Triennial Done and Separation of Church and State

It has been a very busy month so far!  I have spent a large amount of my time when not at work, preparing for James's triennial IEP.  With the transition into 6th grade next year there was much to do.  James is doing well and made the honor roll again this grading period.  He missed the Principal's honor roll by a smidge due to his writing.  A simple Google search brought me to this gem... I Hate to Write Huh... someone I know resembles this.  Book will be added to our shelf soon.  Hopefully the resource teacher will add it to her arsenal as well. Another program James has been using with his speech teacher is the Superflex program, check it out... it really is wonderful!! Superflex Anyway, triennial done, James doing well, aide systematically being faded, new school district actually excited about getting James for sixth grade; all in all, it has been a great year, and looking forward to the future, finally.

James was doing homework on Monday, and got concerned when I asked him to finish. He still had definitions to complete on his spelling words. I asked him what the trouble was, and he said he didn't know how to do it. Definitions has been something he has done since the beginning of the school year, so I didn't see what the trouble was. James looked at me and said "But Mom, now I'm being asked to find the religion of the words!" It took very little time to understand what he meant, but his comment made me giggle. I asked him if he meant origin, and he said "Yes, I don't know how to find it." I showed him how to locate the origin of the words and homework was finally done. Just another giggly homework session at the Laughter House.

I know an Old Lady Who Swallowed a Cat... Imagine That She Swallowed a CAT!!

Kiefer

Ninja

Literal thinking has it's place.  There are times when it is needed.  7:00 AM on a Monday morning may not be the place or time.  James was surprised that I was the one who woke him up this morning.  I thought I had told him that I would be home in the morning last night but maybe not.  Anyway, I was telling him why I needed to stay home.  I needed to go in for a Cat Scan.  This perplexed him.  First question, "what is a Cat Scan mom?" Well it is a way for doctors to see things that are in our bodies to see what is wrong.  "Are they looking for cats?" Before I could answer, James looked around, did a head count and said, "Nope, they are all here!"  Off he went onto the next topic.  Just another morning I guess.

Hobbit

Astra and Abracadabra Crackadoo

Sprinkling the Black and White Thinking with a Little Rainbow!!

Okay.  We all know that kids with Autism tend to be very black and white thinkers.  James is no exception.  There is usually only one way that things can be done and if deviation happens it is frowned upon. As we generally do at our table suppers, conversations start that can be thought provoking.  Tonight I thought I would tackle a tough one... relationships, dating, marriage.  James is 11 and has in the past been deeply in love with classmates or a therapist.    

Well the conversation started... abridged here, but this is the gist of it. James what do you believe dating is?  "Well it is when a boy and a girl go out to supper or a movie and the boy gives the girl a flower or maybe a watch." Okay, how about if it is two boys? "No mom that would be weird!" Why would that be weird? "Well, they are two boys and there can't be any babies." What if it is two girls?  "That is a possibility I guess. You know mom, I don't have a girlfriend." I know but you are only 11.  "I think 16 is a good age to have a girlfriend."  Sounds reasonable.  "But I think getting married is around 21."  Well I was 30 when I got married so you have time.

All of a sudden the conversation morphed into a Minecraft script.  I guess enough with the thought provoking conversation.  Time to lose our minds in the Minecraft world.