned.....more to come, I'm sure! :-)

"They" have never laid eyes on him.....

But yet "they" can say no to the IEP that was written.  "They" can say that he can't have that much aide time.  "They" can say that he may not even need that much OT.  But "they" have never see Dylan anywhere but on paper.

"They" make me really mad.

I got a call this morning from one of the people on the team that did Dylan's evaluations and she said that "they" wouldn't approve his IEP as it was written.  Sigh.  She had talked with the principal at our school and he had also gotten a call regarding Dylan's IEP.  "They" strongly feel that Dylan doesn't need the services that we wrote in his IEP.  The principal still feels that he does.  He is concerned about the safety concerns....,not something to be taken lightly.  

But ultimately the truth is that we don't know how Dylan will do when he starts kindergarten in the fall.  Maybe he WILL surprise us and do better than we expect.....but what if he doesn't?  What if our concerns are right on track?  What if he does try to run and he doesn't have someone there to stop him?  That is a "what if" that I cannot and will not take lightly.  I will not just "wait and see."  Fortunately, the principal feels the same way but that will only get us so far.  "They" do have final say.

What is our compromise that we hope "they" will approve?  And that we hope "they" will see as a compromise.......

Leave his IEP as it is written for the 1st quarter (November sometimes), meet and re-evaluate to see what everyones thoughts are then.

I wish so bad that "they" could see this from where I sit, as his mom.  It sure feels like they don't have Dylan's best interest at heart.  It sure feels like "they" are more concerned about the $$$.  It sure feels like "they" are looking at her academics and saying that there is no problem there (at this time).  

Nothing would make me happier than for him to start school and do worlds better than we anticipate.

I am "just" a mom who needs, not wants, NEEDS to know that when I leave my 6 year old on the first day of school he will be  safe.  I am not a mom who is looking for services that her child really doesn't need because, you know, having kids with special needs was exactly what I had dreamed of when I thought about having kids.  I just NEED to know that when I have to let go a little more than I am really ready to do, that Dylan will be okay.  That Dylan will have his needs met, whatever they may be.

I am "just" a mom who loves her little boy, challenges and all, more than life itself.  I am "just" a mom who knows that "they" don't know him.

What "they" may not know is that I'm "just" a mom who will fight to be sure that Dylan is safe, happy and secure where ever he is and that I won't just sit back and say okay to what "they" think is best.  I am his mom and I know him best.

"They" will know my name and face if needed because I am ready to fight.

FINALLY!!

I had Dylan's meeting with the school district on Friday.  I will be honest, going in, I was scared.  I was really worried that I would have a surprise and they would decide that he wasn't going to qualify for services.......well, luckily, he qualifies for services.  Whew and double whew.

His amazing 4K teacher had taken the time to fill out some paperwork for the evaluation and I had filled some out as well.  I was AMAZING how close we were when they scored it in almost every area.  They couple that we were a little further off still weren't far and they were areas that they expected that.

I was impressed with the principal and how seriously he took our concerns that Dylan is a runner when he gets upset.  His comment was that "he needs to have someone stuck to him like glue on the playground" until we know exactly how he is going to react to situations while at school.  When we got to the last section of the IEP where we talked about what services he would be getting, his principal said that he wanted him put down for 33.5 hours with an aide available in his classroom.  I have a feeling that HE may have to fight for that one a bit but he was pretty firm that he felt strongly that's how it needed to be put down for D.  I'll be curious to see how it's exactly worded when I get the IEP or if I get a call about that one in the next week.  He will also be getting 90 minutes of OT time each week....about 60 minutes of that will be in the classroom and used for transitioning back into the classroom after his 30 minutes of pull out therapy.

Several people have asked what kinds of goals we set for him and how that is going to work since we're basically writing an IEP for next fall only "guessing" how he's going to react to certain situations.  Honestly, I can't remember what they all were right now since, if you've been to an IEP meeting you know that we talked about A LOT of stuff in that 2 hours.  I know there is a goal for OT, safety, calming himself, behavior and ????  I will do a post with more details about all of that when I have the IEP in hand.

I also found out that the kindergarten teacher who was at the meeting is also going to be his teacher next year and honestly, I could have cried when I found out.  Kira had her for the 2nd half of the year and I just loved her.  She has a very structured classroom and already uses a lot of visual aides for her students which D really does well with.  He'll also have the same OT that Kira has had since she was 3...he knows who she is and really likes her.

Overall I feel REALLY good about the plan that have in place.  It's very possible that once he gets into the classroom and the year is underway that we could find that this IEP or the goals just aren't appropriate.  If that happens we'll have to meet and re-do things.

But just having a plan in place and them being aware of our concerns makes me feel a lot better.

20 Facts about Asperger's......

Children with Asperger's Syndrome often struggle to fit in at school and other social settings. While there is no cure for their condition, they can be trained to cope.

Understanding the implication of Asperger’s Syndrome can bring a greater level of tolerance and acceptance for those with the condition. Here are some traits and behavior patterns commonly seen in the syndrome.

• Most people with Asperger’s Syndrome are of average or above average intelligence.
• 
  
• They have excellent thinking skills where things are concerned but are extremely poor at interpreting human relationships.
• • 
    
  • Intense preoccupations often centre on certain toys or areas of interest. Common obsessions are dinosaurs and forms of transport and how they work.
  
  
  • They will often seek out other people to talk to about their interests. The conversation is usually one-sided – more like a lecture where they talk about their knowledge and aren't interested in feedback.

  
  

  • Older children may enjoy a club that is focused on their interest – for example, coin or stamp collecting.

  
  

  • Eye contact is not understood or made use of.

  
  

  • The child may appear cold and uncaring but it is not deliberate. He does not think about others and cannot understand the social graces that keep society functioning.

  
  

  • It is possible to teach social skills but it is a long slow process and often requires parental intervention to repair social damage when they act inappropriately.

  
  

  
  

  • Short stories can be useful in teaching social skills. Use one page visual aids that teach about listening to others and keeping quiet and still while they talk.

  
  

  • Children with Asperger’s Syndrome prefer routine and structure and can become irritable and distressed if the unexpected happens.

  
  

  • Gross and fine motor skills are often underdeveloped, causing problems in sports and balance.

  
  

  • Asperger’s Syndrome is often detected when a child starts preschool. He will generally interact better with his teacher than his peers and may display silly, loud, aggressive or socially withdrawn behavior.

  
  

  • Things are interpreted very literally, meaning that sarcasm, playful teasing and figures of speech are not understood.

  
  

  • Rules are very important and a child may become angry if a game is not played fairly or his peers break school rules.

  
  

  • On a positive note, this aversion to rule-breaking means the Asperger’s Syndrome child is less likely to experiment with smoking, drinking, drugs, and sex as he matures.

  
  

  • Many children are perfectionists and struggle if they fail to produce perfect schoolwork. Encourage them to move on, and create distractions if necessary to get them to continue working.

  
  

  • They find it hard to generalize. If taught that they shouldn’t hit a child at school, they do not automatically make the connection that they shouldn’t hit a child in the mall.

  
  

  • Children with Asperger’s Syndrome express their feelings in unpredictable ways. Sometimes they may seem emotionless and other times they may display extreme emotion that is not appropriate to the situation.

  
  

  • Interrupting conversations is a common problem as the child does not understand the social signals that allow conversation to move from one to another.

  
  

  • A child can be helped if parents consistently work with him and highlight his strengths and work consistently on his weaknesses

  
  

  
  

  There is hope for children who have Asperger’s Syndrome and with training and support from their family and health professionals, they can live meaningful, productive lives.

  
  

  (By Debbie Roome)

Some frustration, some positive and some sweet....

Last night was D's last night of the med that we were trying........and while I am glad that we are done with that medication, I am also realizing that even with all the "bad" that came along with it, there clearly was some positive.  Not nearly enough for us to even think about putting him back on it but to say that the last few days have been challenging would be an understatement.  I feel like he has no control what-so-ever right now and it's testing my patience to no end.  Add to that me not feeling well and today has not been a great day....for either one of us.

I am trying so incredibly hard to keep my cool because I know that me losing my cool is NOT going to help one bit and will ultimately only make things worse but it.is.hard.  He seems to know what buttons to push and just how hard he can push.

A positive though.....

This weekend while we were in Iowa, I was able to figure out a couple more "signs" that he is getting over stimulated and needs a break.  Believe me, it takes awhile to get him back on track but I think that as we figure things out a bit more it will be a good thing for him and also for us.

What did I figure out?

Well, as he's getting closer and closer to the max of what he can handle with noise, commotion, disruption of his routines, his ears and cheeks get redder and redder and he starts pacing........reminded me of a caged animal to be honest.  One of the times it happened, J took him downstairs where it was quiet and another time I took him back to a bedroom and we snuggled for a bit.  It was rather amazing to me to be able to really watch him while we were out of the commotion.....his whole body changed.  I could just see him relaxing and his mood changed before my eyes.

These are things that are taking awhile but we are slowly figuring out his cues, even when he can't.

One very sweet moment this weekend with him was during the Easter Egg Hunt that he was soooo excited about doing, I might add.  Whenever he found a pink egg, he would run to wherever Eva was and give it to her.  When I asked him why he was giving her the eggs, he said, "Mommy, pink is her favorite color don't you know!"

Man, I just love my boy!!!

I wanted a longer fuse.....

I wanted just a little more time to intervene.  I wanted just a little more warning before a meltdown started.  I wanted time to use some different strategies to prevent a meltdown.

I didn't want a Zombie.  I didn't want meltdowns that are getting more physical from my Dylan.  I didn't want a boy who doesn't want to go do martial arts because he's too tired.  

Needless to say this first medication we tried is a no go.  We are one the process of weaning him OFF it now.  He'll be done with this one on Sunday.  

His psych has encouraged was to try another med and we will.  We are hoping to start it Monday so that when we see his psych in 2 weeks we'll (hopefully) have some idea of if it's working or not.

I know how effective medications CAN be.  We've had great luck with Kira's anxiety being manageable because of the medications that she is on....but we had trial and error to get to where we are with her.

Please understand that I understand that there are some people who don't agree with trying medications with kids.  And in all honesty, I used to feel that way.....that's the biggest reason we waiting so long to start Kira on medication for her anxiety but I know for a fact that Kira would NOT be able to function in school without medication.  I just wouldn't be possible.  Please understand that this is not an easy decision for a parent.  NO parent WANTS their child to need medications just to get through the day.  I know that medications can help and we owe that to Dylan.  He is not a happy child so much of the time.  His world is not a happy place and I know that he doesn't want to be feeling the struggles that he does. He struggles to figure out so many things each and if we can help him find a calm, we will.  I want him to NOT feel stressed and anxious each day.  I want to have the time to talk to him before he explodes.  I know that he doesn't enjoy it and neither do I.

We need to find a calm first and foremost for him......but also for our family. 

Frustrating day......

Today was extremely frustrating for both Dylan and I.  He had a pretty good day at school but about an hour after he was home, I could feel things going downhill.

I tried hard to get things moving in a better direction.....we did some spinning but in his mind, I wasn't doing it right today.  I have NO clue what that meant since I'm pretty convinced I was doing it exactly like we always do it and when I asked him what I needed to do differently all I got was I needed to do it "right."

Then he wanted me to race monster trucks with me.....and I wasn't lining then up right.  I wasn't pushing them right.  But when I tried to go do anything else in the house, he would meltdown completely...throwing toys, hitting, punching.

The afternoon continued like that and once we picked K up from school, it got even worse.  He just went from one thing to the next....he wasn't happy.

As frustrating as it is for me, it breaks my heart to see him so frustrated and upset.  And more than that, I HATE that NOTHING I tried helped....not one bit.  As a mom, that is an awful feeling.....awful.  I feel like it's crazy cycle in our house and I feel like I never, ever get a "down" moment.  It's the way it is and I get that but that doesn't mean that there are moments that I want to run away screaming.

Tomorrow starts his evaluations with the school district......hoping that it goes well.

Underactive....

Underactive is NOT a word that I ever thought I would use when talking about my Dylan. :-)  Nope!

Several weeks ago I had asked Dylan's OT to take a look at his vestibular function.  I had been seeing some things that made me wonder if he had something a little off with his vestibular system.  Both Kira and  Eva have an overactive vestibular system.

Children with overactive vestibular systems prefer slow movement, avoid risk-taking and avoid activities that require good balance and fast movement. They are fearful of falling, elevators, going up and down stairs and being tipped upside down.

I was pretty convinced that Dylan wasn't dealing with an overactive vestibular system but I was feeling pretty sure that he was dealing with an underactive vestibular system. (of course, right??)

These children enjoy fast spinning and swinging. They enjoy jumping, partake in dangerous activity and move while sitting.

Movements suggested for these children help their brains organize and process information more effectively and efficiently by using a series of physical activities to activate the vestibular system.
This prevents falling, keeps body parts properly aligned, and contributes to coordinated movement.

After his OT did some testing with him, she said that he definitely had signs of an underactive system.  I really did laugh when she told me.  I already know a lot about the therapy for overactive systems from the girls but sure why not....let's look at the other side now! :-)

Dylan LOVES spinning but he has a pretty big reaction to it too.  He gets pretty dizzy quickly but even with that feeling he wants more.  So we are doing some spinning therapy with Dylan and unlike the girls, he LOVES it.  It's tricky because we have to watch him pretty close while we are doing it and we have to be the ones to stop because he'll just keep going.

The Vestibular system is located in the inner ear. It responds to movement and gravity and is therefore involved with our sense of balance, coordination and eye movements. Therapy can include hanging upside down, rocking chairs, swings, spinning, rolling, somersaulting, cartwheels and dancing. All these activities involve the head moving in different ways that stimulate the vestibular system. The therapist will observe the child carefully to be sure the movement is not over stimulating.

Back and forth movement is typically less stimulating than side-to-side movement. The most stimulating movement tends to be rotational (spinning) and should be used carefully by the therapist. Ideally therapy will provide a variety of these movements. A rocking motion will usually calm a child while vigorous motions like spinning will stimulate them. Merry-go-rounds, being tossed on to cushions or jumping trampolines can be favorite activities with some children.

(More info here)

So another adventure for us but the good news is that we were able to borrow a spinning board from his OT and all 3 kiddos take turns doing it!

He tried so stinkin' hard!

This morning Dylan had his dentist appointment.  I wasn't overly concerned about it because he's done pretty well in the past.  It usually took a few minutes for him to warm up to the idea and then he was fine.  It's far from his favorite thing to do but I think that's true of most people. :-)

Well today was an entirely different store.  He was fine when we got there and even went back very willingly.  As we were walking back he asked for his B-Calm so we put that on and he climbed up in the chair.  She started looking at his teeth and I could see it coming.  I could see him getting more and more tense with honestly each second.  I tried a few things hoping to avoid the meltdown I could sense but nothing worked.  Before I knew what happened he was out of the chair, running down the hall.

I eventually got to him and he was so upset.  It broke my heart.  I got him to come back in with me and by then the dentist was in the room.  We decided that we needed him to at least get a look in D's mouth.  He didn't fight us too much as I pretty much bear hugged him through that part.  Fortunately, the dentist said that his mouth looked really healthy and he was comfortable waiting to clean them at his next appointment. And luckily I don't have to think about that for another 6 months.