Playdates this spring

Thomas has done a complete 180 from last spring.  I used to dread how playdates would go and now I don't even think twice about it.  There are many times when moms are telling me that their child wants to have a playdate with Thomas.  Last year they were asking their moms why he doesn't talk.  I can't explain how wonderful it feels.

Thomas had two playdates this week and for both of them he was SO excited.  When they got back to our house they just went off playing.  No running to mommy and no crying.  So this is what a good playdate looks like?  No wonder so many moms like having them!  Things are looking up!

He did it!!!! - gym part 5

He did it!!!!  Thomas participated in gym with all the other children!  No crying, no resistance, no holding the teacher's hand!  This is a super proud day for him and our family.  The speech therapist who has been helping him with gym sent me an email today to give me the good news and sent this priceless picture of him and his best buddy!  (He's in the blue)  Happy tears :)

Playground time

Thomas is completely in his element running around with the boys on the playground after preschool.  They run in a pack as superheros defending the world against bad guys with imaginary blasters, lasers, explosions, etc.  It is amazing to see him so carefree and talking up a storm with his friends.  Another thing I found to be interesting is that recently he started being the leader during play.  Telling others to "Follow him"  or "Go this way."  We always stay on the playground as long as we can after school.  As a walking district, we are so lucky to have this opportunity and it has been so instrumental in helping Thomas.  It is a great social and confidence booster for him!  I get to chat with the other moms and it also counts as play dates. Win! Win! Win!

Getting a feel for gym part 4

Thomas was really comfortable at gym today.  The speech therapist held his hand throughout gym and he felt confident participating with her by his side.  The fact that the SP is going out of her job description to help him is absolutely amazing and is just another reason why I love his school and he is prospering so much this year.

Getting a feel for gym-part 3

So we wanted to build on Thomas's success at the preschool Olympics, but there was a little set back today. From what I was told, Thomas seemed very nervous and scared to participate today in gym, so he only stayed a few minutes.  One step forward, two steps back.  We will keep working on it!

Preschool Olympics

Every year Thomas's school holds a Preschool Olympics event after their unit on nutrition and health.  It is a big event in the gym that parents and extended family can attend.  Since Thomas had been having trouble entering the gym for some time, his teacher and I had been brainstorming ideas to make him feel involved with this big event in the gym :(  The first goal was to get him comfortable entering the gym, which we worked on earlier this month and accomplished!  Thomas was not ready to participate in the games, so we came up with the idea of making him a score keeper.  He loved the idea and he helped make the scoring flip chart and practiced it with the speech teacher leading up to the event.  

Today was the big day.  The children had all decorated their own Olympic shirt and made torches.   They all marched into loud, booming Olympic music.  I was nervous, for Thomas, but I knew he was prepared for what was going to happen during the event.  The teachers really helped out and the speech therapist held his hand as they marched, and she sat with him while he kept score.  Again can't emphasize the importance of helpful staff.  He did amazing!!!  From not being able to enter the gym a few weeks ago to walking around a crowded gym with Olympic music, and smiling while keeping score!  At the end, when they announced his name for a medal he went up by himself to receive it.  Super proud of him as this was a very brave thing for him to do!  He was truly proud of himself and he felt like part of the team!  

This could have been a disaster, had the school and I not communicated and planned for how to help Thomas through this day.  This time last year, we couldn't even dream of this moment.  I have learned this year to always be my child's advocate.  If they WANT to do something that is challenging for them at school (or anywhere) and are scared, try to work with the school, coach, etc. to figure out how they can participate in a way that is comfortable for them.  So happy he was able to do this instead of avoiding it!  It is the victories like this that make all of Thomas's hard work and our diligent efforts absolutely worth it!!!!  Here he is being the score keeper and waiting to get his medal. (He's the one with the teacher's arm around him)

Getting a feel for the gym ... part 2

A few days later I came to school one morning and went in the gym with Thomas.  He did great!  At first he said he wanted to leave, but I pushed him a little.  I asked what made it scary, the smell, the bright lights, the noise and he said the noise.  We asked the gym teacher what the buzzing noises were and he told us it was the heater.  Thomas and I joked that if they turned it off the whole school would be freezing and need to wear their hats, etc (Humor really works with him.)  He thought this was funny, so then I walked him around the gym and we started looking at the pictures and stuff around the room, then he started galloping and eventually I said I bet you can't beat me to the other side of the gym and then he took off.  After that he was fine.  Running all over, throwing balls, etc.  I am hoping he remembers the experience and how fun it was.  Plus knowing what the buzzing sound is might help him too.  Who knows, but I am hoping!!  I am going to join him for a gym class or two 

Getting a feel for the gym

Thomas is really terrified of going in the school gym.  This has everything to do with sensory processing issues.  He would go in for a minute or two and want to leave.  The teacher said his body stiffens and she can feel his anxiety.  I sat down with the teacher and SP therapist last week to come up with a plan for getting him in there at a time other than gym class to get a feel for the space.  The speech therapist tried taking him and his buddy down there this week to play super heroes.  Thomas was super excited about this all the way down the hall, but when they got to the gym door he froze and refused to go in.  She called me later that day and after discussing it with her, we decided that I would come in one morning and try to work with him one on one in there.

School progress and goals for new year

Got some feedback from Thomas's preschool teacher about how great he is doing and we came up with some goals for the second part of school year.  Right now he is:

 Raising his hand (about 3-4 times a day on average)

Asking verbally to use the bathroom - just started doing this

He is standing for movement activities. He holds teacher's hand and takes prompting, 

He will verbally communicate with his peers during play time and center time when he is in a small group.  Teacher says she can sometimes hear his voice from across the room.

Goals for new year per teacher:

Calendar job:  just adding the verbal part to it by saying the numbers and the numbered day.

Standing for pledge on his own...he still seeks one of the teachers out, but he stands very relaxed. 

Participating in some way in Preschool Olympics in February in the Gym.

Transitioning back into the school environment

Thomas transitioned back to school pretty well after Christmas break.  Transitioning back into the school environment after a break is often difficult for SM children, but luckily we now know some strategies to help with this.  I spoke with his teacher and she said he has been doing great the past three days since they have been back.  He is raising his hand, playing with friends and answering questions asked by the teacher.  We had a few playdates over break to keep him seeing his friends from school, so I think that helped.

When it is really cold out or bad weather, the students wait in the hallway instead of on the playground and now that it is winter, Thomas is having trouble with this.  The hallway is crowded, chaotic and very loud -  a bad combination for his sensory defensiveness.  He does not like separating from me to go in on these days. I am trying to make sure to drop him off as late as possible to avoid long periods of time in the hallway.