My heart cried when I read your message about the extremely insensitive
incidence in McDonald. This goes way, way beyond teasing, which is
awful enough. Throughout the journey with my autistic son, I have
learned so much about who he is and who I am. It was not easy, but I
always went back to being grounded in "this special gift from God" who
brings me so much joy which overpowers all the negative that occurs.
The insensitivity by this woman comes from her lack of civility and
respect of another human being, usually stemmed from her own issues or
insecurities. What your son knows, as mine does, is the love, bravery
and support he receives from you.  You are his most cherished
cheerleader. I am not sure how old your son is, but throughout my sons
life (he is now 17), I worked with him on all the things he would face
from the outside world, helping him to internalize coping mechanisms.

I just came on to this e-mail group and I am amazed and heartened by
the stories of challenges, support and hope.  Stay on with the e-mail
group and they can become your extended family.

Teresa

----- Original Message -----
From: stbrendansmom
To: BCautism@yahoogroups.com
Subject: [BCautism] Having a HARD time right now (Autistic son/school)
Date: Fri, 12 Sep 2008 20:47:53 -0000

Hello, everyone.

I am feeling real down right now. I hope that someone here can relate
to my worries/problems???

I have had a terrible last couple of weeks. So bad that I can no
longer eat. The thought of food just makes me sick(er).

First my son is needing to change schools and this has been a very
HARD challenge. I will not go into the details but this situation has
made me so sad for my son. My son understands that his sisters are
going to school and he is not and this upsets him. I feel so bad and
wished that I could make him understand better and or take his worries
away. He just keeps asking why he is not at school. And really it is
so complicated and above any child's head, that I can not figure out a
good way to explain this to make it "better".

So to preoccupy time I take him out in the community. This can be a
challenge because some can notice that he is "different", even thou he
is high functioning. Plus when he begins to have stress my son has a
bad nervous reaction to stress that makes him feel that he has to go
to the bathroom. This in turn makes him wants to reveal himself. This
is not flashing, however it appears this way to others.

Today in Kalamazoo without warning he did this. Right after this a
little girls parents came up to and started to scream and pointing
their fingers in my face. Saying that he has serious issues and to get
my "f'ing retard" out of the McDonalds (and I mean screaming in front
of me and him), or else they would report me to management. I
explained that he did not mean to do this and that he was not flashing
anyone. It just so happens that when he feels upset about his world. I
even explained that he has autism. But, they did not care, they told
me off saying that people like me should not take my kid out around
normal people like them and their child. I did leave shortly
thereafter. My son knew I was upset and he felt so upset that he was
"bad". (I did not say that, that women said that to my son!)

Due to all the stress, the last 2 days I am been crying on and off.
This is not even like me. I can handle pretty much anything. What I
can not handle is my son upset, him regressing, or people making fun
of him (or mean, or not willing to understand his disability!). I know
people are mean and I do not want him to be made fun or or people
think that he is bad, especially when he can not help it.

I know many of you do not know me, but I am sure that many have been
here before.... I am just so depressed that I can not eat, sleep or
even think... I love my son so much my heart hurts for him. I do not
let him see this side of me (I cry behind closed doors). I play with
his as usual, etc.. I know that I can not let him see this side of me.
But, I just do not know many others like me and I just need to talk
because I do not know how much more I can take.

I hope that some of you can understand and relate??

Thanks for "listening".

Thanks for the support!! Thanks for understanding and posting back.
And yes, I have had my friends boys do things with their penises out
in public (not as major as my thou). But, yes this man and woman were
over the top and not willing to understand his condition. I guess this
is what made me the saddest. Because I can only protest him some of
the time. I can not be with him all the time much less as he gets
older. I the past I have had may tell me off due to his loud and such
behavior, and even been thrown out of places. But, now that he is much
better it has been some time since such a negative reaction like this
has happened. I am glad that you spoke up. I too am usually in the
background matter-of-fact I have only spoke up 1 time before and that
was a similar thing; the post struck up something in me that I could
not remain silent.
So thanks for your comment and support! :)
Best
April

--- In BCautism@yahoogroups.com, "heather wheaton" <hjones59@...> wrote:
>
> sorry about the swearing...I usually try to refrain myself, but I have a
> hard time when people don't think before speaking. even if there was no
> problem with your child, if he was perfectly typically; there is a
> possiblity he might do something off the wall with his penis
(boys..shakes
> head) anywho-no one has the right to call children names or tell
them they
> are bad, this would affect any child.
>
> On Fri, Sep 12, 2008 at 6:11 PM, skkydreemer <skkydreemer@...> wrote:
>
> >   I very rarely post on here, but when I read this......I was angry.
> > Ignorance to autism is a disadvantage and unfortunately society is
> > not educated to the issues related to the kids like ours. This just
> > comes with the package. I have had similar experiences and moved on,
> > but know that you will have very good experiences too. My son is 11
> > and still throws tantrums when he gets upset, I have many stares and
> > rude comments. But every once in a while you will get the comments of
> > concern and understanding to remind you that there are good caring
> > people still out there. We have all had days like these, please don't
> > let it bother you too badly. Just remember that you will not ever
> > have to see that woman again, so why care what she thinks? There are
> > many ups and downs with our daily lives and they are not easy, hang
> > in there and don't be so hard on yourself. EVERY child has a right to
> > go into public, autism is a disability and you nor your son can be
> > discriminated against! I hope you feel better and enjoy your next
> > outing...don't give up over one incident...or two or three :-)
> >
> > --- In BCautism@yahoogroups.com <BCautism%40yahoogroups.com>,
> > "stbrendansmom" <kelleyfam3@>
> > wrote:
> > >
> >  > Hello, everyone.
> > >
> > > I am feeling real down right now. I hope that someone here can
> > relate
> > > to my worries/problems???
> > >
> > > I have had a terrible last couple of weeks. So bad that I can no
> > > longer eat. The thought of food just makes me sick(er).
> > >
> > > First my son is needing to change schools and this has been a very
> > > HARD challenge. I will not go into the details but this situation
> > has
> > > made me so sad for my son. My son understands that his sisters are
> > > going to school and he is not and this upsets him. I feel so bad and
> > > wished that I could make him understand better and or take his
> > worries
> > > away. He just keeps asking why he is not at school. And really it is
> > > so complicated and above any child's head, that I can not figure
> > out a
> > > good way to explain this to make it "better".
> > >
> > > So to preoccupy time I take him out in the community. This can be a
> > > challenge because some can notice that he is "different", even thou
> > he
> > > is high functioning. Plus when he begins to have stress my son has a
> > > bad nervous reaction to stress that makes him feel that he has to go
> > > to the bathroom. This in turn makes him wants to reveal himself.
> > This
> > > is not flashing, however it appears this way to others.
> > >
> > > Today in Kalamazoo without warning he did this. Right after this a
> > > little girls parents came up to and started to scream and pointing
> > > their fingers in my face. Saying that he has serious issues and to
> > get
> > > my "f'ing retard" out of the McDonalds (and I mean screaming in
> > front
> > > of me and him), or else they would report me to management. I
> > > explained that he did not mean to do this and that he was not
> > flashing
> > > anyone. It just so happens that when he feels upset about his
> > world. I
> > > even explained that he has autism. But, they did not care, they told
> > > me off saying that people like me should not take my kid out around
> > > normal people like them and their child. I did leave shortly
> > > thereafter. My son knew I was upset and he felt so upset that he was
> > > "bad". (I did not say that, that women said that to my son!)
> > >
> > > Due to all the stress, the last 2 days I am been crying on and off.
> > > This is not even like me. I can handle pretty much anything. What I
> > > can not handle is my son upset, him regressing, or people making fun
> > > of him (or mean, or not willing to understand his disability!). I
> > know
> > > people are mean and I do not want him to be made fun or or people
> > > think that he is bad, especially when he can not help it.
> > >
> > > I know many of you do not know me, but I am sure that many have been
> > > here before.... I am just so depressed that I can not eat, sleep or
> > > even think... I love my son so much my heart hurts for him. I do not
> > > let him see this side of me (I cry behind closed doors). I play with
> > > his as usual, etc.. I know that I can not let him see this side of
> > me.
> > > But, I just do not know many others like me and I just need to talk
> > > because I do not know how much more I can take.
> > >
> > > I hope that some of you can understand and relate??
> > >
> > > Thanks for "listening".
> > >
> >
> >
> >
>

I very rarely post on here, but when I read this......I was angry.
Ignorance to autism is a disadvantage and unfortunately society is
not educated to the issues related to the kids like ours. This just
comes with the package. I have had similar experiences and moved on,
but know that you will have very good experiences too. My son is 11
and still throws tantrums when he gets upset, I have many stares and
rude comments. But every once in a while you will get the comments of
concern and understanding to remind you that there are good caring
people still out there. We have all had days like these, please don't
let it bother you too badly. Just remember that you will not ever
have to see that woman again, so why care what she thinks? There are
many ups and downs with our daily lives and they are not easy, hang
in there and don't be so hard on yourself. EVERY child has a right to
go into public, autism is a disability and you nor your son can be
discriminated against! I hope you feel better and enjoy your next
outing...don't give up over one incident...or two or three :-)








--- In BCautism@yahoogroups.com, "stbrendansmom" <kelleyfam3@...>
wrote:
>
> Hello, everyone.
>
> I am feeling real down right now. I hope that someone here can
relate
> to my worries/problems???
>
> I have had a terrible last couple of weeks. So bad that I can no
> longer eat. The thought of food just makes me sick(er).
>
> First my son is needing to change schools and this has been a very
> HARD challenge. I will not go into the details but this situation
has
> made me so sad for my son. My son understands that his sisters are
> going to school and he is not and this upsets him. I feel so bad and
> wished that I could make him understand better and or take his
worries
> away. He just keeps asking why he is not at school. And really it is
> so complicated and above any child's head, that I can not figure
out a
> good way to explain this to make it "better".
>
> So to preoccupy time I take him out in the community. This can be a
> challenge because some can notice that he is "different", even thou
he
> is high functioning. Plus when he begins to have stress my son has a
> bad nervous reaction to stress that makes him feel that he has to go
> to the bathroom. This in turn makes him wants to reveal himself.
This
> is not flashing, however it appears this way to others.
>
> Today in Kalamazoo without warning he did this. Right after this a
> little girls parents came up to and started to scream and pointing
> their fingers in my face. Saying that he has serious issues and to
get
> my "f'ing retard" out of the McDonalds (and I mean screaming in
front
> of me and him), or else they would report me to management. I
> explained that he did not mean to do this and that he was not
flashing
> anyone. It just so happens that when he feels upset about his
world. I
> even explained that he has autism. But, they did not care, they told
> me off saying that people like me should not take my kid out around
> normal people like them and their child. I did leave shortly
> thereafter. My son knew I was upset and he felt so upset that he was
> "bad". (I did not say that, that women said that to my son!)
>
> Due to all the stress, the last 2 days I am been crying on and off.
> This is not even like me. I can handle pretty much anything. What I
> can not handle is my son upset, him regressing, or people making fun
> of him (or mean, or not willing to understand his disability!). I
know
> people are mean and I do not want him to be made fun or or people
> think that he is bad, especially when he can not help it.
>
> I know many of you do not know me, but I am sure that many have been
> here before.... I am just so depressed that I can not eat, sleep or
> even think... I love my son so much my heart hurts for him. I do not
> let him see this side of me (I cry behind closed doors). I play with
> his as usual, etc.. I know that I can not let him see this side of
me.
> But, I just do not know many others like me and I just need to talk
> because I do not know how much more I can take.
>
> I hope that some of you can understand and relate??
>
> Thanks for "listening".
>

Thanks for the replies and the BIG HUG! I needed that. I also liked
the opening statement that referred to the McDonalds women as a "B"!
(laughed :) )I too think that she overreacted. I do understand why she
was upset. But, that was a bit much!
I am not opposed to therapy. However I just do not have the money
right now to afford what my insurance doesn't pay for. This could
change, but for the time being this is the way it is.
I think that it has been real hard for me right now because I do not
have family here, nor nearby. I do not really know others with special
needs children. And it is very hard going through a major change
concerning my sons school situation. I am so afraid that he will
regress. He was over the "pee" "pee" for some time until today after I
explained he was not going to school.
I do have a lot of good going on in my life right now. However, I just
got down that the people that I thought that cared about my son, must
really not have. This made me so sad for him. Then this crazy lady
just put me over the top!!!
I am doing better now as I do believe that everything happens for a
reason. So I guess whatever school my son is to go to, is the one that
he is suppose to be in.
Keep the support coming and thanks for all the warm wishes.


--- In BCautism@yahoogroups.com, "stbrendansmom" <kelleyfam3@...> wrote:
>
> Hello, everyone.
>
> I am feeling real down right now. I hope that someone here can relate
> to my worries/problems???
>
> I have had a terrible last couple of weeks. So bad that I can no
> longer eat. The thought of food just makes me sick(er).
>
> First my son is needing to change schools and this has been a very
> HARD challenge. I will not go into the details but this situation has
> made me so sad for my son. My son understands that his sisters are
> going to school and he is not and this upsets him. I feel so bad and
> wished that I could make him understand better and or take his worries
> away. He just keeps asking why he is not at school. And really it is
> so complicated and above any child's head, that I can not figure out a
> good way to explain this to make it "better".
>
> So to preoccupy time I take him out in the community. This can be a
> challenge because some can notice that he is "different", even thou he
> is high functioning. Plus when he begins to have stress my son has a
> bad nervous reaction to stress that makes him feel that he has to go
> to the bathroom. This in turn makes him wants to reveal himself. This
> is not flashing, however it appears this way to others.
>
> Today in Kalamazoo without warning he did this. Right after this a
> little girls parents came up to and started to scream and pointing
> their fingers in my face. Saying that he has serious issues and to get
> my "f'ing retard" out of the McDonalds (and I mean screaming in front
> of me and him), or else they would report me to management. I
> explained that he did not mean to do this and that he was not flashing
> anyone. It just so happens that when he feels upset about his world. I
> even explained that he has autism. But, they did not care, they told
> me off saying that people like me should not take my kid out around
> normal people like them and their child. I did leave shortly
> thereafter. My son knew I was upset and he felt so upset that he was
> "bad". (I did not say that, that women said that to my son!)
>
> Due to all the stress, the last 2 days I am been crying on and off.
> This is not even like me. I can handle pretty much anything. What I
> can not handle is my son upset, him regressing, or people making fun
> of him (or mean, or not willing to understand his disability!). I know
> people are mean and I do not want him to be made fun or or people
> think that he is bad, especially when he can not help it.
>
> I know many of you do not know me, but I am sure that many have been
> here before.... I am just so depressed that I can not eat, sleep or
> even think... I love my son so much my heart hurts for him. I do not
> let him see this side of me (I cry behind closed doors). I play with
> his as usual, etc.. I know that I can not let him see this side of me.
> But, I just do not know many others like me and I just need to talk
> because I do not know how much more I can take.
>
> I hope that some of you can understand and relate??
>
> Thanks for "listening".
>

Hello, everyone.

I am feeling real down right now. I hope that someone here can relate
to my worries/problems???

I have had a terrible last couple of weeks. So bad that I can no
longer eat. The thought of food just makes me sick(er).

First my son is needing to change schools and this has been a very
HARD challenge. I will not go into the details but this situation has
made me so sad for my son. My son understands that his sisters are
going to school and he is not and this upsets him. I feel so bad and
wished that I could make him understand better and or take his worries
away. He just keeps asking why he is not at school. And really it is
so complicated and above any child's head, that I can not figure out a
good way to explain this to make it "better".

So to preoccupy time I take him out in the community. This can be a
challenge because some can notice that he is "different", even thou he
is high functioning. Plus when he begins to have stress my son has a
bad nervous reaction to stress that makes him feel that he has to go
to the bathroom. This in turn makes him wants to reveal himself. This
is not flashing, however it appears this way to others.

Today in Kalamazoo without warning he did this. Right after this a
little girls parents came up to and started to scream and pointing
their fingers in my face. Saying that he has serious issues and to get
my "f'ing retard" out of the McDonalds (and I mean screaming in front
of me and him), or else they would report me to management. I
explained that he did not mean to do this and that he was not flashing
anyone. It just so happens that when he feels upset about his world. I
even explained that he has autism. But, they did not care, they told
me off saying that people like me should not take my kid out around
normal people like them and their child. I did leave shortly
thereafter. My son knew I was upset and he felt so upset that he was
"bad". (I did not say that, that women said that to my son!)

Due to all the stress, the last 2 days I am been crying on and off.
This is not even like me. I can handle pretty much anything. What I
can not handle is my son upset, him regressing, or people making fun
of him (or mean, or not willing to understand his disability!). I know
people are mean and I do not want him to be made fun or or people
think that he is bad, especially when he can not help it.

I know many of you do not know me, but I am sure that many have been
here before.... I am just so depressed that I can not eat, sleep or
even think... I love my son so much my heart hurts for him. I do not
let him see this side of me (I cry behind closed doors). I play with
his as usual, etc.. I know that I can not let him see this side of me.
But, I just do not know many others like me and I just need to talk
because I do not know how much more I can take.

I hope that some of you can understand and relate??

Thanks for "listening".

I can't seem to view thing right in Yahoo lately (topic only!!!) So
I'm sorry if this has already been posted. Anyway - do we know when
our next meeting is?

Hello, I am not certain that I have been approved for the new respite
program. But, I am looking to get back in contact with Bethany the
respite provider that I used for my sons under the old program.

Bethany works at Doris Klaussen (sorry I do not remember her last
name, but she has dark brown hair with 3 boys - I think that some know
her as Beth).

My cell phone broke, so I lost her stored number. Plus, I got a new
cell number (got on a spam list somehow??). So if anyone knows her can
you please pass on that I am looking for her??? Please....

Oh and if anyone has news/updates on this program, please let me know.

PS - Has the details about the autism meeting for the 16th been
determined yet??

You may give her the below information.

Let me know.

Thanks in Advance,
April Kelley
(Brendan Kelley)
Cell: (269) 753-2126

Hello, does anyone have a listing of all the public autism schools
that service the Battle Creek and Lakeview area?

Thanks in Advance,
April Kelley
(Brendan Kelley's mother)

Hi Heather,  just wondering how Hayley's Ride went yesterday.....hope you had a
great turn-out!  I was thinking of you.  Take care.   L

Lynda McKinnon
Occupational Therapist
CISD Birth to Six Program
(269)441-1861 or  (269)998-0458

This email is intended only for the use of the addressee(s) named herein. It may
contain legally privileged and confidential information. If you are not the
intended recipient, or an authorized representative of the intended recipient,
you are hereby notified that any review, copying or distribution of this email
and its attachments, if any, is strictly prohibited. If you have received this
email in error, please immediately notify the sender by return email and delete
this email from your system. Thank you.

________________________________

From: BCautism@yahoogroups.com on behalf of heather wheaton
Sent: Thu 8/7/2008 10:01 AM
To: bcautism
Subject: [BCautism] Exciting news!!!



Well, it's been a busy summer and I miss you guys!!! Hayley has going to Kim's
Korral and loves being on the horse-thanks again Cyd for sharing this resource
with us!  Both kids are still going to speech at South Shore, that is when we
are not camping or swimming in the pool or going to the beach!  I'm sure
everyone is busy with their own lives as well!

I wanted to share some exciting information with everyone. At some point this
summer, the wonderful man I am dating decided he wanted to hold a fundraiser to
benefit Autism. He thought doing a motorcycle rally would be fun and so the
planning began. We struggled for a bit trying to decide where the money should
go exactly and finally chose to start our own non profit organization so that we
have control of how the money is handled. (it's not that we don't think highly
of other organizations in the area, but we think being smaller we will be able
to cut through more of the red tape and do things the way we want). All that
being said, The Hayley's ride foundation was created and is a legit non-profit
organization. We hope to do several things in the community, including grants
for speech and scholarships for students going into special education.

I encourage you to check out our website www.hayleysride.org
<http://www.hayleysride.org/>  and let me know what you think!

Our fundraiser will be held on September 7, 2008 and everyone is welcome (if you
don't ride, you can join us afterwards for food, door prizes, music and fun!)

Hope to hear from you soon!
Heather

Thanks so much, can not wait to hear the details and to go. Thanks
Again, April

--- In BCautism@yahoogroups.com, "heather wheaton" <hjones59@...> wrote:
>
> April, we would love to have you there!!!  As soon as we have a date
set up,
> we will post the date and time  and whether there is child care
available or
> not. If you need child care for the meeting and it is available you just
> need to email shannon (or call her) and let her know and then show
up:)  Our
> meetings are open to all parents, grandparents, teachers, etc!  (btw
they
> are held at DKDC and child care is free and done by parapros who
know how to
> work with kids with ASD)
>
> On Tue, Sep 2, 2008 at 9:02 PM, EDWARD F KELLEY <kelleyfam3@...>wrote:
>
> >    Hello, I am the mother of Brendan Kelley he attends Mrs. Jessica's
> > room, may I attend?? If so what do I need to do??
> > Thanks in Advance,
> > April Kelley
> >
> >  ----- Original Message ----
> > From: heather wheaton <hjones59@...>
> > To: BCautism@yahoogroups.com
> > Sent: Tuesday, September 2, 2008 3:01:03 PM
> > Subject: Re: [BCautism] Re: next group
> >
> >   I think that sounds right Mary.  So, if we did it in Sept it
would be
> > the 16th. Is that enough time for you Shannon?
> >
> > heather
> >
> >  On Tue, Sep 2, 2008 at 2:14 PM, Mary Connors <itsmary@usa.
com<itsmary@...>
> > > wrote:
> >
> >>    I think we chose the third Tues of each month, because the
Kzoo ASA
> >> meets the 2nd Tues.  Am I correct?
> >> Mary
> >>
> >>  ----- Original Message -----
> >> From: "Porter, Shannon"
> >> To: "Heather Wheaton" , "Mary Connors"
> >> Subject: next group
> >> Date: Tue, 2 Sep 2008 14:04:24 -0400
> >>
> >>   I just looked back in my notes from the last couple of meetings and
> >> didn't see a date for a September meeting…
> >>
> >> Did we come up with one?  If not do we want to try to fit one in
for Sept.
> >> or wait and start things up in October?  I will need time to get
childcare
> >> providers approved so it might be best to wait until October or
at least
> >> late Sept (if we are going to try for Sept).  We were going to
try and stick
> >> with same time and day of week correct?  I know that we also
discussed
> >> changing some things so that they do not coincide with the
Kzoo/BC ASA…
> >>
> >> Ladies…help, my brain is still on the beach!
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >>  [image: puerto vallarta 08 081]
> >>
> >>
> >>
> >> Shannon L. Porter
> >>
> >> School Social Worker
> >>
> >> CISD/DKDC
> >>
> >> 408 Jameson Street
> >>
> >> Battle Creek, MI 49014
> >>
> >> 269.964.2136 Ext. 231
> >>
> >> porters@calhounisd. org <porters@...>
> >>
> >> Fax: 269.964.3410
> >>
> >> This email is intended only for the use of the addressee(s) named
herein.
> >> It may contain legally privileged and confidential information.
If you are
> >> not the intended recipient, or an authorized representative of
the intended
> >> recipient, you are hereby notified that any review, copying or
distribution
> >> of this email and its attachments, if any, is strictly
prohibited.  If you
> >> have received this email in error, please immediately notify the
sender by
> >> return email and delete this email from your system.  Thank you.
> >>
> >>
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Mary - That is great!!  What a lot to be happy about!!!

Cyd


--- In BCautism@yahoogroups.com, "heather wheaton" <hjones59@...>
wrote:
>
> Congrats Mary!  Those are huge things to be happy about!!!
>
> h
>
> On Tue, Sep 2, 2008 at 7:41 AM, Mary Connors <itsmary@...> wrote:
>
> >    Just wanted to share with you that Alex and Joy both learned
how to
> > swim this summer.  Alex zig-zagged across our friend Todd's pool
yesterday
> > (Labor Day) without a life jacket.  You wouldn't believe how
proud I was,
> > am.  Joy is a fish, like me; she dives down to pick things off
the
> > bottom.
> >
> > Joy is officially potty trained, too.  Oh so happy!!!
> > Mary
> >
> > -- Be Yourself @ mail.com!
> > Choose From 200+ Email Addresses
> > Get a *Free* Account at www.mail.com
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>

----- Original Message -----
From: "Porter, Shannon"
To: "Heather Wheaton" , "Mary Connors"
Subject: next group
Date: Tue, 2 Sep 2008 14:04:24 -0400

I just looked back in my notes from the last couple of meetings and didn’t see a date for a September meeting…

Did we come up with one?  If not do we want to try to fit one in for Sept. or wait and start things up in October?  I will need time to get childcare providers approved so it might be best to wait until October or at least late Sept (if we are going to try for Sept).  We were going to try and stick with same time and day of week correct?  I know that we also discussed changing some things so that they do not coincide with the Kzoo/BC ASA…

Ladies…help, my brain is still on the beach!

 

 

 

Shannon L. Porter

School Social Worker

CISD/DKDC

408 Jameson Street

Battle Creek, MI 49014

269.964.2136 Ext. 231

porters@...

Fax: 269.964.3410

This email is intended only for the use of the addressee(s) named herein.  It may contain legally privileged and confidential information.  If you are not the intended recipient, or an authorized representative of the intended recipient, you are hereby notified that any review, copying or distribution of this email and its attachments, if any, is strictly prohibited.  If you have received this email in error, please immediately notify the sender by return email and delete this email from your system.  Thank you. 

 

<< image001.jpg >>
<< image004.jpg >>

Autism is a disorder of the brain that is biological in function. It
causes anywhere from mild to severe social impairment and an
inability to function normally in society. However, there are ways to
treat many of the cases of autism. Autistic children can learn and
excel and if certain teaching methods are used, their progress can be
nothing short of fantastic.
One of the most important things to realize in making learning fun
for autistic children is the fact that they learn in different ways
than children without autism. Autistic children generally have a
disability in social skills. Sometimes this difficulty in
communication involves language skills. However, there are a number
of ways to make learning these important skills more than just a
chore. By injecting fun into learning, it has been shown that
autistic children learn at a faster pace. Actually, fun and learning
work well for all types of children, but autistic children are
special and require more tailored methods.
Children with autism seem to learn best when the instructional
material is presented in visual form. In this case it might be
worthwhile to try different educational programs via a computer.
Using a computer is a fun way to learn. The majority of educational
programs are highly visual. Many of the games available involve
storylines, plots, and realistic human behaviors. Some of the skills
autistic children can learn from carefully selected video games are
language skills, reading and math skills, and social skills. Visual
learning devices are highly effective and can be accompanied by
various rewards to reinforce what is being learned. For instance,
food and extended leisure activities can be used as rewards that will
encourage the child to want to learn. In addition, the use of
positive reinforcement will help develop a bond between student and
teacher, and create a sense of trust that will help strengthen the
learning environment....

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/autismnvc

--- In BCautism@yahoogroups.com, susan friedma <pinkblackdaisy@...>
wrote:
>
> Hi Karmel,
>  
> I did call Lakeview's transportation. The lady was not the nicest
but she did say Kylie would be on bus 13 and the bus driver would
call me "later" with more details.
>
>
> --- On Wed, 8/27/08, Karmel Puzzuoli <star_mama2004@...> wrote:
>
> From: Karmel Puzzuoli <star_mama2004@...>
> Subject: [BCautism] Re: Jessica Roberts Class
> To: BCautism@yahoogroups.com
> Date: Wednesday, August 27, 2008, 9:04 AM
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
> Suzanna, my daughter Stella will be in Jessica's room again this
> year. We are also in Lakeview, and they are not the best school
> district when it comes to transportation issues. The first year
> Stella started ABA preschool, she was 2½ years old and the only
> opening was in Albion. They really gave me the runaround, waited
> until the last minute, and I eventually had to really get into it
> with them over not picking Stella up on time, making her change
> buses, etc. She was only 2½ and they didn't seem to understand that
she didn't need unnecessary stress! They eventually worked something
out, but it took a lot of pushing on our part.
> So I wasn't surprised today when I called the Bus Garage and they
> said they had no clue what kind of transportation would be taking
> Lakeview students to Bellevue. The woman who answered the phone
said
> there would be 4-5 Lakeview students going to Bellevue, and I
assume
> they're looking into alternatives like hiring a shuttle company
> instead of sending a bus. But yet again, it's Wednesday, August
27th and they don't know yet. Classic! They knew 2-3 weeks ago about
the move to
> Bellevue, so I would think they could've started then, kwim?
> My suggestion to anyone with bus issues is to confront the school
> district and not back down. Suzanna, I called today and said, "I
> want to know by Friday how my 4 year old daughter is getting to
> school." It wouldn't hurt for other parents to do the same.
> Good luck and I am sure Kylie will like school!


I calle today and talked to a nice lady and she told me Jason is the
bus drivers name and Braden is going to be picked up at 7:08. That is
so early to me!!!
The kids will be riding a bus as far as I know.

Ruth
>