Plants do not belong in pots

Just a view of things I have noticed that 'make sense' to Jonathan... or perhaps make him feel good.

For myself, when I was a child, having a drink of milk... more particular flavoured milk, could only be really done in one way to truly savour the experience. The cup has to be plastic, kinda thin, and fairly tall. The mixing of the favour has to be done with a long spoon, and then the same spoon must be used to drink the drink, one spoon at a time slowly sipped. It is better again if you are sitting on a couch with your knees bent up around your ears. Since becoming an adult, the knees around the ears are not so important, but flavoured milk still tastes best from a spoon.

Jonathan seems to have similar feelings about certain things, and I just wanted to share a few. People who see me drink milk think I am odd, but it brings me comfort (the same as eating a meat pie... crust removed first, then eat the middle with a spoon, then eat the bottom.) the things that seem 'normal' or 'make sense' or 'bring comfort' to Jono seem a touch more abstract than these, and I hope he may choose to explain them to us better in time, even if just to give us a smile.

The Television.
It cannot be turned on or off, have the channel changed, or have a movie started while I am in the room. If any of these occour, I will rapidly exit the room through the back door, or up to a bedroom and close that door, or head downstairs (or on odd occasions complain about the change saying 'finished'). Once the show has commenced and I am comfortable about the change that has occoured I will return and watch it.

Car Travel.
If I am in Mummy's car I must sit in the front passenger seat, (unless 2 adults are in the car which I will sit in the back) Toy Story Number 2 must be in the CD player ready to play, and I will turn it on before I sit down. The volume setting is to be number 11, and I will adjust it accordingly myself... no... I dont need your help.

The Fridge
I will happily raid the fridge and (most times) take apples, carrots or other fruits. I will usually eat 3/4 ish, and leave the other 1/4 on the floor... what rubbish bin?

Pot Plants
Plants do not belong in pots, on the odd occasion where mummy brings one home, I help her by removing them from the pot by bashing, grabbing, turning upside down, and often leaving the plant on the front pathway. More recently she brought home 2 plants, 1 I took all the leaves off the plant first before taking it out of the pot, the other one I removed, took the plant and the pot to the back stairs, turned the pot upside down and put the plant on top.


I was thinking to myself the other day... one day Jonathan will read all this... I wonder what he will think of what I think of what he seems to be thinking. Although really I am writing more for me... to be able to voice how I feel, and to find others who may understand me some :)

All in the family

First, a little background of the location. Our church rents a hall, that is located next to some office space on the edge of inner city, on a very busy main road. In the past we have had Jono run straight at the road oblivious to traffic, and been able to catch him literally 1 foot away from the oncoming cars. We stopped taking him to church for about 6 months after that, as his comprehension and ability to stop when told wasn't great at that time.

He is much better at understanding and obeying now, he is older and comprehends much more, though streets are cars are still a big fascination.

Today.. he disappeared for a few moments (as he often does), so I looked in the usual spots. The boys toilets, the offices, checked the gate to outside... and couldn't find him anywhere. I grabbed my husband's arm and said firmly "Help Now" (at the time we were having lunch and his older brother was sitting acroos the table and saw my face). We found him.. UNDER a table in the other corner.

About 10 minutes later, his brother came up to me and simply said "I'm helping Mum". He then told me that he saw my face and how worried I was when I thought I'd lost Jonathan, and he wanted to help me to keep an eye on him so we don't lose him.

There are times I worry, what if I die young, who would take care of my children, and who would have a chance of understanding Jonathan's needs. Today I was shown that there really is small need to worry, because there is someone there who really tries to understand and cares. In thinking, his sister also spends a lot of effort in guiding and directing Jonathan. So really.. we will die one day, and it may be young... but he has people who will be his helpers, as best they can. *warm fuzzies*

Any response is a good response.

The other day Jonathan was in the backyard (his favourite place) and I needed to get him ready to go out, So I called for him, saying 'Jono come... time to go in the car', usually, I just call a few times until he starts coming to me to get ready to go, and he will often echo back 'come' or 'car'.

This time.. after a few calls.. he practicially yelled.. WHAT!!?!?!?!

I have never been so excited to hear a child talk back to me. I've told a few friends, and we all agreed, any other child would get some discusion about the right way to respond, for Jono, it was just exciting that he responded at all.

School Holidays

Well, it's been a little while, we've been busy! Painting - brave or foolish.. 3 children, mutliple paint pots and brushes; crafting - making a dragon out of egg cartons; stuff around the house, and an overnight stay at a hotel.

Jonathan has had a bunch of foods he really shouldn't ... and is actually coping really really well with it.

When we went away overnight, we went to a hotel that was catered for kids... playrooms where you signed your kids in for activities and stuff (and a playgym and pedal go-karts) , outdoor play gear, and 5 heated swimming pools!! We actually went swimming in the middle of winter.

However, the highlight was Jonathan and the ocean. When we arrived the queue to book in was too long, so we went to the beach to go for a walk for a little bit. Jonathan tried soooooo hard not to go into the ocean (which just a few short years ago he was frighteened of)... but failed miserably after a while.

We saw some antics that inched him ever closer to the water... trials in the sand on his bottom, prancing, but the draw of the water was too much. One minute he was at the edge, the next a wave crashed over his legs wetting his shorts.. the next a small red jumper crashed down into the icy ocean.

He loved it, and froze to pieces in the cold cross breezes when we pulled him out again. We let his older brother go in as well, and amazingly neither of them got very sick from it. We stopped his little sister going in, and she got the sniffles for a week or so after.

I'm not sure what the big drawcard is about water play for him... not just swimming, but play.. he'd watch a tap turned on to a trickle for hours if we let him, and just watch it over his fingers, rocks, spoons, whatever is close handy. It must just be soothing to some extent, or maybe those cogs are going at 100 miles an hour figuring it all out. One day he may get around to telling us (says me - water baby from her youth... maybe I do have an affinty after all)

Water, water everywhere!

Jonathan has been getting much more into water play again athe moment... it's just a shame that its winter here and he has a chesty cough.

Anyways, he decided that the upper floor of our house needed a water feature... so proceeded to pour 2 litres of water onto the couch... it seeped through the couch, the floor boards, the lining... and through a light socket in the downstairs roof.

The waterfall was quite spectacular - albeit dangerous - and after a mad scurry for towels, and leaving the light off overnight, downstairs dried quite nicely. He was somewhat shocked when he came downstairs and saw it dripping through the lightsocket.

Yes, he did get a smack on that one, it's just too dangerous to have him doing that on a regular basis.

It's funny though, he just wanted to put some (read: a lot!) water on the couch... no idea of consequences... I don't know if he really understands now either... but the couch was in need of a clean anyways :)

Writing

Today I found in Jonathan's school bag 3 pieces of paper with his name on them... one was tracing over dots in the right shape, the others freehand.. they were very child-like.. I'm not sure if he did them himself, or if he had someone holding his hand and directing him - I shall find out. [Edit: he had help to write them.. but he really understands that a 'J' with some scribble after it is how to write his name ]

But.. I showed them to him and praised him on writing his name.. he was well pleased.

I get amazed at times by his progression, it seems to 'normal' and at other times it seems so restricted. Some areas he functions exactly like any other boy or girl his age... and there are some kids in his class whose language is almost as restricted as his, yet have no special needs.

It's so hard to gauge just what he is learning and understanding.. at times it seems like he knows everything around him, he just doesn't want to tell us about it. Other times he is waaay in his own little world and its hard to break in... is he simply daydreaming...? I honestly couldn't tell you.

Oh, and this winter's big news.. he is actually staying under his doona, last winter it was not something he wanted and we just dressed him extra warm and hoped for the best.

With his often restless nights it seems to be getting harder and harder to get him out of bed now in the mornings... especially when the doona gets ripped off him, and he fumbles around for it then drags it back over his entire body like a cocoon.... toooo cute!

Food Glorious Food

Well.. I said a while ago that I would talk some more about food, and last weekend we had a couple come to dinner who has an Autistic child themselves, and we ate as well as discussed food :)

For a lot of kids with Autism, diet is looked at with the recomendation of Gluten and Dairy free being good as theit bodies cannot cope with certain things in those foods, and the nutrients don't get digested as well and blocked from being sent to the brain, so brain function is more difficult.

For us... they make a BIG difference.

When he was 2 and 1/2 we went to a Hungry Jacks (aka Burger King) with some friends... we had just recently reduced his diet, except we still let him have cheese, coz he just loved it so. It was HARD, he couldn't sit in his own chair, tried to steal food off other tables, and wouldn't play in the playground.. I think we lasted 35 minutes before giving up and going home.

We decided then to take him off cheese and just see. Two weeks later we were at the same HJ's, and he sat in his chair, ate his food, and played happily. So... we gave him an icecream as a treat, we were so pleased. He spent the next 4 days under his bed... quite literally - he just could not be with us or be at our level.

Then we have gluten. At day care last year he had a bunch of specific 'free' foods just for him, which was wonderful. However, one of them thought we were wanting wheat free and preserrvative free.. so got a rye bread especially for him (GLUTEN!!!). We were not aware, and in the two weeks they gave it to him (only 1-2 pieces every other day) he regressed massively in multiple areas of his life. Socially he stinted, words dropped off, and he stopped going to the toilet in the toilet... we were back to him doing poo's in the back yard, as he could not cope with sitting on the toilet... it had been 6 months since he had done that! Once we found the culprit and stopped it.. it was about 2 months before he was back to the stage he was prevoiusly at.

Mind you - being completely GF and CF free these days is possible, there are so many foods available - soy products, tofu cheeses, goats, rice.. etc. But we find it hard still - with 3 kids, parties, friends... so we aim for 80% plus.. and then don't get stressed if he has something he shouldn't... coz if we were too focused on it, it would truly be a burden.

So... if any of you have heard of these things for your child... please try them.. just give it 2 weeks and measure for yourself, then make you own decisions about continue... coz habits are hard to break, and good habits can be a challenge to get into :)

(Says me who hasn't been to the gym in 5 days ... ooops!)