http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25788692/
This guy unfortunately has a world view of ASD that a lot of people have. Some of them are in my own family. At least Savage says it out loud so people know he's an idiot. People I know just say it behind my back.
$9.39...you get what you get...life at the Adventure House with autism and twins plus a bunch of neuroses and an awesome beer selection
Monday, July 21, 2008
Sunday, July 20, 2008
Yep, There's That Sea Cow
The Cincinnati Zoo has a manatee exhibit. I love manatees--there's a canal near my aunt's house in Naples, FL that is rife with them. The girls had never seen them, so when this enormous thing goes swimming by, it's quite a sight. Ellie used all functional language to express herself. "Yep, there's that sea cow. And there's that other sea cow. Here it comes again. It's floating. It's floating in the water." There was no singing the Muppets, or using words from Goodnight Moon or Click Clack Moo. These were all Ellie's ideas. A little formal? Yes. That's not unusual. She may always have a bit of formality in her language, maybe less the hyperactive squealing we see in Emma when she's excited about something. But that doesn't diminish Ellie's continued mastering of using language to communicate her ideas about her experiences in the world. Once again, THERAPY WORKS.
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
J Jump Joyful
Sesame Street J-Jump
J jump joyful jumble around.
Juniper, Jan, Jane, John.
J jump joyful jumble around.
Jack-in-the-box jumping all over town!
Jingle jangle junk summer day.
Big J swingin', flyin' singin'--
J jump joyful jumble around,
On a just nice day with the jumpinest J's in town.
Jingle jangle junk summer day
Big J swingin', flyin' singin'--
J jump joyful jumble around.
On a just nice day with the jumpinest J's in town.
OK, this was not how I sang it, or in tune, and if you want to learn more about this song's history, go here. http://muppet.wikia.com/wiki/J_Jump . Ellie loves it, and is mimicing the video for it, in her slow-mo, highly psychadelic, sort of 1970ish arm waving way.
This is my first movie, so John Huston I am not. Groble has a much better video on his blog, and he even makes fun of Dick Cheney. But it's fun to see the kids rocking out.
Wednesday, July 9, 2008
Dr. Wiznitzer, or, Birds of a Feather
http://casemed.case.edu/dept/neurology/Wiznitzer.html
We had an appointment today with Dr. Wiznitzer, who is a pediatric neurologist. We didn't need to see him, per se, as there has never been any indication that Ellie has a chromosomal disorder that would manifest as a neurological problem, or that Ellie has any of the other disorders that neurologists treat (ADHD, seizures, etc). However, our regular pediatrician (Dr. Joyce, or "Dr. Kelly" as Dr. W. called her) felt that he should see Ellie and put his two cents in. First, it only took us 3 months to get an appointment (I called in late April)...Dr. Joyce had predicted that I would have to wait until at least October. Second, he is very...spectrumy. He has an interesting social demeanor and an unusual lilt to his voice. But he looked Ellie over, and asked some good questions, and agreed that although Ellie falls on the spectrum, she is "just super...she is going to be just fine." He didn't recommend any additional (traditional) therapies ("just be more time and money, and you're getting the biggest bang for your buck already") and said that we were smart to start early (as Nancy Roizen says, "these are the golden years"). He steered us away from unconventional (read: untested, unreviewed, and often dangerous) treatments that are often hurled at parents who are desperate for help. He also noted that unless an undesirable behavior is related to Ellie's ability to communicate functionally or socialize appropriately, it's probably just a 3 year old tantrum. Boy, did our ears perk up with that. She won't get away with much now. Stinker.
We had an appointment today with Dr. Wiznitzer, who is a pediatric neurologist. We didn't need to see him, per se, as there has never been any indication that Ellie has a chromosomal disorder that would manifest as a neurological problem, or that Ellie has any of the other disorders that neurologists treat (ADHD, seizures, etc). However, our regular pediatrician (Dr. Joyce, or "Dr. Kelly" as Dr. W. called her) felt that he should see Ellie and put his two cents in. First, it only took us 3 months to get an appointment (I called in late April)...Dr. Joyce had predicted that I would have to wait until at least October. Second, he is very...spectrumy. He has an interesting social demeanor and an unusual lilt to his voice. But he looked Ellie over, and asked some good questions, and agreed that although Ellie falls on the spectrum, she is "just super...she is going to be just fine." He didn't recommend any additional (traditional) therapies ("just be more time and money, and you're getting the biggest bang for your buck already") and said that we were smart to start early (as Nancy Roizen says, "these are the golden years"). He steered us away from unconventional (read: untested, unreviewed, and often dangerous) treatments that are often hurled at parents who are desperate for help. He also noted that unless an undesirable behavior is related to Ellie's ability to communicate functionally or socialize appropriately, it's probably just a 3 year old tantrum. Boy, did our ears perk up with that. She won't get away with much now. Stinker.
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