Graduation is Past - and Where Are We?

i guess it's actually2 weeks. 

  i think we sort of have a Plan now.  Maybe.  It might even work.

Tutoring & Speech

  We have been going to the tutor  since December - she slipped into Snowbird Speech Therapist(SST)'s slot, and we've been integrating them together since April.
  i would love to take Max to both of them three times a week.  A reflection on their attitudes more than their abilities & skills, at $100/session compared to $25/session, we simply cannot do that.  Ms Tutor wants to help as many kids as she can.  SST is also into helping her clients, but much more into the professional aspect of the matter.

What we can and cannot do

  Graduation was the 21st.  We knew that, while Max was going to school, it would be too much to have both speech & tutor the same day.  But foolishly i thought, no school: we can do both the same day now.
  You see, Ms Tutor had the speech slot from before Christmas.  At the time, we thought the continuity would be better for Max.
  Actually, it was.  But now that snowbird season is over, they both wanted the timeslot, and Case Manager Mom needed to reconcile this.
  So the 22nd, we had tutor in the morning, then lunch, then speech.
  Not a good thing.  He didn't want to be there, and everyone knew it. 

facsimile excerpt of discussion exercise; i typed it up, for his choices, but the parts in different font represent my handwritten responses.

  It was, um, not pleasant, and could have been worse.  But the discussions were both awkward and enlightening.
   We've decided that speech will be on Tuesdays.  And SnowbirdSpeechTherapist loves it.  Morning timeslot; Wednesday afternoons aren't missed at all.  And MWF works much better for a 3x/wk deal than trying MTF or such.

Other Things: Carried Forward

  There  will be work, but not right away.  He's worked at Gleaners and HandiCapable before, and we will check back. 
  Right now we have a transition for all of us to make.
  Still no progress on that waiver.  Disney stock hasn't sold yet, but i do have more paperwork to submit.  The exit documents don't look at all like i thought, based on the exit conference, that they were going to, but i couldn't get anyone to at school to talk with me more about it, so i just need to fax what i've got to BDDS and let them accept or get back with me or the school.
  We'll still go to the laundramat every week or two.  Yes, we wash here, but only in cold water.  As much as possible, i let Boom take his brother & handle the laundramat detail.  Lunch at Hardee's across the parking lot is part of the deal, so it's something everyone looks forward to.

Other Things, Part 2: Something Completely Different

  Max hasn't been to camp since Sue Hanson did Camp Awareness back in the '90s.  (ok, there was one disastrous integrated experience; subject material for another post).  In July we're going to try camp again, an overnight camp this time.  That part IS new.
  And  you may have noticed that the speech & tutor regime fills MTWF, but leaves Thursday open.  We are gong to try a program at Very Special Arts and see if that goes well.
  i'm also going to try teaching him art myself.  Awhile back, i included an Eileen Prince book in one of my reading list posts.  Another of her books, Art is Fundamental, presents a curriculum that looks very adaptable for use with Max.  The first lesson, showing how different artists have painted trees, was successful.  Max seemed astounded with the point of the lesson, that it's ok to make things differently.  While he didn't follow through with the activity, draw a tree, for me, that happened to be a tutor activity the next day.  And he enjoys looking at the pictures.
  We cook.  i've actually gotten him to mow, though not nearly as much as he should. 

What's Left

  Well, downtime is important.  Does Max have too much of it?  It seems like endless, endless hours of PBS Kids.  We aren't playing those games very much now. 
  We might change the Groceries with Dad on Saturday morning thing.  Not that Groceries with Dad is going to disappear, but there's so many other opportunities that only take place during that Groceries with Dad timeframe. 
  Day Out With Thomas is coming up soon.  We thought about riding the Caboose Train, as a more grown up alternative, but still with Thomas, but couldn't face the thought of going without prepurchased tickets, especially since they aren't even telling us more than "The Caboose Train runs during every other Thomas run."
  We need something more definite than that.

Last, Most Important Thing

  NONE of this could be done, i could not handle Max's needs at all without MyGuy and Boom both right here.  Thanks to you both!



When i began to write this, i received in my Inbox an email from the Autism Society about their upcoming
National Autism Society Conference in Pittsburgh, PA, July 10-13.  One of the speakers is Nina Wall Cote, director of the Pennsylvania of Autism Services.  Her topic?  Pennsylvania's innovative approach to autism supports & services, including an adult autism waiver, which you can apply for after age 21.
Does indiana HAVE a Bureau of Autism Services?  A quick Google search revealed many results for Pennsylvania's Bureau of Autism Services, BDDS in Indiana, and a private, local family group, INFEAT. 

video, audio, & pdf link from 2009 presentation about  the work of  their Bureau of Autism is doing.