Good Book

My mom recently informed me of a book she had finished entitled, Rules by Cynthia Lord. It is a book geared toward a middle school level, but I'm reading it as well. It tells the story of the older sibling of an Autistic child. So far it's spot on...kinda humorous to actually know that there are others out there who live with the same issues as we do...I must say though, that although our times are trying, there are others who are much worse and I am so thankful that we are not dealing with a profoundly Autistic child. God promises to never give us more than we can handle. However, I suppose, if Aaron was worse then God would equip us to deal with that as well. Just wanted to pass along this book to you & the author does have a website which is, http://www.cynthialord.com

And He Smiles...

This week wehave begun a new medicine along with the Lamictal & Concerta. Respidone. It's still in a small dose, to be increased within the next week. He popped his 1/2 pill Friday night & went to bed, we were clueless as to what to expect, if anything at all. Let me say when Aaron awoke Saturday morning, it was the first morning in a very long time that he had a genuine smile on his face. He came to hug me & he just smiled & clung to me & kept telling me, "I love you mommy." Then came the quick rememberence that it was Saturday...Kite Flying Day & Easter Egg Hunt @ church & into orbit he shot...but it was still a more peaceable orbitation. He was also excited to be going to g'parents house because at his old church the visiting Easter Preacher is Tim Lee http://timleeministries.com Him & Aaron go way back. He'll never pass up the opportunity to see his buddy. Like I'm sure you already know, if you know someone with Asperger's, they either love you or despise you...there is no middle ground. Aaron also gets to visit his old buddies from church that he grew up with in his earlier years. All in all I am looking at Respidone or Respidal to be a good thing for us...but as with everything else with AS, it's a wait & see game.

Medicinal Merry-Go-Round

Our journey down medication blvd. began very slowly. The Dr. first placed Aaron on minuscule amts of Lamictal, an epileptic drug...why? Don't know. We gradually increased it once before revisiting the Dr. At next visit, the day after Thanksgiving, he added Concerta. At that appt., Dr. weighed Aaron at 82 pounds. We began the Concerta & after 3 days, dbled it, still in conjunction with the Lamictal. Our days were still filled with the usual ups & downs & dramatic mood swings. Aaron would go from wanting to kill anyone around him to wanting to kill himself because he felt he was a "bad boy", then 20 minutes later, he would not even remember the incident(s). However, at this point Aaron was able to focus for about 45 minutes, in spurts. Therefore, I was able to begin bringing him up to his 3rd grade speed, as best as I could. Keep in mind that there are 2 other children involved in our family as well, which by now we're noticing signs of the same behavior in our youngest, but without the depression, he has a more aggressive nature. Needless to say, our lives are symbolic of a 3 ring circus...with fireworks, but there is love...and my strength comes from the Lord. At our next Dr. visit, in January, the Dr. takes Aaron off Lamictal & Concerta because of my concerns with Aaron's weight, which is now down to 53 pounds. He prescribes Zoloft, to help control Aaron's "inner-script" & obsessive tendencies. After 3 days of that Aaron was literally punching computer screens, beating his head on walls & violently seeking whom he may destroy, hurt, wound...ok, Zoloft's out! The Dr. then simply places Aaron back on his original dose of Lamictal & that's it...did I mention that this was only 3 days after our appt with him?! Well, while we await our turn for another Dr. (he's booked solid until summer), the Dr. has to do, even though I feel we've started over again. So for now, Aaron is on his Lamictal & Concerta combo...with force feedings everyday & struggles to take the meds everyday & combating his combative behavior everyday & still trying to see each child gets what they need everyday...but there is love...and my strength comes from the Lord.

Cliff Notes History

We began our homeschool journey with some knowledge of our middle son's "issues", which were first diagnosed at the age of 3...so I suppose I should travel back to then & divvy out some history. Our middle son, Aaron, was a true miracle...but aren't all children?! We always knew that he was slightly irregular, but just tossed his actions on to the "high strung" pile & went on about our ways, loving him for the way he was. Well, after our baby, Matthew was born, we really began to notice abnormal differences...not sibling rivalry, because he could've cared less about the new one. Aaron had 1 speed, which was "ZOOM!", and it ran all the time...there was no "off button" to be found. While recovering from a c-sec., it really hit home how little sleep Aaron was getting (not to mention me!), about 4-5 hours in a 24hr. period! We took Aaron to his pediatrician & she did some basic testing & told us that Aaron was a genius...Dougie Howser kind of kid. We were not prepared for that! With a referral from my cousin, we took Aaron to see a "kiddie shrink" & he diagnosed Aaron at the age of 3 with ADHD with ODD and RAD...glad we knew our ABC's! That really took us by surprise!! However, there were no drugs, cures or comfort for us...he stated that Aaron would need intensive "behavior therapy" & he'd never be mainstreamed in a schoolroom without a one-on-one assistant. We were overwhelmed by this news...he was so "normal" to us & this doc. painted us a picture that made Aaron to be a psychopath-in-training! Needless to say, we began to pray fervently for him & work with him on really getting "what's right & wrong". I can't tell you how many "Pre-K" programs he was "asked to leave", & we did have to re-start his K year because of an misunderstanding between him & another student...thank God he's a summer baby, so it worked out for the best, I suppose. So, to speed up my thoughts, my husband's work has moved us 2xs in the last 3 years & with each move the teachers have struggled to get Aaron to comply, focus, & generally behave, let alone get any work accomplished. God surprisingly placed us in the heart of "bad education country", so with prayer, I committed to homeschool all 3 boys. After our 1st 2 weeks of school, I noticed just how far behind Aaron was. He seemed to automatically know things that had yet to be taught, but the basic skills he should've mastered from K-2nd grade, he seemed to struggle with. I immediately "let my fingers do the walking" & dialed the counselor that I know the Lord let us to. We made an appt & met with her & began telling her the issues at hand & she in turn began to unravel a huge ball of yarn! She sent us home with some "questionnaire" type papers, which she reluctantly included one for Asperger's Syndrome. We filled out everything & returned them the next day. At our next appt with the counselor, she affirmed my thoughts that Aaron had been misdiagnosed and confirmed Aaron's new diagnosis of Asperger's Syndrome with ADHD. She stated that she had never even seen scores from past Q&As that were as consistent as mine & my husbands, so she knew that it was an accurate diagnosis versus one parent over-reacting to childish misbehavior. She then referred us to the in-house prescribing doctor to see if we could begin some medications to curb Aaron's anxieties & moods, because there is no meds or cures for Asperger's, only it's side effects. We didn't truly understand what adventure we were embarking on, but at least now, we knew the problem with which we had to work with.

Let The Blogging Begin

Let me welcome you who are venturing on this blogoshperic journey with me. I never really thought I would become a "blogger", but fate has intervened & here I am! Let me begin by telling you that this blog is created with my opinions and both religious & polital views in mind...with that said...I am a stay at home mom, who now homeschools all 3 of our sons. They are in the 1st, 3rd and 7th grades. I have given up my career as a professional photographer to protect my children & to ensure them a quality education. My husband & I have been married for 13 1/2 years...and still counting! We are a Christian family, which means plainly, that we believe that Jesus Christ is the one and only way to salvation from our sins & eternal damnation...John 3:16...cliche' I know, but it's what we stand firm on. For the past couple of years, my husband's job has tossed us a couple of moves, and after our last move to an area where the public schools were, let's just say, "less than adequate", we concluded that homeschooling would be our answer. Now that we're approaching the end of our 1st homeschooled year together, I am now completely assured that this was the best decision for our family. Afterall, where better a place to indoctrinate, I mean, educate our sons to be Yahweh God fearing, Republican Conservatives, law abiding, PROUD to be AMERICANS, future vow-honoring husbands and devoted fathers...not "baby daddies". Of course, every day is filled with a new adventure! Sometimes a comedy....sometimes a tragedy...at least in the eyes of a child. I look forward to sharing these adventures with you! I trust you'll find this blogspot as encouraging and light-hearted as it is solely intended to be. So enjoy my homeschool mom-ologues!