No Words

It is said that a picture is worth a thousand words. But, I have no words. 

What can YOU say about this?

Art by JJ

Pic by Dany

Juanchodoing

You've read about him. You've heard about him. Now, you can see him in action .

The Instagram page dedicated to him is:
www.instagram.com/juanchodoing

#juanchodoing

Stop by. Say hello. Connect.

You'll see there's no difference, yet at the same time, all the difference in the world.

Questions?  Comments?

We are here.

To catch up on JJ's journey, look into the archives of the blog. The posts are entitled My Boy, beginning with Part 1.

Enjoy. Share. Spread the LOVE.
Raise Awareness.
Each One, Teach One

Love and Kindness,

Dany 

About That Boy

JJ loves to read and draw. He loves to play and swim. He loves to create and imagine.

JJ loves his family and all babies. He loves his friends and school. 

He's just like everyone else yet he is like no other. He's unique. He's the same but he's different too. JJ is on a whole other level.

He's predictable but spontaneous. He's shy yet he's talkative.  He's full of energy and positive vibes. Beginning and ending each day with gratitude, he got this!

He surprises us each day and he will surprise you too!

www.instgram.com/juanchodoing

He is kind.

This is what matters.

 

 

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.

Blasts from the Past

Awesome!! Learning happens everywhere. Education is in everything. Always capturing the moment. Visit loorducation on www.facebook.com/loorducation and all over social media @loorducation See what we are up to!!!

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 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 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.

Au-some Things...

One day there are going to be some people saying they are autistic or that their child is or may be on the spectrum because it is "cool". No one knows where autism comes from yet the rates of autism are increasing drastically over time. As of today, the numbers seem to be 1 in 68 children. Autism is not a disability. To me, it is a different ability. An ability so intense that it has yet to be understood. An ability so complex, the origin has yet to be found. My son has autism. Yes, he is autistic. I would not trade it for the world. I would much have my son be a kind hearted gentle soul than a rude and selfish neuro typical child. My son is an indigo child as many children on the spectrum. Autism is not a bad word. It is something we live with everyday. I am an advocate for my son and other children on the spectrum. I am my son's voice although he is now able to speak. I will push for what is right and just for him. I will make sure he is respected and cared for.I will educate people on his world and likenesses.

 

I will always stand up for his rights. I will always speak up for him and be his voice. He is meant to shine and I will never hide him from the world.
Yes, he is more than autism, so much more.

My Boy: Part 57

Jorge Juan usually takes the bus to school. It never showed up today. His regular driver had the day off so I am guessing the sub got lost because at 8:10, the bus still was MIA. So, I called the bus company and they asked for my son's name, I told them and their response was Special Ed? I was taken back a little but I replied with a yes. I was calling them to cancel because I did not want my son to be picked up by a stranger. Anyways, getting back to the special ed part..I do not like the way that sounds at all. I never really have. It just does not fit well with me but I guess they still use that term. As for me, I prefer specialized instruction. That is what it is. He is receiving an education with specialized instruction. Yes, indeed my child is special in every positive way but that term special ed irks me and I realized how much it does today when the guy said "special ed" after I told him my son's name. He has an IEP. He is an intelligent 5 year old who is eager to learn with the rest of his peers. I felt as though he was just labeled as that. He is not "that". He is a boy who loves to read. He loves to dance, sing and play. He is a boy who has autism. Autism does not have my boy. He is a child first, being on the spectrum is last. He is a boy with autism and I want all to know that it is not the other way around. There is no autism with the boy because autism cannot survive without him.

I want people to see past the autism because that is when you truly will see an amazing child with so much to offer this world. It is more than awareness, it is acceptance. After all, my son does not like labels of any kind. I rip them off of his clothes and toys and I will continue to rip them off of him when people try to put one on him.

My Boy: Part 46

Jorge Juan loves doing his homework lately. He is really into it. It is math. He has always loved numbers and been very good at counting. He uses foam blocks and dominos to count. I am really impressed at a wonderful job that he is doing and the improvements that he is making. He is comfortable holding a pencil with the correct tripod grip. His writing, in general, is more controlled and very neat and understandable. He is having fun and enjoying the learning process with less frustration and meltdowns. He is excited when he is doing hand son projects and sensory activities. The point for me is to make a strong connection between fun and learning. I want Jorge Juan to grow up loving to learn. I have been blessed that he really loves school and loves books. I read to him when he was in the womb. I would always go to the library and pick up books to read to him. I really believe in this.From before he could speak as a baby and toddler, he loved to read and look at words from a book. Also, when I was pregnant with Jorge Juan, I did Sudoku puzzles, so many of those Sudoku puzzles every day, in a book and on Nintendo DS. This is also a part why I believe he is good with numbers and enjoys math. I believe that him being on the Autism Spectrum is  a huge blessing. It took a lot to get use to but I would not ever change him for the world. My husband and I are blessed as parents and very proud of the achievements that he has made in his 5 years of life. He started his first year of Pre K without speaking and in diapers. He was in diapers for the whole year of first year Pre K. He went to pull ups and eventually out of diapers towards the middle to end of second year Pre K. The toilet training was a battle in which we overcame. Never give up.

He is loving, caring and empathetic. He is curious and loves to be creative. He loves God. he loves babies, animals and people. He is healthy. He is learning. He can see, walk, talk...why would i ever want to change that? Autism is just a label, that is all. Never give up. If you go back and read the start of Jorge Juan's journey, you will see what he has been through, overcame and made it out the other side. It can happen. Never give up.

 

My Boy: Part 43

Right now he is jogging around the mats in karate class. Getting some exercise and focusing. This morning he decorated more of his wall with a variety of stickers. He loves it. He was making scenes. He is very creative and was expressing himself. This is important for children to do.






He still is sensitive to loud noises because as I see now he was covering his ears during the ten step in karate. After he finished he did say it was too loud. He has gotten better though and so much better with that.He has a lot of energy and is using it in a positive way today. He is really trying to work hard towards a red belt. He also has been doing well in school. The only thing is that he keeps losing mitens, hats and scarves and eventually we get them back days or weeks layer. Spiderman is still missing though and that was the coolest hat.






He really loves this app. He uses it all the time. The colors and sounds enligten him. He really focuses with it too. It helps him with fine motor skills. It is great and is soothing too. It is a go to when a break is needed from homework. By the way he stated taking fish oil yesterday. The liquid kind. We believe it is really going to help him as there are many benefits to it. He has been taking chewable omega 3 and it suits Jim well. I have faith in that. More to come on that at a later time. Right now he will have a day of play and learning in his newly cleaned room. Still has so many toys though. He really likes the tiny ones.






We got rid of so much and donated to BBBS. Tiny toys are:great for tinkering. They're wonderful. Children with autism especially love them. I guess he's typically autistic. That's fine with me.

My Boy: Part 23

I remember when Jorge would watch Toy Story 3 over and over again. Not just in one day, but day after day and week after week. That was his obsession for a while. I remember when he likes to wear the same pajamas night after night and watch the same cartoons. We have Hulu Plus and each day he will pick the same kind of shows with the exact episodes that he has recently viewed. He remembers the names of the episodes and asks to play each one. He likes the tags ripped off all of his stuffed animals and clothes. He likes to use the green crayon most often. If he falls asleep with a  certain T shirt on, he will want to wear it in the morning. He became obsessed with Ninja Turtles after giving up Buzz Lightyear which I never thought he would. He used to be extremely scared of flushing toilets and the sound of the hand dryer in public restrooms. The bright lights and strong sun are not his favorite things. Even though it is cold, he insists on waiting for the school bus outside. He switches between right and left hand when he does his homework and art work. He is becoming a karate master and insists that we "box". He talks. Yes, we waited years to hear his voice but he talks and he read..He loves to read. He loves books and he reads a lot. He has been reading for a very long time now. I am so proud of him. When he was three years old, he was said to be in the middle of the Autism Spectrum but from then and until forever he is in my heart.

He is high functioning. I thank God everyday for the blessings. Just because he was once in the middle does not mean that is where he was bound to stay. It is a spectrum for a reason. He has improved and continues to improve each day. It is important to keep going forward. Never giving up. Where there is Faith, there are great things. Dedication is a key factor. I am not trying to change my son at all. I do not wish Autism away. It is his super ability. I just work with him all the time to ensure that he will lead the best life possible with all the capabilities necessary. Going from non verbal to non stop talking in a couple years is a great window of opportunity of hope, that with Love and first and foremost God..All things are possible.

Thank you.

Comments and Questions are always welcome here.

Dany <3