after school speech part 2

At Tuesday's speech therapy session, SJ's therapist again worked on conversational skills. She began the session with a Speaking Well activity.  She showed him a word bank and told him to select a topic and write three sentences you could say in a conversation.  He choose the following topics:  twins, report cards, cheating and video games.  She said he had some difficulty with this activity, so she asked we pick a few more topics to practice at home.  

Next, she did a Simple Word Association activity with him.  He did well with this activity. Here are a few of the associations.

Butterfly/caterpillar...a caterpillar turns into a butterfly

Basketball/H.O.R.S.E...use a basketball to play HORSE

Radio/music...radio plays music

She also asked that we do a few more simple word associations for homework.  Last, they did a Contingent Word activity.  She said he really enjoyed this activity.  Here is the sequence.

Vacation-fun times-friends-play games-winner-trophy-balls-nets-soccer-kicking-fighting-injuries-hospital-cast-itchy-scratching-cat-yarn-sweater-warmth-fire-hot chocolate-marshmallows

She suggested we try this activity again before the next session, possibly in the car.

after school reading tutoring #2

On Monday, Mrs. Banks came for SJ's after school reading tutoring.  I told her we had read Chapter 5 of Flush together.  I also told her how impressed I was with his reading.  He did a great job when we read together the night before. When we had completed Chapter 5, he ran to get his binder and pulled out a paper from his reading class.  He wanted to show me his options for his book report.  He decided to do a newspaper article as his book report (my heart melted since I have a journalism degree).  He spent 40 minutes working on his first draft and he did fairly well for his first try. 

I went upstairs to prepare dinner while they were having their session.  When it was finished, she said they had completed Chapter 6 and did some comprehension questions.  She seemed very pleased with the effort that he had made and said he was able to remember many things that they had previously read. 

I told her that we would read Chapters 7 and 8 this week.  She said that was fine.  I showed her SJ's rough draft of the beginning of his book report.  She seemed as impressed as I was.  She asked me if I was enjoying the book.  I told her that I was.  It is always a bonus when the book is enjoyable.  I never care what my boys are reading as long as they are reading.  If they like the reading material, at least we are not fighting them to read.  Thanks for picking out such an entertaining book Mrs. Banks.

sj for homeroom rep!

Yesterday morning, SJ told my husband and myself that he was running for Homeroom Representative. We were both a little surprised. I really shouldn't have been since he was mentioning something about it a few days earlier. He had asked me on Monday what they do.  I said the reps look out for the students' best interest.

Back to yesterday, he told us that he wrote a speech as to why he would be a good rep. Here is a copy of his speech.

In case you can't read it, it says the following:

Hello, my name is SJ, and here's why I should be a homeroom representative.  If there is too much homework for you, maybe I can make the teachers have all students have less homework.  If the class is boring, I can make the class less boring.  Also, I can tell jokes to you if you're really down in the dumps.  That's why you should elect me as a homeroom representative.

P.S. I got my eye on you.

He was to give that speech yesterday during homeroom.  I praised him on his funny speech and told him to try his best.  My husband and I were so proud that he wants to do this.  It is often puzzling to us that our typical child never wants to do these things.  SJ, who should be more socially awkward due to his diagnosis, just wants to be like any other 7th grade student.  I will let you know what the results are in a few days.

after school reading tutoring

On Monday, Mrs. Banks was back to tutor SJ in reading.  They continued to read Flush.  They read up to Chapter 4.  When they were finished with the reading, she had SJ answer comprehension questions from that chapter, as well as Chapter 3. 

She was happily surprised that SJ remembered facts from the previous chapter.  Considering they haven't read together in a few weeks, she was impressed with his retention.  I told her that I would try to read one to two chapters with him between their sessions.  SJ wants to use this book for his 1st Nine Weeks reading book report for Mrs. Page (his 7th grade reading teacher).  He was a little concerned that he may not finish it before the report is due if he only read it with Mrs. Banks.  She said that was a good plan.

She was very happy with his overall effort.  She said he did occasionally stop her to ask her what words meant and if he didn't understand what was going on.  She said she was happy that he was stopping her and she is seeing improvement in his reading.  These are all wonderful things to hear, especially since SJ struggles so much with reading.  Keep up the hard work, SJ!

after school speech-new time, new therapist

Last Tuesday, SJ was back to his evening speech therapy sessions.  He had to be assigned to a different therapist.  This usually happens when we switch between summer and school time.

He had the new therapist many years ago.  She couldn't believe how much he has grown.  He went back to her room without much of a fuss.  

When their session was finished, she said he did very well.  They worked on conversational skills. First, she worked on Choosing an Interesting Topic.  She had SJ read about three different people.  Under each of their names, it listed their interests. He then had to write down something he could talk to the person about.  For example: 

Pat likes movies, bowling, remote control cars, playing the piano and playing video games.  He is in the 10th grade and walks to school. 

SJ wrote that he could talk to Pat about playing video games or bowling.

Next, they worked on Starting Conversations.  She went over the rules for starting a conversation.

1. Observe whether the person is busy or is available for a conversation.
2. Face the person and get eye contact.  (If the person looks away, it's not a good time to start a conversation.
3. Greet the person by name.  You could say "Hi, Jim".
4. Say something the person would find interesting. Make a comment or ask a question.

She had SJ read 5 sentences and write what he would say to start a conversation.  For example:

Kelly just started a job babysitting on weekends.  What could you say to Kelly?

SJ wrote, "How much money do you get paid?'

Lastly, she just sat and talked to SJ about what they had in common. She said he did very well staying on subject, asked her appropriate questions and made on topic comments.  Way to go SJ!

 

a little problem over here...

Last week, SJ was having a snack at the counter when I heard him say, "Oh no.  Not again.  I have a little problem over here."  I knew immediately what the problem was.  SJ broke his glasses...again! And when I say again, I mean AGAIN!!!  This kid has broken his glasses at least 9 times and I am not exaggerating. 

I tried to stay calm, which is hard to do after the ninth pair of broken glasses.  I called the Walmart Vision Center to see if they were open. They were (fortunately), so I told SJ to get in the car.  We drove the 20 minutes it takes to get to Walmart and SJ kept mumbling that it wasn't his fault. "Whose fault is it then, SJ?," I asked him.  "Well, if I didn't have to wear glasses, I wouldn't have broken them," he said.  "I know that buddy, but you do have to wear glasses," I reminded him. 

"It is not a big deal, since they are free," said SJ.  "No, they are not free every time. I can't remember if we paid for this pair or it was your latest replacement pair," I said to SJ.  He was slightly correct.  When you buy glasses at Walmart, there is a warranty on the paid pair.  If you break those, they will replace them free of charge.  "If they are not free, you are paying for the new pair out of your allowance," I told SJ. 

When we walked into the Vision Center, I approached the technician.  Not surprisingly, he knew who we were.  He checked the computer to see if the broken glasses were under warranty.  They were not, so we (I mean SJ) were going to have to purchase a new pair.  Fortunately for SJ, his glasses are only $28. 

The technician swapped out his lenses and placed them in the new frames.  She fitted them and reminded him (once again) to be careful when cleaning them.  As we were walking out, I reminded him that I would be deducting the $28 from his account.  He has to learn. 

contact fitting = a very, sad sj

SJ has been wanting to get contacts all summer.  I wasn't sure if he was responsible enough to handle contacts, but Bob did fine when he got his at 12.  I took him to the appointment right after school on Monday.

The nurse did preliminary testing and then the optometrist did a thorough eye exam.  He said his eyes looked good and he can see 20/20 with his glasses.  He gave SJ and I a rundown of the things that can go wrong with contacts. He looked at me and told me it was my job to look for signs of eye infections.  (Duh?).  

Another nurse came in to try to place contacts in his eyes.  He kept flinching every time she tried to put the lens in.  After a few tries, I began to realize he was like me.  I can never put anything in my eye (contacts, eye drops, etc.). This poor, patient nurse tried for over 20 minutes.  

SJ suggested to her that she let him put them into his eyes. She explained to him that if she couldn't put it in his eye that he definitely wouldn't be able to do it either.  I told him to let her try and she tried for another 10 minutes.  

He kept blinking and squeezing his eyelids together.  It was practically impossible for her to even get the contact close to his eyes. Finally, I told SJ that we were going to leave.  I promised him we would come back in a few months and try again.  

When we got to the car, he was so upset. He kept blaming the nurse.  "It was all her fault, it was all her fault," SJ sadly said.  I told him that it wasn't her fault and that he was just not ready. It broke my heart to see SJ so sad. Unfortunately, he may be like me and never be able to wear contacts.  Hopefully, I am wrong!

first day of junior high

Last Tuesday was a BIG day for SJ. He was about to start 7th grade.  This is a new building to SJ.  Bob went there last year, so that was slightly comforting to SJ.  

We had gone to orientation a week earlier.  We walked SJ's schedule, but I knew he would still be nervous. 

He woke very early on Tuesday.  He ate his breakfast and anxiously waited for 6:40 am to appear on the stove clock.  His and Bob's bus comes around 6:45.  He hasn't rode the school bus since he was in Kindergarten.  He was very worried about that bus ride (I was stressed about it all day!).  

At 6:35, I took the traditional first day pictures (the boys HATE this tradition).  I watched them walk to the bus stop at 6:40.  I took a deep breath and hoped for the best!

The boys got home around 3:30.  I was babysitting some neighbor kids, so I didn't get to talk to the boys until 4:30.  I asked them how their day was.  Bob replied with his normal response of "fine".  

Then, I looked at SJ to see what he would say. He said, "Well, the bus ride is so long and boring."  I reminded him that he could bring his IPod with him and then he wouldn't mind the long bus ride.

"I may have made a bad lunch choice, Mom," added SJ.  I said,"What do you mean?"  He then told me that Bob said whoever you sit on the first day is who you have to sit with the whole year.  I wasn't sure if that was true, so I was going to have to verify that.  

It wasn't that he didn't like who he sat with.  He was hoping to sit with Willie and Topher.  I told him to try and sit with Topher and Willie on Wednesday.  I was hoping he would remember to do that.  

The last thing I asked him about was his locker. In elementary school, he didn't have a locker. He had been worried about using the lock on his locker all summer.  His principal, Mr. Mack, had allowed him to get his lock early to practice his locker combination.  That practice really helped him, since there wasn't even one complaint about the lock or locker.  

For all the stress I felt all day long, those few problems that SJ told me were so much smaller than I thought he would have.  That is a great first day in a new school!