Thanksgiving this year we had a small gathering due to Covid-19 at William’s grandma house.
We brought Korean beef bbq while grandma cooked Hot Pot. Aunt Julie made some coconut waffles, William loved it so much that he ate that for dinner. He helped me set up the table; and pour the Cider into the cups for everyone. He was trying to be helpful! Thank you William!
This year due to Covid-19 pandemic, as Governor Gavin Newsom ordered to not have a big garthering , we could not throw a birthday party for William. His birthday felt on Tuesday Nov 24, so after working hour, we took him to 85 degree bakery so that he could choose a cake that he liked. We also stopped by Pop Eyes to get some chicken for dinner. When asked “What do you want for your birthday?” – Nothing! He replied. He’s the only kid that I know doesn’t want any toys. I love him for the fact that he’s a very simple kid. And I can’t believe that he’s 7 years old now!
After dinner, we took out the cake, light up all the candles that we had. He really enjoyed watching the lighted candles: he asked to light them up again after blowing them.
He chose a chocolate cake, no surprise there because everyone knows he loves chocolates!
His 6th year marked the start of his great improvements on everything; and this 7th year is a continuing of his improvements. Everyone is so surprised how much he progressed compared to 2 years ago. He talks a lot more now; he pays attention to his surrounding as well as what people is talking, even thought it might seem he’s not listening. He now starts to eat hamburger with meat (before he’d just have cheese, no meat in burgers) and crispy chicken. What I really would love is for him to eat veggie; he’s still saying no to any kind of vegetable: he’d spit out if I try to feed him that.
Ms. Gina, his speech therapist from Providence Speech and Hearing center said that his language is so good now; she suggested to discontinue the one-on-one session to start the social group. But too bad with the pandemic, we’re having the speech sessions at home; we can’t go to the office for social sessions so for now we’ll keep doing one-on-one thru the zoom meeting.
Another thing that we’re really proud of him is that he got transferred to a less severe autism school: Thomas Jefferson elementary school. Mrs. Heather Newman from Lincoln school said that his level is higher than his classmates. And the best thing is that he loves the new class with Mr. Castaneda! His new class starts at 8:30 AM, which gives him some extra time to sleep; but so far when I wake him up around 8:10 AM, he’d just wake up without me dragging him out of bed like before, which proves that he’s really looking forward to his class. And when in the sessions, he’s only get out of his chair when he wants to get something; some times he leaves the chair to dance with the characters from the videos that Mr. C is showing. One thing I’d like him to do is to focus more, he still like to have something in his hands and play with that toy and doesn’t look at the monitor much. So far his reading level is about right with his classmates but the words math is a little bit hard for him.
As for ABA goals, he has to know mom & dad phone numbers, house address and ask for permission when someone is at the door. He knows our phone and address now; and he’s getting better at asking to open the door when someone rings the bell: before he’d just open it with or without me being there.
Another thing that I have to note down that he’s so attached to his dad now. He especially enjoys watching Tim making coffee in the morning before Tim goes to work; and that’s 5:30 AM in the morning! His sleeping hours some times is so messed up: since he wakes up so early he’d fall asleep around 4 PM and wake up around midnight! Then he would not go back to sleep. It seems like he wants to wait till his dad to wake up to make coffee together with dad: Tim has coffee and he has milk, both sitting at the dining table at 5:30 AM! One day when he woke up late and looked at the security camera monitor and did not see Tim’s car, he begun to cry: I slept too much! – he said. And at dinner time, he’d wait for Tim to have dinner together: he’d sit next to Tim and want to eat whatever Tim eats. He basically wants to do whatever his dad does. “Papa, what are you gonna do next? ” is the question he always ask Tim. Now they brush teeth together at night and do exercise together too! He even goes to extreme by posting a sign “Boys Only” on the door while they’re exercising!
I’m happy that the 2 men in my house is getting along well (that gives me some free time to do what I need! :)).
Looking him blowing candles with no friends around singing the birthday song really sadden my heart. At this age he does not need any friends but as he gets older, what happens if he cannot make any friends at all? His loneliness will eat him alive! The last thing I want is for him to go thru life with no friends, especially he does not have any siblings.
Well I guess as a Mom I’m worried too much. It’s William’s birthday today, let’s just enjoy that moment.
I love you to the moon and back, William! Wish you to become a good and kind man; have lots of good friends and happiness always finds you.
Thursday Oct 29, 2020.
We had the annual IEP meeting few days ago thru the Google Meet with Mrs. Newman Heather, Mrs. Principle, his speech and OT teachers from Abraham Lincoln elementary school, and Mr. Castaneda from Thomas Jefferson school because William would turn 7th year old soon. At first I did not know why Mr. C was there but soon I found out the reason; and that came to me as a surprise.
I think it was about a month ago when the Mrs. Newman asked if I had any input/suggestions/comments about this whole thing of distance learning because of the Corona virus; I said that William might be bored because the routine is the same every day. All I was hoping that Mrs. Newman can run the class a bit different each day so that it’s less boring. Back then when he went to school in person, I have no idea what was going on in the physical classroom. Now that William is at home learning thru the Google Meet; and I’m there with him every day, I know exactly what’s going on. He most of the time tried to get off the chair and play with his toy: I always had to re-direct him back to the chair,
“I don’t want to sing!
I don’t want to select a song!
I don’t want to talk about feeling!” – It was almost everyday that William refused to participate.
That’s why I made that comment to his teacher. Mrs. Newman then said if I was thinking about moving him to a different class. I felt bad because I thought she took it the wrong way; I did not mean to hurt her feelings at all.
Then after that Mrs. Newman did not mention anything about the new class; and I also forgot about that conversation.
Back to the IEP meeting, just like last year IEP meeting, Mrs. Newman went thru William’s goals and said that he mastered all his goals; and she set the new goals for him. Then all of sudden she introduced Mr. Castaneda! Mrs. Newman started with William’s reading level is at the 2nd grade; he can count to 100 with no problem while his classmates can only count up to 30; he can do addition and subtraction math with single digit fine. And then she recommended to transfer William to a less severe school, Jefferson elementary school. That was when I realized why Mr. C was invited to the meeting, because he was gonna be William’s new teacher! Mrs. Newman asked if I agree to transfer William. I hesitated for a bit because I was worried that William might not like the change, that he would not fit in with the new class; but I also knew that if William stays in this class, he will not learn anything new because his level is higher than his classmates.
Mr. Castaneda started to talk about his class, that this class is for moderate autism; the class size is small also but the difference is that it focuses more on the grade curriculum. I’ve been always wondering what would they teach in the normal class; and if William can go to the normal class so that he can learn the same thing that the 1st graders are learning so that he will not be behind on his academic level, but at the same time I’m worried that William cannot survive in a 25 or more children classroom: I did not know that there’s class for Autism kids that focus on the curriculum! Mr. Castaneda’s class is what I’ve been looking for for William all along; so I agreed!
Which also meant that was the end of Mrs. Newman’s classes for William! Tears came to my eyes! I said “Thank You” to Mrs. Newman and everyone else, knowing that I would not see them again. William was expected to be in his new class the next week which meant he had 1 last day with Mrs. Newman and his classmates on Friday.
Later at night, I told William about his new class, he said “OK”. He took it so well that I was kinda surprised. I was not sure if he really understood what it meant.
Friday came, toward the end of the class, Mrs. Newman played a song to say good bye to William. She’s so thoughtful; Ms. Birdie and Ms. Sandy too. We love them all! I’m sad to say good bye to them. They’re very dedicated teachers who are willing to go out of their way for their students; I still can’t thank Ms. Birdie enough to pick up the Chrome book for William at school and dropped it off at our house.
Monday Nov 2, 2020
William was supposed to start the new class today (school still conducts classes via online due to Covid-19 pandemic) but we still had no information about the class. Mr. Castaneda promised to send us info over the weekend but he did not. It was 7:00 AM in the morning, I texted Mrs. Newman about my concern. She got back to me right away saying that she’d contact Mr. C for me.
Later Mr. C called me and said that it’s best for William to start on Tuesday because he did not have the class materials yet; and that I we could come to the school to pick up his material around noon. I said Yes. So at noon, Tim drove William and me to the Jefferson school; it’s about 15 minutes away from our house. I met Mr. C in person at the gate, he looks more friendly in person than from the online video meeting :). He gave me the class materials and an enrollment form to transfer William to this new school.
Tuesday Nov 3, 2020
It was William’s first day with the new class. Mr. C introduced William with the class, there was only 3 more kids about his age; and I don’t think they really paid much attention about William’s presence. They all seemed very talkative. Mr. C has 3 teacher aid but they’re very passive: all the time Mr. C was talking while the teacher aids just sat there and listening, unlike Ms. Birdie and Ms. Sandy.
The class starts at 8:30 AM. Mr. C played some Good Morning songs from You Tube, then followed with the Social Story which was about using the Polite words. This first session ended at 9:00 AM. Then at 10:00 AM it was math, and reading and some grammar about Noun; the class ended at 11:30 AM.
William survived the first day of class with no problem. Now that I know what’s Mr. C is teaching in the class, I’m relieved because I know William can handle it: reading is about his level; he might have a hard time with words math because it’s the first time for him. But I know William is a very smart boy, with a little bit of help, I’m sure he can understand words math soon.
So that’s how William got transferred to a new school to be at his academic level.
As a Mom, I could not be happier :).