ABA Therapy in the home

We've just started ABA therapy up again after almost a year break. It's been super helpful already, as we can see forward motion occurring already for both of our darlings with autism. We've utilized this therapy in our home before and also in a clinical setting. 

Once again I feel our girls are doing better with it in the home rather than in the clinical setting. And here's one big reason why, triplets playing together in facilitated activities. Here they are with a sensory bin filled with rice - and no pica concerns either! Triplets = Built in social interaction peer group therapy! Thanks Sunshine triplet for being so interested in playing with your sisters!

You know you're a special needs mom...

Because independence here opens
up the world in so many, many ways!

when the following email from your autistic daughter's first grade teacher makes you go into a full-fledged happy tears moment for 5 full minutes.

I wanted to tell you of something that was pretty exciting today.  Out on the playground Princess was tugging on Mrs. F., so she prompted  "I want.....".  It took about 5 prompts, but then Princess said "I want potty".  She brought her in, and Princess independently went to the restroom.  It was great to see her recognizing her need for the bathroom, and advocating for herself!

Imagining my little girl in a situation where she's actually verbalizing her needs and advocating for herself - this, this is what we work so hard for. This is a moment, I've been waiting for literally years to see or hear about. I can't tell you how proud of that little girl I am right now.

Unsolicited advice...

That moment when you realize the Master tape of that very special day wasn't in the safe like you thought....

The advice?  Always, always have a great photographer (we didn't which means we were relying on the great video our daughters would see someday) and do backups of your backups. Just because it's digital doesn't mean you can't lose it. 

We had great raw footage of our wedding once. 

Back it up!

Milestone Saturday

The statement "I want to sleep in my own room" by Sunshine triplet has moved to reality. Bedtime song for triplets happened in a room with 2 beds and a pillow where "kids who don't sleep in this room can sit," she said. Tears for Mommy, they're growing up and getting more independent every day. 

Dining in public... a story of compassion

They called out to her,
practically by name, I'm sure.

So with all the crazy kids in restaurants and the public's frustration with their antics, I thought I'd share this. On Monday my 6-1/2 year old (who has autism, by the way, if this is the first time you've ever seen my blog), got tired of waiting for food at the sub shop, although I was paying for it just 3 feet away. Instead, the chips at the next table called out to her.

I saw her leave the table and shouted NO! but before I could stop her a grubby little hand reached into a stranger's Doritos bag and grabbed out five chips at a time. (It was totally like the movies, like it was being shot in slow motion or something. NOOOOOO! And you turn and try to stop it, only to be too late).

Totally embarrassed, I offered to buy the two ladies another bag of chips but they refused to hear of it. (They saw I had triplets, but I never mentioned there was autism in the mix at all).There was no judgment, there was simply compassion.  And for that they were thanked at least three times by me. 

It is my hope that everyone who has small children or children with special needs and dares to go out to a restaurant, would be greeted by customers, strangers, as compassionate as these. Thank you kind strangers, you really sort of made my day. And I'm positive you made Angel triplet's day because Mommy doesn't even let her eat those chips normally.