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.

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....

Hello!!!!

Just a Little Bit…

from www.loorducation.com

Posted on October 2, 2014 by danyloor

I really enjoy making educational arts and crafts as well as sensory activities. I also enjoy documenting the activities / lessons /arts & crafts I create in edited photos for Loorducation. The art of teaching and the fine art of education fascinate me. I believe in making learning fun. Learning is a hands on approach, using all senses for the ultimate learning experience. I love to design unique educational related items.
This is the first ever logo type image that I created on photoshop. I am about to design a new logo for Loorducation. I have to brainstorm and sketch some ideas as well.
These photos and more can be found at http://www.constructivekinder.weebly.com. It is a website that I created as a part of a project for my MEd program. All photos are owned and edited by me.
I am an autism mommy and I love to share my son’s story as well as to educate and inspire others who have family on the spectrum. Many posts about JJ, I copy over to http://www.loorducation.blogspot.com so it can span a wider audience.
I share my vitual photo album at http://www.instagram.com/loorducation. That is where you can find the following photos and more.

I also share on http://www.pinterest.com/loorducation where I have a variety of boards to check out.

I started a http://www.facebook.com/loorducation last year. It just so happened to be a few months after I created this blog and opened http://www.twitter.com/loorducation – both were requirements for my MEd program. I had to start a blog and post things for my classes and it took a whole turn when I started sharing my son’s journey with autism. Just a few days ago, https://www.tumblr.com/blog/loorducation was created with hopes of broadening the scope of my brand, Loorducation.
Loorducation has also recently joined the Google+ Community, so we are getting all that together.
Come on over and say hi!! We are making our way around the interwebs. We hope you enjoy what we have to offer and share. There is so much more goodness to come. Thank you for being a part of this awesome journey.
As always, QUESTIONS? COMMENTS? SUGGESTIONS? Always welcome. Welcome to share. Come network.
Dany Loor – M.Ed. , BSCS
founder – loorducation
making. learning. fun.

AWWWWtism

My Boy: Part 88

Posted on September 19, 2014 by danyloor

First grade has been going really well. We are blessed that Jorge Juan loves going to school. This school year he is becoming more open and sharing with us what he does at school. He likes to state things in order such as first, second, third and next. He loves bringing his own lunch bag and so far this year has not tried to sneak any toys in his book bag. He has been handling his homework time very well and is learning to cooperate and handle himself in a better manner.
I have not seen him flap his hands in a while now, come to think of it. He still has his little quirks but the flapping has greatly decreased. When he was non verbal, the stimming was out of control. Humming, flapping, you name it- it was there. He is good. He is healthy. That is what matters. Autism, well it is just the icing on the cake and sometimes the cake may have too much icing. Sweetness overload? Or, something like that..
He is making strides, everyday. It is all the little things that count. It is about the journey because once we reach our destination, we must create another destination. The journey is what lasts. Making it valuable and worth while.
I work with Jorge Juan everyday. Projects, activities, day trips..It is all therapy. It is all good. Come share in our experiences over at
http://www.facebook.com/loorducation
We create, learn, play and more. Stop on by!!

My Boy: Part 74

First day of ESY, extended school year.JJ woke up well and in good spirits until....we could not find his Pokemon toy. I helped him look in the pool and his room, nowhere, could not find THAT toy and that was the only thing he wanted. Back and forth for a while, looking and looking. He had a mini meltdown. He wanted that Pokemon toy and nothing else would do. He settled on a toy snake and a mini ladybug. He was OK. My husband and I put him on the bus. We drove to the school and waited for him, He got off the bus and looked a little sad and told us he felt that way. If I was feeling a little anxious, I was thinking so much about his feelings. I was worried he would become overstimulated. Wow, Lots of NEW things. New bus and bus driver, new bus monitor, new school, new teachers..for JJ this is a whole lot to take in all at once. All in all he did well. We waited for his teacher to come inside the gym and we walked with them up to the classroom. We stayed for a bit. He made his name tag and drew the three of us. He seemed well but I did not want to leave him. The school was huge. everything was different. I was thinking and I have to trust that everything would be OK. There were 5 kids in the class and the teacher has two aides, so I really love that ratio. Anyhow, the teacher is a young vibrant male, nice personality.I wanted to stay in the room with them, I know I know. I am thinking too. Who has ASD here, is it me or JJ?

He gets off the bus in the afternoon. He was happy as can be. He says he loves Mr. A and that Mr. A is a cool guy. He just could not wait to go back to school again today just to see Mr. A. That was my relief. That made me feel comfortable. I really enjoyed my son saying that. He woke up bright and happy today. He was excited to go see Mr A again. He slept in his bed all night and was so happy to tell me that this morning. He got dressed and was so happy to wear his Phineas and Ferb shirt with lobster shorts. He picked it out. I went with it, it is cool. He loves that he does not have to wear a uniform, woohoo!! I know, huh. He brushed his teeth, got ready and ate and was excited to wait for the bus. Today, he too a small Buzz Lightyear phone in his pocket. Oh and by the way, I found his Pokemon toy yesterday, while he was at school. It was floating in the pool. I do not know how we did not see it in the morning. Needless to say he was thrilled when I gave it to him and had a great day swimming and playing. Oh yeah, and he loves sun block now, who would have thought? He keeps wanting to apply it. This is a sensory kid here, so we are making advances. I love my piece to the puzzle.



 

My Boy: The Ultimate Special

You see him. He's the child wearing Superman sneakers and a Spiderman book bag. He also carries  Star Wars lunch bag after switching from Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles earlier in the school year. He sleeps on Sponge Bob sheets and uses an Angry Birds blanket. He washes with Cars body wash and loves to wear his Phineas and Ferb T shirt to bed. He got a new Mario Brothers Toothbrush and loves Marvel Heroes band aids when he gets a boo boo. He loves his Angry Bird Star Wars underwear and has a ton of Star Wars stickers on his bedroom wall. He is always carrying something in his hand. He loves animals. He carries around books, usually about animals. He is a green belt in Tiny Tiger Tang Soo Do karate and wants to play soccer. He plays the guitar with his left hand and is eager to continue to learn Spanish. He believes in God and likes to pray at night. In his room, he has a framed picture of Jesus on his wall. Beautiful and it was per his request. He was reading long before he could speak. He loves to play and learn. You mention Dollar Tree and he's right there. He chases girls on the playground and kisses them. He lines up his toys and flaps his hands. Sometimes  he has vocal stims. He loves to swim and has no fear of the ocean. He is sensitive and kind. He is sympathetic as well as empathetic. He is sensitive to bright lights and loud sounds. He asks repetitive questions and wants detailed answers. He has OT and Speech therapy. He has specialized instruction and an IEP. He's unique. His super power is Autism. He's my piece to the puzzle and he's perfect to me.

My Babies..

My boy lost his guinea pigs this past Sunday. Just two days ago Jorge Juan is understandably very sad. He is hurt, angry and upset. i have been very worried about him. It is very sad and hurts us as a family and when my son is hurting it is heartbreaking. He loves those animals so very much. They were company, therapy and his friends. There is a void and it really hurts. Who knew that 2 guinea pigs could leave such an impact. We love those animals. Jorge Juan woke up last night crying saying that they are gone. He asks about them and as any child would, he wants them back home with him. The death of our piggies happened suddenly and without warning. The same day within five to ten minutes of each other. Something unexplainable. They were just great and healthy running around right before the incident. My son is grieving. It is difficult. He was sad in school. He was so used to his Guinea pigs. Looking for ways to help him cope. Keeping him busy. He is intense. His feelings are deep. Being on the spectrum, he gets overstimulated..(to be continued…) Prayers are welcome. Thank you. Any advice? Experience? Please share.
- Dany

Filed under Autism, Jorge Juan and tagged aurism, Autism, boy, children, grieving, guinea pig, loss, pets, spectrum | Leave a comment |

My Boy: Part 70

"Is there school today, Mommy?" Yes, there is!!! Rainy day, but there is school today. Only a few days left, so enjoy the last days of Kindergarten. It just seems like yesterday that he started Kindergarten at a new school and with a school bus. This school year has gone by so fast. It was a great year and my son has been blessed with great teachers, therapists and principal. The team really works together for the benefit of JJ. They know him very well. What they have to say at the PPT meeting is right on. I just sit back and smile because I know that they pay close attention to my son giving what they have to say about his personality, characteristics, obsessions etc.

A quick rundown - Jorge is 5 years old and will turn 6 on July 21st. He was diagnosed with autism after his 3rd birthday. At that time, he was in the middle of the spectrum - Non verbal among other delays. He loves animals, insects and tiny toys. He has been reading since before he could speak and now is reading well beyond the benchmarks fro Kinder. He is kind and lovable. He loves babies and kids. He is an orange belt in Tiny Tiger Tang Soo Do karate. He loves nature. He flaps and shakes his hands when he is excited but not as often as he use to do when he was younger. He used to run back and forth humming super loud. He loves books and riding the school bus. That is just part of him in a small nutshell. there is so much beyond this. SO MUCH : )

Autism will never stop him. He is on a roll. He is improving all the time. His autism does not need a CURE. Who would want to cure a child that is full of LOVE, happiness, affection, peace.....and has so much to TEACH the world? JJ just may be the CURE for the typical world.



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A Little Bit...

My Boy: Part 70

Posted on June 19, 2014 by danyloor

Standard

“Is there school today, Mommy?” Yes, there is!!! Rainy day, but there is school today. Only a few days left, so enjoy the last days of Kindergarten. It just seems like yesterday that he started Kindergarten at a new school and with a school bus. This school year has gone by so fast. It was a great year and my son has been blessed with great teachers, therapists and principal. The team really works together for the benefit of Jorge Juan. They know him very well. What they have to say at the PPT meeting is right on. I just sit back and smile because I know that they pay close attention to my son giving what they have to say about his personality, characteristics, obsessions etc.

A quick rundown – Jorge is 5 years old and will turn 6 on July 21st. He was diagnosed with autism after his 3rd birthday. At that time, he was in the middle of the spectrum – Non verbal among other delays. He loves animals, insects and tiny toys. He has been reading since before he could speak and now is reading well beyond the benchmarks fro Kinder. He is kind and lovable. He loves babies and kids. He is an orange belt in Tiny Tiger Tang Soo Do karate. He loves nature. He flaps and shakes his hands when he is excited but not as often as he use to do when he was younger. He used to run back and forth humming super loud. He loves books and riding the school bus. That is just part of him in a small nutshell. there is so much beyond this. SO MUCH : )

Autism will never stop him. He is on a roll. He is improving all the time. His autism does not need a CURE. Who would want to cure a child that is full of LOVE, happiness, affection, peace…..and has so much to TEACH the world? Jorge Juan just may be the CURE for the typical world. 

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Education in Pictures

By: Danielle Loor BSCS, M.Ed

 

 

 

 

 

 

Picturesresrr

You HAVE to Read This!!!

My Boy: The Story Continues..

Posted on May 28, 2014 by danyloor

Standard

Meeting with the social worker today went well.

Jorge has been displaying odd behaviors of hissing, sucking his arm, putting hand sin his mouth and other oral fixations; so this was a great opportunity to have a chat and ask questions.

I have my undergrad degree in Child Studies, it can be difficult to come up with solutions that may help my son. I do not know what it is. I think that happens with a lot of us. I can remember at times it was easier for me to deal with 22 4 and 5 year olds than to handle the meltdowns of my son while dropping him off at pre kindergrten. (He was in the classroom upstairs and the classroom where I taught was directly under his at that time.)The meeting was something that happens before a child turns 6 years old. It is to see if the child would still be available for the services at school. This is different from an IEP meeting. Our IEP meeting with his teachers, therapists etc is coming up in 2 weeks. Today it was just with the social worker to discus all aspects of Jorge’s life from birth until now and focusing on his diagnosis of Autism. It was also a family history for me and my husband. The two of us were at the meeting.It went really well. I enjoy having the opportunity to speak about our son – his achievements and progressions but more so what it took to get to where he is today. It is about the journey. I am fascinated with my son’s journey, essentially it is our family’s journey but he owns it. We are all in this together. The time flew by while we were at the school. It was enjoyable. We are very happy and blessed that our son is in a great school that provides services that benefit him. This is what happened because we did not give up. We did not settle on his education. We kept pushing and going forward, stopping at nothing to ensure our son would thrive instead of dive. We took matters into our own hands and were lead by faith. It paid off as it always does. It inspires me to help other families and give them hope; to let them know that autism is not a life sentence. I want to reach out to parents with children on the spectrum, to share stories, give advice and to lend a hand on an ongoing journey. As much as I love writing about my son’s journey, I have the passion to instill peace and hope into others that may be all new to this autism thing among others who may have lost hope along the way. never, ever give up. Always give everything, but up.

As you are here for me, I am here for you.

UBUNTU

Dany Loor BSCS, M.Ed.

Never stop learning:Never stop teaching. That is my motto.

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.

An Autism Journey...

Hello everyone!!! I have been writing about my son and his autism journey from last September. My blog posts have sparked a fire in my heart to write a book on it all- from the very beginning until now. I would love to get it published. I would love to share our story in hopes to inspire others as well as educate.I want to let others out there know that autism in not a life sentence or a disability. I want to let others know that there is hope. Autism is a spectrum and no two on it are the same. I want to let others know to believe and keep the faith when things are tough. I want to let others know that our children need us and we must be their biggest fan, supporter and advocate. I am gathering information, researching and beginning to take off with this plan. Let me know if I have your support. It is very much needed and appreciated. Thank you all for reading. I appreciate comments/suggestions.

[polldaddy poll=8062279]

Dany Loor  BSCS, M.Ed

My Boy: Part 66

We had to talk to Jorge Juan again about kissing girls at school. His teacher sent another note home about him chasing girls at recess. He was said to be running after them trying to get some kisses. He was in timeout but once that was over he would go back and do it all over again. he told us the girls asked him to marry them so he said yes and when he wanted a kiss, they ran from him. Second time this year this has happened. We talked to him. He understands. He is a lovable, affectionate child. We had to be careful with our words as we did not want to discourage him being able to express himself and show care towards others especially since he is sensitive and takes things literally. And so "they" say children with autism lack empathy and so on. I say BLAH BLAH BLAH. One does not know autism unless and until you live with it everyday. 

He said I am his best mommy in the world. He writes love notes to me and my husband. He is sweet and thoughtful. He is kind and generous. He is on the spectrum, that is his autism. Unique, but still part of the puzzle. He has been busy planting seeds, taking care of his pets, reading and homework. Lately he has been putting his small toys into plastic baggies. He has put them in socks and other places before. I find little things hidden in strange places but i see ore often now little plastic figures in Ziploc bags, zippered pouches etc. He likes to carry his stuff sometimes in a plastic shopping bag, collecting items along the way.Lining things up. Very eclectic. The obsessions vary from time to time. He woke up this morning and I found him on his bedroom floor reading Transformers. then he became fixated and wanted to have his transformer toy and searched for it in his room emptying his toy box and probably moving his bed , again. Yes he does that. He has a million and went seven toys but when a specific "thing" enters his mind, there is no stopping him.

Awww...right?

I picked Jorge Juan up early from school yesterday because he was not feeling well. He ended up having a fever, therefore staying home from school today. Despite being sick, Jorge Juan was very pleasant and in a great mood, as usual or even more so. I was very impressed with that behavior.

It was report card conference yesterday so my husband went to the school while I stayed home. He has improved in school and is doing very well.. He is reaching goals and achieving many great things. His report card was very good and his effort marks have improved as well. The one thing that the teacher told my husband was that Jorge Juan throws himself on the floor almost every morning when the principal goes into the classroom to say hello and greet the kids. Yes, he throws himself on the floor and spreads out his arms and legs. Well, we asked Jorge about this yesterday and he told us he used to do that only because he was little but he will not do that anymore because he is a big boy now. OK, we will take that. At home he really doe snot throw himself on the floor but once in a while at karate he will throw himself on the floor after he kicks really hard: he thinks it is funny I guess. But we all tell him not to do that. Also he has been sucking his thumb and putting his fingers in his mouth lately. A lot. In karate an d at home and yes, they told my husband that it happens in school too. We gotta figure out some kind of way to get him to stop. I am thinking it is  a learned behavior from a peer but Jorge Jorge said no one in his class does that, but you never know.

So, he is feeling better today. Still warm but way better than last night. He kept asking if his friends would miss him and he kept saying that he was sick. When he was praying before sleep he just asked God to make him feel better..(insert AWWW, right? I know : )

So today, he has been chilling, reading his books, playing a bit but mostly taking it slow and staying clear of the TV.

My Boy: Part 63

Jorge Juan was chosen for the student of the month. He is very excited and we are very proud of him. It makes a mommy feel good to know that her son is student of the month despite being on the autism spectrum. It is really great and we are thankful to his teacher that nominated him for the title Kindergarten student of the Month.The awards ceremony will be held on this Friday.He has been doing very well the past two days in school which is especially grand because he missed last Thursday and Friday and went only an hour or so on Wednesday due to having a fever. He shot back up to being himself in no time. Now he has been back to flapping more often. At church on Sunday, he was stimulated. As we were in line going fro communion, he was standing in the center of two lines pacing back and forth and flapping happily. I gently put my hand on his shoulder to come back in line in front of us. He repeated the behavior a few more times. I do not know if people were judging him not knowing his situation or what but what I can say is that I would never stop my son for being himself and doing what makes him comfortable and happy even if no one understands it at all. Who knows or cares if they thought he was a small child acting out..not me. God knows my son. That is all we need there.He did well at karate the past two times except for the hand in mouth thing which now seems to be dwindling away. It will get better. He has done his homework. He has been reading and overall well. He wakes up without a problem but once he gets to brushing his teeth or getting dressed at times there is stomping, grunting, No but it gets done. He brings his lunch bag and is happy about that, it gives him yet another thing to look forward to. Cherry tomatoes, raw baby carrots, snap peas,crackers and yogurt, it is what he loves to take with him to school. He plays for  a few minutes outside before he gets on the bus . This morning he discovered my noise canceling head phones and wanted to wear them to school. I told him after school he can because they can get lost. He was OK, only a little upset but better than the meltdown any ole day. He is happy, today is occupational therapy at the rehab center and he love sit. He enjoys going early to play with the kids in the waiting room. Oh yeah and he told me and my husband that he fell in love with two girls at school yesterday while having recess at the playground. He kissed them, yes he did . The teacher sent a note home to me about that. It was cute and funny. This goes to show people that children on the spectrum can be empathetic, sympathetic and show their feelings.