Featuring Guest Blogger from Words and Dexterity

http://www.wordsanddexterity.com/

Bio - My name is T L Holliday. I have a huge mind that can sometimes get me in trouble, but I mostly use it to educate ignorance.

I totally recommend this awesome page. It speaks volumes. The words, the art, the photos. It is all there. This is the kind of stuff that needs to be spread around the internet like wildfire. It is food for the soul. Have a good time reading this guest blog post and when you have the chance, I recommend that you go on over to her website and experience the amazingness that is unleashed from a super creative soul. One who I love very much and am very proud of. Even if she was not my niece, I would say all of this because I totally mean it.

xo Namaste, Dany

Photo taken by Holliday (it is my son's hand and a puzzle piece he was playing with outside a few summers ago)

 

#CONTINUETOEDUCATE2015

Something that never fails to astound me is the lack of humanity in the world. Everyone is worried about who's doing what, who's doing who, who's getting what and how much of it. What does any of what other people do have to do with your life? Why do you care about how someone else identifies? They're not doing it to personally hurt you or to make you feel uncomfortable. SURPRISE! The reason they do anything has absolutely nothing to do with you. Stop judging people based on their race, sexual orientation, gender, religious beliefs, just stop judging people period.

There is no race except the human race. We are a species. We only have different skin tones to better suit the geographical areas we live in. Take animals for example; there are many different species and breeds of animals depending on where you are in the world. Some can survive easier in parts of the world that others cannot because they are born with the traits necessary for life in those regions. But they don't kill each other because of it, they use it to survive. So when someone is racist and violent towards another person that is literally telling you that they have more basic human rights than that person because their skin color differs.

I also don't understand the need to label everything. Why do you need to put me in a category? And then get upset if I tell you that I don't fit in that category? Everyone needs to understand that sexuality and gender is fluid. Being born with certain sexual organs does not determine what your gender is. Each individual person decides for themselves what gender they feel they are, not the gender roles forced upon them by society. Same thing with sexuality. As a human you are attracted or not attracted to someone based on the person they are, not about what's between their legs. Society teaches you to assume everyone is a cisgender heterosexual until told otherwise. We need to teach our kids to not assuming anyone is anything and to accept people for who they are.

Religion is another touchy subject, but I'll shed a little light on it. I have no problem with religion, the problem I have is, again, with the people who "practice" it. I say "practice" because religion is supposed to be personal, not displayed for the world to see and shoved down everyone's throat. And just like gender and sexuality, it is something you yourself decide what best fits how you feel. Religion is your personal relationship with whatever god(s) you believe in, not a love triangle between you, your god, and the rest of the world. There are many different religions and spiritual practices in the world, so it makes absolutely no sense when people try to enforce their religion onto other people as if their religion is the only religion. It also has no business being in law enforcement, but I'll save that for another day.

Being a human is like being an animal; we all look different, have different sets of skills, and were put on this earth unwillingly without a hand book. But for some reason animals have a better understanding of how to live, and they're so simple yet complex to us. How can the very things we call wild and unpredictable be more human and understanding of how life works than actual humans? How can they co-exist with so many other species and manage not to destroy each other or the earth? They stay in their lane, that's how! They take care of each other and their habitats, they don't shit where they sleep.

Just take a second and sit down. Zoom out of your own life right now and picture the world as a whole. All the different countries on different continents spread out in a big ball of ocean. Now zoom out of that image and picture all the planets in our solar system. Now zoom out of that. What do you see? Some people know what that actually looks like and others never even thought to imagine that such a thing exists. It does, and even beyond that exists. There are billions of other solar systems in billions of other galaxies. Just imagine what could be out there. How small does that make your life seem? Small enough to realize all the bullshit in your life? And that most of the things you do, say, and think are pointless because now you see that you were only doing those things because you're a product of society? If it did then you're one of the lucky ones who has the ability to broaden and take their minds to the next level. And if it didn't then hopefully one day it will.

So to end this post I'll just say,

Love yourself, love your neighbor, love your earth and you'll be happier for it I promise.

- T L Holliday

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

 

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....

My Boy: Part 90

AUTISM- What is it?  No, really..what IS it? Why does is vary so? Where did it come from?  Why is it here?  When will it leave? Will it ever leave?  Who does it affect?  How does it affect and/or interfere with everyday life?  Is it a life sentence?  Do you know someone who has autism? Can autism be "cured" or treated? Is autistic a term you use? What are the autism terms and labels?

I can only answer a few of those questions and from my point of view only. As you know, my son JJ, has autism. Yes, he is an ASD child. He is on the autism spectrum. He was first diagnosed with PDD at the age of 3. He is now 6. I do not tend to labels so there is no need for me to always state that my son is high functioning autistic. I just say, when necessary, that my son is on the autism spectrum and just plainly that he is autistic. I mean, does it matter? Really? I have a son. I do not introduce him as my autistic son. Questions? I welcome them. Comments, yes, those too. Productive ones I keep and destructive ones get thrown out. autism has been a part of our lives for a little over three years now, well more than that but we did not know. And, does that matter? Before my son and studying for my undergraduate degree, I did not know what autism was? Yes, was..It is always changing, right? Yes..I remember seeing billboards about autism 1 in 125..then 1 in 88 and son on. What is this autism> One thing I can tell you is that autism is not the end of the world but the beginning of a whole new one. Yes, my son has autism. Autism does not have him. It is his super power. We are focusing on him using it to his advantage. It will not hinder him but we will make sure it does better him. It is not a disease. My son is NOT disabled, he is different abled. His brain is wired differently. He is unique. He is in his own world and I love entering i with love, compassion and patience. I learn from him everyday. It may not be easy at times but it sure is worth it.

JJ is AUSOME. He is a child. He loves to play, watch TV, read and all that good stuff. He loves school. He loves snacks. He can be crabby. He can be stubborn. But he is worth it. He matters. Social skills are an everyday learning experience for all of us. He just needs a little extra help in the right direction.



Now, would you know if you saw 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.

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 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

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 Sixty9

Time has been flying by. The school year is almost at an end. Jorge Juan has been super busy. So busy that it i shard to catch up with him. He has been reading up a storm and asking a bazillion questions, like really can not even keep count. Like asking questions as soon as he opens his eyes in the morning. That is a great thing, right? We have waited a long time to hear him speak. His questions are detailed and specific, mostly about animals. Yes, animals- his obsession. he LOVES all animals, all insects and things like that. Oh yes and Lizards must be called by their specific names. I can never call a chameleon a bearded dragon or iguana. Every animal has it's name. That IS that!!! I love it but I do have to admit at times, it gets really exhausting. There is  a lot of repetition. A lot. What do animals eat? Where do they live? Does it lay eggs? Where do they come from? So on and so forth...

We had his PPT meeting last week. He is doing great. On his way and ready for the first grade. Busy..busy. Today we went on a field trip to the zoo. he loved it of course, there were ANIMALS there!!! Woohoo, except, at the end, he did NOT want to leave. He had a mini meltdown but his teacher was able to calm him down once we walked back to the bus. I held it together. I dropped him back off at school and enjoyed the 2 plus hours that were left for him to be at school. Counting down to the last day at school. For the month of July, Jorge Juan will be attending school. It is a special program for children with autism. 

Next year, Jorge will have the same ASD teacher and aides and have a general education first grade teacher as well. He really enjoys taking the school bus and riding with his friends. We believe this really helped him greatly with his social skills and being comfortable around people too. Knowing Jorge, he probably has a million ideas in his head of what he would like to do in the summer. I know a lot will have to do with animals, too. The key is to keep him engaged and focused, learning and having fun all rolled into one. Being on the spectrum must be one interesting ride.

 

I Read Ya!!!

 

So blessed and happy that JJ is reading at a second grade level. We were informed of this at his PPT meeting yesterday. I knew he was beyond the Kindergarten level since he has been reading before he could even speak,, but to hear this news was wonderful because it shows how much JJ has advanced and made as well as continues to make improvements in all areas. Books are his "thing", well one of them at least. He loves to read. It has been a natural thing for him. We kept going with it, never pushing. It was right for him. All children are different. All children have their "thing". There are areas in which he is superior to "typical" children his age and other areas, such as social, where he is not. It is OK. Autism is a super ability. it is a "label". He is part of the spectrum. I would not change him for the world. But ya know as his mommy, I do want to change the world for him.

My Boy: Part 68

Long weekend for Jorge Juan, I repeat, long weekend for Jorge Juan. In all ways, it sure was a long weekend for my boy from having Friday and Monday off from school for a total of a four day weekend...he was a little off of schedule. Today he woke up for school just a little crabby but yesterday he had a huge meltdown. He could not wait at all for anything and did not have any patience. He was overly sensitized. He was grumpy. When I looked at him, he was not "here" with me but in his own world. It was super hard but I tried to comprehend. I had to ignore him yelling and screaming. I told him to wait while I finish eating to take him outside. He was in pure meltdown mode. I eventually took him in the bathroom and wet his face with cold water and told him to take deep breaths. It was way much. He was red from sweating and screaming. He calmed down just a bit but I was not caving in. I saw in his eyes he was hurting but I did not know how or what would really help him. I finished eating then took him outside. I really wanted to send him to his room but it was so hot and by that time I wanted fresh air myself. Once he got outside he was running and feeling better but I told him that I would not be playing with him at that point. Later on he gotten better. He was feeling okay. The running in the fresh air soothed him a bit. We had watermelon and his smile was back. At dinner time earlier, he was being Mr. Crabs also. After playing in the sun, I gave him a nice bath. He fell asleep shortly after only to come running to our room about 2 am because he said he did not want to be alone. At that time I caved in because he hugged us very tight and said he loves us. Earlier Saturday, at Grandma's house, he had a meltdown over a ball of yarn. He wanted it as if it was the best toy ever. He became attached. For some odd reason that I am unsure of. Anyhow when we got home, i threw the yarn away. He cried for a bit because he wanted it so much. It was in the trash and that is the premise of how he got to go outside. Actually , he there it in the trash, unwillingly but his desire to go outside was greater. Sunday, we stayed home all day. He was OK. a little crabby here and there. On Saturday, we had a community day at karate school. He was a little off at first. Getting impatient waiting in line to get his face painted. He started licking, spitting etc. I kept my cool. After a while he was OK and was able to enjoy the rest of the carnival day which was good. At first a lot of playing with saliva, it was annoying. This behavior is gross and i am not sure where it came from or how it developed but I did not want to leave and take him home. He needed to be around other kids and enjoy himself despite being grumpy. Going back to Friday, a day off from school, from what I can remember, Jorge Juan had a swell day. Nothing major to report. Nothing unusual of the day from the perspective of a child on the spectrum. Wooo. I am glad that he is back in school. I need the breather but as well he needs to be in his school environment where he must adhere to rules and be on his schedule.

 

Oh yeah, there was flapping too. As he told my husband and me, the other night, that he can not stop his flapping and he really does not know when he is doing it. He just does it because he is excited. I did get teary eyed when he told us. It was so sincere. At that time I just wanted to put him in a bubble to protect him from the world.

My Boy: Part 67

Some Fun Facts about JJ...

He likes small and tiny toys and figures.

He likes to put those toys and figures inside plastic bags, socks, ziplocs, bookbags, pouches or whatever else can hold something.

He always has to have and hold something small inside of one of his hands. Whichever hand he is holding something in, he will use the other to write if he needs / has to do so.

He is very sensitive to loud noises and bright lights / sun. He will cover his ears and eyes when exposed to either one.

He flaps out of excitement.

He lines up his toys.

He loves to read.

He is a morning person for the most part and can be sometimes crabby after school for the first few minutes.

He has many little obsessions at a time such as Angry Birds, Star Wars and Mario Brothers.

So..what do you want to know about JJ? Ask away..we look forward to your questions and will reply to you.
Thank you!!
P.S. The questions and answers will help in brainstorming and preparing for a part of the book I plan on putting together for Jorge's Autism Journey. The above fun facts were just something quick that I could think of from the top of my head. Let me know what you would like to know. I appreciate your time and interest.

My Boy: Part 25

"I love to do this Mommy (shaking/flapping hands vigorously), it makes me happy." That is what my son says to me sometimes. When he actually does flap his hands, he let us know it is because he is excited and happy abouit something.

Well, yesterday at karate, he had a wonderful class. He did a complete split and was able to put his head down on the mat at the same time. He was the only Tiny Tiger who was able to do it. He is super flexible and always has been.

He has been doing well at school. He really enjoys it from the bus ride to and from to all the specials that they have. He is always busy. Next week is report conferences and I will be there with my husband.I can not wait to hear of the successes and improvements of our son. He is such a a blessing.

I never thought I would be on a part 25 story about my son. Just to think it all started with one post after a visit from the neurologist. We are determined to assist our son reaching his full potential. He has come a long way and we are proud of him. Autism does not stop him. What a huge difference dedication and faith make. I would not have it any other way. It was a blessing in disguise. A super ability. The point is to improve and not to stay on that same level of the spectrum as the doctor stated. That is a starting point awaiting enhancement and betterment.

If no one knows where Autism came from the no one can tell me that it does not have a cure. If Autism is a life long happening, so be it, I will take that as well because I do not see my son any different from a typical child.

God bless.

Thank you,

Dany