LaLaGirl - Twinfinite Chaos! Parenting Multiples and Dealing with Autism
LaLaGirl - Parenting 2 Sets of Twins and a Child with Autism
I’ve seen this meme all over the internets lately, as I’m sure many of you have. They almost always crack me up. The blogger one is SPOT ON.
I really like this one even better, though. KIDS WITH AUTISM: WHAT I *REALLY* DO!
(I could insert any number of images for “what I really do” – I can tell you without hesitation that kids with autism climb trees, play Mario, watch Spongebob, listen to iPods, ride bikes at breakneck speed, snuggle puppies, etc.)
I’m trying (trying!) to get the kids back into a regular bedtime routine, even though they don’t go back to school until the 24th. Now that daddy’s back to work and Kayley’s back to school, we can’t be staying up late. Here are my big kids, winding down at bedtime with a little TV.
Do you see Cali, our chiweenie, on Pablo’s bed? Take note of her stylish diaper. Dang puppy went into heat a few days ago! I was hoping we’d get her spayed before that happened, but I obviously wasn’t on the ball. I should have done it between Thanksgiving and Christmas.
And it’s interesting to me that Cali chooses to stay with Pablo. Although he’s loud and physical and not very gentle, she must sense that he is different from the other kids, because he is the only one she will really tolerate. With the other kids, Cali always has her guard up, because they’re constantly up her ass, wanting to cuddle her and carry her everywhere. But she never runs from Pablo. She snuggles right beside him and sort of guards him while he sleeps. I never dreamed Pablo would be the one she would pick as a favorite, but I think it’s so sweet!
I wrote a guest post for Mile High Mamas where I talked about filming the year-end fundraising campaign video for the Autism Science Foundation. Go read! Mile High Mamas – Triggering an Avalanche of Autism Research.
If you haven’t yet seen the video, it’s right here!
I just learned about an upcoming free seminar that I’m very interested in attending, and I wanted to pass it along to anyone else who could benefit from it. Trumpet Behavioral Health is hosting a seminar about the Colorado Health Insurance Mandated Autism Treatment (HIMAT) Law. I don’t know much about it, and it seems like most of the parents of kids with autism that I talk to don’t know a whole lot about it either. I’m excited to learn more.
WHAT:
In this free seminar, parents will get help understanding how to secure insurance coverage in Colorado for behavior, speech and occupational therapy for a child with autism. This seminar will provide important information about the new Colorado Health Insurance Mandated Autism Treatment (HIMAT) Law.During the event, Trumpet Behavioral Health will provide FREE childcare and fun activities for children with autism and their siblings provided by experienced behavior therapists.
Topics will include:
Overview of HIMAT Law for Colorado autism treatment.
What autism treatment services are covered under Colorado’s insurance mandate.
Who it applies to.
How to find out if your child is eligible.
How to maximize your insurance benefits for your child’s autism treatment.
How to talk to your employer and your insurance provider about your rights to coverage.
Under HIMAT, insurance coverage for a child’s Colorado autism treatment now allows for up to $34,000 per year of behavioral therapies. Parents can learn how to maximize their benefits, meet other parents, enjoy light refreshments and get answers while our expert staff provides childcare and fun activities for your kids.WHEN:
Tuesday, December 13, 2011
6:30 p.m.: Childcare opens and kids activities
7-8 p.m.: Parent seminarWHERE:
7860 E. Berry Place, Suite #140, Greenwood Village, CO 80111.FREE:
Invite friends from Denver autism support groups.REGISTER:
By Phone (720) 470-0578, or online at www.tbh.com/1395-2/. Space is limited; please register early. The first 50 individuals to register will be entered into a special drawing for fun and helpful prizes.FEATURED SPEAKERS:
Dr. Keelee Burtch, regional director of Trumpet Behavioral Health. Keelee has 12 years of experience working with children with autism and their families. Over the past three years, Keelee has learned to navigate the insurance waters to help children with autism get coverage for the behavior, speech and occupational therapy services they need. Keelee has been successful with almost every insurance company in getting services approved.Trumpet Behavioral Health’s insurance team will be on hand to answer individual questions regarding benefits, eligibility and authorizations.
Additional Information:
Please contact nwilhelm@tbh.com.ABOUT TRUMPET BEHAVIORAL HEALTH:
Trumpet Behavioral Health (TBH) specializes in the treatment of children and adults with autism spectrum disorders (ASD) and developmental disabilities. For more information, visit www.tbh.com.
Paul and I had a chance to watch an amazing new film about autism – it’s called Loving Lampposts and it will be available for download on iTunes tomorrow (Tuesday) – you should GET IT if you’re at all interested in understanding what it’s really like to parent a child with autism. If you don’t do the iTunes thing, you can preorder it on DVD at http://store.cinemalibrestore.com/lovinglamppostsdvd.html.
The film was made by Todd Drezner, who has a son with autism, and the title refers to his son’s love of lampposts. As the film begins, you see Drezner’s son visiting the park, and greeting the lampposts (my traffic engineer husband would insist that I call them luminaires) with hugs and giggles. Throughout the film, many theories and controversies surrounding autism are explored.
“As autism has exploded into the public consciousness over the last 20 years, two opposing questions have been asked about the condition fueling the debate: is it a devastating sickness to be cured or is it a variation of the human brain – just a different way to be human? LOVING LAMPPOSTS: LIVING AUTISTIC takes a look at two movements: the “recovery movement,” which views autism as a tragic epidemic brought on by environmental toxins, and the “neurodiversity movement,” which argues that autism should be accepted and that autistic people should be supported. After his son’s diagnosis, filmmaker Todd Drezner visits the front lines of the autism wars to learn more about the debate and provide information about a condition that is still difficult to comprehend.”
Take a quick look at the trailer:
Loving Lampposts Trailer from Loving Lampposts on Vimeo.
I LOVED watching this. It echoed so many of our own conclusions and feelings about autism, and after watching it, I felt comforted in knowing that so many others are in the same boat as us, and that many adults with autism lead happy, fulfilling lives. I mean, that’s what we all want for our kids, right?
If you have the opportunity, you should totally check out this film. I’m tossing around the idea of having a movie party with popcorn and beer and inviting over all the parents we know to watch it.
I’ll be honest: I am no fan of bathtime. It is a huge pain in my ass, and always has been. I don’t know why it seems like such a daunting task to get four small children bathed, but I really do struggle with it. One reason is that boy of mine. He isn’t always a fan of bathtime, either. Oh, he’s a fan of getting in the tub – splashing around, and making a huge mess with water (did I mention our bathrooms are carpeted? Yeah. Sucks.) He’s also a fan of lying there until the water is like ice and he looks like a raisin. But the actual process of getting clean – that’s a struggle. The feel of a bath pouf or even a washcloth against his skin is a sensory nightmare, and washing his hair is pure torture for both of us. I really expected it to be going easier by now, y’know? I mean, he’s seven and a half! I keep thinking one day he’ll be like, “Oh yeah, she’s pouring water on my head, but I remember this from yesterday, when I didn’t actually die from it.” That hasn’t happened yet.
Tonight, I had a little angel in my corner. Mallory sat on the side of the tub and read books to Pablo all through bathtime, which he LOVED. Didn’t help with the hair washing, but I’ll take it anyway. She can be so good to her twin brother sometimes. I love it when I get to capture those moments of sweetness!
I’m sure you know that autism is a cause near and dear to my heart! The Autism Science Foundation’s Recipe4Hope campaign is raising funds for critically needed autism research, and they’ve put together this video that shows a mother and child baking cookies – coincidentally one of Pablo’s favorite activities – to illustrate that sound scientific research takes the right ingredients, used the right way to create the right results. Beautiful analogy! Watch this short clip and find out more at http://www.recipe4hope.org.
