He's Done it!

The last few weeks have seen Roo achieve two long awaited goals.

For months now, Roo has been using the echolalic phrase"Yes Sir," in response to every question that requires a simple "yes" and many other questions or comments that don't require a "yes." It all began innocently enough while Bilby and Roo were playing, and Bilby thought it sounded cute when Roo said "Yes Sir!" Bilby encouraged Roo to say it a few times and it stuck despite many, many attempts to dissuade him. Every time he said "Yes Sir," we would model the correct response. I was beginning to wonder if he would ever abandon it! This week I have noticed that he is simply saying "Yes." I have to restrain myself from praising him for not saying "Yes Sir," which could bring us back to square one.

Roo's second achievement is that he has started to use the toilet for bowel motions. Granted this is not the most pleasant blog topic, but as it's such a big step and one that we have worked so hard to help him achieve, I feel it's worth noting. I wanted to shout it from the roof top, but it's not something you can tell everyone without getting odd looks! Perhaps my sharing it here will encourage another family dealing with this issue who is wondering if they'll ever say good-bye to nappies. There was no magic solution for this one, just consistent encouragement, loads of patience and a few lollies!

Shouting at the Television!

Occasionally I find myself lamenting at the lack of humility and intelligence of the human race.

Last night while watching the ABC's Q and A programme I found myself shouting at the television! The show had a panel of quests and a live studio audience who were discussing religion and the existence of God. Among the guests were Jesuit Fr. Frank Brennan, a young Muslim gentleman who is a politics lecturer, a "militant atheist" and someone who called herself a "social Catholic."

What riled me the most was the way in which the audience and several panel members assumed that they knew what the Catholic church teaches about homosexuality and contraception. Fr. Brennan was asked about gay marriage, then later in the show, he was asked was homosexuality considered a sin by the church. In the limited time he was given he attempted to explain the churches teaching much to the surprise of the audience. They assumed that he had gone against church teaching. They ASSUMED that they knew more than a Catholic priest! In short he was trying to say that those outside of marriage are called to celibacy.

The other assumption was that if you follow the Pope then you must have 10 children. More shouting at the television! We follow the churches teaching on life, and we only have 3 children. According to those people I must not be an orthodox Catholic.

The "social Catholic" on the panel joked that her 80 year old mother says that she had a "Vatican bypass" thirty years ago. It is very easy to just say well I don't agree with x or y without knowing what the teaching are or why the church holds a particular view! I know because I felt the same way 10 years ago. I had a lot of anger toward the church. However, when I took the time to find out why the church teaches what it does, all my anger gave way to understanding.

I find it quite concerning that people with a very limited amount of knowledge assume that they have a handle on an issue. A little information can be a dangerous thing. Unfortunately many people take a position of authority when in fact they are almost totally ignorant. I believe this is due to laziness and a lack of humility. How much better would the world be if we took the time to research a topic before assuming that we know it all?

If I succeed in teaching my children to have an informed opinion before opening their mouths, I will have given them a rare gift. In educating my sons I am aiming to teach them that what they read or hear in the media might not be true. I will have failed if they do not question and research information for themselves.

If you are not Catholic, or you are feeling indignant about a Catholic teaching like contraception, I challenge you to do a some research. You might surprise yourself.

How Did We Get Here?

Yesterday I attended a Special Needs Mass for our diocese. Despite the fact that it was rather schooly, I enjoyed the opportunity to pray for our boys and to reflect on the challenges and joy they bring to our family.

The Mass was celebrated at the church attached to my primary school . Every time I enter this church memories come flooding back! Just being there is enough to transport me back to the feelings of my childhood.

As I waited for Mass to begin I noted that the noise level from chattering people was quite high. This would never have happened in my day! Both the nuns who taught us, and our parents instilled in us the virtue of respect and silence when in church. We simply did not talk once we entered the doors of the church. Or if we did, we paid for it! I recall our class lining up to face the principal and her leather belt in year three, as we returned from Mass. We had chatted through Mass, and so we received 2 or 3 smacks across the hand as punishment. We knew that the church was a sacred and holy place where Jesus dwelt in the Blessed Sacrament. In the 25 years since I left primary school, people seem to have lost respect for Jesus in the tabernacle. Many people talk and to few acknowledge Jesus by genuflecting or bowing.

After communion I even saw a teenage boy remove the Blessed Sacrament from his mouth, on the way back to his pew. He then slowly ate the Host with his fingers whilst sitting in his seat, next to his parents! Other braver souls then me would have approached this boy and told him why what he was doing was so offensive to them. Alas, I was not that brave soul. Like, Saint Peter, I am a coward. I did however resolve that if he placed the Blessed Sacrament in his pocket, I would not sit still.

Attending this Mass left me feeling somewhat distressed and saddened. The chatter and disrespect of the Blessed Sacrament leads me to believe that we've failed. We've failed to hold people accountable to their faith. I explain it to my children this way.

If you were in a room with the Prime Minister, and he was at the head of the room quietly waiting to speak to you and the other people assembled, you wouldn't turn your back on him to have a conversation with the person next to you! In our Catholic churches, Jesus is physically present and waiting to speak to you. Some people has lost sight of how amazing that is! Should we not give him all our attention and respect. After all He is the same God that created the universe and holds it in existence by His will. As a priest in our diocese once said, if you don't believe that Jesus is physically present, then go, because you're not Catholic.

Photo Diary.

My good intentions to blog about the following images, have remained just that, good intentions! So I'm rolling it all into one post.

Roo celebrated his 5th birthday on 20th July. Last year on his fourth birthday Bilby and I were in Sydney for the WYD closing Mass with the Holy Father!

One of the few books Roo will allow us to read him is the Ginger Bread Man. As it wasn't too difficult a cake to cut out and decorate I gave it a go! Not too bad I think.

Wonderful friends of ours, Patrick and Sonia, asked James and I to be the Godparents of their fourth child, Timothy.

We feel very honoured to be asked to help guide Timothy in his walk with the Lord. When I was asked to become Godmother to one of my cousins when I was 16, I really had no idea what it meant in a practical sense. Now that I know what it means to be a good Godparent I am really looking forward to this role. The only sad part of Timothy's special day was that the family moved to Brisbane the following week. We will miss this wonderfully, faithful family very, very much. Especially little Timothy! Thanks goodness for cheap flights!

After a bit of a break, we've started our Friday afternoon ritual of Tea Time. It's a wonderful way to end the week with special treats in honour of the saints. On St Maximillian Kolbe's feast day on 14th August, we enjoyed these polish treats while we read and discussed this extraordinary man's life and death. If you don't know much about this amazing man of God, take a minute to read about him and how he sacrificed his life for another, in a Nazi concentration camp.

Today in celebration of the birthday of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Bilby has cooked Blueberry Muffins which we are about to enjoy.

Worboxes.

When I first read about workboxes I dismissed them with very little research as I didn't think we could implement the system as we are low on space. It wasn't until a friend Michelle, blogged about workboxes that I took another look. Rather than using 10 or more boxes or draws per child, she was using plastic sleeves. Michelle was sure that the workbox system would be particularly suited to our family as the lady who came up with the idea designed it with her autistic child in mind.

After talking with Michelle and seeing her system close up, I decided to invest in some plastic sleeves and warm up the laminator! It is said that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so I'm confident that Michelle won't mind that I have an almost carbon copy of her system!

We have been using our workboxes for a week and we all love them. It is similar to my previous visual system, but so much better, especially for me! I no longer have to scramble around for materials in the morning as everything is set up and ready to go. All I have to do is ask the children to take their boxes off the piano and get started.




The boys simply start with folder number one. When they have finished they remove the velcro number in the bottom right of the folder and place it on their laminated strip if paper which holds numbers 1-10.





They then place the completed folder in a plastic basket.




Both the ordered routine and the visual aspect of this system is a perfect fit for Koala.


The system has also enabled me to put a little more creativity and fun into our days. In the past we would complete the basics and that would be it. Now we are using our Rosetta Stone French programme more often, we are lapbooking and using our educational CDs and including things like cooking and playing with the dog in our workboxes. I have also decided to take some time on the week end to plan what each days boxes will contain. This greatly frees up my evenings.


I'm sure we'll be using this system for a long time to come.

Visuals.

This week I finally got around to making a visual schedule for Koala.

People with an ASD are visual learners. They also feel more comfortable with a routine which they can rely on. Koala has never been one to completely fall apart if his routine changes, but he does like to have a certain structure. We have been using a tick box systems where he ticks off each subject as he finishes it, but I knew that a visual one would be preferable.

So I began by photographing all the books we use.

I then had them printed four to a page. I laminated them and cut them out. At the beginning of the day all the visuals are placed on a green for go, laminated strip of paper with a velcro strip.

The above is our schedule for Friday which includes our catechism, Faith and Life 4, which we simply read and discuss. A page from Maths-U-See Beta. Growing With Grammar, Seton Handwriting 3 for Young Catholics, Aplogia Exploring Creation with Astronomy which Koala just loves! The final visual shows a combination of our history read-alouds. History isn't meant to be on our list for Friday, but we missed it yesterday, so we mght get to it today. We're fairly flexible.

When each activity is completed, Koala moves the visual to the red laminated paper.

We've had a few teething problems in the last 3 days. Koala became rather upset when I wanted him to complete a subject that wasn't next in line! I should have known better! So now I have to make sure that where possible I ask him to complete the subjects in the order I've placed them! We will work on varying the order, as adaptability is an important skill to learn.

Visuals are not exclusively for kids on the spectrum. All kids respond to them. So naturally Bilby has requested his own visual schedule.

Those of you who read my unschool post may be wondering what happened! I'm still working toward a more natural approach to our day, but I think it will take time for me to break my addiction to structure and formal programmes! I have dramatically cut back on the formal side of our day which has been a wonderful blessing.

I know our new visual sehedule will make Koala's day run much more smoothly, which in turn helps everyone in the family.

Sweet!

This week has brought several long hoped for blessings. I took Roo to our home education gymnastics class and stayed with him during the lesson for extra support. I thought at best be would last 30 minutes, before he would run off and attempt to do his own thing. He lasted the whole hour! He did everything the other children did with a huge smile on his face. Once or twice he even pushed me away with a " You go over there." The only thing he needed me for was to simplify the language of the coach. He loved every minute of it and can't wait to go back next week.

Yesterday at preschool I was told that Roo had made a friend. A younger boy who has very little english as he his family have recently immigrated to Australia. The teachers helped Roo to invite his friends to play in the sandpit with him, and Roo helped his friend find a teacher when he was crying.

Roo is becoming a real chatterbox. His language has certainly taken off in the last month. Much of what he says I can understand with little difficulty. I frequently find myself smiling and praising God for all the cute little things he is saying. It's been a long wait, but how sweet it is to hear him speak!