I will never forget when Mike and I were listening to the Psychologists tell us about Matthew's diagnosis. They told us that early intervention is huge for individuals with autism. The earlier they get the help they need the chances are higher for having a more productive life. They encouraged us to try everything. So needless to say I put Matthew in many different therapies. I did have to watch that we weren't too overly busy. It was easy to overbook our time. Here are some therapies that we tried:
Hippotherapy- It's a form of physical, occupational and speech therapy in which a therapist uses the characteristic movements of a horse to provide carefully graded motor and sensory input.
This therapy was a challenge for Matthew. He was scared of the horse and we had to work at getting him on to ride it with the therapist. She would do speech and occupational therapy exercises with him while riding.
Aquatic Therapy- This therapy is being used as an effective recreational treatment. The water environment appears to meet several needs of a child with autism that enables the child to respond well to therapy and grow. The pressure of the water is comforting and the warm temperature often provides a soothing learning environment.
This therapy was probably Matthew's favorite. The water made him happy and relaxed! If our day was challenging he would get done with therapy in a better mood.
Easter Seals had a Summer school program that we did for a couple of summers. They had a pool at the time and offered swim lessons once a week. Everyday was free swim. Swimming was always Matthew's favorite part of each day.
Matthew also got involved in a local social skills group when he was four years old. He enjoyed going to group every week and earning a prize at the end of group. Matthew tended to pick out the same prize every week which was one of his obsessions. The Psychologist worked with him on this. Matthew made friends at group and the moms became friends in the lobby waiting for their children to be done. This was a great outlet for him and me.
We also had our weekly speech therapy and occupational therapy. Speech therapy was to help Matthew develop more language and communicate better. Occupational therapy helped his fine motor skills like writing, picking things up, buttoning a shirt or zipping coats. Occupational therapy also provides individualized treatment for sensory processing difficulties which can go with autism. These therapies were our regular ones. Matthew still gets speech therapy today and occupational therapy he is on consultation for sensory needs.
These are some of the therapies we did when he was first diagnosed with autism. I will share more with you in the next post.
Part of Autism is that when they find something they like, they become obsessed with it. At least this has been evident in our son Matthew. It's almost like getting stuck. They can't get the object or thing off their mind. Early on, Matthew found that he enjoyed Thomas the Tank Engine. We could not go anywhere without a train. When he attended the Special Needs Preschool he had to have a train in his hand to ride the bus. The train would help him calm down and distract him so he could transition to the next thing.
Two years in a row we went to the Day Out With Thomas in Indiana. Now I have to tell you that we had every video, every train, toys, clothes, dinnerware and bedding. This lasted till 5th grade.
He really had a hard time letting go of the comfort of Thomas. In elementary school he would watch his movies and shows and would slip in a Thomas to watch. Early on in middle school he decided he wanted to give his video collection to family friends of ours that had little ones that enjoyed Thomas.
He also liked The Wiggles. At one point I read an article about how The Wiggles were good for the Autism community. They were consistent in their show. Each of the four men had a different colored t-shirt and they never changed their shirts. The colors were red, blue, yellow and purple.
Matthew also knew who each man was by the color of the shirt. It taught him some colors too. Matthew loves music and when he was little he would jump up and down and dance to their music. This is another group that we had every video and CD. We had toys, clothes and even saw them in concert. The Wiggles were great but nothing compared to Thomas the Tank Engine!
As he got older he became obsessed with Star Wars. He had every movie and would watch so much he knew it by heart. Then he switched to Harry Potter movies, then Marvel movies. Nowadays its sports. He watches soccer, NFL football, college football, hockey, baseball, NBA basketball and college basketball. You name it, he likes it and memorizes the players. Right now he really likes LeBron James and wants to get some of his tennis shoes.
I wonder what obsession will come next! :)
Going to church was a challenge. You never knew what was going to set Matthew off, whether it was the loud noises or crowds. He did not have much language so I was always guessing his needs or what was frustrating him. Separation anxiety was a big issue at Sunday School just like regular school. I would leave him at his Sunday School Preschool class and walk down the hall hearing him scream. There were many years in the beginning where we would try attending Vacation Bible School in the Summer and would never make the whole week. We usually dropped out by day two or three.
The Pastors and congregation where we attended when Matthew was diagnosed with Autism were very supportive! We had some members that did Play Therapy with him. They would come over once a week and work with him. He loved it! The teachers in the Sunday school program really wanted him to be able to participate in class. We came up with an idea to have a High Schooler who enjoyed kids be his aide in the classroom. This went really well for Matthew. The High School aide would distract him so I could leave him without the screaming. Then he would help him participate in the activities. This young man also helped him participate in Vacation Bible School at church. It felt like such great success when Matthew finally made it through a whole week!
In the pictures posted today Matthew's High School aide was helping him learn about Baptism. In the class everyone got a turn to Baptize the baby doll.
Hands on activities work really well with individuals with Autism. It helps them understand things better. The second picture is Matthew participating in the Sunday School Christmas play. As you can see, he was waving to us. He did not do what he was supposed to do in the play but stared at us and waved the whole time. Everyone thought it was very cute!
We were thrilled that he was able to be a part of the program! This was a great start in our journey in the church. I have learned through the years that some are not supportive. Our family received a great blessing to be where we were when we were going through the diagnosis process with Matthew.
First of all I apologize that it has been a while since I posted on the blog. Life can get crazy busy at times! How appropriate that I am posting about Matthew's diagnosis during Autism Awareness month.
We finally got in to see a Psychologist. Matthew was over three years old by the time we got him in. He had all the classic signs of Autism - hand flapping, nonverbal, screaming due to sensory issues like crowds and loud noises, I could go on! We saw two Psychologists, Dr. Mary Smith and Dr. Janet Hansen for his diagnosis. They evaluated him together. This process took a couple of weeks. They observed him in the classroom at his Special Needs Preschool. They videotaped some of their sessions when they were evaluating him. Besides not having very much language, he had a very hard time with separation anxiety. Every time I took him somewhere he SCREAMED and did not stop for the most part until he was with me again. There were times during his screaming fits when he would kick the teachers and therapists. Some thought it was cute. I was embarrassed.
Anyway, Mike and I went to the office after all evaluations were completed to hear what they had to say about Matthew. The Doctors told us he had Autism, moderate to severe. They recommended therapy right away and said that early intervention was the key to Autism. The therapy they recommended we start with was ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis).
Applied Behavior Analysis focuses on the principles that explain how learning takes place. Positive reinforcement is one such principle. When a behavior is followed by some sort of reward, the behavior is more likely to be repeated. Through decades of research, the field of behavior analysis has developed many techniques for increasing useful behaviors and reducing those that may cause harm or interfere with learning. This therapy uses techniques and principles to bring about meaningful and positive change in behavior.
Mike and I walked out of the office numb and overwhelmed. I felt like I had been punched in the gut. Yes, I knew he had something going on but was not expecting an Autism diagnosis! I felt depressed but I mustered up the strength to start making calls and getting him into every therapy I could find that would help someone with Autism.
When Matthew was three years old he started attending a Special Needs Preschool. Based on his evaluation, that I discussed earlier, he qualified for the school. He received speech therapy and occupational therapy at school. Matthew enjoyed school once you got him there. Each day I would get him ready. He did not transition well at all and due to sensory issues (texture of clothes), mornings could be a challenge! There were many days I would carry him to the bus stop screaming. He would scream in the car while we waited for the bus to come. I would strap him in his bus seat and be exhausted going home. I would go back to my car and hear him screaming. Sending him to school with a Thomas the Tank Engine figurine helped comfort him on the bus. I will never forget the bus driver assuring me one day that as soon as they drove away he would stop crying. There were many days he fell asleep on the bus ride to school. Most likely he was worn out from the transition from home to school.
So the screaming, lining up toys, meltdowns and no language continued. There were times it was so bad that I would put him in his room and put the gate up so he could not get out. Of course there were times he would tear his room apart.
In the meantime, I was making phone calls and getting on everyone's waiting lists to get Matthew an appointment with a Child Psychologist. We wanted to get him evaluated. I knew in my heart that there was more going on than Developmentally Delayed. So one day when I had him gated in his room I called two places that were recommended to me. One place told me we were getting closer on the waiting list. The second place I called I burst into tears to the receptionist. I explained our situation and that I was trying to get him evaluated and was on many waiting lists. This woman was very compassionate! She said they might have an opening and would call me back. Sure enough the next day she called and we finally got an appointment! There was a sense of relief that we were finally going to get the help we need.
In the Fall of 2002, Matthew started attending the Special Needs Preschool. He was 3 years old. Besides going to Preschool everyday, he received Speech Therapy three times a week from the Speech Therapist that he kicked at the evaluation. We were hoping this would help get his speech and language going. I had put Matthew on many waiting lists to get an evaluation. The school said he was just Developmentally Delayed. I continued to suspect more than that. He lined up his toys, flapping his arms with a grimace on his face and lots of crying and screaming. He had trouble transitioning and could not handle crowds, many times we had to leave public events early with him screaming.We got to the point we did not eat at restaurants much. You never knew when something would set him off. Matthew could not tell us what was wrong because of his significant speech delay.
We learned along the way that Matthew's meltdowns would subside when he was in the bath tub. He would play and smile happily whenever he was in the tub. He loved the water! Summer camps that had swimming in them were a hit to him. Easter Seals had a Day Camp with swim lessons, They taught him how to swim.
Later, when Matthew was diagnosed with autism, one of his therapies for early intervention was Aquatics Therapy with an Occupational Therapist. This therapy was at a Physical Therapy Center. They would do gentle water exercises in the pool and play games. He was very relaxed and happy during the hour long sessions. Soft music was played during the sessions so that added to the relaxation.
One summer at the Easter Seals Day Camp, Matthew made a strong connection with his Swim Instructor. He started working with Matthew on swimming the length of the pool. He looked forward to swimming at camp and if it was cancelled he was upset. Any camp Matthew does, still to this day, he gets upset if swimming is cancelled.
Moving forward a few years, in third grade he tried out for an indoor swim team. We saw an article in the newspaper and thought we would give it a try. This was not Special Olympics but a competitive, all year round team. I took him to tryouts and explained to the coach that he had autism. She told me he could give it a try. He struggled a little in the tryouts and I went to help him (I used to be a swimmer :)). The coach told me to go sit down that he would be fine. So I sat and watched, nervous for him. After he was done she came up to me and said that he made the team and that she wanted to work on his strokes. Competitive swimming started for Matthew when he was 9 years old. He is 15 now and still swimming!
I regrouped and started making calls to have Matthew evaluated. We got on waiting lists as I worked my way down the list that was given to me by the Speech Therapist at Children's Hospital . One of the things she told me was important to do was get him into a Special Needs Preschool. Hilliard Public Schools had one so I contacted them and set up a time to have him evaluated to see if he qualified for the school. I filled out a huge stack of forms to apply for the school. I didn't realize at the time that anytime we started programs or applied for therapy there were lots of forms to fill out. Sometimes repeating our history would get tiring!
The time arrived for the evaluation at the Preschool. Matthew and I were in the school office and the speech therapist came to get us. We followed her to the classroom. The room had the School Psychologist, Occupational Therapist, Physical Therapist and a Classroom teacher waiting for us. It was intimidating. They asked me some questions about Matthew. They asked me to step out and I think they could tell by the look on my face that I was hesitant to leave the room. They told me he would be fine. The minute I stepped out the door the screaming and crying started. I slowly went down the hall, hesitating as the screaming got louder and harder. I made it down the hall and sat down in the school office. I sat there and listened to the screaming continue. Finally after twenty minutes, I asked the Principal who was sitting at the front desk at the time if I could check on my son. She told me she would call back there and see how it was going. So while I was sitting there, she talked to one of the teachers and told them that mom was concerned about her son. I was ready to go back and get him! The Principal hung up the phone and told me everything was fine and they would be done soon. He cried and screamed the entire time he was with the teachers.
After about 15 more minutes or so the Speech Therapist brought him to me. He stopped crying the minute he saw me and jumped into my arms. The Speech Therapist said he would not do much and I was not surprised because of the screaming. Also based on what happened the last time we had him evaluated. She said at one point Matthew got so mad at her that he kicked her in the leg. During the evaluation, besides screaming he was standing at the door wanting me. They wanted him to engage with them but he was not interested.
The good news is the Speech Therapist told me he would qualify for the Preschool. The Speech Therapist offered to work with him two to three times a week to help him start speaking more. I agreed to it and she started working with Matthew weekly. As the weeks went by he made progress and gained more words. This would be an ongoing part of our journey.
At this point we still did not have an official diagnosis for him. The Special Needs Preschool said he had a Developmental Delay. In the meantime we continued on waiting lists for an evaluation. My intuition was telling me that there was more going on with Matthew than a Developmental Delay.
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