They also keep the same schedules year around, although there is a bit more freedom in the summer not too much. Here's why, summer vacation in the Michigan school district that we're in is roughly 81 days. Because of my challenges and the challenges of my children it is not worth it to me to break a schedule because of the amount of time and energy it would take for me to get them back where they need to be. Plus, in real life you don't get a summer vacation, not even if you're a teacher because many of them have to take on summer jobs like college students to supplement. So this is also a life lesson.
So this weekend I made a discovery that proves my consistent point even further. My oldest son has pica, he eats non-food items. Now my husband and I noticed a trend, the problem gets worse on the weekend or when he is extremely bored or has a lot of unstructured time. So this past weekend we caught him eating quite a few non-food items mainly rubber. This has been going on for a while, my husband said that he noticed it getting better with the Neuro-Feedback (I just noticed the seizures) but this surge in eating non-food items could also explain many of his stomach issues. I don't know why I never thought of this piece before.
So we have decreased tv time again (we cut off our cable television service and have Netflix and Hulu it allows us to better control what our children are watching.), we constantly make sure that he doesn't have non-food items in his mouth, and try to reinforce that we only eat food. It's going to be a long road but we'll make it.
School work wise he is doing pretty good, working on his focus and attention to detail. Making him write slowly and neatly is a challenge but his working on it with some resistance. We are also working on his already strong math skills, reading recall, building on reading comprehension, money and time. He got a summer bridge book from school and his teacher Ms. Wentz was wonderful to print a lot of work with for us to help us stay on his goals. We have also started the SAS music therapy again to hopefully help with his focus and to perhaps help his mind with that sensory piece to help out with that pica. He has also started the chore of taking out the trash. There have been no seizures over the past week, nor have their been any seizure like preludes such as, bad gas, screaming, loopiness. He is eating less gluten (we're not entirely gluten free), we have decreased computer and television time, we are doing Dr. Goldberg's eating protocol by removing things with dies, or the color red. He takes aloe vera juice, lots of probiotics (by way of keifer and acidophilus) activated charcoal and Methyl B-12 tabs.
Jai Lynn is doing great this summer, helping in the kitchen and around the house, learning how to use a dictionary and look up definitions thus learning the meaning of words. She is working hard on math. This week I have her adding multiple digits, we are working on the parts of speech, reading recall and comprehension and money. Ms. Wentz also gave her a great packet of work along with a Summer Bridge Book and a Testing booklet to get her used to testing since she will be entering the 6th grade this fall. She has also begun the SAS music therapy again, I have her listen while praticing her typing skills ( think I will have her brother do the same almost like neuro-feedback)
Mason is working on counting to 10, colors and the alphabet. We are working on coloring on paper and not on the table or anything else that will stand still.
The all have a chore, once they get comfortable performing that chore on a regular basis I will tie money into it (the life skill of getting paid for completing a job) but for now we are having fun learning.
Well that is it for now.
Until Next Time,
Blessings and Recovery,
The Fuller's
