New Sound Sensitivities

Over the last few weeks, Matthew has developed sound sensitivities (which he's never had before). He screams/cries and shakes uncontrollably when he hears certain noises such as a neighbor using a saw, his ABA therapist deflating a balloon, and today her cell phone going off on vibrate mode. Usually he doesn't give an explanation, but today he told her it was a bumble bee going to bite him. After it went off he was petrified of her bag so she took everything out and put the bag on her head to show him it was safe but when we tried calling her cell later he freaked out again. He even got upset when the phone played a song. So now Matthew is scared of her cell and says "bye sound" to make it go away. Anyone out there have experience with this? (P.S. She didn't want her face in the pic.)

Memorial Day Weekend

Matthew walked for the first time yesterday, six days after his fall. I sent him to preschool (with his stroller) today. It's one of the 3 "long" days (9:10-3:30) so it will be interesting to hear how he does.

Yesterday was Memorial Day, a day of remembrance for those who have died serving our country. Thank you to all our service members and their families! We spent a quiet day at home. We cooked on the grill and ate outside...the weather was perfect. We had intended to take Matthew to the pool but decided not to since he is still unstable on his foot and didn't want him to slip on a wet surface.


On Sunday, we took Matthew for a ride on the Metro (= his favorite thing to do). We were just going to ride the train and not get off but we needed to make a "pit stop" so we got off at the Smithsonian http://www.smithsonian.org/ and went to the Natural History museum. I have to laugh b/c some people travel from afar to visit these museums and we go simply to use the rest room! On the way out we saw thousands (not an exaggeration) of motorcycles. They were the Rolling Thunders..."an annual motorcycle rally that is held in DC to call for the govt's recognition and protection of POW's and MIA's. About 400,000 vets roar across the city as a tribute to American war heroes." Funny how when it comes to clowns and parades we always happen to be in the right place at the right time! The motorcycles were very loud and I was afraid Matthew might have another sensory overload attack, but he just sat quietly and watched them go by.

Matthew Fell & Injured Ankle

Tuesday night Matthew fell down the stairs off the kitchen onto the hard wood floor in the family room and cannot bear weight on his right foot now. When he tries to stand up he falls and cries "boo-boo". I took him to the ER. He had x-rays which showed no fractures but they think it's a bad sprain (they're not exactly sure b/c he can't tell us where it hurts). I have to give him 250 mg of Motrin every 6 hours and it if doesn't get better in 2-3 days we'll need to see our pediatrician or an orthopedist. Since he can't walk I carry him everywhere...the stairs are the hardest b/c he weighs 40 pounds and my wrists are shot from a previous injury. He definitely won't be in school for the next few days. I really hope he gets better soon and that we won't have to see a specialist. Please keep you fingers crossed!

Terrifying Train Tunnel

We took Matthew to Burke Lake Park, a local park that has a train that runs through it. Matthew went on this ride several times last summer and while he didn't love every minute of it, he surely didn't do what he did today. There is a dark tunnel that the train goes through twice and Matthew totally freaked out both times. He shook uncontrollably (like a scared dog during a terrible thunder storm) and held his breath while going under the first time. The train looped around and we warned him we were going through again...he shook/bobbed and had a horrible expression on his face. It was very scary for us b/c Matthew has a hole in his heart (VSD) and has had absence seizures so we were afraid he might have a seizure or a even heart attack. The weird thing is, he's been through tunnels on the Metro and they don't phase him at all. John says maybe it's b/c we were in the open air, it was very dark, and the horn/whistle were blowing loudly. Needless to say, we won't be going back there. This is the pic I took before we reached the tunnel.

Got TINGS??!

I went upstairs to get dressed (I had laid out my clothes ahead of time so all I had to do was throw them on) and left Matthew alone in the family room for 5 minutes and this is what I found: Matthew had opened the kitchen pantry door, climbed up to the 2nd to top shelf, grabbed the Tings bag, opened the zip lock bag they were in, removed the chip clip, dumped the contents onto his plate, and began eating. You cannot leave this child alone for one minute! I thought I was being "safe" by giving him juice, turning on PBS Kids (Clifford), and dead-bolting the doors. Matthew obviously has an addiction to Tings. They are similar to Cheetos but without the cheese (he's GFCF) and are "natural crunchy corn sticks" made by Robert's Gourmet. They are pretty good but I wouldn't eat them for breakfast!

Celebs with Kids on the Spectrum

I read an article today about celebrities who have children with autism. The most famous appear to be: Sylvester Stallone, Doug Flutie, Dan Marino, Ernie Els, Jenny McCarthy, Holly Robinson Peete, and Toni Braxton. These celebs work hard to raise awareness and research funds for ASD. John Travolta also allegedly has a son with autism but he and his wife Kelly Preston will not admit it and may be denying him treatment because of their beliefs in Scientology. The funny thing is that John's brother (Joey Travolta) produced a documentary on autism...I wonder if that was his way to get his brother's attention. Whatever Jett Travolta’s diagnosis, I hope he is getting the services and education he needs. Having a child with autism is NOT a shame, but doing nothing to help him is.
P.S. Notice Jett toe walking in the picture?...he is also non-verbal.

Happy Mother's Day!

John and Matthew took me to a special lunch at the Army-Navy Country Club in Arlington. It was a nice buffet and Matthew was on his best behavior and even wore a tie! Hope all the mommies had a wonderful day!

National Train Day @ Union Station

Today we took Matthew to Union Station in D.C. for National Train Day. Amtrak provided magic shows, arts & crafts, and live music for the kids. Matthew had fun watching the model trains and received a goody bag with lots of neat stuff including a commemorative wooden train whistle.

Matthew Rode a Horse!!! :)

Today we went to an open house at Simple Changes in Lorton, VA. (Here's a link to their website: http://www.simplechanges.org/index.htm) Matthew rode a horse named Kali and loved every minute of it. The riding center is 7 miles from our house and I learned about it via an email from our local ASA chapter. Matthew was not afraid to touch the horse on the nose and gladly let a stranger put a helmet on him and lift him up onto the horse...it was amazing! Here's a short video and some pics. The center offers therapeutic riding sessions for kids 4 and up and hippotherapy for kids 2 years & up. We're going to try to get him into the summer session but the website says they have a long waiting list. In any event, it was a great experience for him and on the way to the car we ran into some clowns...they seem to be everywhere these days! Then we drove a few miles down the road to the Mason Neck State Park where Matthew had fun at the playground and went down his tallest slide to date. It was an exciting afternoon!
ETA: we just got a call from the center, we entered a raffle and won a $85 massage!

Fun with Daddy at the Pentagon

Today was "bring your child to work day" at the Pentagon. Matthew and I took the metro in and met John's co-workers (Matthew fell in love with Kate), ate lunch in the cafeteria, and participated in the craft activities in the center courtyard. Matthew made a very cool decoration for his room and even met some clowns!

First Class Picture!

Here is Matthew's (first ever!) class photo. There are two preschool autism classes at his elementary school...6 students (ages 2-5), 1 teacher, and 2 aides per class. His male aide was absent on picture day so the regular female substitute sat in.

Other news: I received approval from the principal to work as a volunteer in the kindergarten autism class. I have been twice so far and really enjoy helping out and spending time with the kids...they are very sweet.

10 Things About Matthew

I was asked by GFCF Mommy to play a game and come up with 10 great things about Matthew. Here's the link to her blog http://gfcfmommy.blogspot.com/ and here are my 10 things (which I did # but Blogger made them bullets!):

1. Matthew is incredibly loving and sensitive. He loves to be held and kissed, and says "I need a hug" when he's feeling down.


2. Matthew has a wonderful sense of humor and laughs when other people laugh.


3. He is a total "ladies man". Matthew loves looking and smiling at females (of all ages) and they often melt when they see his big blue eyes and dimples!


4. Matthew loves to sing and dance. His current favorites are Itsy Bitsy Spider & the Chicken Dance (learned at preschool).


5. Matthew still enjoys going for long walks in his stroller (especially with Ni-Ni). He likes to stop at every stop sign and never hesitates to say "hi" to strangers.


6. He loves to finish sentences such as I love ... "YOU!" and 1, 2, 3... "GO!"
7. Matthew reads signs while riding in the car (examples: McDonald's, Kohl's, Target, Wal-Mart)...his ped says he's recognizing the colorful logos, but we call it reading!


8. Matthew has a great memory. He recites numerous lines from books and videos using real words mixed with his jargon.


9. He is fascinated by elevators. Matthew has created his own at home using the bi-fold door on the linen closet...and makes appropriate sound effects to go with it!


10. Matthew enjoys going to restaurants like Chili's and Cracker Barrel...does anyone know if their french fries are GFCF???

Thomas & Friends Play Date

Today we took Matthew to a Thomas & Friends "play date" at Toys R Us. Matthew spent time with about 15 other kids and listened to a story, played with a huge wooden train set, and colored pictures. At the end of the session, the children were given Thomas trading cards and several coupons. It was a good opportunity for Matthew to interact with some NT (neuro typical) peers and he had a great time!

Thought-provoking Shopping Experience

I went to TJ Maxx in search of new puzzles for Matthew and clothes for me. While there, I noticed a teenage girl sitting on the floor in the shoe department playing with the laces and mumbling to herself. She was wearing a badge on a string around her neck so I thought she was an employee and that her behavior was a bit unusual but I moved on to the toy section. There I saw 2 other "odd" individuals - one was staring at the baby toys and the other was touching the board books...again, both had badges and I thought, "wow, TJ Maxx has several special employees working here...good for them, but I think there might be some productivity issues". Then, while I was looking at the shirts, a woman came up to me and asked if the shirt I found was on clearance...yada yada. She was very friendly and I stood behind her at check-out. I noticed she was wearing a badge which said Fairfax County Public Schools. On my way out of the store, I saw the 3 teenagers plus 3 others boarding a school bus with that lady. Then it all made sense...she was the guide and they were the special needs students out on a field trip. Maybe it had something to do with a "life skills" class but why was there only 1 adult and why was she shopping for herself while the rest of the kids (they looked like they were about 16 years old) were sitting on the floor or staring at the baby toys? What if one of the kids ran out the door into the street or broke something in the housewares department and hurt themselves? What exactly did they learn during this exercise...that you go to the store to play with shoe laces?

It made me wonder, is this the kind of field trip Matthew will go on in the future? Will someone look after him and teach him something that will be useful in the real world? I need to start teaching him "life skills" ASAP!

Two Wonderful Documentaries

I love BOTH "Autism: The Musical" and "Beautiful Son"!!!

HBO has been showing the Musical often and I always stop to watch a few minutes of it (again) b/c I am fascinated with Lexi and adore Wyatt. In case you haven't heard, it is "the story of five autistic children, their families, and the dynamic woman who leads them to defy expectations by writing, rehearsing, and performing their own musical."

I heard about Beautiful Son ("a documentary about one family's struggle to heal their son from autism") a few months ago and had been eagerly waiting for PBS to air it. They showed it last night at 11pm (I was tired but stayed up) and it was excellent and the cinematography is breathtaking. I was quite happy to see our DAN doctor in it...she is also their DAN and yes, they actually travelled from Hawaii to Virgina to see her!

Here's the link: http://www.beautifulson.com/film.html

If you haven't seen these films, please look for them...both are available on DVD. Even if you don't have a loved one with autism, the documentaries are very well done, informative, and will touch your heart.

April 2nd is WORLD Autism Awareness Day

On December 18, 2007, the United Nations General Assembly adopted resolution 62/139 which declares April 2 as World Autism Awareness Day (WAAD) in perpetuity. The UN resolution is one of only three official 'disease-specific' United Nations Days and will bring the world's attention to autism, a pervasive disorder that affects tens of millions. The WAAD resolution encourages all Member States to take measures to raise awareness about autism throughout society and to encourage early diagnosis and intervention. It further expresses concern at the prevalence and high rate of autism in children in all regions of the world and the consequent developmental challenges.

Let's use this day not only to promote autism awareness, but to celebrate our children and their special talents.

We love you Matthew! :)

Egg Roll at the White House

John spent the night outside waiting in line to get us tickets to the annual Easter Egg Roll. We had extra tickets so we gave them to our neighbors, Wendy and James. We took the Metro into the city and Matthew loved the train (and the elevators too)! We were in the last group to enter..they closed the gates at 2pm. We had until 3:30 to explore the activities on the White House lawn and there were so many options! They had the traditional egg roll, an egg hunt, face painting, egg decorating, 12 different stage performances, about 50 strolling characters (i.e. Clifford, Snoopy), an animal stage, magicians, and reading nooks. It was a busy place and lots of lines. We saw many of the characters, attended a performance (Steve Songs), and participated in the egg roll. We also (by pure chance) saw the President, Condoleeza Rice, and Barney Bush (see post below). Matthew was very well behaved and enjoyed himself. We were given a PBS Sprout framed polaroid of our meeting with Curious George and a nice cardboard framed photo of our family standing (on a platform) in front of the White House...the line for this had actually closed but they let us in b/c John was in uniform. On the way out, they gave us a commemorative poster and a goody bag with a coloring book/crayons, postcards of the White House pets, a Maisy sticker book, "My American Journal", and a special wooden Easter egg. It was a very fun, exciting, and memorable event!

Celebrity Sightings!

I will post several pics from the Egg Roll at the White House today, but first I wanted to post the pics I took of the President, Condoleeza, and Barney the dog! We noticed that Barney was playing on the lawn so we snuck over to see him and then the President walked by and we were like "OMG take a pic, take a pic!" So I grabbed my camera and zoomed in. (You can click on the pic to get a better view.)

Happy Easter!

Happy Easter! John's mom is in town so we took her to brunch at the Army-Navy Club in Fairfax. They held an egg hunt for the kids and Matthew had lots of fun...but wasn't too fond of the big bunny! Then we came home and had our own egg hunt.

Tomorrow we are going to the Egg Roll at the White House so I'll post pics of that expedition as well. It should be exciting...the First Lady and Elmo will be there! :)

Peeps Show

I saw this on The Washington Post (our local newspaper) and thought it was cute. Peeps are one of the few candies Matthew can eat due to his GFCF diet but he's not really into them...other "legal" candies include: Starbursts, Skittles, and Smarties. They held a peeps diorama contest and have the top 37 (out of 800 entries) on-line for you to view and vote on. Some are really funny...I like the plumber's crack, American Idol, and Sesame Street themes. Check it out: http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/gallery/2008/03/21/GA2008032101983.html?hpid=artslot