The iPad

A little while ago we got the big guy a New iPad, all I can really say is, AWESOME.

I know some people will look at something like an iPad as just a gaming device, or something to surf the web and check their email, and they are right, for the most part, but there's more. Many apps have been made for the iPad for teaching, communication, and to help increase fine motor control.

To be honest, the first app he fell in love with was Talking Tom Cat 2. This is a freemium app, where the app is free and fully functional, but extra content and functionality are unlocked with an in app purchase, so you don't pay for the app, but you pay for the extras. I'm sure everyone who reads this knows of apps like this, and probably has a few on their own phone.

Anyway....... so this Talking Tom Cat 2, all it does is record what you say, or sounds it hears, and repeats this with in a funny voice. This thing annoys the crap out of me, I cannot stand hearing everything I say, or what other people say, repeated right afterwards, but he LOVES the thing.

It was so cute the first night he had the thing because he was laying on the couch, had the app going, the iPad laying on the couch next to him, and his arm wrapped around it like it was his best friend. Everything he said, it said, so when he was happy with something, so was his friend, and when he was sad about something, so was his friend. It was like watching someone with his best friend, and they agreed on everything. This is just amazing, I mean, just think about it, he has finally found someone who understands him and not only that, this same someone TOTALLY agrees with him, no matter what. Gotta love it.

Another app that I love playing, and the big guy and the little guy love as well is Where's My Water. The boys just love this app, mom and I do also, but there is an underlying reason I love watching them play this app. The fine motor control needed to play the game.

 The whole basis of the game is to get water to an alligator who wants to take a bath. The challenge is doing this through multiple obstacles while also getting the little yellow duckies and finding little objects buried in the dirt around the levels. If you haven't played this game, check out this video.

I have let the little guy and the big guy play the game on my phone, but I haven't played the version they have on the iPad, and to my knowledge mom hasn't ether, and they have gotten to the second or third act on the game. This is a four year old and a five and a half year old, and to be honest, some of the levels are not easy. I have had to sit and think about how to get everything to work correctly so I get all the water to the alligator. I have also Tri-Ducked each act, but I don't expect them to do that.

Just think of that though, when you play some of the levels, very precise controls are needed to get things to go the way they need to complete the levels. I have paged through what they have played, and I just blown away how well they are getting through the game. I know the little guy gets really into it, he almost does the Schroeder thing where he sticks his tongue out while trying to do something, which is cool and cute, but I'm totally fascinated when I watch the big guy play the game. His movements don't seem like they will clear the dirt correctly, or at the right time to get through the level, but then they do, it's weird. When I see he's using his index finger to get things done it makes me very happy as well, because of his fine motor control issues he often uses his thumb the way we would use our index finger, so to see him using his finger in this way shows me he is gaining more control over his body.

I have much more to say about the iPad, but I will keep this post short so as not to bore you.

If you have a child with autism, or even just motor control issues, get them an iPad, it will help, even if they are just playing games, just remember there are other apps for learning and teaching, and I'll talk about them later.

Fine Motor Control

One of the things we adults take for granted is our ability to manipulate small items with awesome dexterity. We only start seeing our ability to function in this way decline as we reach an older age, some people it's about 45 or so, some people it's not until he or she is in her 60's.

When were young, like 20's and 30's, we have no clue how important this is for everyday life. Another time we don't realize how important these motor skills are is when we are really young, like when we are 6 and 8 years old.

So this brings me to the meat of my post, occupational therapy.

I've gone over the different types of therapy the big guy does during the week, ABA, Speech, and occupational therapy, but have I think I've really only talked about the first two, not the last one. The first one helps him to behave a certain way, or as closely as he can to "normal" people (who still won’t push in their own chair when leaving the table), The second one does and will help him communicate with those "normal" non-pushing in chair people who, for some reason think he's weird when they are the ones think their social status is determined by the clothes they wear, or cars they drive. The third will help him live, and I'll explain why.

Have you ever been hungry? I know, you’re probably looking down at your belly and thinking "well, yeah, duh" but what I mean is, have you ever been HUNGRY. Every one of us has a refrigerator in our home that is stuffed full of things we might want to eat, did eat and didn't finish, or can eat if we wanted, but the big guy looks at the same fridge and only sees a few things he CAN eat.

I don't say "can" because he has allergies to food, because we haven't seen any yet, I say "can" because he has a hard time just getting the food to his mouth. We, as "normal" people find eating an easy, quick, and something we never really think about, but I'm sure it's a chore for him. Let’s take mac and cheese as an example, he can eat it, and he loves it....if it’s in a bowl with a spoon. I cannot put this item on a plate and give him a fork. I have before, but I will end up having to help him get a good mouth full, but I won’t have to do as much for the little guy, and he's only a little older than 4.

I can see when the big guy is hungry, and I mean that real hungry when you just need to get something in your stomach, and though you know you’re not going to die; you just have to get something in there to stop the feeling. When I see him like this, something like mac and cheese on a plate with a fork will not do, it has to be something he can get to his mouth and something he can easily eat. So a hot dog, a corn dog, and pudding cup, or a bowl of cereal, but never something difficult for him to manipulate.

This is why occupational therapy is so important.

He hasn't had occupational therapy for a while, but he has been approved to start anew. So soon he will have to make room in his busy schedule for another person to come and help him advance his skills. I can't wait to see how far he goes with this, and I really hope he likes the lady then send (kind of funny, they all seem to be lady's) because he wasn't too thrilled about the first lady he had. He did well with her, but nothing like his speech lady, and many times the whole family would have to participate in his occupational therapy for him to complete the action, I think he didn't see a point in the stuff otherwise.

I can only hope things will go smoothly... we shall see.

The Climber

One thing many people don't understand about autism is the way things affect a person with autism.

Sounds, sights, taste, touch, smells..... Almost everything, even the temperature of a room changes the way a person with autism will behave. Even the colors of the walls of a room have an effect an autistic person’s behavior. Just a few months ago I read about a presentation of The Lion King on Broadway that was changed to be autism friendly. I was really excited about this, though I know I won’t see anything like that near me for quite some time. The reason I was excited about this production, and why it is so important, is people other than parents are starting to take into account how exposure to sensory stimulus we think is normal, can really drive an autistic up the walls.... literally.

The big guy deals with sensory problems in his own way. Some of them are funny, like when a song is playing on the radio or the TV, he gets really mad if you sing along. He got so mad at me the other day when I was singing one of the songs from the fresh beat band commercial on TV. At first he screamed at me, and then he ran off to his room, and slammed the door. I know I'm going to get comments about how my singing is so bad it makes children run and cry, but I don't think that's it. I think it’s from sensory problems; maybe not that it hurts his ears or anything, but that it makes him confused to hear the same thing coming from two different locations. I think it confuses him, but much more than you or I have ever been confused before in our life. That's got to be hard on him.

One of the things he does that is very cute is when he gets excited about a TV show. First I must set the stage for you, he is naked (because his just is when he's at home), he is right next to the TV, and he starts doing this shaking thing, and his butt cheeks just juggle. As a parent, that's just the funniest thing in the world, and the more excited he gets, the more he jiggles. I think it has to do with the level of excitement, he really cannot contain himself.

Then one of the weird things he does, he climbs on the couch. Not only does he climb on the couch, he goes all over the furniture, and this isn't something I can stop. I know many parents of "normal" children would say "well, a swift kick in the butt will stop that" and I may for their children, but it's not the same for parents of autistic children, and I want my children to love me, not fear me like a dictator. So what the big guy does, he topples over the recliner, and I think a few of you have seen that on my facebook page. If not, to explain, he stands up in the seat, his back to the back of the recliner, and rocks it until it fall backwards, and he rides it all the way down. It’s a fun game for him, and then he will stand up on the foot rest, which is now up in the air, and proceed to climb all over everything but the coffee table.

He always starts at the chair, and makes his way around to the end table, over to the couch, onto the other end table, and ends at the love seat. If you happen to be standing by the love seat, you giving someone a piggyback ride, if you wanted to or not. I don't think this is the same kind of excitement he has with other TV shows, and he mostly does this with action oriented TV show. I think with action shows, he has this need to physically move around, not run, but other stuff. I think he has to let this energy out in some way, and I think this is why he HAS to climb. It’s like when you go to a club and hear a song you have not heard in years, and you just really want to get on out there and dance, you just got to move!!! Well, I think that's how it is for the big guy, he gets this energy inside, and his body is telling him the only way he can get it out without exploding is to climb, move, jump, and topple the recliner.

So from all of that, you must know, the furniture is in a sad state of repair, I think we may have to put it out to pasture, its paid its dues and then some.