Fireworks and Autism/SPD

. Any parent of a child with Autism or Sensory Processing Disorder (SPD) knows how difficult noises, especially loud unexpected noises, can be.  It's NOT FUN.   Add into that the factor of getting over stimulated, and a bunch of other factors that could totally send our kids with sensory issues over the edge, and it makes a day like 4th of July - that's supposed to be a ton of fun - just not fun at all.

I know that since Noah was born, we haven't gone to a live firework show since he started expressing sensory issues but a few times.   So that means in 12 years ... we've gone two or three times.   I can think of one off hand.

We usually try to get some of the smaller fireworks that we can do ourselves, sparklers, that sort of thing.  We do those.... but we can't always afford to do that.   Where we currently live, if you sit outside you can see a couple of different displays.  Sometimes not so well because of the trees, but some get high enough for the kids to really see well :)   So the kids who WANT to go outside and watch.   Noah is usually one of them, Nathan is not.  

On 4th of July, for Nathan, it's just like any other day.  We go over to Nana & Papa's for a BBQ and then home and do what we do normally including his bedtime.   The rest of the kids play outside and come in after fireworks.

So one of my really good friends ran into an issued with her SPD child ....  they were out and setting off bottle rockets.  Normally he loves that sort of thing but this year either he got overwhelmed or something.  The over stimulating caused him to go into major (the worst she'd ever seen him in) melt down mode.  It took hours to get him to calm down.

So that inspired me .....  I thought of several things to help make a day like Forth of July run a little smoother....  

that one didn't look real good on facebook so I made this one too ....

For more information and other ideas....  

She found this link...
4th of July and Dealing with Over-Stimulation 

And I found these links.....
Tips for an Autism Friendly 4th of July
Autism Ears, Loud Noises and Fireworks! – Oh, My!

The Snake........

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Nate's inclusion teacher made the kids these sensory weight snakes for Christmas and Nathan's snakes tongue fell off so I sewed it back on. Then I decided to see on eyes and hair too (badly, I didn't care about looks, just durability)

Yes .... he is amazing :)

.So ....... what is one supposed to think when their child sits in a bucket ........

................... I mean other than "grab your camera and take pictures" .....

Yes, this is seeking out some sort of sensory input ... LOL....

Chocolate Milk Bubbles

.This morning ....... Nathan got some chocolate milk.  Now, normally I don't allow him to blow bubbles in his drinks ....

........ he does it a lot, and I am always "Nathan stop doing that" ...  I just ask him NOT to do it and usually he will listen.  

.......... This morning, though, I just grabbed my camera and was amused by the whole thing.  You can see how happy this made him this morning.

This is love ...... all around :)

Sensory Friendly Christmas Party

Earlier this week we got to go to a Sensory Friendly Christmas Party for kids with Sensory issues and/or health issues.   It was a lot of fun.  It was held at a indoor playground that is local.  We had never been there before.  So it was nice to be able to check it out.  

First thing they did was get in the (short) line for pictures with Santa.   Daddy took them in and I sat with all our jackets and stuff.  They posted the pictures on a website - which were up just yesterday :)

Kaedyn is usually super scared of Santa so its nice seeing him in the picture smiling - even if he is sitting as far away as he can.  LOL...  they all came out with a stuffed animal, a candy cane and a little back with an ornament in it...

Although some switching happened on the way home.  Noah ended up with the snowman - named Frosty.  Nathan ended up with the elf - named Pizza... and Kaedyn kept his reindeer named... well, it was named Window that night... he has changed it since then.

They had a maze bouncy house, a huge slide, and a regular bouncy house.  They also had a ball court, and some other sections that the kids had no interest in what so ever since they really (especially Kaedyn) just liked the slide.   Nathan went through the maze a few times and in the bouncy house a few times but really him and Kaedyn just kept going up the slide and coming down.   Noah got overwhelmed at one point and just went and sat for awhile.  He has issues with his legs so it was to be expected with a bunch of jumping.

Noah

Nathan

Kaedyn

And when we came in we were given envelopes with a bunch of stuff in there.  Each kid got some Seahawks tattoos, and a $10 gift card to Target.   Which they decided to use on pizza and pop for dinner that night.  Silly kids.... they just wanted pizza.

Nathan ended up with the candy ornament, Noah with the baseball and Kaedyn with the green candy cane :)
It was a lot of fun and definitely something we want to do again next year.  We left about twenty minutes early because Noah was overwhelmed and Nathan was getting ready to melt down.  Then we went to Target and got their pizza and soda and went home and ate and had fun.  The kids put their ornaments on the trees right away :)  

Thanks for the great night!!!

Sensory Recipes ...

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I shared these on my facebook but thought I would share them on here too.   I got the images off pinterest and created the graphic with the recipe.

I will be doing more of this.



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Toys R Us ... HUGE THUMBS UP!!

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On December 1st a friend of mine shared a link with me ....

TOYS R US: TOY GUIDE FOR DIFFERENTLY-ABLED KIDS

I want to share that my first job (other than babysitting) was at Toys R Us.  It was one of my favorite experiences - I loved working there.  

So when I saw this.......... I was all, WAY TO GO TRU!!!

I have to say - I'm really impressed!

So my Mom and I shop at TRU for the kids, especially during the holidays of course.   So we were there a few days ago, and I saw the actual printed version of the online ad. 

And as an added bonus - there was this flyer too!!

Amazing!!  WTG TRU!

After Nathan's Cleft Palate Surgery - Day 2

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After Nathan's Cleft Palate Surgery - Day 2

 Sunday .... I thought FOR SURE we'd be going home.... Nathan was feeling a TON better on Sunday.  He was all excited, disconnected from all the leads (monitors) ... I asked if I could get him dressed in his clothes to help perk him up and was told absolutely ....  

Doctor came in and she told me that the goal was to drink 1000 cc's (about 33oz) ...  She said figure, he needs to take about 300 cc's per meal, which is about 10 oz...and a little bit extra.  So she wanted him to have 300cc's prior to lunch time, if not more.... and if he LOOKS like he's going to meet the goal, THEN he can go home.  Pain management was still and issue too.... 


He got up and had about half a pancake, of course - the other half he decided to share with the rest of his body in hopes that he would just ... absorb it through his skin or hair I guess....

 I gave him a sponge bath before getting him dressed....

 Got him dressed and told him we'd go for a walk .... 

 

 This video was taken - there was a "fire alarm" going off - "Code Red" ... it was on the 4th floor somewhere .... (we were on the 3rd).....then I taped Nathan and this is how I spent my day - saying the same thing in ten different ways ever 5 minutes.... 







Mamacita Sunday morning... 

 We went to the gift shop where I told Nathan he could pick out ONE MORE THING but only if he DRANK DRANK DRANK ....  he picked up three....  a glow in the dark wand, a discover wand, and an Angry Bird Balloon .... 

 He was all about the Angry Birds balloon....

Someone happened to get off the on the fourth floor when we were on the elevator (or alligator as we call it) ... and I saw this cute pond mural going on ... so we had to stop and take a picture.... 

Nathan was super active - SUPER active on Sunday - you could tell he was DEFINITELY feeling better.... so we went on a few walks...

We blew bubbles.....

Took a short nap (after he spilled stuff on his bed)

Nathan's name outside the door

More bubbles....

Watched some TV

Took another walk

We were doing whatever we could to make him thirsty and want to drink but nothing seemed to work.  He's lick ice cream a little, he'd nibble popsicles.... didn't have any interest in jello that day or pudding ....  and I let him pick out a soda from the machine on one of our walks.  He chose Root Beer.  We had a drink of every kind available to him and he only drank about 10 oz at 2-3 oclock...  by 6pm he had only drank 15 ounces all day ...  and it finally came down to the question (of us staying or going) ... "Do you think you can get another 16 oz in him tonight"  I told the nurse, Um, NO... considering it's taken me 11 hours to get him to drink 15 ounces and at home he is usually in bed at 7.  No, it wasn't possible.

Mr. Spinner a SPIN A TON was at it again .... 




 Around 3 o'clock I drew this on the board

 My drawing skills suck, but he got the idea! LOL
around 6 o'clock I noticed that his IV was all but out ... it was only in by a tiny tip.... the rest of the catheter into his vein was out... so she went ahead and pulled it....  he picked out a yellow bandaid....

But ... after I got the news that he wasn't going home, FINALLY, and I had a mini pity party because I was so frustrated, I just wanted an answer....  and I didn't get one until the last minute.  OH ... plus they stuck the social worker on me at about 5 o'clock... because "it sounds like you have a lot going on at home" ... well...... DUH!!  I explained to her how I was frustrated - how it was OBVIOUS that he wasn't going to make the "goal" ... and I didn't understand why they couldn't just commit to an answer ...  so yeah ....   I admit, I cried because I felt like a failure for not getting him to drink, I felt like a failure for not getting home that day .... I felt like I was letting down my family at home ... and I felt like I kept my mom on edge all day of coming and getting us and maybe they didn't get to do what they wanted to .. But Nate and I made it a fun night .. and he was asleep by 8 o'clock...

Monkey got a chance to wear the glasses too!!!

He was sweating pretty bad that night ....  you can see it in his hair.  That's an RSS trait.  Night sweats.  He was cuddling his monkey ....