I Forget

And sometimes I forget. I forget that he has autism. It doesn't matter. It is absent. It can not be seen or heard. It is when he fits right in. It is when he is accepted by others. When he's included, I forget. That's what happened today. I forgot my son has autism. It didn't cone to mind. This is especially true as he was socializing with others and as he was greeting people who passed by at the park. A little girl played with him. They dug for worms. They were happy. They were playing and using their imagination. They were being kids. Together. No discrimination. He was even told he was cute. Then he made more friends. Two boys. My husband and I watched him play and interact. It was a game of tag then hide and seek. Whatever it was, he was smiling. He was communicating appropriately. He was with two other boys his age. Autism did not matter then. They liked him. When they had to leave, they told JJ they'll see him later. It was great joy to watch that. We gave him space and observed him. He was super happy and content. Just a regular kid. That is all. He fit right in. Autism didn't matter. At that time, it didn't. Not at all. For that, I'm grateful.

JJ, You are Wanted

A healthy child is a happy child and a happy child feels well and a child who feels well will always learn well.

I am so blessed that my son is happy and healthy. He has a lot of energy and is very creative. He loves to learn. He loves to write and read and definitely loves to try new things. I am very proud of him. He amazes me all the time.

He is cherished. He is wanted.

He motivates me to do more and to be more. He is our rock. He teaches us so much. This boy really has a wonderful soul and a heart of gold. I look forward to spending time with him. I often think of activities that we can do together and places that we can explore together. There is no other way I would rather spend my weekends and everyday than with my family. My rock, my inspiration and everything!!!

I want him to have the best childhood he can ever experience. I wish for him to have the fondest memories and to feel the love that both my husband and i have for him. That is so very important. I want him to know and understand that he is our gift. He is wanted. He means so much to us.

He is wanted.

It is awesome now how he is into Loorducation. He knows when I am taking a picture of him and asks questions about what I ma going to say  about the picture and where am I going to put it up. He gives feedback and shares his ideas. that is important. It is vital that his voice is heard and I am so thrilled that he enjoys sharing and expressing himself. We are forever grateful. FOREVER.

He is wanted.

He asks thousands of questions. Repeats hundreds of things. Obsesses over "little" things.

He is wanted.

You Want to do What?

He wants to use his Angry Bird sling shot to do something that I would have NEVER thought a 6 year old would say...

As we walked past Petco, he told me that he wanted to take all of the toys and things in there, put them all on his sling shot and send them all the way up to Heaven - for his 2 guinea pigs that passed away during the summer. Zebra Isabella and Fatty George. Those two animals were his best friends and he loved them so...

Yes, one by one, he told me he would take the pet supplies and blast them off into Heaven so Zebra and George could be happy and have things to play with.

Yes, my indigo. So proud of him.

I am glad he is not "typical". A six year old would usually want to take the sling shot and throw stuff to knock things down.

 



Autism is his blessing. He is empathetic. He has raw emotion. He is truly unique and innocent. He is on the spectrum and not only will he be somebody one day, he IS somebody today!!!

And that is it..short and sweet <3, Dany

 

Little Hands, Big Learning

Are You Ignoring Me?

Why Can't You Hear Me?

Are you deaf? Are you DEAF? I said that at the top of my lungs as loud as I can, right in front of him and still NO response. He stared ahead at the TV, without a twitch. Let's go back, a couple minutes beforehand I was calling out his name and he was not paying attention or so I thought. I finally became so frustrated that I shouted, "Are you deaf?", and still nothing. I could not help it. I did not know what was happening. I did not know what was going on. Why isn't my son responding? Oh my goodness, can he hear me?  Is this why he is not talking? Is this why  he does not babble or ask for things. You see, he was three years old. He has not yet spoken in a complete sentence. He could not tell you his name. He was non verbal. I believe he had said a few words, but that stopped. Then, nothing. It was literally a few words from what I can recall, then absolutely, nothing. He did not wave bye bye, was still in diapers, did not say his name and could not answer what was asked of him. What is going on? My son can not hear me. Fast forward, he has fluids in his ear and has decreased hearing because of it. Only about 20% capacity. We move along. He gets diagnosed with autism, we move along. Fast forward, he gets tubes in his ears and we move along. His speech begins to come and we move along. He hears better and that is why he is beginning to speak because he can now hear what is going on in the world around him. We move along.Blessings in disguise....

Why are Oranges Orange?

I only have one son but I know children pretty well considering my Bachelor of Science degree in Child Studies.So I know that children ask tons of questions each and every day. I also found that out when I was a lead pre kindergarten teacher at a private early childhood learning center. Anyhow, JJ asks questions from the moment he wakes up until he is in bed for the night. He wants to know everything. Many times I can not even answer his questions. His questions have depth and are very detail oriented and elaborate. A child may ask," what shape is that?" and JJ will keep going from there. Not only does he want to know the shape of the object but the reasoning behind it. He needs to know it all. He likes to know the steps of the things we are doing and he always seems to be thinking ahead because he will ask how many more steps and what the next step will be. JJ will ask about words in Spanish but also have the need to know why they sound the way they do and things of that nature. Where are we going? Why are we going? Are we there yet? What are we getting there? Why are we getting it? Where are we going next? What are we going to do later? Yes, that is all typical of him and he does question in that order and manner all of the time. He is wise beyond his years and oh so curious that he really does teach me a lot about life and more. I learn patience as well. I never thought he would talk this much and I thank God because he never talked until he was after 3 years of  age and beyond. Sometimes it can be overwhelming and I have to let it soak in. But how can I answer , why are are oranges orange? Hmm..many times I can be stumped. He is very intelligent and must know details to many things. When he asks me something!, whatever it may be, he will ask my husband the same question just to get some kind of reassurance. Today was , how long is an hour mommy? It is a long time JJ just  go upstairs and grab your book or toy. I can easily say 60 minutes and that can turn into what is sixty minutes? And so on and so forth. It can get challenging but I learn everyday and I try my best to apply new knowledge in every situation. My indigo child of the new world..... We need to give children more credit. They are important and they matter. Not only is JJ the future, he is the present and making his footprints as all children have the right to do. I still do not know how to answer why oranges are orange..do you?



 

My Boy: Part 87

JJ is still at school. He should be getting home in about an hour. I got some things done today but I miss him. I missed his presence when I went to the store and ran my errands. When he got on the bus this morning, I already wanted him back home. I know that I am fortunate and blessed when he gets off the school bus in the afternoon. I am blessed that he is home with me and Daddy. It the days, sometimes when you start thinking, many children never make it home to their parents. There are many stories where you hear that children never made it home. It is heart breaking, it is sad. You put them on the bus in the morning....... (I cannot continue with that) FAITH, that is what we have to keep. The unwavering faith. I thank God every day for my husband and son. Each day, we let each other know we are loved, by words and by manners. It is such a blessing. He is a super kid. He is a great boy to mommy and daddy. He is super special. He has something in him that is awesome, too awesome for words. I am happy that he is my son. Let's see what he has to say about school today..Sometimes he says it is a secret..Hey, but at least he is happy and can vocalize his emotions. He is a talker. Sometimes at a million miles per hour. In the end, I thank god for that. What a huge difference/improvement from when my husband and I first sent him to school. He could not even talk. He was still in diapers. He was just diagnosed with ASD. But it is OK. Here we are 3 years later and what a turn around it has been. Like I always say, he may have autism but autism doe snot have him.

My Boy: Part 84

It is JJ's second day of first grade and he loves it. Actually, he could not wait to go back to school. I do not blame him. He really missed it - the bus, his friends and his teachers. He has been thrilled. Waking up very happy. He brought a few little things to school today in a brown paper bag. It is called a "Me Bag". It was a cute homework assignment that he teacher sent home for the kids to put 4 things in the bag that the kids can show and talk about. I think that is a fabulous idea and I am going to have to do something similar.

I am proud of him. He is such a sweet boy. He is my heart. I thank God for him every single day. Even though he can speak, I will always be his voice and advocate. Always and all ways. Yes, the boy can talk. Sometimes I even forget that he was non verbal until the age of 4. Lots and Lots of questions. He wants to know specific details, numbers etc. He needs to know what we are doing, when, where, what time and exactly what we are going to do after that. He needs to know what and how many things we need to get on our shopping lists and from which stores. And, that IS OK. I love him.

My Boy: Part 83

JJ has had a very good summer. In one week he will be back to school. He really misses going to school and being with his friends. He wants to take the school bus. He always enjoys the ride. Today, we got him some school supplies. He loves to go shopping.. His best thing though, was getting a bag full of little Halloween creatures from the dollar store. He came home and played with them in the kinetic sand. He loves sensory play, it is so relaxing for him. He has been strumming on the guitar along with daddy. Through out the summer, he has been reading a lot. He has been active in imagination as well. His skills have sharpened and I am truly impressed. Today he was practicing his fine motor skills using a hole puncher. trying to get him to use both hands because at first he was a dominant left handed boy and his OT at school has made him use mainly his right hand. He can use both quite well. He plays the guitar as a left handed person does. He practices his writing and already got his lunch bag and book bag all set for his first day of first grade. What a big boy. Mommy and Daddy are so proud of him. He literally teaches me about exotic animals all the time. that is his thing. Don't you dare call an opossum a rodent. it is a marsupial because they have pouches that carry their young. My piece of the puzzle. My indigo. So blessed. he is going into first grade with a great vocabulary. When he first started school in PK3, he was non verbal. He could not talk or say his name. Now he will ask a million questions and many times not your typical 6 year old type questions. I get questions like, Why did God make us? That is just the tip of this autistic iceberg.

My Boy: Part 82

Field Day happened on Sunday. He really enjoyed it. JJ got to be with all of his karate friends. It was a blast despite a few mini meltdowns of wanting to go in a bouncy house and play games as well as waiting in line for registration. It was sunny and hot so the behavior was more understandable today. That day JJ ate a hamburger and a hotdog. I was so surprised because he has never eaten a hamburger from a cook out before. Ya know, it is the little things. Yeah and it was with organic ketchup. : )

We are working on going all organic for JJ. We have been seeing a difference especially when he takes his omega 3 supplements, multi - vitamins and his fish oil liquid. Going organic costs a lot more than traditional foods but it is so worth it especially when consuming organics helps calm and soothe the symptoms of ASD such as hand flapping and verbal stimming.

JJ participated in a few games and had fun throughout the time we were there playing with other children. It was great because he needed the social interactions with others as he has not been in school, Yes, he misses it. He has been telling me that lately. That is a great sign. I am proud of him. As a desire of mine is to have my son to love learning and embrace it.

My Boy: Part 81

ESY ended more than a week ago but JJ still has been busy reading, writing, and of course, playing and experimenting. He did develop the humming sound again. It started about four days ago. It sounds like a long hmmmm, hmmmmmmmm, several times repeated over again. He used to do this type of stimming before he was able to speak. When he was non verbal, JJ would stim by running back and forth from the living room to the front door, humming really loudly and flapping his hands. Once he began to speak, at the age of almost 4, the verbal stim drifted away. So my husband and I were surprised to hear it again after all of this time, basically out of the blue. Instead of telling him to stop doing it, we asked him why he does it. Now, years ago before we knew he has autism and before we knew what was going on and how to make sense of it all, I would have told him to stop that. I have learned to have patience. As we all know sometimes it may run out but I thank God for learning every day and becoming stronger. It can be nerve wrecking but I try..I try to understand why so I ask him and he tells me it makes him happy. Now how are we supposed to tell a child to stop doing something that makes him happy (of course not self harming or harming others)?


So we took him to the neurologist and the doctor told us to ignore the behavior. Ignore it because it will go away. he might be doing this due to not being in school and having that routine. SO for now, I have not heard it many times today. We will see. JJ told me that he does miss school and that he loves it. He misses his friends and being able to ride the bus each morning and afternoon. It is the little things that mean so much and that are very important.

The Start of a Virtual Journey...

My Boy: part 1
Originally Posted on September 19, 2013 by danyloor


This was my FaceBook status a few days ago…..

2 years ago, the neurologist placed my son in the middle of the autism spectrum and yesterday, the same neurologist, said if he did not know any better he would say that my son does not have ASD as his symptoms are going away….

I received 30 likes and over 20 comments on this. I am so grateful that people took the time out to say some nice encouraging words for my son. It means a lot and is very much appreciated. For everyone that wished us well, a few seconds out of your day sending words of encouragement gives people more hope. We realize that we are all in this together.

My son was diagnosed with autism on August 9, 2011. This was a few weeks after his third birthday. He was going in for his yearly check up but this time I just knew something…..

Image

You see, at the time I was taking my Teaching the Exceptional Child course for my B.S. and we were focusing on Autism Spectrum Disorders. As I was learning the signs and symptoms I realized that my son was a match for nearly all of them. He was not talking. He may have said a few words here and there but that was it. He would have to hold onto toys and would get anxiety if one happened to fall out of his hands. He was afraid of loud noises and would cover his ears. Actually, my husband and I used to think he was deaf because he would not respond to us calling his name. I would literally scream out his name and he would not even budge. He would line up toys and other objects…I thought this was so cute being this was our first child and we just had no idea. He would play with toys but in some sort of way that did not seem natural, but yet again I just thought that was okay. He never really waved bye bye and when he did he would have his hands towards himself, as if he was saying bye bye to himself. I loved that so much, my baby saying bye bye. I did not know but as I was studying, I gained the knowledge I needed to bring my questions and diagnosis to the doctor.

Oh yeah, this too – he would run back and forth and would not stop, at the same time he was flapping his hands. I still did not know but all of this was coming back to me when I was studying ASD and it triggered my memory. I love my son so much and everyone would ask why he did not talk and that he should be talking and I just thought it is because he is bilingual and it just takes longer for children with two languages to process the information. In the back of my mind I would ask myself why isn’t my son talking. Here I see children younger than he is talking in complete sentences. That is my baby boy and I love him, he will talk.

So my son is not talking yet and when he wants something he will just point- only sometimes. Usually, he would just grab my hand and utter some sounds as I would see what he needed. Usually it was a snack, kids love snacks and boy did I know he wanted that cookie because that smile was worth a thousand words even though he could not tell me.

He would grasp little things and hold onto them with intensity. I just looked at him in awe. I love my son and look how engrossed he is with a tiny button, pen cap, a part to a toy- whatever it was, no matter how tiny, he was focused and wanted it. He had to hold it. That thing needed to be in his hands and if he lost it, he would have anxiety that was until we could find it again..

So, he was not hitting benchmarks and he could not hold a fork or spoon properly to feed himself but that is my son and I so love him. By the way, he said birthday cake after seeing a decoration at his party, I was amazed. That cute little pause between those words..amazing. I felt so proud of my boy. He would hum really loudly for more than 30 seconds at a time sometimes and he would run and spin in circles. He was not afraid of danger or falling.

Going back to August 9, 2011, my father in law and I brought him to the doctor and that is when…… My son IS on the spectrum...

An Ode to J.Lo...On the 6

So, do you listen to J.Lo? Remember, she popped onto the music scene about 15 years ago, and 'On the 6' was Jennifer Lopez's debut album? She was on the cover of the CD, sitting on a white couch and dressed in off white. She had long brown hair and was showing off her mid drift.Some songs were good. I listened to the CD at times. Anyhow this post has NOTHING to do with her at all. Actually, this post is dedicated to my son, JJ (JLo) for his 6th birthday, which is today!!! And THAT is why I entitled this post (An Ode to J.Lo...On the 6). I figured this was the perfect fit for a day like today. A very special day. An amazing day. My son's 6th birthday is today. Wow, time has flown on by. Today my big boy is 6 years old. So, On the 6, I want to dedicated this to my JLo, JJ. : )

Mommy and Daddy are so blessed to have a wonderful son like you.
You are amazing beyond words. You are intelligent, peaceful and loving. You make life very special. You are talented and gifted. You have so much to offer the world. To the world you may be one person, but to Mommy and Daddy, you are the world and we love you more than we can ever say. God bless you everyday and in every way.
Happy 6th Birthday JJ!!!

JJ woke up today in a great mood. He was excited for his birthday. He was happy that he got to wear his favorite Phineas and Ferb shirt and his best lobster shorts. He was surprised that Mommy and Daddy showed up at school with cupcakes and Yoohoo boxes for him and his classmates. He was thrilled that everyone sang Happy Birthday to him. He had some fun with friends and was happy for a poster board card that I made for him with puffy letter stickers and a variety of animal stickers, all in groups of 6. He called it his animal collection. He took the bus home. He was so happy to see several helium balloons all over the living room and one Spider-man balloon tied to the porch. After we ate we went out for ice cream then onto the store so he can pick out his gifts. We hit the jackpot at Toys R Us after we have been to two other stores. Anyhow, they made him feel very special there. they gave him a birthday crown, a birthday balloon and also announced his birthday over the loud speaker. It was super cool. He picked out a stuffed Pokemon backpack, a Mario Bros. Figure set and a Mario Bros. lunch bag- which he wanted to pack with food tonight. He had a tiny piece of pound cake with fresh strawberries. I gave him a nice shower after he got to relax, play with his new toys and watch some TV. He is all snuggled up in bed now tightly hugging his Pickachu after a good night kiss and prayers. He had an amazing birthday. Thank You God, he is blessed, therefore our family is blessed. thank You!!
HAPPY BIRTHDAY JJ, you are loved!!!
Thank you everyone for reading. We appreciate your support.



xxoo
Dany

My Boy: Part 80..Answering Friends' Questions

Hello everyone!! A few of our friends sent some questions for JJ to answer. I copied his answers exactly how he replied. He sure had fun with this. he enjoyed being asked questions. He said he wanted it all day. I asked him the questions a few at a time not to overwhelm him. I will leave it up to him to be the question king. So here is goes...

The Following questions come from Dawn. Dawn is a great friend over at www.facebook.com/loorducation. She has an awesome page called Hardlybored.

Do you like to draw, is so what?
yes, pictures

Do you like to paint, if so what?
uh huh, pictures

Do you like to play with clay?
uh huh

Do you have a favorite story, if so what?
Yes, my favorite story is...Uh, I don't know what my favorite story is. My favorite story is Beauty and the Beast.

Do you have any chores?
yes

Thank you Dawn. I hope you enjoy JJ's answers. Those were good questions. Not sure why he answered Beauty and the Beast, but he did lol. We do not have that book. Maybe he read it at school. We do not own the DVD either. Maybe he picked it up somewhere. He does love to draw, paint and play with clay. Lots of sensory. His chores are to clean up, put toys away, etc. Not that he always does it : )


The next questions come from Danielle Lewis, another friend from Facebook

Do you like to play outside? yes

What is your favorite song? My favorite song is Phineas and Ferb Birthday

Do you like to dance? yes

Thank you Danielle!! He sure does love to play outside and get dirty. He is always clowning around and dancing. As for his favorite song, I am thinking he means the theme song to that certain cartoon, just because he was about to take a break and watch it. :)



This next questions come from Lisa, a very good friend of mine. She has an awesome page on Facebook called SLAP aka Strong Loving Autism Parents. You should check it out. Great page.

Do you like music? yes

What's your favorite piece of clothing? Phineas and Ferb Mission Marvel

Do you want to go on an airplane? Yes....to Ecuador

Thank you Lisa!! Jorge loves music a whole lot, just like his daddy. He has his own hand made guitar and loves using the mic and other instruments. His fave tee is that shirt that he stated. He always wants to wear it and never take it off. He LOVES airplanes.He is always talking about going back to Ecuador all the time.



The next questions come from a good friend of Loorducation. She has a page called Em's Journey and she has written a book with her daughter, who like JJ, is on the spectrum.

What do you want to do when you grow up?
I want to build robots.

Tell me about your best friend. What makes them your best friend?
I don't know..the panda on the car.

Do you like books/stories? What's your favorite story and why?
(shakes head yes :) )
Beauty and the Beast. I like the beats because he is a powerful monster.

Thank you Jen!!! He sure does loves robots. They are one of his obsessions. Always talks about them too, so I really do think he wants to build some. As for his best friend..not sure but he loves pandas and today's thing of the day was a panda magnet that we stuck on the car. He answered Beauty and the Beast...I am going to have to get that book for him. : )



The following set of questions come from Catherine Monroe Luther,a friend on facebook who supports our journey and page.

Who is your favorite cartoon character? Why? Phineas and Ferb, it's Ferb. Ferb's a cool builder. He builds robots and puts Candace in jail.

Do you love cats or dogs more? Why? I like cats and dogs and parakeets. I like hawks and pigeons and falcons. I don't know, Mommy.

What is your favorite flavor of ice cream? Chocolate, I like it in a cone with a cherry on top.

What is your favorite thing about Mommy?
We like taking care of you...(who?) Daddy and me : ) aww..

What is your favorite thing about Daddy?
I like playing games with him.

What makes a good friend?
Uh, I like playing games with them.

What is your favorite season? Why? Winter. Because I like playing in the snow.

Thank you Catherine!! He currently loves that character Ferb and he loves all animals, a lot. This week it is birds, all kinds, all types. All species. He will let you know the difference as well. He always says he love staking care of me and loves to be with daddy to play games. he loves all kids and babies too.



Thank you all for reading. We appreciate the support!!!

xxoo
Dany

My Boy: Part 79 - The Interview...

Since JJ is always asking us so many questions day in and day out, I thought I would ask him some questions in an interview style. I told him that I would be sharing this all with you. He is excited about that. All of the questions that I have typed up, I have asked him. I typed his actual responses below each question. Let us know if you have a specific question that you would like JJ to answer. So here it goes...



My interview with JJ

1. What is your favorite animal?
A Hawk

2. What is your favorite color?
BLACK and BLUE

3. What is your favorite food to eat?
Fries and Mickey Mouse Nuggets

4. What is your favorite T.V. Show?
WILD KRATTS
`Why do you like that show so much?
I like when the WIld Kratts say the features about porcupines.
`Why do you like porcupines?
I like porcupines because they have sharp quills.


5. What is your favorite thing about school?
I like eating breakfast and playing.
`What do you like to play at school?
I like to play with the dinosaurs at school

6. What do you like to do at home?
I like to play at home.
`What do you play at home?
Super Mario kart 8 (side note , we really do not have Super Mario kart 8 : )

&. What is your favorite part about a falcon?
I like when it goes fast.
A falcon is a wild bird.

9. What is your favorite book?
About the tree Frogs

10. What is your favorite place to go?
I like to go to Wendy's.
I like to go to Costco.

11. What is your favorite snack?
Cheetos

12. What is 5 + 5?
Equals 10

13. Who is your best friend?
You (pointing to me : ) Insert AWWWWW here : )


14.What does Daddy do for a job?
Put gas in his car
`But what does he do for a job?
He goes to work.
`Where?
To work.
`Where's work?
Far away

15. What does Mommy do?
You put gas in the car
`But what does Mommy do for a job?
You go to school for a job.

16. What is autism?
Autism awareness is about college studying.

17. Do you have autism?
yes
`What does that mean to you?
Autism means to me that I like studying to college.

TO BE CONTINUED......

I hope you enjoyed this little question and answer section. It was great to make JJ a part of this. The questions were all random and asked the moment I typed them. No particular order, theme etc. Just whatever cam to mind. What would you like to know? JJ is happy to read and respond. Thank you all for your time. Be on the look out for more great stuff coming your way. On a mission here.

Please check out www.facebook.com/loorducation

xxoo
Dany

My Boy: Part 78

This week flew by once again. Karate, ESY, library, Sensory Breaks, home therapy, reading and lots of learning and play. A little flapping here and there due to happiness and being excited. One more week of ESY and then the rest of the summer off to discover and learn more great things and to get ready for first grade. Wow, first grade already!! He is going to be six on Monday : ). Where has the time gone? He has accomplished so much since his diagnosis. My husband and I were just watching videos of JJ's younger days. His speech has drastically improved. His hearing has improved. Also his vocabulary has increased. Lots of questions!!! Lots and Lots of animal questions everyday. I will take it. Waited a long time to hear his voice. It is all worth it. Early intervention and dedication is key when a child is diagnosed with being on the autism spectrum. It took a lot of work and specialist visits, therapy sessions, IEP meetings and so on but we would do it all over again. Patience plays a huge role. As we know as parents, it is not always easy but it is always work it. Build a strong foundation. Be an advocate. Being my son's voice and protector. He is such an inspiration. Autism is the frosting on the cupcake. Sometimes, there may be way too much frosting and sometimes there may not be enough, but in the end the cupcake is still sweet anyhow.

My Boy: Part 77

Today JJ went to the trampoline park. He was anxious and getting desperate upon arrival because we had to wait. He starting acting up. He was also hitting himself. He was very impatient. It was time to go in. Again, frustrated because he had to wait on line. Frustrated because he had to wait in each additional section. We got through that. A nice guy let us jump the line in one part. I guess he saw Jorge's behaviors and felt bad for him. Anyhow we got to the open trampolines. He loved it. That's until someone else jumped with him. He did not like that so he would growl and hiss at them. So time went on. He was jumping and enjoying now and was happy because he ran out to tell me he loves me. He went back to jumping and playing. Then a little girl came up to me to tell me Jorge keeps following her. I just smiled and looked out for Jorge. A while later a boy came to tell me Jorge was following him and I just replied, be is a small kid and not doing anything wrong. OK eyes back on JJ. A few minutes later the same little girl tells me again that JJ keeps following her and her brother and they don't like it. Well I proceeded to tell her that he's small and not doing anything wrong. I asked if he was hitting and he was not doing anything like that. So as she was walking away, I called her back and she came. I said that Jorge doesn't mean to be doing that and he has something called autism. She said OK and left to get her brother. She was telling her brother what I said then I heard her say let's go somewhere else. Now I'm not sure she knew what autism is but maybe she did. Not sure. I was going to explain it to her in simple terms. But maybe I didn't get the chance to cause maybe I just didn't have to. It could've been her brother had autism too, who knows. Maybe. There were three parents there with children on the spectrum. An autism mommy can just sense these things sometimes. I just looked at one handsome boy and said to myself he has autism. I wasn't judging but naturally observing. Anyhow come to find out I saw him walk by with an autism shirt on. Anyway it was nice to see other autism mommies even though I didn't interact with them. After all that JJ had a decent time and actually wanted to leave early. On the way home he asked a ton of questions, non stop. Mostly about exotic animals. We got home, the questions continued. Oh, get this, he found a piece of wood in the driveway because my husband is working on something. He proceeds to examine the wood closely. It was about a little smaller than a brick. He called it a driftwood brick. He examined it more and he then told me the wood is seven years old. He counted the rings on the edge as if it was a tree trunk. Indeed, it did have seven. I was impressed. Not sure where he got that from. But I thought it was super cool.
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Thank you
Dany xxoo

My Boy: Part 76

"What is a moon's favorite day, Mommy?"..hmm.."IT's MOONday :). Love it!1 Absolutely love it. It really amazed me. He told me this joke, on his own, out of the blue sitting at the kitchen table. I cracked up, he cracked up. I was thoroughly impressed.Then he proceeded to tell me that the sun's favorite day is SUNday. Each time something like this occurs, I revel over the achievements that he is making continuously and that he has been making over he years since being diagnosed with autism when he was three.Going from saying 6 words, to being nonverbal until the age of 4 and some change or so, now to completely blowing my mind with the vocabulary that he has. He is a little sponge and I feel that autism is his fuel to keep going, becoming stronger and he, too can make a difference in someone's life because for my husband and myself; he surely has made quite the grand difference for sure. Autism will never hold him back. He is a child, first. Autism is secondary. My indigo <3. I do not want to change him but I do want to change how the world sees him. He is valuable, in fact he is priceless and has so much to offer. I am proud of my son JJ (J.lo.)

JJ is Au-Some

Yes, JJ is Au-some. He is doing well n ESY. Still working on him saying good morning and thank you to the bus driver. Sometimes when he comes home, he is so stimulated and excited that he does not say hello to me or my husband. We re working very diligently with him on that one. We do not want to make him feel uncomfortable but at the same time, we want him to be polite and at very least acknowledge others with a hello when he is entering a home or room. He has been enjoying the trampoline park and being with the children at the Y also. He loves being around other children as it really makes him feel good. He loves company. It is great for his social skills. Speaking of that, he has been communicating well with the other boys at karate, engaging in back and forth dialogue. He is ausome, and autism will never stop him. It will empower him, full force. I am not sure if he knows or understands that he is different. He knows he has autism but does not exactly what it means and the effect it has etc, etc. He is a healthy child and that is what matters. He is keeping busy and active this summer. On the go, learning new things. I let him be- a "typical" child. He runs, plays and all that fun stuff. He wants to be included in all things. Any child that befriends my son will be rewarded with an honest, loving caring friendship. My son is wise beyond his years. He talks and repeats and repeats and states facts about animals and that is who he is. I never knew there were so many different types of geckos or that that octopuses have tentacle regeneration or that hawks use their talons for picking up prey - I did not even know what a talon was (lol) He is my indigo baby, my gift from God. Autism is just the icing on the cake we call JJ. It is not always easy but it IS easy to love him.

My Boy: Part 75

Happy Independence Day from JJ and family!! Since it was rainy all day today, we went to the mall. At the mall, JJ played in the arcade. He was getting tickets and was so excited to score some candy from a grab machine. He knocked down some ducks and did a few other things but most of all he wanted to go into Target. He had a mini meltdown but then he was able to calm himself. We walked around a lot and when it was time to come home, he did not fuss too much. Over all, it was a cool time. It was good to get him out of the house and some fresh air. He had a good time when he woke up this morning and was singing in the mini van to and from, a bunch of silly made up songs. He was feeling good. Before we left, he played with Daddy and had a lot of fun. He read, he ate a lot and we were off.

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He was not over stimulated in the mall but he was flapping quite a bit before we went on the escalator. He was happy. Tomorrow we are going to the YMCA and hopefully we can get him into soccer. That is what he would like to do. Long weekend, picnic tomorrow and back to ESY on Monday. No Fireworks. Loud noises bother him, a lot. He is not interested. He covers his ears when he flushes the toilet and also when I start his bath water, he will cover his ears. My baby, love him so very much!! A spectrum of HOPE awaits him. My piece to the puzzle.