The Max Report June 2016

long time gone - new world

  Here's some homework we've been working on.

When did he get so big?  And the BEARD?

  Not the same photo below!  Above it's about Max; here is the book.

Working at Home -

- Bookwork

so Max is having trouble with multiplication principles, though if he starts it right he can often get the answer.

i've been generating random problems for him, but this book has really helped.  You could do the same things without the sticker book, but i think the stickers helped cement the concepts.  Unfortunately the pages only LOOK wipe-clean, and the stickers, at least at the current age of the book, aren't really removable - or at least not reusable.  The company's current lineup has a wipe clean series; i might try those too.

- Coins & Change

  He also has been having trouble getting the idea of money values and making change.  i've put a bunch of coins in a big box lid (oversized shoebox)  & every day will ask him to "Show me (this amount) of money. 
  After a couple weeks, he doesn't mix up nickels and dimes any more and   pretty consistently gets it right the first time.  And he's fascinated when i use other coins to make up the same amount.

 Working with Potential Providers -

- Services to Change

  At our last team meeting in April, we decided to pursue pre-vocational rehabilitation.
  Since i have such trouble with phones & initiating calls, it was several weeks before i began.  And of course several possibilities from the pick list*  proved unreachable.  The ones i did make contact with, i had to reach them a couple of times.

- Path to Service

  So we talk on the  phone.  We set up an interview.  i could do it without Max, but it's really better to bring him, since it's his life. 
  i thought we'd found The One at the first interview.  Max seemed to like what they offered too, but wanted to interview others.
  Well, that's always a good idea.

- Visiting Another Company

  It turned out the other (singular) program i was able to get with had 3 possible placements.  We visited each.
  Two were actually day services.  The same thing Company A is providing, except different.  One was in an apartment building, & the other in a church.
  Either looked like fine programs.  The tour givers, leaders of the respective programs, were great.  Max was more impressed with the apartment one, since they had larger rooms and nice new stuff.  Not the company's; all belongs to the apartment.
  The one in a church had a single room, but they went into the community more often.
  Their other program was different.  It's in a warehouse, with jobs coming to them, and excursions to other jobsites most days.  Again, nice people; they wanted to have their clients in a competitive job in 18 months.
  With a staff ration of 1:8 and that firm 18 month goal, i didn't think they had what Max needed.

Decision

  Eventually, Max agreed with me that the first provider was the right one.  He would have been happy with any of them, he thought, but we need to go with the goal: soft skills to prepare him to go on to a job of some sort.
  So i hope i've got the paperwork filled out adequately.  Company A is scanning it and the records they have, and should have it emailed there by Monday.
  And we wait again.  Because we can't work this into the schedule until we know exactly what is available in the personalized program.

* just what it sounds like; a book-like sheaf of papers you print out with contact information for Medicaid providers who offer the service you're looking for.  But beware:  just because a company is there doesn't mean they actually offer the service the list describes.  And that's BEFORE you attempt contact & try to find a fit.