July 2009

This whole summer Jake has not had one sleepless night! Its amazing! Ever since school let out, Jake has been getting 12 plus hours a night of solid, glorious sleep, and so have I! Both of us are getting our beauty sleep.


TUMMY PROBLEMS - GETTING THE SCOOP ON THE POOP
I have taken Jake to a new pediatrician, one that a friend recommended that is Autism friendly. I figure now is the time to get to the bottom of his belly problems. Since no therapy appointments or classes, before we start the braces, and its summer time. I have tried to figure this out on my own, playing poop detective, however I need some help on this one. I've tried to monitor everything he eats, along with amounts and times and nothing seems to connect. Getting Jake to talk about poop usually isn't very hard, however talking about his own poop (how often and consistency is like sawing off a leg), he just won't do it no matter what I seem to try. Last year I thought he was lactose intolerant, so I cut out the regular milk and bought lactose free. Also gave him lactose tablets when consuming ice cream. However, I think it is more complex. The pediatrician has referred me to a pediatric GI doc, which we have an appointment with in September.



Why is it so many Aspie kids have belly issues? I just don't get the connection to brain and belly function. I've read so many things, and its hard to sort out what to believe everything I read. Many parents put the kids on restrictive diets such as gluten free/casein free and swear by the results (including behavior wise). Some believe there is absolutely no connection between the stomach and Autism problems.


I GOTTA GET TO THE BOTTOM OF THESE GI PROBLEMS!
I am on a mission to find answers for Jacob on this one. Allergies, leaky gut, a blockage, or just IBS..... For Jake it causes a lot of pain and has gone on for years! The reason why I have not dug into this earlier was because the symptoms are on and off, and different at times. Also we have been trying to work on so many other issues, and getting a grip on them. You ask what are his symptoms? Doubtful that he will read this, I will list them, as he is so embarrassed to talk about it! He has everything from painful constipation to diarrhea, to black tarry stools. Sometimes he will go 3 days without having a bm, other days are just fine. Also gas all the time, tummy aches, and even indigestion, and powerful (no other word that I know of) bms are more symptoms.
I do know that it does not have to do with the medication he is on, Celexa since he has had tummy problems way before that. Also, he has blood work done frequently to check his liver functions, etc.

June Continued

His longest friend of 1 year has dissed Jake. He will no longer take Jake's phone calls, and it finally sunk in. Of coarse Jacob is distraught about it, he gets tears in his eyes and tries to talk about it with me. I'm sure its something that was said, and the kid befriended him. Will this teach a lesson to be nicer and watch the words he says to his friends? I'm not sure. I thought they made the perfect duo since Jacob is so outgoing, and his friend is very shy around others. Maybe they will patch things up sometime in the summer, as this other kid doesn't have many, if any friends other than Jacob.



IEP THOUGHTS

The school IEP went better than I expected. Even though Jake has had them starting in 1st grade for his vision impairment, I was nervous that I was not asking for enough services for him. I really don't know of any more accommodations what the school can do to make it the best school experience for Jacob. What more is available? What else can we take advantage of? Trying to get that information is next to impossible. I was hoping for an ARC representative to attend the IEP with me, however their schedule didn't allow. They did talk with me over the phone to briefly go over some of my rights, and gave me a few ideas. If I would of known of the ARC services before, it would of gave me more time to investigate and ask questions. I believe I was just being too analytical and let my anxiety take over. In addition to the ARC, and through my new found support group, I did get a few more ideas to take long with me.



I looked at Jake's challenges this last school year for him. The emotional side of him popped into my head first. If emotionally he is working on something, then he will not preform academically. And there were lots of days that he did not do anything academically because his emotions were not at rest. There were also many missed hours of school because of sleeping problems (anxiety). I think he grew a lot during the year, arriving at the school nervously, afraid he was going to get lost in the building, and very unsure of himself. He grew in peer situations and friendships also. He learned a lot of the school rules, such as what is appropriate and what is not at school, through lots and lots of hands on experiences.



Academically he is below grade level in each subject. However, with proper supports in each subject, I believe that he could reach grade level with exception of Math. Math concepts seem to be nearly impossible for him, and of coarse his least favorite. His handwriting has improved drastically! Letters have gotten smaller and more controlled looking. Not exactly even or on this lines of the paper, but still much better! One on one is how Jacob learns best, without that support, learning just does not happen. His mind wonders easily. His inability of focus is a constant battle. Behavior wise, he respects authority, and is pretty well behaved.

I'm happy with the plan for Jacob next year. He is listed with 3 disabilities: Autism Spectrum Disorder, Visual Impairment, and Speech and Language Impairment. Following are some of the things included his IEP:

• OT Evaluation and possible OT time (I believe Jake's sensory learning environment is effecting his academics)


• Speech and Language Therapy


• Vision Therapy


• Use of Computer or Alpha Smart for written assignments


• General Education Curriculum in special education

June 2009

The first week of June did not go without a hitch. There was an argument with a classmate. From what I get, the confrontation was verbal name calling. The situation escalated when the child followed Jacob into his classroom , and resulted in Jacob having a meltdown. Jacob called me and wanted to pick him up, and of coarse I told him I could not, that he had to work through it. I'm not sure what the meltdown consisted of, but Jacob said he just couldn't keep it together anymore, and he had a "full meltdown in the class". Both boys were punished as a result of the incident, Jacob had lunch detention for 2 days.

Yet again, Jake is sad because he may of lost one of his only friends. I'm not sure what exactly has happened, but I'm hoping they will patch things up. This kid is extremely shy, and Jake is extremely outgoing so the relationship has worked out very well. We will see on the days to come.

On a lighter note, I met one of Jacobs new friends during the last day of school. I took him to a roller skating field trip, and was pleasantly surprised that he made a new friend from school. Perhaps they can get together over the summer, along with a few of his other new acquaintances from my support group. Good things keep on happening now that I'm with them!! I think its the best that's happened to us in a long time.

May 2009

Can another month be just as stressful?

Myself having depression, dealing with my other (teenage) sons adolescent behavior, along with usual marital issues & trying to be on top of Jacobs problems are causing unmanageable stress. I am wishing for a time- warp, forward to the end of school days. I know then everything will become more manageable then. If I am feeling this way, I can't imagine what Jacob is going through.

I do feel fortunate to of met my new group of moms, I believe its just what I need!

May 1 - Tonight I met a Dr. Mark Bowers. He was the speaker at our support group, and whom I think I will look further into. Dr. Bowers does assessments, councils adolescents and holds social groups for children. Hope to connect with him with Jake this summer if my financials allow. His office does not bill the insurance company, its up to the patient. And just a note, a lot of what he does (therapies) is not covered by our insurance. He seems like he has a good philosophy on Aspergers.

How are folks like me supposed to get the care that our children need to: develop further, grow and flourish when we don't have the financial backbone?? I am already swamped with large co-pays for docs and medications. How can one afford to pay $100 hour out of pocket for therapies???? Several therapy sessions are needed to make any impact. I have basically cleaned out my bank account getting individual therapy for Jacob for 9 months. There has to be some resources out there.

May 5 - I just found out about ARC. An organization that can send a live person with me to our school IEP, and make sure Jake is getting all the help that's entitled to him. Amazing!! I wish I would of found out about this earlier! I'm very frustrated about trying to get information, yet it drives me to find answers! Another resource given by my support group! Thanks Dawn!

Jacobs phone call full of anxiety today. He could not find the book he checked out to return to the school library. He said if he could not find it, he was going to get supervised lunch today. I tried to calm him down the best I could, but he was still crying over the phone. Upon evening he had a headache from all the anxiety, and had a very hard time sleeping. We are still continuing the melatonin, but its not working as well as it has.

May 6 - A phone call from his teacher, and finally handed the phone over to Jacob. He was stressed out with an incident that happened with some peers and he was afraid to go into the classroom. The teacher could not get him to do any work, however he settled down by the afternoon and was able to focus and do much better. Thank you teachers for your patience!!!

May 8 - Another sleepless night-Jake finally fell asleep by morning and slept all the way to 3pm. A whole day off for him, but better at home resting up, than in school uncooperative.

May 15 - The appointment with his pediatrician didn't go as well as I liked. It was to re-evaluate his meds. I pointed out that the anxiety has just been awful and asked if there was a medication he would recommend. Since I have exhausted all different avenues, I would like to try a minimum dose of something to ease his anxiety spells. The doc. did not agree since the school year was ending. HMMM...... Is this right???? I tried to plead my case, but the Dr. had the final say, unfortunately. We are just going to do the best we can without additional meds.

Jacob is still reporting kids picking and threatening him at school, the ones that were picking on him on the bus. He is really upset and thinks the kids are out to hurt him. I am not so sure they won't due to the incidents last year and earlier this year with those same kids. Thank God tomorrow is Saturday!!

May 18 - Upon awaking, Jake said he did not sleep well, however I sent him to school this day. When he returned from school, he reported he had a headache. Poor guy! My heart goes out to him. Hang in there, only a few more weeks left of school buddy!

May 19 - Once again, a headache after school. He also reported some uncontrolled eye rolling. He said his eyes were moving around and he couldn't stop it. He was very sad and upset by it. I tried to ease his mind and comfort him. We crossed out another day closer to summer vacation.

May 21 - Another sleepless night for Jake. I kept him home from school in the morning so he could sleep and get some rest. A visit to the Chiro first before I took him to school in hopes an adjustment would help. He is still under care at least 2 times a week, as long as I can afford it.
We have exhausted all allowed Chiro visits, now I am paying out of pocket each time I go.

Looking forward to a camping trip in our new camper the end of the month-Jake loves the outdoors!

April 2009

April seemed to be a very rocky month for Jake. He was very sensitive and emotional for starters. The school days were difficult for him. A number of issues came up at school resulting in a number of phone calls home. The phone calls I do not mind one bit. They keep us in constant communication, and I think are a huge benefit for all (teacher, Jake, &I). We can sometimes resolve problems by talking Jacob through a situation. I very much appreciated his teacher to use this as a tool, and deal with issues as they come up during the day instead of waiting until who knows when. These phone calls may seem like we are coddling Jake too much for being in 5th grade, but I think it comforts him as well as extinguishes his fires.
Also I appreciate my boss's latitude for taking the calls, as she is very understanding and advocates for kids with special needs. She (my boss ) also lets me leave work on a dime if I absolutely need to go up to the school. She was in a much more challenging situation than mine, so she understands that my child's needs should come before my job. I know I am very lucky in this area, and probably will not find another employer that grants me the flexibility I have now.
Jake's anxiety was elevated when he received a small spider bite. One of his peers told him that he "would die in 2 weeks" from the bite, and of coarse Jake believed the kid. Which led to Jacob over reacting and obsessing about it. He told his teacher, and of coarse that was one of the phone calls I received during the day. I tried to assure Jake that nothing was going to happen of coarse, and his teacher also tried to comfort him. Trying to get any idea out of Jacobs head, is nearly impossible sometimes. He will obsess about a certain thing for days, months and even years! I really don't think he gets the concept of time, and is not able to have closure.
During Science class (mainstream), one of Jacobs teachers noticed him placing 2 tennis balls and a pencil down by his crotch area. He said he wanted to make the other kids laugh, however the teacher wasn't laughing. She labeled it "sexual harassment" and off to the office he went. Oh boy, another phone call to mom. The consequences was for Jacob to eat lunch alone, separated from the lunchroom, and no recess for the rest of the week. It was hard for me to keep a straight face through this one. I am questioning this mainstreaming idea. Thinking it is not so good for Jake. The teachers don't seem to have the same patience, and Jake is getting penalized for their lack of teaching skills. They seem to be more rigid, less flexible.
Of coarse after every incident, at home we have to have a heart to heart, explain the reasoning, consequences behind it all. I tend not to punish him at home, because he is already getting the consequences at school. However, I feel I need to still address it at home.
Thank you God for getting us through April!!!!

March 2009

A bit of good news from my sons Resource Room teacher. She has reported that Jake has been focusing and seemed to be happier since December. I chalk it up to his Chiropractic visits. Thanks Dr. Ryan!

Another sleepless night for Jacob. Was it the rain last night? I kept him home in the morning from school, then drove him for the afternoon session. I stress and hate to keep him home from school, however on the other hand, I feel it is totally necessary.

The teacher reported she had a total "uncooperative" Jacob today, was questioning about his sleep or if another issue I knew about was hindering his attentiveness, and there was nothing that I knew of. He just shut down and refused to do any work all day.

February/March 2009

Lots of belly aches in a row for Jacob. I know it has to be his diet. When I am not in control of what he eats, Jacob makes bad choices for himself therefore upsetting his delicate tummy! We figured pop is a big no-no. There is lots of acid in it (besides the sugar).
I had to get involved with a bullying incident that has been happening on the bus. I have been trying to get Jacob to handle these incidences with other kids on his own, but this particular one seems like it is escalating. The kids who ride the bus one grade older than Jacob seem to be blocking the back seats, telling Jacob he cannot sit in certain seats. One kid tripped Jacob on the aisle, and name calling has been an issue as well. This has been going on for a few weeks in a row. When Jacob arrives home from the bus ride in the afternoon, he is in tears complaining about the same kids. After speaking with the principal a few times, the principal wanted Jacob to have an assigned set, at the front of the bus so that the drive could keep an eye on him. The other boys were talked to, but Jacob could not communicate his whole story to the principal. That left her thinking Jacob was not truthful. I was not pleased with the outcome. If the boys were bullying, then why should they be able to remain on the bus? Why does Jacob have to have an assigned set? The front seat is not adequate because of the noise factor of the drivers radio. Earlier in the year we had a problem with the driver turning the volume on high and Jacob just could not stand that noise plus all the noise from the other kids. Should I give in or fight? Is this battle worth it? Not this time, and I think I will have to pick Jacob up from school every day. It really that much of an inconvenience, except for leaving work a few minutes early. I think I will save my energy on this one.

February 2008

Our last visit with the therapist was today. We decided our visits would stop since I think we need to pursue other avenues. Jacob seemed to be at at stand still with her, additionally the costs are astronomical. If needed, we can still go back, however now I think we are in a good place.
I have heard about other therapies I would like to investigate such as a therapy center that gives similar children group social, eating, OT, etc. etc. Lately it has been like pulling teeth for Jacob to participate in the sessions. He is just anxious to go home and play. He acts like we are interrupting his time.

Making Friends are Difficult to Say the Least

I was pleased when Jacob had told me he had a new friend from school. Unfortunately just after a few play dates, the friendship did not continue. That seems to be the norm, there are new friends and just after 2 or 3 get togethers, the relationship is finished.
Do I need to push him a little more into additional friendships so he can get this whole friend thing down? As much as I can, I try and figure out the root of his friendship problems and then explain them to Jacob. Most of the time, however, Jacob refuses to see the other side and declares me wrong. I would say half the problems are when Jacob misconstrues the meanings of what his peers are telling him, then he gets mad at them. Sometimes the other kids find Jacob annoying and different and ends up with either the kids ditching him or picking on him.

January 2009

I have heard some interesting and pleasing news about Chiropractors, and how it has reduced some symptoms, so we have given it a try. Previous to our first appointment I told the Chiropractor that Jacob had ASD and the Doc. was eager (a brand spanking new) to help. He was very young, full of fire, and very down to earth. Right away Jacob took to the Doctor. The office was very inviting with warm colors and pictures throughout. During the first visit after the x-rays, the Doctor even invited Jacob into the developing room and had shown Jacob how to develop our x-rays. How cool is that? I knew it would be a great match. Jacob was very comfortable with the surroundings.
At the first adjustment, Jacob yelled out loudly as he heard the sounds of his bones cracking. Jacob tends to over dramatize everything. I am sure it didn't hurt, it was just surprising to him and different than he ever experienced. At the end of each visit, the young doctor asks for a hug, and Jacob obliges happily. I have scheduled several visits, we will see what kind of results we get from the adjustments.

DECEMBER/JANUARY

Finally! A good few weeks it has been. Jake's attitude has been so much better, and at school he has gotten glowing reports. He is back to his smiling self, making good decisions and really buckling down at school.
Ken and I have been praising him for all his efforts! What a great feeling!

More issues at school

I ask myself when will this period stop? It seems to be escalating, leaving everyone sad and upset. We can't seem to get through the consequences of Jacobs actions. He just doesn't learn cause and effect. Will he??

That was it, enough talking and time for action. Ken and I took away all his video games having anything to do with any violence, including Star Wars, Star Fox, etc. We threw away all his toy Nerf guns, light sabers, cap guns, and plastic knight swords. They all went in the garbage. Gone for good.

November/December

Jacobs Thanksgiving Day didn't go so well. If you would ask him why, he would tell you: "the twins". Newly adopted cousins, two boys, age 4 have been welcomed into our family last Spring. At first, Jacob was excited but it hasn't took very long for that feeling to turn sour. After spending some time with the highly energetic and curious boys, he resents them and does not want anything to do with them. Jacob was worried the week before Thanksgiving, about the twins. He did not want them to come to the family gathering on this holiday, (which was out of the question). He even had problems sleeping, because he was busy thinking about them.

Unable to stay asleep
The melatonin doesn't seem to be doing its job the last few weeks. Jacob goes to sleep at his usual bed time, around 8:30 p.m. and wakes up in the middle of the night. Then he is up the rest of the night until morning. I ask him if he is thinking about anything, and his answer is usually no. He is getting lots of exercise during the day, no excessive sugar and no caffeine. He has tried reading when he wakes. I just don't get it! Why??? This is yet another issue I would love to get to the bottom of. I need answers!
One day I sent him to school after a sleepless night, and it was a total mistake. He was like a limp noodle, unproductive, his main classroom teacher took him down to the resource room because he was not cooperating. I got a phone call from the school telling me what happened and asking if I want to pick him up from school. I told the school about Jacob not sleeping at night. I suggested to get Jacob a snack from his bag-hoping he would get some energy from that, and I spoke to Jacob for a little bit trying to encourage him. My message to him was; some days you are tired and sleepy but you have to try and turn it around, pull your self out of it, & get through the day", The school saw my point, kept him in school and tried to do their best with him. Later that afternoon I had learned from the teacher that Jake just could not get with it, he was like a zombie (my words) and could not get ANY work out of him. When he came home he was very emotional, and cranky. Okay, I learned something from this. I tried to be tough. I don't want to be "an enabler". I was wrong for sending him to school that day.
More Sleep Problems-It seems like at least twice a week Jacob has been unable to stay asleep at night. I continue to ask myself why and can't come up with any answers. I need to bring this up to the next Psychiatrist visit.
I learned my lesson, when Jacob does not sleep through the night, I allow him to sleep in the morning, and then take him to school. He misses a half of day, but at least he is functional that half. It has worked out for everyone, including the teachers that have to deal with Jacob. I still ask myself "am I doing the right thing by not sending him in the morning?"

November

The past few weeks have been challenging to say the least. All this upset led Jacob to basically do nothing in school. For most of the day he is unproductive, totally uncooperative and shut down. The teachers nor I know how to get him motivated again. It is definitely back to therapy and perhaps a medicine review with the Psychiatrist. I feel he may be slipping into a depression again. What is the cause?? Nothing has changed at home: everything including schedules have stayed the same. If I can only figure out his trigger ......

November 2008

It has a topsy turvey month. Three times Jacob has had to meet with the School Psychologist, and the last two weeks he has not very productive at school.
One incident was when Jacob was on the playground and he made gun action with his fingers and asked another kid if he was of a few different countries. There were 2 times in 3 days when Jake drew a ninja, and put the word "death" underneath. Yet another time was when another child was making sexually suggestive movements with his hands and changing words to a song. Jacob was laughing at him for awhile, but then he told a teacher what was happening. All three incidents he did not get "in trouble", but he had to be interviewed by the school psychologist to make sure he was not a threat to himself or others, had to speak to the principal, and sternly spoke to. Thank God for the resource room teacher, because she knows Jacob very well, and knows that he would not hurt any one so the issues did not go any further. Basically he really didn't understand the impact of his actions. But 3 times in 1 month!! This has been a stressful time for me, every time the phone rings I cringe hoping its not a call from the school.
Jacob also had some issues with other children on the bus. A few times he has come home crying, stating he does not want to ride the bus anymore.
Last month he had complained about the radio on the bus, that the driver turned it up way too loud. His resource room teacher thinks that he is just "done" at the end of the day, and it is too stimulating for him. I agree. But I want to keep him on the bus-so he can figure out how to deal with the noise, children, etc......we will see.
Besides socially, Jacob has been unproductive academically. Don't know what has changed, why all this disarray. All I can do is take one day at a time.

School Field Trip

After driving and chaperoning for a school field trip, it was easy to compare how my son was so different than the other children. It was at a beautiful outdoor area full of trees, where groups of approx. 14 kids were put together. The purpose of the trip was to get to know other school peers, and perform team building activities. Most of activities were mental, such as figuring out how to pass an item without using your hands, or how to balance a teeter-todder with all 14 children on it, or using your memory. Certainly was not Jacobs cup of tea. Unfortunately he found it " boring ". The only challenge that he did enjoy was a rope swing, where each of the children had to catch one another when they swung to another area. Also they needed to help each other to keep standing on a wooden block, and could not fall off. What I observed throughout most of the day was a child that was clearly out of the loop. He did not pay attention to the directions and when it was his turn to participate, he did not know what to do. He stood in line, but didn't help to solve any problems, or keep up with the conversations. He was just in his own little world. Fortunately the adult leader was very patient with Jacob, repeated directions to him and helped him a lot, and so did all of the children. I was pleasantly surprised about that, but also sad of what I saw. Nobody saw Jacob's imagination or people skills that he has.

Meeting at School -
I thought the meeting with the involved teachers was a success! They took some ideas that I have given, and I also promised that I would try to keep up on Jacobs desk, checking for loose papers, assignments that were done. I now know what expectations that we can set for Jacob to start taking some responsibility. I feel good about the group of teachers this year! With all of us combined, I know Jacob will have a successful year of learning to his potential!!

I can tell one of Jacobs teacher is getting frustrated, and maybe he is getting penalized due to his disorganization and memory problems. I cleaned out his desk and found a load of papers of all sorts. Some he has done twice, some just needs my signature, and some are completely blank. A meeting is scheduled soon with his teachers and resource room teacher so we can get this all straightened out. Jacob can't remember what he needs to take home, is unable to fill out his planner. I know we all can get on a system, Jacob just needs some training and we needs a better system in place. A few days ago I just found out about a project that was assigned about 10 days ago. Thank goodness the teacher is giving Jacob more time to work on it!!

Jacob has had papers due, not turned in and missing assignments. I need to go to his desk and see what I can find. His planner is not being filled out so I can't keep track on what needs to be done and when. His executive skills definitely need help, I will try and brain storm with his teacher to figure it out. It is definitely over his head, as he has tried to take on this by himself.

October 4, 2008 Our appt with therapist and psychiatrist went well this week. Actually we are going to skip a week with the therapist since things are going pretty well, and my work has slowed way down-so that means limited money coming in. Doc. said we should just maintain his amount of Celexa right now. I agreed, ups and downs are usual with everybody and he needs to use some of the tools he learned to try and solve his problems. We are rescheduled to see Doc. in 4 weeks and therapist in 2 weeks.

After a disappointing day at Laser tag - there was no other kids there to play with, I have to say Jacob was disappointed but handled it well. He just came home and got involved in other things. He did not dwell on it, or act like his life depended on playing the game. It was a good day!


On Jake's appointment day, he forgot and took the bus, instead of going out another school door and meeting me. On that day, I reminded him before going to school, just before I dropped him off at school in the am, plus he called home twice and reminded him, and he still took the bus. Thats example of his memory problems! We were late for the appt by 20 minutes, so next time I have to pick him up-I will tell his resource room teacher. I just thought he could handle it this year, and I wanted to cut down the parent communication to the school a bit. I don't want to seem like a pest! Always calling them...they do have Other Students Too!

Injured at School - October 2, 2008

Yesterday I got a phone call to come to the school before lunchtime. Another child pulled the chair out as Jacob was sitting down, and Jake hit the back of his head. I'm thankful to the school for calling me! When I went to the school I saw he had a small bump and a bruise, concerned with Jake's eye problem and possible concussion I took him home.
Jacob turned out to be fine, his head just sensitive around the bump. I am hoping he will get past this, as he tends to hang on to his negative things that happen to him unable to have closure for some reason. The school assured me that this matter will be taken care of with the other child. Last year he had problem with this kid picking on him and was very angry with Jacob. I'm not very happy with the situation, and I do not blame the school for the child's action, however I ask myself: why is it always Jacob? Last year he got punched, threatened, kicked, etc. He is an easy target I believe. The schools seem to know about bullying, but they can't seems to stop it. I hoped it would settle down this year now that Jacob was in a different school.
It seems like I have been living at the school lately-lunch money lost, a phone call from Jake when he was having a tough day, lots of issues this week! Will it slow up a little? This could be a full time job.

September 30, 2008

According to Jake he says he is "doing okay" in school. He says he is not feeling overwhelmed ands feels comfortable. There has been a few incidents at school with other children, however he and the ESAP has been able to handle everything that has come along. His special services have kicked in, however I am not sure what they are exactly, and I think Jacob is still off track with being unprepared in the classroom, and knowing what homework he has and bringing home so we can work on it. Very little papers are brought home, I just hope his locker or desk is not stuffed with papers! And his planner is not being filled out, or brought home at all. I didn't think he could handle it, as all the other students can. I realize the teacher can't babysit him, but he does need extra help in this area. He writes so large, and those boxes are so small for each subject, and he has so much trouble copying things from the board, he has never got the hang of it. When he comes home I have to play 20 questions with him and still don't have the whole story of what needs to be done if anything-and he has no clue either. I have been in touch with his main teacher and he seems very open and seems like he wants to help Jake succeed the best to his ability. But its been a month since school has started-I don't think Jake is on a smooth program yet. I wanted to get all this down at the very beginning, in hopes of getting Jake off on the right foot. It just hasn't worked out.

Jacob's attitude has done a 180, he seems back to his ol self again. Our pattern has been that I take him roller skating on Wednesdays, and Laser Tag on Saturdays, and he seems to look forward to those days. He got his bike back and said he learned his lesson. I hope so! He tugged at my heart asking me if I hate him.....He doesn't put the 2 AND 2 together of cause and effect. It is so hard for him, and so easy for others to just get.

Jacobs Epiphany! Out of blue Jacob said to me "mom, I know what ask and tell is" "ask is when you ask someone a question like: where is my scarf? and tell is when you are telling someone something like: go over there and get my ball". Yeah!!! Jacob!! It seems like something small, but we have been working on this for ask and tell FOREVER! He just never got it. It has been so hard for him to understand all this time-now being 10 years old he understands ASK and TELL! I asked him how he figured it out, and he told me that it just came to him. A LIGHT WENT ON FOR HIM IN HIS LITTLE HEAD! As a mom whom has a LD child, such a little thing is not little. Its a huge accomplishment for my child!!