Good News / Good News

I have worked very hard this last year to be able to open up my schedule to start a new phase in our therapy.  I am super excited to say it is now up and running!  I now have the ability to have private time/training with parents. 

It’s similar to our support group time except that they will have my undivided attention.  During this meeting, I am all theirs.  This is a time for you to talk about your needs, your wants and your dreams as a parent.  We can talk about spouses getting more involved.  We can talk about poop issues, which is always big topic at the Hope Center for Autism.  We can also talk about parenting. 

I never thought I would say this but being able to have this one on one time with the parents is almost as rewarding as doing ABA therapy with their children.  The idea that the home life is being upgraded to meet the needs of your child is a “feel good to the bone” moment.  Yes, Scot named me the “Autism Jedi” and I think it’s quite funny, but just know that I am here and I want to help.  It may take a while to get everyone scheduled but just know this is my goal.  We can do major things with your child at Hope but when you get on board and change your lifestyle at home, the possibilities are endless.

Tuesday -  Today was great.  I had a wonderful meeting with a client’s mom and dad.  We have a schedule to meet weekly to work on needs within the home and this was our second meeting.  I am very pleased and proud of what they are doing to help their child.  They had filled in the charts and took notes on their week.  When the household changes, everything changes.

After meeting with the parents, my day continued on and I had an hour of therapy with a young man who screamed for almost 45 minutes of our hour together.  That was so awesome because at the end of our session he understood he needed to use a “nice voice” and ask permission before taking something.  Will he do the same thing again?  Sure, maybe…but today he learned.  Today for one hour working with me he learned.  How awesome is that?

My third hour of therapy was interesting.  The report from the sitter on his week was, “he has been good with me, but Sunday he made mom so upset she cried.” This boy is a great kid and he has always told me the truth.  Sometimes it’s a long process but he most always will tell me when I ask the right questions.  He is very typical in this area.  He only answers the question, no more, no less.  As much as parents hate it, I always love when a child begins to lie and then know when they are good at doing so.  It is a developmental milestone typical children reach.  Knowing when to tell and knowing when to keep quiet is a major skill.  (I never learned that one.)  With the help of the sitter and more information, the truth came out and the story was told.  I advised mom to implement a cost response token system tonight and off they went for another week, out there in the world.