Mama Bear Knows Best

Under construction!!!

This Mommyblog is under construction!  We will be back with a new theme shortly

Progress!

I feel like there has been a great deal of progress with my Natasha Bear recently. She is in the process of learning what “more” is in ASL - I had to do it hand-over-hand first, but now she’s getting the idea and looking at me when she does it after I ask her and show her the sign. This is a good thing!

She also tried to mimic Moni, her speech therapist, on Friday -she didn’t make the exact sounds but she did try. And that’s also a big deal!

I am excited that she’s doing all of this - Tom and I want her to communicate with us so badly. And the constant crying and whatnot is getting hard to take. It’s one thing if she knows what you’re saying, but it’s another when you don’t think or don’t know if she knows.

Please, please, please! Even if it’s tiny baby steps… Just progress!

– Post From My iPhone

Preschool Evaluation Report

For those of you interested, here is what the preschool evaluation report stated with regards to Natasha.  She has been accepted in District 20 Preschool and, when she turns 3, she will be attending 4 days a week, 3 hours a day.  We will have to see what days she’ll be there and adjust our occupational therapy sessions accordingly.  I’m just hoping that Lynnea has some room that we can have either on the day that Natasha doesn’t go to preschool or in the afternoons.  We shall see

I’ve called Dr. Loerzel, Natasha’s pediatrician, for a prescription for the autism clinic evaluation, so we shall see about that.  I’ll probably call back this upcoming Wednesday (I know he’s in the office on Wednesdays) and see what he’s done if I haven’t heard from them yet.

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Health:

The district school nurse has assessed this student’s visual screening results, as well as the health history provided by the parents.  Mother reports developmental delays: verbal communication and some sconcerning behaviors/  Nor reported health concerns that would affect Natasha in the academic environment.  Parents are advised to keep the school informed of any changes in their students’ health needs.

Hearing:

Mrs. Wolfe reported that she had a hearing evaluation a few months ago with results showing normal hearing.  Today’s results show normal hearing sensitivity for at least one ear.  Natasha would not tolerate anything touching her ears today so tympanometry could not be tested and a hearing screening was done in soundfield.

Cogintive/educational:

Natasha’s mother reported that Natasha has the ability to sustain attention for 30-minutes for preferred tasks, particularly if she’s perserverating on an object.  If she is not engaged in a preferred task, her attention is fleeting.  Her mother also reported that she has not observed any dramatic play skills and none were observed during the evaluation.  Natasha enjoys toys/objects that make noise and will seek these objects.  When Natasha became more familiar with one of the team members, using a music toy and no language, she was able to get Natasha to imitate banging and shaking.  Natasha did recognize that a certain toy belonged to one of the team members and did hand it back to her.

Social-emotional:

Natasha demonstrated very little eye contact (if any) during the assessment.  Her mother described her attention as fleeting.  She was not able to demonstrate any joint attention and shows little interest in imitating others.  Natasha’s mother reported that she does not like to be held to given affection, but will on occasion give a hug.  Natasha’s focus is on objects and not people.

Motor:

Natasha demonstrates functional gross motor skills for the academic setting.  She is able to walk up and down stairs on her own, climb up a slide and run on her own.

Fine Motor Skills:

Natasha is able to pick up small objects using a fine pincer grasp. Her grasp with other objects is mature.  She is able to pull apart toys and use her index finger to push buttons.  Play with toys mostly consists of picking up the toy, maybe banging together and carrying around with her.  She often does repetitive play and spinning parts of the toy.  She often licks or mouths the toy she has. She did scribble with a marker, but the lid had to be taken off for her and attention was very short.  She does enjoy sensory kinds of activities such as bean play and prickle balls. Mom states she enjoys messy activities.

Speech-Language:

Natasha communicates by taking mom’s hand (or anyone’s hand) and putting it on the item she wants (i.e. refrigerator to indicate she is hungry).  She will throw away items when mom asks her to.  She occasionally looks at Mom when her name is called.  She is not yet using any true words or signs.  She will say “mamama”, “dadada”, “nanana”, “geega” independently, however is not yet imitating verbally.  She occasionally imitates physical actions.  Mom reported that Natasha is beginning to learn to point to pictures to communicate what she wants, however, she is not independently using pictures to communicate.  She does protest inconsistently when a desired item is taken away.  She is not yet looking at a person during play activities, she is looking at the object.  She did stop doing an action when Mom told her “no” in a loud voice.  According to the Colorado Severity Rating Scale, Natasha scores a 4 for language skills, as she is not yet successfully communicating her needs and wants except by taking a hand to what she wants.  It is recommended that Natasha receive speech therapy services in the preschool classroom to improve her communication skills.

Transition/Life Skills:

Natasha is not potty-trained.  Natasha no longer uses a pacifier.  Natasha will do some self-soothing by placing objects in her mouth.  She is not very picky with eating and mom reports she likes to eat a lot.  Textures do not seem to be a problem.  With clothes, Natasha will put her arms and legs in, and will take them out.  She is removing her socks and shoes.

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I will update this with her IEP (Individualized Education Program) later.

D20 Preschool Evaluation

Today, Natasha was evaluated the the Academy District 20 Preschool Office to see if she qualifies for special education preschool when she’s three years old.  And we all decided that she did and I’ll be registering her as a student later this summer.

I have many, many reservations about sending Natasha to public school.  My own experiences weren’t that great - I don’t even want to talk about high school - but at the point Natasha is at right now, I really think it’s best for her.  The preschool would be twice a week for three hours in the morning and they will provide her with speech therapy during this time as well.  The advantages of sending her to a preschool are not only will she have lots more interaction with other kids her age, but she’ll also be around adults with far more training and knowledge regarding autism and developmental delays than I do.

Honestly, I think that this preschool idea is a good one.  I was kinda skeptical at first because I want her to be around all kinds of children and, of course, my distrust of the public school system.  After talking with everyone, I feel a great deal better.  They want to ensure that Natasha does well and they have even offered to speak to her speech therapist and her occupational therapist if I want them too.

There was one person there named Jean who I was fortunate enough to be able to talk to for a couple minute before she left.  She was the autism counselor (or actually I really have forgotten her position, only that she works very closely with a lot of autistic kiddos).  She gave me a few suggestions and talking to her was definitely a relieving experience.  She said that Natasha definitely had some characteristics of autism, but that they could all be worked on to correct them or to develop skills that need to be developed.

The big issue at this evaluation was Natasha’s inability for joint attention.  Joint attention is when two people look at an object, referencing each other looking at that object.  They share the situation - by looking at each other and acknowledging that they are both doing the same thing or are looking at the same thing.  This seems to be the most important skill that we could possibly develop in Natasha.  It is the skill that allows her to reference us as “people” rather than “tools.”  While she will reach for our hands to do something, it does very much feel as though she is using us as a tool rather than asking us to do something for her.

Strangely enough, my thoughts were: the very thing my father wants to do with her is the skill that she needs to develop.  At Christmas, we were at my father’s and I couldn’t find Natasha.  She and my father were in the living room playing, Dad trying to get her attention.

Ultimately, Dad, that’s EXACTLY what we try to do too!

The evaluation went very well - Natasha was the star of the show and I was her press agent.  I got a few ideas from the people as they talked to me and asked me questions: besides Natasha and I, there were EIGHT other people present.  Yeah, it was about as crazy as the last time she was evaluated for Early Education services through District 11.  Everyone was nice and they all commented about how cute Natasha was

We had:

• A speech therapist
• An occupational therapist
• Child psychologist
• Autism clinician
• Audiologist
• School nurse (to chek her vision)
• A TRE (The Resource Exchance) representative
• A preschool teacher

And I’m sure there were a couple more: I just don’t remember their posititions.

Natasha held up fairly well throughout the whole thing, but then she tends to not care about strangers.

Ramblings.

Sometimes it feels like I’m all alone in trying to raise Natasha.

She doesn’t listen to me when I know she knows what I’m saying.

She will pay attention to the television when we have breakfast and lunch so I put on Sesame Street, but I’m beginning to think that Sesame Street isn’t what I really want her to watch.  I don’t care for it much anymore and I wish that it was like it was when I was younger.

She does love her baths and I love giving her her baths - I just wish that my hubby would do it every once in a while.   I know that he’s tired when he gets home, however I’m tired when he gets home too :)  Natasha’s baths are so much fun because I’ve started blowing bubbles for her in a cup and she’ll pop them once I stop.  I’m trying to get her to blow as well, but she doesn’t want to.

Tomorrow we’re taking her to the Zoe Sky Ranch in Larkspur, CO. From 9am to noon, they allow kids with disabilities - actually, ALL KINDS of kids - to come and play with their horses.  Natasha’s never seen a horse and I’d like to get her out in the sun for a while.  Plus Tom and I both like horses too.

Sometimes it feels like I’m reaching for anything and everything to try to pull Natasha out of her shell.  I think that she’s making progress - I just hope she continues to do so.

While I could swear that Natasha stopped growing like normal after her two flu shots, I still would like to give her her vaccines.  But I am really afraid to do so.  What if they cause her to regress again?  I know that the bastard who came out with the study saying that the MMR causes autism FALSIFIED HIS RESEARCH, but… what if… what if it’s something else?  Maybe…

(sigh) No one said this would be easy.

Speech therapy w/ Moni

Well, speech therapy seems to be going well.  Natasha still isn’t saying anything but tonight, after Moni had left, she was EXTREMELY vocal when we put her in her crib to go to sleep.  She chattered and carried on for about half an hour.  She’s been eating a lot of cheese recently… yeah, I think she’s constipated.

There’s definitely something about kid farts.  She has almost run us out of the room.  The idea that this horrid smell could come from this little body… Her daddy and I keep looking in her diaper, thinking that this time HAS to be the time for her to have poo’d.  Nope.  Still clean.

Yay. So much fun.

I’m going to try and keep this blog updated more.  I need to write more - and not just fiction.

Book Tour! Bubba and Giganto: Odds Against Us by Lea Schizas

For about two years, I have heard this name: Lea Schizas.

When I first encountered Ms. Schizas, it was in the form of the Muse
Online Writers Conference, a free writing conference offered usually in
October, completely online.  I signed up for the conference last year
and then promptly forgot about it. 

Though the conference email list, I was reminded last August about
the past year’s conference and throughout September, I was stunned at
what was being offered to writers on the Internet for FREE! There were
published authors offering week-long workshops on everything from plot
and dialogue to specific genres like how to write cozy mysteries and
science fiction. There was even a workshop on how to write erotica!
Chats were scheduled throughout the day to ask questions regarding the
workshop you took as well as question and answer sessions with
publishers! 

Last year was my first Muse Conference, but most definitely NOT my last. 

Not only does Ms. Schizas plan and organize the Muse Conference, she also is:

• Founder and Editor in Chief of two Writer’s Digest 101 Top Writing
  Sites since 2004 and recipients of several Preditors and Editors
  Awards: Apollo’s Lyre, an online writer’s Zine, and the online writing critique community The MuseItUp Club.

• Founder of The Muse Online Writers Conference

• Founder of The Muse Marquee

• Founder of The Muse Book Reviews

• Reviewer for the award-winning site AllBooksReviews.com

• Editor for Double Dragon Publishing

• Submissions Editor for Red Rose Publishing.

She ALSO is the author of the Young Adult paranormal
suspense/thriller “Doorman’s Creek”, co-author and editor of the
nonfiction writing reference book, “The Muse on Writing” and the fantasy “Aleatory’s Junction,”
and author of “The Librarian Who Wasn’t”, a short story appearing in
the EPPIE award-winning Anthology “Twisted Tails II”, and an article
published in the book, “Hollywood Experts” a Silver Foreword award
winner.

You can read more of Lea’s bio and accomplishments at: http://leaschizaseditor.com/

And today, she comes to both of my meager little blogs, Imperfect Clarity and Mama Bear Knows Best, to talk about her newest book, Bubba & Giganto: Odds Against Us.

A synopsis of the book:

Bubba hates it when his dad gets a contract for a new
project. That means uprooting the family from one city and moving to
another. Attending a new school is a major pet peeve of his. His smart
alecky nature attracts the bullies in every school he’s attended.

On the first day of school, Bubba bumps into this rather large
student. Fearing a confrontation, he wears his tough guy attitude and
waits for the punches to begin. Remarkably, the new student apologizes,
and Bubba and David (aka Giganto as Bubba eventually nicknames him)
become best friends.

Bubba and Giganto try out for the high school soccer team, and
that’s when trouble begins. Bubba knew eventually he’d meet the bullies
of the school, and he was right.

In the first initial weeks, Bubba learns about a death that occurred
the previous year; faces the bullies on several occasions; helps
Giganto practice soccer before tryouts; and challenges the bullies to a
scrimmage.

Little does Bubba know Giganto holds a secret - one that will place Giganto in a deadly situation.

For this tour, I was able to ask Ms. Schizas a few questions regarding her book as well as her own writing time.

Kari Wolfe: Why bullying?  Why did you choose that specific theme for your book?

Ms. Schizas: It’s something I’ve witnessed, have been told
by my children, and find more and more kids simply have no
understanding of the repercussions or injury they are inflicting on
other children. We see enough of this from adults.

KW: What would you recommend to those kids and teenagers who either
see bullying happen on the playground/schoolyard or have it happen to
them?

LS: I would love for them to first report it. Making
teachers aware of a situation so they can handle it is the first step.
The next would be to befriend that child. If they are the ones being
bullied the same suggestion applies - report it. Mind you, this is
easier said than done because kids fear repercussions from the bullies.
This is part of what I have in my Teacher’s Guide:

Bullies feel superior when they do any of these things,
without any regard to how the other person feels.  At times, a bully
might not like someone because of the way he looks, what he wears, the
color of his skin and race, so the way they respond to this person is
by bullying them.

If you see a friend bullied on school grounds, here are a few tips:

• walk away and get a teacher and let them know what you saw

• if someone encourages you to join them in bullying another student, say NO!

• be a friend to the student who is bullied and tell them to tell a teacher. Be supportive

• if you are afraid of the bully, then tell the teacher or grown-up not to reveal your name

• do not fight the bully. It’s better to go and get a grown-up

Remember this: if you stand around watching a friend or
fellow student bullied, to them it feels you are part of the ‘bully
group’ because you are watching and doing nothing to help them out.
Walk away and get a teacher or grown-up.

If you are a victim, remember – IT’S NOT YOUR FAULT! Try to follow these tips:

• try to avoid reacting when a bully is bothering you. The
  more of a reaction you show, the more satisfied he gets and will
  continue

• if you are shoved, don’t shove back. You will only succeed in angering them and will shove you back harder

• try to play in an open area where teachers and supervisors have a better view

• hang out with your friends

• if bullied on the school bus, then sit up front somewhere close to the bus driver

• avoid bringing expensive items to school that a bully might want to steal or grab from you

KW: As a published author, what do you recommend to those in our
audience who want to be authors but just don’t feel that they have the
time to write?

LS: I’m sorry but when I hear ‘I don’t have time to write’
then my gut tells me you really don’t have the passion you need to
write. Writers who have stories to tell WILL find the time at some
point during the day to write, even if it’s a paragraph. We all have
the same 24 hours in a day yet many of us find the time to pen a few
words a day or at least every other day.

To me, stating you have no time is just an excuse to justify
the lack of writing. Harsh? Perhaps, but from my experience, I find you
need to shock some back into reality. Writing is a part of our lives
and if we need to wake up at 5am before anyone gets up and interrupts
us, then we do. If we need to grab a pen and notebook and write in the
bathroom for some peace and quiet, we do. Where there’s a will, there’s
a way.

KW: As Mother Hen, you corral a LOT of us in the Muse and you also
are extremely productive.  Is there anything in your experience that
might help others become as productive?

LS: My answer might sound like a mirror image to the
previous question, but it’s passion. I love what I do and find when you
love something you are productive. Arranging your priorities according
to either deadlines or in a system where you can dedicate time for each
project is another area.

In my Writing Jungle blog, I posted a method I use that many have said have helped them tremendously. Here’s the link:

http://thewritingjungle.blogspot.com/2008/11/leas-rotating-disc-method.html

Thank you, Ms. Schizas, so much for allowing me to interview you and to have you on my blogs today! 

Now, for those of you in the audience, please feel free to ask
questions or leave a comment.  Each comment will add your name in a pot
to win a copy of Ms. Schizas’ ebook, “Bubba & Giganto: Odds Against
Us.”

Bubba & Giganto:Odds Against Us
by Lea Schizas
4RV Publishing LLC
P.O. Box 6482
Edmond, OK 73083-6482
http://www.4rvpublishingllc.com
ISBN: 978-0-9797513-6-3
$10.99US

Book Tour! In My Mind: Through the Eyes of Autism by Adonya Wong

Welcome to “Mama Bear Knows Best,” my blog about my sensory-seeking child!

This has also been cross-posted at Imperfect Clarity, my writing blog.

Today, I would like to welcome Adonya Wong to my meager little blog.  Her book, In My Mind: Through the Eyes of Autism, has been released and I am fortunate enough to have her here with us for a few questions on her virtual book tour!  Because of my daughter’s sensory issues, autism has become near and dear to my heart.

• When you learned that Nicholas was autistic, how did you and your family learn to accept that diagnosis?  Is there any advice that you could give to other families who are in a similar situation?

When I learned he had autism, I was taken aback.  Like most parents, I was not prepared to hear those words.  I wasn’t prepared to hear that there was “something wrong with him”.  That’s how I saw autism… in those early months.  I saw it as a bad thing.  Plus, it didn’t help matters when I told my family, and they denied the diagnosis.  To them, there was nothing awry, and he just needed to “around other kids his own age”.  I’m thankful, however, for my friends.  Their unwavering support has helped me so much during this journey. In addition, I changed my views about autism, and life has been happier ever since.

The best advice I can offer new families is to seek out support.  You’ll quickly discover who your true friends are as well as how supportive your family is.  Seek out parent groups, and if there isn’t one close by… ORGANIZE one yourself.  There’s no greater feeling than being around other parents who understand your life, who want to offer useful advice, and who will not hesitate to offer a kind and supportive listening ear.  Or even a shoulder for those days when you just want to cry.

• What activities do you and Nicholas both enjoy that make you two feel closer to one another?

We’re avid readers, so cuddling up to a good story is always fun. Dr. Seuss is a personal favorite, and I believe we have 90% of his work.  I recently added chapter books into the mix, and his reaction to them has been positive.  I started him out on a story he knew all too well, Charlotte’s Web. Now, we’ve “graduated” to other equally exciting stories.  We’re currently reading, The Stupendous Dodgeball Fiasco by Janice Repka.  I’m careful not to read any YA to him where the language may seem a bit harsh (i.e. name calling or things like that).

We also enjoy board games.  He gets a real kick out of Chutes & Ladders and Candy Land!  He’s such a good sport; he gets really excited regardless of who wins!

• What wisdom can you share with inspiring writers?

When I hear someone say,”but I have nothing to write about”, I often tell them… look closely at your life.  “Now, do you see?  You have more than enough to write about.“  People should start with what they experience on every day.  The story usually comes without prompting or too much forethought.

Writing should also never be forced.  If if doesn’t come naturally… wait it out.  A good story often comes in its own time.

Thank you, Adonya, for gracing us with your presence. Having read your book, I believe both the words and the images are a wonderful addition to helping both children and adults understand more about autism spectrum disorder.  This understanding is lacking in parts of our society today and I am very thankful that there are people out there who can assist in that.

Readers, please feel free to leave your comments, questions and thoughts in the appropriate field below.  And we have prizes!  For the entire book tour, Adonya will pick:

One lucky reader will win a gift basket containing an autographed copy of my book, a copy of Ten
Things Every Child with Autism Wish You Knew, packages of Enjoy Life™ and Namaste Foods™ goodies, and an eco-friendly cleaning starter kit (Whole Foods® 365™ brand), and (1) $50 Amazon.com gift card!!.  This prize will be valued at $200.

The winner will be announced 4 days after the tour ends, so check back and see if you’ve won!

Adonya’s next stop will be Autism Learning Felt (www.autismfelt.blogspot.com).

To learn about the author and her book, In My Mind, please visit her at www.throughtheeyesofautism.com and www.throughtheeyesofautism.wordpress.com!

Adonya’s book is available at Amazon.com, Borders.com, Target.com, as well as a bookstore near you!

In My Mind: The World through the Eyes of Autism (Tate Publishing 2009)

Published: January 6, 2009
Genre: Children’s Fiction
ISBN 10: 1-60696-601-4
ISBN 13: 978-1-60696-601-3
28 Pages (full-color paperback)
$9.99 (includes audio book version)

A portion of the author’s proceeds benefit Autism Center of Tulsa (formerly Tulsa Autism
Foundation) (http://www.autismtulsa.org).

Virtual Book Tour! “In My Mind…” by Adonya Wong

I have been fortunate enough to join Adonya Wong’s first virtual book tour for her book, In My Mind… The World Through the Eyes of Autism.

And guess what? On the 27th of January, Ms. Wong will be gracious enough to stop by and answer a few questions for you in the comments, regarding her book, being an author, and being a parent of a child who has been diagnosed as autistic.  Many of you know that children with autism have become nearer and dearer to my heart since finding out that my beautiful Natasha could be autistic.  I am grateful to Ms. Wong for not only appearing on my blog, but for being available ALL DAY to answer any comments and questions that you might have.

This image comes from Amazon’s website and it is linked to Amazon if you would like to purchase the book or to find out more before Ms. Wong makes her stop here.

I look forward to being a welcome spot on the road of her book tour!

Remember: January 27th, all day long!

Post on Universal Healthcare, Pt II.

Please see today’s post on “Universal Healthcare, Pt. II” on Taeda Inflammus, my conservative political blog!  And don’t forget - every Thursday night at 11pm Eastern/9pm Mountain, you can catch our radio show, Igneous Taeda, where Alex, Stephen and I (the three bloggers of Taeda) tell you our thoughts and take your input on politics of all types!