Like I said before I didn't think I would update this often. So here it is 4 months later summer is over and fall is definitely in the air. I wouldn't think it is around 50 degrees and raining tons out side. I am in my fleece pants and a sweatshirt trying to keep warm. I didn't do much this summer except work very little. I went in for maybe 5 hours a day and then just played. I put a swimming pool in the backyard and when I say swimming pool I mean an inflatable pool about 12 feet long 6 feet wide and not more than 2 feet deep. What a great way to cool down, and yes, I did have a great tan! I really didn't take any trips this summer either. My big plan was to go to Hawaii and stay with some friends that are from there. I waited to long to get tickets and the price was to high, and I didn't want to go alone. So for next summer I am putting it out there that I want to go to Hawaii and anyone who wants to go...well start saving and come with me.
So that Coed Softball team I was on ended up being not quite what we all thought it would be. Yes it was stacked and we did very well, but our hearts weren't into it. We still h
ad fun though. While playing I was able to receive my first black eye. Here's the story. I am playing catcher and actually having a great time at it. I'm getting people out, making great plays, and having a good time. We were playing a team that we beat but should've beat earlier. We had that we are winning by so much so lets stop playing our best attitude and they came back. They had one batter left and he had to go all they way around the bases to tie the game. (your probably wondering what kind of rules we play by, basically coach pitch rules...we pitch to our own team, and everyone bats in an inning...dumb? yes, i know) So their last batter was one of their best hitters and we knew he would hit it far, so the plan was to get it to me. I was ready for it and when I got to me I had time to get over and go low so I could get the tag. The next thing I remember was being hit in the face and thrown backwards. My head was pounding. I'm pretty sure that there was an instant goose egg on my foreh
ead and it was huge about the size of a softball. My nose also hurt. Well the next day it was still swollen and a few days letter the swelling moved down into my nose and under my eyes. I thought I would look worse, but I still looked weird. Then the black and blue sat in...all around my right eye and partially on the left. This story would've been so much better had they actually called the guy out that hit me, but they didn't and that is the most upsetting part about this whole experience. The team ended up forfeiting in the tournament since we were all going out of town. None of us felt bad though!
I also moved...not far from where I was but to a little bigger and nicer place. Mom and Daniel came up and helped me pack it all over. I have way to much stuff and can't figure out how to get rid of it. I did throw alot away during the move but still alot is still in my room. My roommate, who has now moved out, decided that it was okay to have her boyfriend live there full time and he did. I now have other roomies that are young and never around so I guess that it ok. I would rather be with the girls next door any way.
School is now in and going strong, and by strong I mean the kids, or just one kid imparticular. I'll talk about him in a minute. This year I am with the low functioning kids. About half of the class is non-verbal and the other half has limited language, most of it is not functional. I started out with six kids and then every two days added another one until Sept 11 when I started my last kid, Riley. Some of you have heard the stories of Riley. He is almost 4 feet tall, weighs somewhere around 70 lbs, and is very aggressive. He is minimal language but understands alot. Some of his favorite things to do is pinch in that sensitive spot under our arm, you know where our relief society flab is, scratch, spit, pull hair, walk on our feet, drop to the floor when he doesn't want to do anything, and his most favorite thing...Bite. Yup, he like to bite. I have been bitten 4 out of the 9 times. I must be his favorite. My bites are getting and so is Riley. He really is doing much better in the classroom. He still has all the behaviors but seems to know that he has to do what is asked of him. He loves to sing Old McDonald which he does very well and it seems to be a way that we can calm him down. He really is a cute kid and can be so very funny. One other Riley story that I just have to laugh about...on Tuesday he came in with his mom and he had a sprained ankle. His mom told me that he would have to be carried everywhere since he couldn't walk...yea right. It was all I could do but laugh in her face...carry a 70 lb aggressive boy around who when he doesn't want to go where we are going would just have better access to pulling my hair and more sensitive places to bite...what was she thinking. Mom decided, with a little, okay alot, of persuasion from me, to take him home and we had a Riley free two days! Now thats a good day!!
I have to share what makes my job worth it. Seeing Riley's small improvements are definitely worth it, but he's someone I knew would do well in the program. I have to tell you about Kayla. She is 4. She developed normal until she was 2 and half when she stopped progressing and lost the language and eye contact she had. Now the only way she communicates in by screaming, and she has that little girl scream that rings through your ears and almost drives you crazy. She is getting better at having a "Quiet Voice" though. She knows our routine and is progressing in our Attending programs. Her big day was on Wednesday when I was working with her in our Adapted PE class. We were singing "Head, shoulders, knees and toes". I am fully prompting her to touch each body part and at the end of the song when I let go of her arms she pointed to her knees and toes saying "knees and toes"! I couldn't believe it. She went on to say toes again and then in a work session spoke the word "please" twice. Why do I work with children with autism? Because when I go to work everyday and do my best at what I do to make a difference in the lives of these kids and to try and get them to a functioning level, It happens. They do progress and become more functional. Kayla spoke words for her first time in almost 2 years, she is "coming alive" and I get to be a part of that. She says more words and has done more in just three days. I can't wait to see what she is going to become!! It was one of the most amazing experiences I've had in a while and I needed it to get me through!!
Well I think I've got everyone caught up on my life. I'll try to do this more often so it's not like reading a novel every time. I'm off to Boston next week for fall break, which is so needed! I'll let everyone know how it goes.
So that Coed Softball team I was on ended up being not quite what we all thought it would be. Yes it was stacked and we did very well, but our hearts weren't into it. We still h
ad fun though. While playing I was able to receive my first black eye. Here's the story. I am playing catcher and actually having a great time at it. I'm getting people out, making great plays, and having a good time. We were playing a team that we beat but should've beat earlier. We had that we are winning by so much so lets stop playing our best attitude and they came back. They had one batter left and he had to go all they way around the bases to tie the game. (your probably wondering what kind of rules we play by, basically coach pitch rules...we pitch to our own team, and everyone bats in an inning...dumb? yes, i know) So their last batter was one of their best hitters and we knew he would hit it far, so the plan was to get it to me. I was ready for it and when I got to me I had time to get over and go low so I could get the tag. The next thing I remember was being hit in the face and thrown backwards. My head was pounding. I'm pretty sure that there was an instant goose egg on my foreh
ead and it was huge about the size of a softball. My nose also hurt. Well the next day it was still swollen and a few days letter the swelling moved down into my nose and under my eyes. I thought I would look worse, but I still looked weird. Then the black and blue sat in...all around my right eye and partially on the left. This story would've been so much better had they actually called the guy out that hit me, but they didn't and that is the most upsetting part about this whole experience. The team ended up forfeiting in the tournament since we were all going out of town. None of us felt bad though!I also moved...not far from where I was but to a little bigger and nicer place. Mom and Daniel came up and helped me pack it all over. I have way to much stuff and can't figure out how to get rid of it. I did throw alot away during the move but still alot is still in my room. My roommate, who has now moved out, decided that it was okay to have her boyfriend live there full time and he did. I now have other roomies that are young and never around so I guess that it ok. I would rather be with the girls next door any way.
School is now in and going strong, and by strong I mean the kids, or just one kid imparticular. I'll talk about him in a minute. This year I am with the low functioning kids. About half of the class is non-verbal and the other half has limited language, most of it is not functional. I started out with six kids and then every two days added another one until Sept 11 when I started my last kid, Riley. Some of you have heard the stories of Riley. He is almost 4 feet tall, weighs somewhere around 70 lbs, and is very aggressive. He is minimal language but understands alot. Some of his favorite things to do is pinch in that sensitive spot under our arm, you know where our relief society flab is, scratch, spit, pull hair, walk on our feet, drop to the floor when he doesn't want to do anything, and his most favorite thing...Bite. Yup, he like to bite. I have been bitten 4 out of the 9 times. I must be his favorite. My bites are getting and so is Riley. He really is doing much better in the classroom. He still has all the behaviors but seems to know that he has to do what is asked of him. He loves to sing Old McDonald which he does very well and it seems to be a way that we can calm him down. He really is a cute kid and can be so very funny. One other Riley story that I just have to laugh about...on Tuesday he came in with his mom and he had a sprained ankle. His mom told me that he would have to be carried everywhere since he couldn't walk...yea right. It was all I could do but laugh in her face...carry a 70 lb aggressive boy around who when he doesn't want to go where we are going would just have better access to pulling my hair and more sensitive places to bite...what was she thinking. Mom decided, with a little, okay alot, of persuasion from me, to take him home and we had a Riley free two days! Now thats a good day!!
I have to share what makes my job worth it. Seeing Riley's small improvements are definitely worth it, but he's someone I knew would do well in the program. I have to tell you about Kayla. She is 4. She developed normal until she was 2 and half when she stopped progressing and lost the language and eye contact she had. Now the only way she communicates in by screaming, and she has that little girl scream that rings through your ears and almost drives you crazy. She is getting better at having a "Quiet Voice" though. She knows our routine and is progressing in our Attending programs. Her big day was on Wednesday when I was working with her in our Adapted PE class. We were singing "Head, shoulders, knees and toes". I am fully prompting her to touch each body part and at the end of the song when I let go of her arms she pointed to her knees and toes saying "knees and toes"! I couldn't believe it. She went on to say toes again and then in a work session spoke the word "please" twice. Why do I work with children with autism? Because when I go to work everyday and do my best at what I do to make a difference in the lives of these kids and to try and get them to a functioning level, It happens. They do progress and become more functional. Kayla spoke words for her first time in almost 2 years, she is "coming alive" and I get to be a part of that. She says more words and has done more in just three days. I can't wait to see what she is going to become!! It was one of the most amazing experiences I've had in a while and I needed it to get me through!!
Well I think I've got everyone caught up on my life. I'll try to do this more often so it's not like reading a novel every time. I'm off to Boston next week for fall break, which is so needed! I'll let everyone know how it goes.
