So my ASD son had as you know begun high school. He chose Ag as one of his electives. Raise an animal and learn to care, show and sell it to earn some college money. Woot. I just hope my son gets the whole "show" part. He hates people "looking" at him and of course doesn't really like the "unknown". I'm counting my fingers and saying prayers.
Today we took him to his goat number drawing. This is where you wait your turn to draw a number to find out when you get to pick your show goat. Ahh alot of stuff just to pick the goat. Lol.
So on Saturday bright and early we will be at the Ag Barn along with every other Ag kid in the district and wait our turn to pick a goat. Oh yeah did I mention what number my son drew ....140!! We will be waiting awhile. I guess that is why they said it will go from 9am to 5pm. I just hope I can keep him interested and not get fidgety and have to hear "when will we be done" a zillion times. I'm sure I'll hear something from him, but I will pack him something to eat :) that will definitely keep him happy and have a fully charged phone he can goof on. Sometimes there is a time and place for Netflix in your phone - this is going to be one of them.
My husband and I are going into this positively. Animals are his thing so I believe he can do this. I just have to support him and remind him it's okay to make mistakes we are learning together. He doesn't have to know it all yet. I don't want to think of the show part since that isn't until February:)
Here's to the Ag experience!!
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Tuesday, September 20, 2011
Newest challenge
So my son that started high school, CJ, enrolled in the Ag class at school. I mean duh the kids loves animals and everything that has to do with animals. It's one of his gifts with Autism. He is excited about raising the goat, yep that is the animal he picked. So I'm glad I'm excited too and the teachers for this class are wonderful. They have so much knowledge that CJ just soaks it up. There are sine days when they talk about stuff and he can't write it all down fast enough. His spelling isn't his strong suit so he does what he can and listens to the rest to tell us about when he gets home. So we have paid for the goat and now wait till the end if the ninth to draw for a goat. This is new to all of us so many prayers are needed. I know CJ will do great raising this animal I just worry about showing it at the "fair". He doesn't like everyone "looking" at him and he won't be sure of EXACTLY what he is supposed to do and that equals lots of mommy talking and trying to calm him down. I'm staying positive and hopefully he'll just watch and see what the others do:)
Thursday, September 15, 2011
High School days
So this year my middle son enters high school and my youngest 8th grade. My oldest, my daughter, is still being home schooled, but I wish sometimes selfishly she would just "survive" public school.
Any whoo - I made it a point to contact key people before this high school year began. At the urging of my son's math teacher (and might I say Godsend) I am the squeaky wheel!! I emailed and made sure to ask in what way they would be supporting my son and I with the upcoming school year. I also made sure to remind them that with Autism routine and the unknown changes would be our first hurdle so I would need his school schedule so we could go over everything before his fateful first day. At this school they dint usually get the schedules until the first day which was one of the reasons my daughter struggled and she is now homeschooled. The school was new and not prepared for us or at least that is how I felt. So this time I wanted to start off differently for my son. He can benefit with the socialness of it all.
I did finally get his schedule the Friday before school and prayed that would be enough time. I was also lucky enough to find a maintenance man to help us get his locker open that we were unable to do at orientation. Another thing he was told to handle that first day. Hello **knock on head** he will get to overwhelmed and shut down. Ahh relief he was feeling relieved and he opened it several times after that and we went through that schedule until he felt comfortable.
Us running through the schedule and me taking the time to introduce him to key people so he knew them and they knew him was a huge pay off. I didn't feel like when I sent him to Kinder. UNPREPARED. Not us - ever again!!
He came home so loving it. The one thing bothersome was when I asked him who he had lunch with. I ask them all this question every day. Just to see whose names I hear & stay in touch with who they are surrounding themselves with. He was sad because he sat alone. For three days I would ask the same question and get the same answer. Then one day the answer changed not alot, but it was hopeful. He said that a girl came and talked to him about FISH club and asked if he had anyone to eat lunch with. He answered no and that was the end of HIS conversation. I was so annoyed with him. Why??!! I was telling him that was her trying to reach out and help him feel comfortable, but I had to pull the reigns on myself. Duh he is "autistic" social skills dummy. It's a work in progress. So I tell him you go and talk to her and ask her questions about FISH club. The whole speech about trying to meet new people. My sin has the biggest heart. So day 4 he jumps in my truck and I start to ask the usual questions. Before I get to the lunch question he says she walked over to him again. She gives him more info on FISH club and invites him to eat at the table with her and her friends. He was so happy!! His exact statement "I have new friends!!" I cried all the way to pick up his brother. Happy tears are such a blessing. He said she told him he could sit with them anytime and my son's innocent response, "really??" He's been eating with these seniors ever since. They even added 2 more freshman to the group. (I will say every high school should have stand up kids like the ones running FISH club) FISH club stands for freshman in senior hands!!
Tomorrow a better post not from my phone:) It's 1:35am and I need to try and sleep. Zzzzzz
Any whoo - I made it a point to contact key people before this high school year began. At the urging of my son's math teacher (and might I say Godsend) I am the squeaky wheel!! I emailed and made sure to ask in what way they would be supporting my son and I with the upcoming school year. I also made sure to remind them that with Autism routine and the unknown changes would be our first hurdle so I would need his school schedule so we could go over everything before his fateful first day. At this school they dint usually get the schedules until the first day which was one of the reasons my daughter struggled and she is now homeschooled. The school was new and not prepared for us or at least that is how I felt. So this time I wanted to start off differently for my son. He can benefit with the socialness of it all.
I did finally get his schedule the Friday before school and prayed that would be enough time. I was also lucky enough to find a maintenance man to help us get his locker open that we were unable to do at orientation. Another thing he was told to handle that first day. Hello **knock on head** he will get to overwhelmed and shut down. Ahh relief he was feeling relieved and he opened it several times after that and we went through that schedule until he felt comfortable.
Us running through the schedule and me taking the time to introduce him to key people so he knew them and they knew him was a huge pay off. I didn't feel like when I sent him to Kinder. UNPREPARED. Not us - ever again!!
He came home so loving it. The one thing bothersome was when I asked him who he had lunch with. I ask them all this question every day. Just to see whose names I hear & stay in touch with who they are surrounding themselves with. He was sad because he sat alone. For three days I would ask the same question and get the same answer. Then one day the answer changed not alot, but it was hopeful. He said that a girl came and talked to him about FISH club and asked if he had anyone to eat lunch with. He answered no and that was the end of HIS conversation. I was so annoyed with him. Why??!! I was telling him that was her trying to reach out and help him feel comfortable, but I had to pull the reigns on myself. Duh he is "autistic" social skills dummy. It's a work in progress. So I tell him you go and talk to her and ask her questions about FISH club. The whole speech about trying to meet new people. My sin has the biggest heart. So day 4 he jumps in my truck and I start to ask the usual questions. Before I get to the lunch question he says she walked over to him again. She gives him more info on FISH club and invites him to eat at the table with her and her friends. He was so happy!! His exact statement "I have new friends!!" I cried all the way to pick up his brother. Happy tears are such a blessing. He said she told him he could sit with them anytime and my son's innocent response, "really??" He's been eating with these seniors ever since. They even added 2 more freshman to the group. (I will say every high school should have stand up kids like the ones running FISH club) FISH club stands for freshman in senior hands!!
Tomorrow a better post not from my phone:) It's 1:35am and I need to try and sleep. Zzzzzz
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