The Perfect School Holiday Activity!

What is the the perfect school holiday activity according to L?

Strawberry picking!

This child loooves strawberries and will eat punnets at a time of them if we let him. He ate the equivalent of a punnet on the short drive home 🍓🍓 I said that he'd better stop eating as he'd eaten about eight, L's response "no, I've eaten 13!"

Now he has a box to get through!! A few containers of 🍓🍓 in the fridge and lots of bags in the freezer. Strawberries are one food that L never tires of.

Henry the Hero

 

After Henry was placed with our family in May 2021, I began to form an idea for a book.

We're often approached when we're out and about as a family about the role that Henry plays in assisting L, as well as the etiquette in approaching Assistance Dogs. The book that I began to imagine, was about Henry, his role and what people should do if they see an Assistance Dog while it is working.

Well, I'm very pleased to announce that my book is almost ready for publication. I'm stepping way out of my comfort zone, but I am looking forward to seeing my idea I print.

So stay tuned on this exciting development!!!

I am Me

 

Hi, my name is Jenni and I am Autistic. I also have PTSD and have sensory processing difficulties. My anxiety, while manageable, is always lurking in the background.

To say this out loud, to write it, is empowering. As a late diagnosed Autistic, I can now say that my life makes sense.

For too long, as a child and teenager and even as an adult, I have been told that I was weird, an outsider, the black sheep, an outcast, that I was crazy, quirky, abnormal, odd and all manner of other terms. But not in a nice way.

I was bullied for being who I am. I tried to fit in but didn't know how to. I tried to change who I was, but then hated that person so went back to being me, but then the circle began again.

When you're told often that you are all these things, you begin to believe what you're being told. Your brain believes it, then your self worth disappears.

I now know that I am these things because I am Autistic. What other people perceive as normal, is not who I am, and will never be who I am.

I now know who I am. I am me and being Autistic is a huge part of me.

Team Henry: Expectations versus reality

 

Our expectations

The Smart Pup would be trained to snuggle and comfort L when he becomes upset or distressed, which would help prevent L's emotional reaction from escalating into a meltdown.

The reality

Since May 2021, we haven’t had a full blown meltdown last longer than half an hour, Henry steps in and begins going through his paces as soon as he senses L's emotions  escalating.

There’s only been one occasion that Henry hasn’t known what to do, and that was when L was throwing a tantrum over not going what he wanted. Henry literally sat on the floor, looking at L as if to say “what the hecks is you doing??” But as soon as L escalated from tantrum to meltdown, Henry stepped in.

Within a month of being placed with us, Henry began to pick up on O’s anxiety. If Henry sensed that L was okay and O wasn’t, Henry would go to O and nuzzle her leg or do a lap lay or over.

The first few times this occurred, Henry would look to us for reassurance that it was okay to help O. Now he steps in and goes through his paces.

 

Just a weekend giggle for you!!

 

Your weekend giggle, courtesy of L .... this is an incident that happened a few weekends ago when we were out as a family. L always keeps life interesting!!

Things we say before getting into a lift...

Us ... L what aren't you going to do?

L ... Get my arm stuck!

Now the back story.

Up at Sunshine Plaza, we all get into a lift on level 3 to go down. At level 1, Scott, O and Alaska get out of the lift as I say to Henry and L "let's go," to which L says "I can't."

Me ... what's wrong?

L ... I'm stuck!

Me ... wait, what??

L ... My arm is stuck.

Me ... (thinking to myself) WTF Of course you are!

Then I saw where his arm, elbow actually, was stuck ... in the gap between the bar and the wall. By now Scott, O and Alaska are out of the lift, standing with people wanting to get into the lift in the middle of Myers, yes Myers! Me? I'm starting to giggle quietly but to the point that if I talk, I'll PMSL, so instead of calling out to Scott to tell him that L is stuck, I try to hit the open door button but am too late. Door closes to go down a level. Okay, we're in this now, let's get L's elbow unstuck!

So I try to get L's elbow out, all the while Henry is sitting and staring at L as if to say "what the fluff, how you stuck boi?" 

The door opens on level G in Myers and a lady comes into the lift, nope we're not getting out, we need to go back up to level 1. As the door closes to go back up, I get L's elbow unstuck and I'm at the point that I'm trying really hard not to laugh out loud. 

L ... thanks Mum!

Cue the door opening on level 1, Scott, O, Alaska and everyone who was previously waiting to get into the lift are all staring at us.

I'm now at the point where I physically can't speak because I'm PMSL very quietly. I can't even apologise to those waiting or explain to Scott what happened.

As we walk out through Myers, O keeps asking "are you okay?" and "what happened?" I still can't talk, so L says "I got my arm stuck!" At which point I can't contain my laughter.

Scott and O's response to L ... Of course you did!

No child was physically harmed or injured, just a little embarrassed!! But a lesson was hopefully learnt, don't stick your elbow in the gap between the bar and the wall!

Oh and the photo was taken on the second lift ride!!

L keeping life interesting since 2012.

We need to chat!!

Let's have a chat about this!!

It seems like every month, nay every week, yep it happened again yesterday, that someone says the dreaded words "I just can't see their Autism," or a different version of it.

This statement is not okay to say to anyone - unless you are a walking MRI machine. And unless we have some android humans walking among us, this just isn't possible!

Saying "I just can't see their struggles," or "They don't look Autistic," or "Are you sure they are Autistic?" or any other version of this statement, you are implying that you don't think or believe that my children are Autistic.

It isn't a compliment. It isn't polite.

You are, in fact, questioning their ASD diagnosis. You are also failing to recognise that every Autistic individual is unique. You are also dismissing all of their struggles and the obstacles that they have overcome to get where they are today.

If you have an idea of what Autism is meant to look it, how an Autistic person is meant to behave, how they should sound like, please do a data dump from your brain, and get to know the Autistic individual that is in front of you.

There is no one look to Autism.

As the saying goes, if you've met one Autistic person, you've met one Autistic person. 

If you've taught one Autistic student, you've taught one student.

Every Autistic individual is different in their own way.

Independence: Learning about Money

*** Please note that we do not receive commissions of any kind in regards to this post. The product mentioned in the post is simply a product that we have found useful. ***

In raising children, regardless of if they are neurodiverse or neurotypical, all parents just want their children to learn the skills to become independent as an adult - well that's what we want anyway!

One of the skills that Daddy Superhero and I are constantly teaching both little superheroes about is money handling skills.

As with most children, both little superheroes struggle with the concept of money - how to earn money, spending money, budgeting and saving money, and the fact that money doesn't grow on trees! 

A few years ago we introduced the concept of superhero bucks, and while both little superheroes seemed to grasp the concept, the superhero bucks just wasn't teaching them the budgeting skills that they both need to learn.

Early last year, we purchased a game called "Pocket Money." It is a little like Monopoly, but all themed around spending and earning money. The game box includes the game board, a dice, game pieces and pretend coins and notes that are similar size to the currency in Australia.

When we first introduced the game, both little superheroes immediately loved playing the game - and over a year on, they still love playing the game.

For L it's more about recognising the value of each of the coins and notes and that money values can look different, for example $4 can be made up using different monetary  denominations. We also work on his maths skills.

For O it's more about beginning to learn budgeting skills, as well mental maths skills in calculating how much change O would receive when "spending" money in the game.

And because we have fun while playing the game, neither of the little superheroes realise that they're actually learning and practising skills while having fun.