Superman to the Rescue

One of Little Guy's sensory issues deals with sound.

Loud noises, especially when unexpected, can be very problematic.  He gets agitated and upset, and this behavior sometimes escalates into a full-blown meltdown.  Circle time at preschool has been especially tricky, trying to balance his needs and the other children's eagerness to participate  - sometimes, quite loudly.  I've talked to the class, explaining that inside voices are appropriate for the classroom.  I've also shared that Little Guy has "super ears", making sounds seem louder than they really are.  These measures have helped, but there are still times when the entire class is reciting the pledge of allegiance or singing together that it is just too much for him.

So, I came up with a solution:

A Superman hat to cover Little Guy's "super ears".

All during the month this hat has accompanied us to swim meets, ball games, and the preschool program.  While it doesn't block every sound, it muffles and filters many noises at loud events, allowing Little Guy's anxiety levels to be much lower.

And the results?

I'd say they've been..."super" :)

Music to My Ears

Little Guy had his five year check up with his pediatritian last week.  Everything looked great - Little Guy is growing beautifully and all of his body systems look healthy.  At the end of the appointment, the doctor and I spent a few minutes discussing Little Guy's Asperger diagnosis.  The physician seemed pleased with the progress my son has made over the year in regards to increased eye contact and a greater desire for interaction with others.

I attributed these positive changes to an early diagnosis.  The doctor whole-heartedly agreed with me, then went on to share some wonderful information.  He told me that health care professionals are starting to screen toddlers for signs of austism as early as 18 months, then again at two years.

This was music to my ears.

Early diagnosis = early intervention.

Earlier intervention = a chance to change and/or minimize behaviors while the brain is young and pliable.

I feel this could have made a world of difference for Big Guy.  He was misdiagnosed with ADD in second grade and given medication he really didn't need.  After years of worry and frustration, he finally received an Asperger diagnosis at age 16.  At that point many of his behaviors were already ingrained, and we had missed the opportunitiy to intervene at critical points in his development.  Although we did many things instinctively right at as his parents, there are certain situations we look back on and wish we could change.  We wish we would have been armed with the knowledge we now have.

That's why, when Little Guy showed many of the early characteristics Big Guy had as a baby, I pushed to have him evaluated.  Against the recommendation of close family members who were worried about "labeling" him.  I felt that if Little Guy was on the spectrum, it would be beneficial for him to receive help as early as possible.

Has it made a difference?  I believe so.  Although we struggle with spectrum issues daily, Little Guy is high functioning.  And while he still experiences meltdowns, they are generally becoming less intense and shorter in duration.  However, the most important development I've seen is a desire to be social.  This is HUGE.  Little Guy doesn't always understand what's appropriate and becomes overwhelmed in group settings, but he is doing fairly well when interacting with one or two of his peers.  Since the desire is there, I hope we can use it to improve and expand his social skills. 

Big Guy has never had this desire.  Would this be different had we known earlier what he was facing and how to help him?  We'll probably never know for sure, but my hunch is that it definitely could have helped.

When parents bring up concerns about their child's behavior and ask my advice, my response is always the same.  IF YOU HAVE QUESTIONS ABOUT YOUR CHILD'S DEVELOPMENT, HAVE THEM TESTED.  In many cases, the testing is free.  And if others think you are being overprotective or paranoid - do it anyway.  After all, you know your child better than anyone :)  If nothing is wrong, you can experience peace of mind knowing everything is developing "normally".  If a diagnosis is made, you will be given the knowledge and help to begin making positive changes in your child's life.  Either way, I see it as a win-win situation!

A Piece of Paper

I've been wondering lately why I feel so upset and unsettled about Little Guy and his struggles with Asperger's Syndrome.  After all, there are children going through much worse things like cancer, organ transplants, and degenerative diseases.  Illnesses that are life and death situations.  Luckily, Little Guy is healthy, and although on the autism spectrum, he is fairly high functioning.

So why do I feel on edge all of the time?

I've decided it's the unpredictability of our situation which makes it feel so difficult.  Not knowing when and how Little Guy is going to handle situations.  Not knowing what might set him off.  Realizing that even with careful planning, something unexpected can undo all of my preparations.

Something as simple as a piece of paper.

Last week in preschool, we were singing a counting song involving pieces of paper.  During the course of the song, the teacher selects a few students at a time to pick a piece of paper.  This continues until ten are picked in all.  In order to make the song more inviting, we use scrapbook paper for the kids to choose from.  Little Guy really wanted to be chosen to participate in the song; but in order to make it not seem like I was favoring my son, I decided to choose him on the last turn.

Huge mistake.

Little did I know he'd already decided on the piece of paper he'd wanted - and it was gone when his turn came.  One thing about kids on the spectrum is that once they have something fixed in their mind, it is extremely difficult for them to switch gears.  If something happens contrary to their expectations, it can be very upsetting.  Some autistic children may shut down, others may act out.

Little Guy is the second category.  Within seconds, we had a full-blown meltdown on our hands. 

The other kids were staring as Little Guy starting yelling, crying, and flailing.  They were puzzled why he would fall apart over a piece of paper.  I tried to continue the lesson while the other teacher took Little Guy over to table and attempted to calm him down.  It was a good 10-15 minutes before he stopped crying, and another 45 minutes before he stopped talking about it.

I'm grateful that Little Guy was able to regulate himself fairly quickly - sometimes, episodes like this can affect our entire day.  However, it was frustrating to realize that when trying to minimize potential triggers in Little Guy's world, something might escape my notice.  Something that might negatively impact the rest of our day.

Something like...a piece of paper.