Holy Saturday Superheroes!

Holy Saturday Superheroes! 

Dark Knight Fans can rejoice!

It's Batman Day!

Yes Dark Knight Fans, it is a real day. But up until last week I did not know that there was a day dedicated to all things Batman! I stumbled across it quite by accident through the Oz Comic-Con site - yep, it's less than one week until Oz Comic-Con time!! Obviously I am not a REAL Dark Knight fan! But in saying that, the Dark Knight fans in superhero headquarters also did not know about Batman day!

It turns out that 2018 marks the 5th time that Batman Day has been celebrated and back in July of this year, DC announced that September the 15th 2018 would be Batman Day. The day when all things to do with the Dark Knight could be celebrated and his first appearance in the Detective Comics #27 back in 1939 would be honoured. 

79 years of Batman! Holy Superheroes! That's a long time to be keeping watch over Gotham City!

From the very beginning, Batman has always been one of L's most favourite superheroes. 

So how did L discover Batman? Well, Daddy superhero is a huge fan of all things to do with superheroes. And when L didn't need to sleep, he and Daddy would sit up and watch superhero cartoons. From the start, L was drawn to any television shows or movies or cartoons that had Batman in it! And the older the Batman show, the better!

When L first discovered Batman, he's wanted to dress like Batman. He's wanted to be Batman! Clothing, shoes, bags, movies, drink bottles, you name it, all had to have Batman on it.

Batman (and other superheroes) was the one topic that could get L talking. 

L has more Batman clothing than you can poke a stick at and I am fairly certain that he has a Batman costume from every era of Batman!

So here is the evolution of Batman - according to L! With a little help from O!

And what did we do on Batman Day 2018? We watched a Batman movie of course!! And an Adam West one at that!

Happy Batman Day to you all!

What does an Occupational Therapist do?

As I sit here in the reception area of L's therapy provider, I've been pondering - what does an Occupational therapist actually do?

I will be the first to admit that prior to gaining L and O's diagnosis of Autism, I had no idea what an Occupational Therapist actually did! I know now first hand just how incredibly important and beneficial an Occupational Therapist can be. L's Occupational Therapists over the last three and a half years, have been instrumental in the dramatic improvements that L has made. And the same can be said for O's Occupational Therapists.

So how does an Occupational Therapist actually help?

If you have ever sat in on an Occupational Therapy session, you may have noticed that a lot of play and a lot of talking occurs during the session. To the outsider it may appear that there is no benefit of this to the child but there certainly is.

Let's go back to basics ...

An Occupational Therapist can help children, and adults, with a variety of issues from cognitive skills to physical and sensory skills to motor skills and much much more. Occupational Therapy deals with fine motor skills, visual-perception skills, cognitive skills and sensory processing difficulties among others!

But when you hear the word "Occupational," you tend to think of adults. Adults after all have an occupation, or paid work, and yet children do not.

However while children may not have an official occupation, their goal in life is to play - yes play is an occupation - and to learn. Children need to practise skills and learn new skills to assist them later in life and the best way to do this is through play.

When it is simplified, Occupational Therapy is all about making sure that people can do the "occupations" that are important to them. For children - their occupation is to play and learn! If play is fun, children tend to learn and take in more.

Occupational Therapy can benefit individuals who have been diagnosed with Autism, those with sensory processing difficulties, individuals who have sustained traumatic injuries, individuals with developmental delays, individuals who have learning difficulties, Rheumatoid Arthritis, Dyspraxia, Cerebral Palsy and many more difficulties. Occupational Therapy can basically assist an individual who has difficulties with functional skills.

For a child, the first few sessions with an Occupational Therapist is all about assessment. The Occupational Therapist will assess and evaluate (through play) the child's current skill level and may compare their current level to the developmentally appropriate level for their age. While it sounds odd that child's skills are assessed, it is vital that this assessment occurs. Based on their current skill level, a plan can be put in place as to where the child needs to be. 

Both O and L's Occupational Therapy plans are based on where they both currently are and where we want them to be in twelve months time - we want them both to be able to self regulate their emotions. We want them both to be able to recognise their own and others emotions.

Throughout both O and L's Occupational Therapy sessions, assessments are made on a continual basis against their goals. This is to ensure that the goals are being met but also so that the goals can be updated when needed. Every twelve months we sit down with the therapists and reassess the goals.

The great thing about the Occupational Therapy sessions is that neither O nor L realise that they are learning new skills. They both think that they are just having fun! L makes me giggle quietly on a regular basis when he decides that he needs to go to Occupational Therapy instead of school because school is too hard when in actual fact he is working harder in his Occupational Therapy than he is at school!

During L's Occupational Therapy sessions he is working on …..

• Developing his fine motor skills which assist him with his hand-eye coordination and his pencil grip for school. Fine motor skills also assists with developing L's play skills (hitting a ball with a bat,) buttoning up clothes, being able to do up a zipper. Up until a few weeks ago L struggled with zippers and would not even attempt to do one up. He now has the confidence to try to do up a zipper without losing his cool!
• L is beginning to recognise the internal (interoception) feelings of his emotions.
• L is working on his turn taking and sharing skills.
• L has learnt and is continuing to learn how to interact socially with his peers.
• L is learning how to regulate his own emotions. Learning how to stay calm and brave when things get a little hard.
• L is strengthening his proximal stability.
• Everyday life skills and much, much more!

I have a lot of respect for all of L and O's therapists. Occupational Therapy has given L and O so much hope and has increased their confidence that they are able to overcome challenges that they both come across in life.

Autism 101 - What NOT to say!

Over the last three and a half years since L was diagnosed as being on the Autism spectrum, people have made numerous comments about L, and now O, being on the spectrum. Some of these comments have been made by people who are genuinely curious about what autism is and by those who would like to know more. However many of these comments have been made by people who really should know better.

Some of the comments may seem innocent enough, but depending on how they are asked or said, they can hit a very raw nerve. These comments can turn a conversation that is flowing very easily into a very awkward and silent encounter. I've been thinking about this post for a while now - it is one that I have been itching to write as these comments are being made far too frequently.

So without any further ado, here is my Autism 101 - my top ten of what NOT to say to a parent whose child has been diagnosed with autism.

10. "Are you sure the doctors got it right?"

Ummm, yep, am fairly certain that the Pediatrician, Speech Pathologist and Child Psychologist got the diagnosis right. And considering how much money and time we spent during the assessment period - yes that's right, it took six months from start to finish and several thousand dollars for each child - I am 100% certain that the diagnosis is correct. Also, when you take into account the opinions of the Occupational Therapists, Speech Therapists and Child Psychologist's, who also whole heartedly agree with the diagnosis, the diagnosis is definitely correct.

And on the same line, no, we're not going to go and get a second opinion. We've already got three separate opinions. And they all agree with each other.

9. "I know all about autism, my cousin's sister's neighbour's son has autism."

Okay, pray do tell, what do you know about autism? 

There is a saying - if you've met one person with autism, you've met one person with autism. 

Every individual is different. Every person on the spectrum presents differently. You may notice similarities between individuals who are on the spectrum, but how they experience the world around them, differs from the next. I have two children and both present differently to the other. I certainly don't profess to knowing everything about autism - I learn new things every day.

8. "Are they immunized? Because I've heard that immunizations cause autism."

Yes they are immunized, thanks for asking. 

No, immunizations don't cause autism.

And here's where you can read where those research papers were discredited. Good bye.

This is not a conversation that I will have with anyone as friendships can be lost and conversations can turn nasty when the word "immunizations" is muttered. We are all entitled to our own opinion - mine is that immunizations does very definitely NOT cause autism. L was a different baby from birth. O's autism was also present from birth, her traits just didn't stand out to us until she started struggling socially and emotionally. End of story.

7. "Autism is only fairly recent, isn't it?"

This is a comment that I can excuse being asked as while autism has been known about for a long time, it hasn't really been in the public eye as such. Back in the good old days, an individual who was on the spectrum may have been institutionalized or marginalized or seen as odd as there really wasn't a lot known about autism. Albert Einstein, Sir Isaac Newton, Michelangelo, Charles Darwin, Sir Anthony Hopkins, Susan Boyle, Temple Grandin - some where diagnosed early in life, some a lot later and some, if a diagnosis could be made retrospectively, would most likely be on the spectrum.

So yes, in the public eye, autism is fairly recent. But medically, autism has always been present just not well known! 

6. "My children eat what they're given. All children will eat the food when they're hungry, you should try it!"

That's fantastic for you. Your children must not have food aversions! My two children, on the other hand, will not eat when they are hungry. They would prefer to eat nothing at all than eat something that induces a feeling of fear, discomfort and anxety due to the smell, taste or texture of the food that is in front of them.

Believe me, we have tried to make both O and L eat certain foods but some battles just aren't worth fighting. If they are happy to eat baked beans or spaghetti for dinner, at least they are eating something.

5. "So have you tried [insert a diet/medical treatment/parenting class/any other odd solution] to fix them?"

Nope, because my children don't need to be fixed. They are perfect that way that they are. Autism is a part of my children, if it was taken away, they would no longer be them. I love my children exactly the way that they are.
By the way we have had to go on a lactose free, super high iron content, FODMAP diet but not to "fix" autism. This was to try to alleviate some of L's health issues when he was younger. And no, the lactose free, super high iron content, FODMAP diet made no difference whatsoever to how he was neurologically! It did help with some of his health issues.

4. "But they look so normal!"

Oh I'm sorry, that's my fault. I didn't put them in their autistic clothes today! And they have their spare heads on, so you'd never tell.

To be perfectly honest, I really don't know what autism looks like and what normal looks like.

My little superheroes have mastered the art of putting on a mask so that they blend in at school. You should see them when they get home. To their safe place. And explode. Every. Single. Day.

Then you might say "ohhhh…"

3. "My son/daughter/children have meltdowns too - yesterday they had a meltdown over not getting a toy/lolly at the shops!"

This comment is a pet hate of mine.

No, your child didn't have a meltdown, they had a tantrum. There is a huge difference. 

Don't get me wrong, a tantrum can escalate quite quickly into a meltdown. But if your child is talking to you, making demands, can stop and start yelling and screaming at will, that is NOT a meltdown. That is a tantrum.

O and L can both throw tremendous tantrums like every other child their age. They also enter into meltdown mode on a semi-regular basis due to sensory overload, a build up of anxiety, our lorikeet being too noisy, a small change at school, not understanding social interactions ….

Would you like to experience a meltdown? You're more than welcome to visit our house at around 3.05pm every afternoon of the week. I can guarantee that one or both of my little superheroes will be in meltdown mode on any given day.

2. "Oh, but we're all a little autistic, aren't we?"

Nope, just no, and a big fat no at that! I often respond in my head with "and stupidity is a choice, some people seem to abuse the privilege!"

This is like saying "oh, you are a little bit pregnant!" You either are or you aren't! 

Please, please do not tell me that "we're all a little bit autistic." This comment will often get a response of "mmmm" and then a very quick change of subject! We do all have little quirks, we're not all "a little bit autistic."

And last but not least ….

1. "Oh, I'm sorry...."

Why are you sorry? There is nothing to be sorry for.

When you bump into someone in a shopping centre, you say sorry. When you spill coffee over important work documents, you say sorry. When you make a mistake, you say sorry.

When I'm told "oh, I'm sorry," it makes me feel like I should be sad that my children have been diagnosed with autism. It makes me feel as though there is something wrong with my children.

My children are not a mistake. There is nothing wrong with them. They are just a different way of being.

Autism has made me view the world in a different way.

Don't be sorry for me. Be sorry that you don't see the world from my children's point of view!

So what could you say instead?

"What is involved in gaining a diagnosis of autism?"


"I don't know much about autism, can you tell me a little more?"

"I'd love to know how autism affects your children!"

"What's the difference between a meltdown and a tantrum?"

"Is there anything that I can do to help?"

And please be supportive!

Little Superheroes and Neil the Seal!

I love where we are living at the moment. The beach is within walking distance. School is within walking distance. There's an amazing Fish and Chips shop within walking distance. We get dozens of native bird species flying into the backyard. And now, for the time being anyway, we have a resident fur seal visiting the island.

From time to time, a lone fur seal decides to visit the island and lay around on the beaches for a few months. The little fella visiting the island this year has been here for a few weeks and moves from beach to beach. So late one afternoon we went on a beach walk to find said fur seal. Through social media - no, the little fella doesn't have an account, the locals have been tracking his whereabouts on the island - we found out where we might find him and we set off on a beach hike.

O and L had fun along the way - chasing waves, finding shells, weaving paths up and down the beach, asking every person heading the opposite way if they'd spotted the seal - until we spotted the little fella having a snooze on the shoreline.

Before we headed off on the beach hike, we gave both little superheroes strict instructions that if, and it was a big IF, if we found the seal that they weren't to go too close. There is an exclusion zone in place for the seal's safety and for the locals safety. When they spotted the seal, the both crept forward quietly and sat down to watch the little fella sleep. There were cries of "Oh, he's so cute!" and "Why isn't he moving!"

L was fascinated by the seal and kept trying to creep closer and closer to him. L just doesn't understand the concept of danger quite yet. At one point the little seal gingerly opened one eye and starred at L as if to say "What are you doing? Get away from me!" Just before we left to walk back to the car, O and L sat in the sand and drew pictures for the little seal. It was a great experience for both O and L. It's not often that you get to see wildlife like this up close in their natural habitat!

Sensory Souls Train Day!

Back in April, I wrote a post about a Sensory Souls event in which the little superheroes had a go at paddle boarding. This was our first sensory event since moving back to sunny Queensland and both O and L loved the experience.

Well just recently there was yet another Sensory Souls event - a model train day and seeing as though both O and L love model trains, we went along for the ride. Pun intended!

As I have previously mentioned, on numerous occasions, both O and L struggle on outings if there is much noise or too many people. The events that Sensory Souls organise and conduct are brilliant as the number of participants are limited so hence the noise and busyness of the event is also reduced.

Prior to the event I was told by the lovely ladies from Sensory Souls that the little superheroes were going to love this event and boy were they right. It was a truly amazing day. We took one of the little superheroes friends along for the day and all three had a ball. We started the day by finding a few playgrounds to explore on our way to the model trains location. They were a little excited so burning off some energy was much needed as was getting a little proprioception input!

When we arrived at the trains, all three didn't know where to look first. There were steam trains, electric trains, tunnels, bridges, stations and more as well as park areas to explore.

Our first stop was being a train driver. Those who were attending the event were given the opportunity to drive a small electric train, under close supervision of course! L's favourite part of driving the train was having his finger on the horn the entire way round!

After three trips around the small track as all three little superheroes wanted to drive the train, we went and joined the queue for the big track. The big track is just amazing - to see all of the track, which is four times around, takes anywhere between an hour and an hour forty five minutes. It was huge.

I spotted the grand old steam train and convinced the three little superheroes that we should ride on it. They were all enthusiastic about it until we went through thefirst tunnel. Faces full of soot and steam equals three unimpressed children!! Ah, what's a bit of soot between friends! All three quickly learnt as when we went through the next tunnel, heads went down and eyes were closed!

So once again, thank you Sensory Souls and all of your train loving volunteers, it was a great day out. L is already counting down the days until next years train day!

Lunar Eclipse July 2018

As you know, O loves everything and anything to do with space. In January 2017, she researched eclipses as she wanted to find out all about them. Her goal for last year was to watch a lunar eclipse but alas we were never in the right place at the right time to watch an eclipse. Her highlight though of last year was getting to meet Dr Scott Parazynski, a former NASA astronaut who also happens to be the only person to have both flown in space and climbed to summit of Mt Everest.

So when she worked out that there was a lunar eclipse this year that we would be in the right place at the right time to view, the alarms were set.

As O said "It's going to be the longest lunar eclipse THIS century and the moon will turn bright red during the eclipse. We HAVE to watch it. Please!" How could we resist!

The clouds in the sky prior to us trying to catch some sleep eye were rather ominous. But to our surprise and delight the skies were clear in the early hours of the morning on Saturday the 28th of July. The moon was magnificent and to O's delight we were able to spot Mars very clearly.

It still amazes me every time we gaze at the moon through our telescope. The sight of the moon never gets old!

The eclipse began at 3.14am. This was the Penumbral stage when the earths penumbra, or shadow, began to touch the Moon's face. The spectacular part of the show started about an hour later and oh my gosh, I don't think I have ever seen O so excited! Lots of bouncing and stimming!!

L got up, saw the eclipse and then prompted decided to go back to bed! O on the other hand wanted to stay up and watch the eclipse for as long as we could. Unfortunately for O, the moon dipped behind the trees and we weren't able to watch it turn red. However it pays to have friends who were able to watch this phase of the eclipse!

So, where were you when this eclipse occurred?