Peeling back the layers

This is a Quinn blog today, again.  Expect them for a bit as we are going through something really big here at my household.  With the approval from FSCD, we were given in home counselling by the Scope Children Society.  They're to help us learn how to parent a child with special needs.  Things are going fantastic and our counseller Trish is amazing. We love her.  She is so easy to work with and comes to us with so much experience, and she gets that we are clueless.

Chewlery!

She asked us to think about behaviours we would like to change in Quinn.  My first thought was, "He is so well behaved. He's happy, positive, kind, generous, and effortless!  What is there to change?" She told me to think about it, and observe him a bit closer with that thought in mind.  The first thing I wrote down was "putting things in his mouth".  EVERYTHING goes in his mouth. His cell phone, remotes, toys, paper, wrappers, fingers, clothes, etc.  Drives me nuts!!  So, I shared that with her.  She asked about his favourite foods, not following, I was like "carrots, celery, steak, and cucumbers".  She nodded yes and said "Sounds like he might have Oral Sensory".    Andrew and I stared at eachother with a "huh?" look.  She explained that he likes foods that he crunch or he has to work hard at eating, puts things in his mouth, anything.  She asked us "Does he concentrate more when he has stuff in his mouth? When is he putting stuff in his mouth?" I told her mostly when playing on his laptop or watching tv.  She said he does that to focus and concentrate, that he needs that sensation of something in his mouth.  Andrew and I had that "ah ha" moment. It all made sense! She offered him a piece of Chewlery.  As seen in the pic here, its a necklace he can chew on and wear.  The first two days he wore it, he barely ate (over eating is a problem with him, eating every 30 mins)!   She also recommended that we buy fishtank tubing (those plastic tubes used on filters in a fish tank) to put at the end of his pencils so he has that to chew on at school!  She is a genius!


Please note, altho that was a huge eye opening experience, as we peel back the layers to learn about our son and his Aspergers, its a very emotional journey.  I actually cried upon learning he has an Oral Sensory issue.  One more thing to add to the list I guess.  See? I am getting a list. Do you think I want a list?


Today, I made a status update on Facebook that I got from my friend Kate.  It read:


Tonight a lot of creatures will visit your door. Be open minded. The child who is grabbing more than one piece of candy might have poor fine motor skills. The child who takes forever to pick out one piece of candy might have motor planning issues. The child who does not say trick or treat or thank you might be shy or non-verbal. The child who looks disappointed when he sees your bowl might have anallergy. The child who isn't wearing a costume at all might have SPD or autism. Be nice. Be patient. Its everyone's Halloween. Make a mom feel good by making a big deal of her special child.

*Copied from a friend's post...repost if you'd like. People can never understand it if they haven't been through it.


I posted it on my Facebook status, and then cried. I had that moment of WHY do I have to say things like this? Why do I have to tell the world this, to make his life easier? It was one of those mommy breakdown moments.


The breakdown then occurred on my car ride home as once again, I was overcome with my personal pity party.


Quinn had a fantastic Halloween. He has been some kind/colour of a Ninja for 5 years.  This year, was different tho. This year he was Camouflage guy. Not sure what that was but I supported it! Also, his first time letting his face be painted.  He doesn't like stuff on his face, so this was also a big thing!


Proud of him!


We have an appointment with Trish tomorrow. I am already nervous to peel off the next layer of Aspergers.