Taking the Scenic Route

Zora misheard us and called it a Smurf car. I like her version better.

Zane spent a good chunk of time on the computer, then showed me the list he made.  It is to turn the wi-fi/internet on his DSi.  He wanted it on, but didn’t know how to do it, so he looked it up online.  Apparently, the place he found, assumed you didn’t have a computer at home and started with “go to the library”.  He was insisting that we go to the library until I convinced him that we could do it from home, but to wait for Dad to come home and he would help him.  This is the note he made:

And Zach helping him go through it to get it hooked up.

He was feeling very happy when it was on.

Mommy! My cake smells like BUTT CREAM!
Zora, it’s pronounced “Buttercream”

Today Zane was driving Zora crazy singing “Frosty the Dirtman” and “Rudolph the Blue Nosed Reindeer”, and she was insisting “That just isn’t right Daddy/Mommy!”

That just seemed backwards to me.

[Zane] “Sorry, guy”
[Zora] “I’m not a guy; I’m your sister!”
[Zane] “Sorry, gal”
[Zora] “I’m your SISTER!”
[Zane] “OK. Sorry, Zora.”
[Zora] “Better.”
[Zane] (a little later) “Stop it, Zora”
[Zora] “You’re supposed to say, ‘please stop doing that’”
[Zane] “Stop doing that, Zora…please.”
[Zora] “OK”

Zora is at that stage in learning to read where she writes out a “word” and wants us to read it to her.  Usually, no big deal, but when presented with this word, I hesitated before I “pronounced” it, because the first pronunciation that flit through my brain was not something I want her to repeat.  Like, ever.

“phpp hoor aasso” 

Note to self: Do not give an Autistic child a cookie “for the road”, and then attempt to get him to pass by a sign that says “no food or beverages allowed” to pass through 10 feet of space to the parking lot.

We went to the “Artists on the path” event at the Great Plains Nature Center. At the end of it, in the main building, there were snacks for the kids to enjoy. It took longer than we were anticipating and I needed to get to rehearsal pretty fast, so I tried to get the kids to take their cookies and GO. No such luck. Zane saw the sign and would not walk through the door.

Reminds me of the time he was at one of those fast food playgrounds, playing happily, until he read the “Must have Socks to Play” signs. First, 80% of the kids weren’t wearing socks; Second, it was an unexpected stop and I had apparently ran through the stash of socks I keep in the car. He stopped playing and refused to play in the tubes the rest of the time we were there.

As I have said before, this summer we added a literacy & reading comprehension component to Zane’s therapy schedule.  It is a new venture, so we are all learning as we go, but I am quite pleased with how it is working out.  Since it is far more motivating for him if he is interested in the subject matter, we are using science as the backbone to build comprehension and vocabulary.  He has been creating a picture based vocabulary dictionary through the semester, as he learns new words, that is being used as a reference guide to teach him how to look things up if he doesn’t remember off the top of his head (word recall is difficult for him, even if he understands the concept). That is tied in to a science experiment that demonstrates the concept, requires reading and interpreting directions, plus writing out a brief description of the experiment (question being asked, hypothesis, ect) based on the scientific method.  She includes a lot of visual supports, as you can see in this picture.

Zane HATES writing.  At home we have to do the majority of scribing for him because he struggles with trying to do the mechanical process/motor planning involved with writing, especially when trying to create meaningful content.  I had to seperate the components out to get anything done on the majority of schoolwork, and continue to include Handwriting as a stand alone component to keep hitting the motor skills.  We are now trying to begin the process of integrating the two of them together by encouraging him to write himself instead of dictating and having us scribe.  To motivate him, he gets a marble if he completes the small writing task himself, and no marble if he asks for help.  At the end of the session, he gets to take all of the marbles earned and drop them in a marble run.

Notice I refrained from any comments on the “Zane’s Marbles” jar.  What restraint I have.

And, the last minute or two of the hour is spent with the marble run.  (most of the pictures of this were blurry because he was excited and flapping like a madman.  lol)

aka: My Little Gentile.

Zora was writing (drawing) out the lyrics to a song she is learning at church. I asked her what it was and she said it was about Jesus and the Rabbits. Confused, I got her to elaborate. Evidently, Jesus was talking with the Rabbits, and they weren’t very nice (and bit him, apparently), but Jesus still loved them and was nice to them (he pets them).

I think I need to explain what a “Rabbi” is.

Zora is saying good-bye to the student ST she has had all year, both at preschool and individual therapy.  Luckily, it won’t be a total good-bye for me because she will have Zane as a client this summer in a new literacy component we are planning on adding to his schedule.

She has done a fabulous job with Zora this year.  I was truly impressed.