language/hearing evaluation, part 2 | Autism PDD
thank you to everyone whos had such kind comments and thoughts for us.
We'd actualy been observed for a bit (not sure how long but long enough
for my son to find a few things to do) unawares to me before my son
ventured off for the mirror.. once there with him and suspecting it, I
did purposly point out the 'other guy' in the mirror to my son and
inform my son that it is him, calling him Stevie (knowing this wouldn't
set well with my son, it never does), but so they might see, and
hopefully realize my one-word-per-customer son gets irate because yes
he *does* know his own name and that it applies to himself (and as far
as my son is concerned then therefor can't apply to 'that other guy' in
the mirror which is I am pretty sure why he gets so ticked about it's
being said)
well we got some silliness in lol.. but not intentionally.. had a
raspberryfest with my son before I was aware we were being
watched lol.. we really look like 'quite the pair' when we do this, lol
Jakob'sMom, I really want to thank you for your words about the
plateau.. so well said and it turns out to have been what we have just
been through I think. thank you! We had these dark days for a few but
today was better both at his class and here at home this evening. I
think you hit the nail on the head!
With Love and Blessings
Theda
PS, I know we have at least one more appointment (which is encouraging
to me that they're doing as much of this, suggests to me that they are
not writing him off the more we must go for these appointments, and
that they are quite thorough as promised, and each time gives another
chance that my son might be able to show them for himself).
No one has said anything definitive to me but I have a sense of hope
and things that have been lightly inferred that they will find my son
to be capable of benefitting from language/speech therapy, and also
that even currently without the benefit of speech therapy such as we
are, from their viewing the DVD the feeling from questions and comments
regarding this so far (on the DVD you can see what his aid and the OT
have been able to come up with on their own) leaves me feeling we have
been on the right track.
With Love and Blessings,
Theda
Jakob'sMom
Don't you know yet, lol, that I'm here to learn and glean from everyone's insights and experiences as much as anyone?
Truly.. we're in a novel situation I suppose to an extent (though I
have heard of other LFA adults near to my son's age, also introduced to
these therapies and such, also for the first times in their lives at
these ages and also doing very well with them -- one man even spoke for
the first time at age 35 I have heard but I hold no false hopes), --
we're older but still, in
so very many ways, we too are learning and so much of it is new to us..
older by no means means wiser, I'm telling you (if you watched me
closely, could spend a day with me I think you'd *really* see what I
mean!)
(and remember what happened to the dinosaurs!)
With Love and Blessings,
Theda (who could also be called the real Lucille Ball of life at times as I go bumbling about. I tell you!)
We did better today, I think.
For this they wanted us to be there from 1 to 5 and testing his hearing was part of it.
How they did the hearing part was quite interesting and fortunately
very little of it actually involved requiring responses from my son
(which I was grateful for), though they did ask me to bring in a few of
his most favorite things for some aspects of this and more language
testing which did require this.
I also found that during one portion of things while they had my son
and I wait for some time in a room by ourselves (I managed to get my
son through the New Room part of things that he does quickly enough
this time to thwart the worst of that off) that we were being examined
by means of a large 'two way' mirror at one wall, or rather I should
say, my son discovered this (in his quest to sort out 'that other
guy'). Hopefully they saw some good things there, I think they
might've. I know while we were there and waiting and before my son went
to have his issue with the mirror (which looked odd to me and not quite
like most mirrors when followoing my son I got up near to it and I
swear I saw faint shadows there that wern't us but call me crazy), we'd
had amongst other things, several rounds of "lets pull mom's hair and
give raspberries" and "Mom you're sitting too close I don't want you so
near" behaviors (my son has some rather effective ways of letting his
often varying 'needs for personal space" be known) and getting mad when
I told him no, and so forth.
At seeing some of my son's strange but familair responses during some
of the hearing portions of things I asked for a copy of the same sheet
they were making notes on (a sheet with different lines for different
sounds and frequencies I think) and made sure I was making my notes at
the same lines as they made their marks and I'm sure they thought I was
crazy (I got looks!) but just in case it might matter to them and the
OT or someone back at his program or anywhere, I was keeping up and
making my own notes to myself in the margin on my own sheet such as
"wine face" (the same 'tasting fine wine' face my son had first made
listening to the headphones when they were attached to the stereo,he
did this a few times during this today) or made some of his certain
vocal stims (I was astonished to see that they could provoke some of
these with this testing as if on and off with them and so I was marking
"church stim" etc notes to myself and so forth.)
I was asked by four different people doing this hearing testing today
at various times if my son ever exhibited 'savant abilities' of any
sort. Not unless biting pianos that are out of tune (my theory looking
back at it since things with Alex and the 'perfect pitch' business, as
to why he repeatedly attacked the delapidated condemnable 'piano' in
the psych unit and anyone who tried to play it), remembering and
imitating every sort of non-human mechanical thing that suits him and
being the original 'radar O'reilly' when it comes to helicopters at
quite a distance counts, no, I'm afraid not. One very weak and wet
sucked in note on a harmonica (accompanied by LOADS of frustration and
meltdown to do this) does not a virtuoso make.
At one point some of my husband's relatives had given us a small
upright piano (and we had a livingroom large enough for just cramming
it in, the extravagant inlaws wanting something better for themselves
donated this to us).
I can play a bit, my daughter also taught herself and (save for the
occasional misplayed note) Stevie never bit that piano or anyone who
played it, providing they didn't fumble. In this way I suppose my son
'assisted' (term used loosely) with my poor daughter's efforts to teach
herself to play. While we had that piano he never showed any interest
whatsoever in trying to make any notes or sound come from it for
himself.
Once again we didn't do so hot at the more involved direct aspects of
the language/speech testing (my son was far more interested in looking
at the floor or his shoes and mumbling his stims for the most part
throughout), but I was handed back the DVD I had brought in the first
day and told they had indeed seen it and it was very good of me to have
brought this in.
We're not done yet, the fat lady (I guess that'd be me heh) hasn't sang yet.
With love and Blesssings,
Theda
Updated to add: this in no way adequately or fully covers today's
events like I wanted, just feeling a bit tapped and overwhelmed (and
not necessarily in a bad way, just.. overdone and still trying to
register and sort out today for myself yet, if you know what I mean.
Its not just our kids who can feel overwhelmed I don't think.)
Theda, It sounds like the eval is going well all things considered. I know it must be frustratin gfor you though. Im glad they saw Stevie's DVD action packed movie too! Believe me they are trained to pick up every small detail!
Try to keep your spirits high... Im wishing all the best for you and for Stevie! It sounds like Stevie did much better this time too!
Stevie WAY TO GO!
Theda,
It does sound like he did pretty well. Can't wait to hear the outcome of all this.
good job Stevie
Tammy
It sounds like things went pretty well to me too...I hope you feel better after having time to re-energize. The therapist always explain to me that Jakob is "plateauing" when a few days go by and I'm just not seeing any progress or it seems like he's losing progress...well, I think we as mothers (or dads) need that plateaing (I'm sure I'm not spelling that correctly) time too. Time to let all the new things "sink" in. I'm always thinking of you and Stevie, Theda...hope you feel better soon.hi theda , i think i would be unable to not be silly if i knew there was some one watching me like that . i guess its my inner child
Just a thought! Im glad they keep doing more and more and more.... you're right it is a good sign!
Y'know...
(argh.. unwanted doubespacing everytime I hit enter, sorry, the alternative is cramming it all together).. I had been wishing they could go out to see him in his class.. but bringing Mohammad *to* the mountain is even better... No for some reason having Alex go *THERE with us* never even dawned on me lol, excellant idea, I shall ask! I've discovered by way of one of your links Michelle that there *is* something Stevie *does* rather than just *has* that is a savant-skill by the way, according to one of your links (and admittedly its the only place I've ever seen or heard of this listed as a savant ability).. his internal clock. That counts. Neat, eh?
Its not anything to write home about and I'm sure they'll look at me sideways lol when I tell them at the language/hearing place when we go again (they were looking for something my son might've ever exhibited hearing-wise or even musical I suspect with his pertect pitch and undertones and whatnot) but I'm going to tell them anyway.
With Love and Blessings,
Theda
Copyright Autism-PDD.net