Six Aspergers Traits: Tips

My Aspergers Child: The Six Aspergers Traits: Tips for Parents with Ne...: What parents need to know about their recently diagnosed Aspergers child: 

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Flash Back Fridays

 Kaden's 2nd Birthday!!!!

We filled the downstairs room with balloons and his Big present was this Zebra play tent.  He was obsessed with balloons for like 3 years.
I can't believe he's five already!

Sensory Processing Disorder

This Describes Kaden almost perfectly, Sensory wise.

3D Mazes for Everyone!!!!

Kaden got this cool 3D maze book yesterday.  He was not too excited about the glasses part, but I talked him into using them.  He kept saying that he could do the mazes just fine without the glasses.  Forget about fun, he was ready to get down to business.  HAHAHAHA
He finished the whole book in about 20 minutes.  There went my $10!!!!  But, it was that or a sticker book that I knew he would have no interest in after 5 minutes.

Instagram for the first time

Playing around with Instagram.......

To Groom or not to Groom

Kaden LOVES going to ride the horses.  Some of the things we are working on while we are there is his social skills, communication and body awareness.  We thought he would enjoy grooming Sunny before going out for his ride. This would be a great way to show affection to the horse and give him a sensory outlet.  After brushing for only a minute he stopped, without saying a word.  And Mahala asked him if it was fun, he just nodded his head no.  I was surprised, I thought he would like it.  But, he was just ready to ride.  In a few weeks we will give it another try.

Goggled Asperger Boy!!!!

 I love this picture, I just can't stop laughing!!!!!  He jumped from the stairs to the couch and back to the coffee table.  Super Goggled Boy with a twist of Aspie!!  Kaden has a huge problem with water on his face, eyes or in his ears.  So, we bought him these goggles to cross off one thing on his can't stand list.

After running around the house for hours we took them for a spin in the pool.  The band bothers his hair a little bit, but he likes them so much he told me that he could take the pain.
:-)
 (He has the world's most sensitive head/hair)
The pool is becoming a place of success for him, I am thrilled for him.  Hurray for Googled Asperger Boy!!!

Flash Back Fridays!!

Swinging at the park used to be one of his favorite things to do.  Not so much anymore, when we are at the park now he likes to run around and play tag.

 . 
Popcorn is Kaden's Favorite snack.  He will eat it morning, noon or night!!!! Yummmmmmmy!

Down in the Dirt

But, it's nasty and it hurts me!!!!!  Over and over Kaden kept saying the same thing.  Ok, I was like let's go.  We don't have to play with the sand and water table.  Oh no, he wanted to do it, even though it didn't feel right to him to do it, he was curious.  And I'm proud of him for being just that, Curious!!!

He did look like he was in pain most of the time.  HAHAHA  He kept rubbing his hands through it over and over in slow motion for at least a good 30 minutes.  A few times I nodded off because it was almost hypnotizing to watch.  And then as if a switch was turned off  he walked away without a word and ran to the water fountain to wash his hands.  Everyone around looked at me like I was crazy for letting him rinse his hands in the fountain.  But, I figured it saved us all from witnessing a 5 year old clawing his skin off from trying to get rid of the dirt.

Asperger Sparks

Sparks flew today for my little Kaden.  The day started good, nothing to out of the ordinary.  I took them all swimming, which I had promised.  And even though he was reluctant to leave when we had to go get ready for some errands, he still left without much fuss.
After lunch and 2 errands he wanted to play on my phone.  I knew it was about to go down, because he was humming and throwing himself around in the waiting room.  The phone went dead, I couldn't believe it!!!  So, it was on like donkey kong!!!  He was hitting himself, making loud grunts and rocking back and forth.  In comes the Doctor for Skylar.  GREAT TIMING!!!! 
After we were done and onto Sams I tried calming him down.  He seemed to feel a little better, i think the walking and change of location.  While I was in Sams club Mahala said he was hitting and screaming for no apparent reason.  I know there is a reason, it's just in the midst of it all it can be so frustrating.  Mahala has a hard time dealing with him when he erupts around her.  Thank goodness we ran in to get milk and bread only. 
For the following 2 hours he just hummed and wouldn't talk.  And as soon as we got home it was like a NEW boy had come home with me.  He started doing his workbooks and being all loving.  After 30 minutes or so he needed to be loved he said.  Which in Kaden's world that means he needs to be rolled in a blanket tightly or squeezed in my arms.  So, I did and then when he had enough he started playing until we watched a movie and ate dinner.
So, will putting him to bed be easy tonight?  We will have to see in about 20 minutes.  From past experiences I would say that there is a good chance he will need to be wrapped again and then he will relax and go to sleep.  But, there is still a chance he will fight sleep.  Let's pray for sleep people!!!

Two left legs and some Floaties

We went swimming again yesterday.  This time we had floaties and goggles to keep the water off his face.  I have to say it was a better experience.  He worked on kicking and making bubbles.  Dad was there too, so I felt safer knowing he was an extra set of eyes, arms and ears.  :)  If we can get him to master the art of kicking both legs behind him at the same time we may have a swimmer on our hands.  Right now, we have a distressed frog with two left legs.  Time will only tell.....

After all that swimming Kaden hit the sack early and slept all night long.  He is a blessing to us!!!

Flash Back Fridays!!!!

I wish I could say he's not so Messy anymore......but I can't.  :-)

Swimming with No Hands

First time to the pool in 2 years.   Kaden had a blast, I on the other hand was a nervous wreck.  It was very obvious that he has no arm or leg coordination.  It was almost awkward looking, bless his little heart.  I was sure there would be no water left in the pool when we left.  I told Thanh to stop and get a life jacket on the way home from work.  We didn't have anything that fit him, because it has been 2 years since he has been in the water.  And back then he looked like a fish out of water, I thought he would be a natural like the other kids.  But, what looks normal for a 3 year old trying to swim doesn't look so good at 5.  Oh well, we just have a little extra work to do and I definitely will not go back without a life jacket and another set of eyes and hand.s

No Tomatoes of Any Kind

Kaden is picky when it comes to eating.  And very messy I might add!!!  HAHAHAHA
But, the other day I decided to try pot pies, he loved them.  Now I just need to learn to make them homemade instead of giving him just frozen ones.  Ok, who am I trying to fool, frozen will due, especialy in my crazzzzzzy life right now.  But, If anyone has a good recipe they can pass my way Kaden would sure Love ya for it!!!!!

Asperger Melt down

Today while we were at Mahala's practice Kaden had the Biggest melt down ever. He didn't want to put his shoes on when we were leaving the house, because he didn't want to cover his toes.  The whole way there he was fine, no problems at all.  But, when we got to practice and he saw the playground he got angry because he didn't have his shoes.  He screamed, hit the windows, rocked back and forth for the whole time.  I tried to use calming words and then I just let it run it's course.  As soon as Mahala and Skylar got back to the car and I started to back away he went silent and started playing with his toys. His punishment is to not have video games tomorrow.  And normally he is fine with punishment ad will not complain or try to get out of it.  It's hard sometime to tell what is asperger frustration and what is misbehavior because he is a 5 year old boy. So, I'm guessing tomorrow we will have a lot of chess and math going on around here.  :-)

Aspergers in the Saddle

Today we are going horse back riding for the 2nd time.  Kaden loves it!!!  Here he is riding for the 1st time.  Normally he has so much anxiety around other people.  And in the begging he was scared hidden behind me.  But, there is something about animals that soothes him.  He seems to focus more and is more willing to take direction or try something new.  Maybe I should keep a horse i the house.  HAHAHAHA

All Chalked up

Every Day his poor desk gets either painted, chalked, drawn on or covered in tape.  HAHAHA

Every Card has it's Place

Cards over Here, Cards over There.  Cards Everywhere!!!

Life goes on

 Homemade Applesauce is not only Yummmmmmmy, but good to help Kaden with his fine motor skills.  He loves helping out in the kitchen whenever he gets too.  So far today has been a good day.  We did a little cooking, a little school and of course I let him play some video games.  I was weak, normally we only play on the weekend.  Oh well, life goes on.......

Stop and Smell the Flowers

When he is riding his bike we always take a bag or back pack, because he collects the whole time.  Mostly flowers will be picked by the dozens.  But, if he finds the smoothest rock or unusual button he will grab that up too.  He loves the way the flowers feel and he shares with his Mommy.  I love walking with him.  Unfortunately due to his social anxiousness we don't get to do this nearly as much as I would like.  But, I treasure every time that we do.

Glimmers of Asperger Color

 Kaden sees life in color sometimes.  But, mostly he sees life in black or white.  Every day we see glimmers of color in his world.  We live for days like that.  And on those black or white days we make a choice to love those too.  It is his life, our life.  And we wouldn't have it any other way.

ABA Therapy to the Rescue!

I met with the new ABA Therapist today.  Kaden liked her and thought her office was cool.  At first he was a little stand offish, but with the hopes of playing a video game and a promised ice cream cone afterwards; he went with it.
Navigating the whole Asperger world has not been so easy for me.  I'm just taking one step at a time and praying the whole way.  So, not sure how this ABA Therapist will work, but I am hoping for once we hit the jackpot.  More on that later.
So, this weekend was awesome, we played the game settlers Friday and Saturday.  We enjoyed root beer floats, movie nights, friends over for dinner and tons of softball practice.  Tonight Hubby is cooking steaks and I think we will kick back and try to clear some space on the DVR.
More Later

March March March March

It's official....Kaden does have Aspergers.  We have been so overwhelmed and busy for the past 2 months I have not even thought about blogging.  But, so much happened that I have to still share.
March:  Kaden did his Evaluation.  Poor boy was so nervous  and worried that he barfed all in the van.  Are you kidding me, I couldn't believe it.  I am one of those people that if I even hear or think I hear someone throwing up I will.  Or at least I will feel sick and dry heave.
So we cleaned him up and ran to Target to buy new clothes, yes it was that bad.  I almost needed to buy a whole new van.  But, thank God for older kids.  They can clean the mess up for you.  My kids have had to clean up barf since they hit about 2 years old or so.  I can handle when there little, but then I give them a bucket, some cleaner and a towel with a swift kick to close the door and I run for the hills.
So, he did pretty much what I thought he would do during the evaluation.  We were told to wait 6 weeks for the results.  That was the longest 6 weeks, but I knew the outcome anyway.  Dad still feels there is nothing wrong.  But, he doesn't see him, but 2 hours a night anyway.  So, I don't think his word will hold in court.  HAHAHAHAHA
March was filled with Mahala going to softball practice and games 4-5 days a week.  Spring Ball is a much needed activity to get her butt in gear.  It takes up a lot of her time, but it is much needed, she loves it.  Skylar worked on his duct tape prom suit and I helped with his dates dress.  I will post pics soon.  Between school, packing to move and all the other life stuff we started to get ready for Easter.  Eggs, dinner, church, celebration and baskets full of treats.
March was full and the promise of a great summer with warm weather loomed in the air most of the month.  April had some good times, but a lot of health complications ended up keeping me flat on my back.  And I'm not talking about sipping on lemonade swaying in the wind on a hammock.

Three Day Weekend

What a week...I'm happy it's Saturday and almost Sunday.  But, then that just leads us back to Monday now doesn't it?  Hmmmmm, can we just add an extra day to the weekends?  PLEEEEAASE!!!

Monday is Kaden's Big EVALUATION, so I am actually excited and looking forward to this Monday.  That makes me kind of feel guilty, because the Dr. said during his testing they are going to put him in uncomfortable situations and will push his limits to see how he will react.  OK, and I'm excited about this Dr. visit why, you may ask?  Well, I just need help, answers, guidance, conformation, can I say help again?  :-)  It's been over a month since he was diagnosed with some form of Autism.  We have noticed his different behaviors for 4 years.  It' just recently became more serious, less "cute" the past year or so.
After Monday we will have a better idea where on the Spectrum he is.  I think he has Asperger's, but I'm not a trained professional.  I can barely spell correctly.....HAHAHAHAHAHA  So, anyway I know I can't be in there with him, so that does make me a little uneasy.  I hope I can go through the whole 2 hours without running in and saving him.  Just kidding, I'm not going to do that, that's what I would do if I was crazy, right?  Don't read my last post if you haven't already!!!  ;-)  I'll update on Monday or Tuesday.
So, I'm going to make some mini burgers and homemade fries.  The Family LOVES when I make this weekend meal.  Talk Later.....

Hmmmmmmmmmmmm!

Neurologist said Autism Spectrum Disorder, hmmmmmmmmmmm.  He said we were lucky to have him.  That he was "Bill Gates" smart.  What does that honestly mean?  So then we went to a Psychologist and she is very excited to have our little man as a new client.  Would you say client or patient hmmmmmmm?  We have a special diagnostic test scheduled in a few weeks.  Hmmmmmmm......  What can I say at this point?  Nothing really except our little guy is driving us crazy, well more like we are experiencing confused frustration.  Am I making sense?  Probably not, I feel like I'm babbling.  That's why I like this  little corner of the world where I can babble and I don't have to "have" the answers or even pretend to have them. 
Anyway, I will write later.  After doing some more research I will update soon.

A is for Aspergers

It has been so long I feel drained just looking at the date of my "real" last entry.  I have missed being here so much it hurts.  It's like coming home after a long vacation.  The smell of piled up laundry on top of a mile long to do list, mixed with the remembrance of sandy beaches and an umbrella drink I can't even remember the name of.
Well, life has been many things for me lately and none of it came with a little umbrella.  But, I'm here now and I have so much to share.  I feel like a tea kettle that's been boiling for a few hours....days. 
Let me start with  complaining first.  It's always good to clear the air and let it all out.   My love bug Kaden is about to turn 5.  And we have had struggles with him for a long time.  I just pushed through and parented the best I could.  I never said a word about his behavior, just kept loving him.  And after a season of watching the show Parenthood I secretly thought to myself I wonder if Kaden has Aspergers.  This new season started and Kaden became more Kaden and I knew I needed to say something.  I talked with friends first and they all gave me the line, "he's 4 years old".  Yeah, a 4 year old that has been reading since he was 2, has an obsession with numbers and self taught himself multiplication by the time he was 4. Not to mention the amazing vocabulary and need for organization that he can not even enjoy himself.    The violent rages bring the whole family to tears, loud noises bring him to tears.  The constant counting and lack of expression from him has worn me thin.  No one sees this because I keep it to myself, I've never shared it even here in blogland.  Everyone thinks I'm lucky because he's so smart and advanced.  But, with that is a great responsibility that makes our family exhausted. 
My hardest part of the day is keeping him from getting so angry or upset that he hurts himself.  And keeping his brain challenged.  He reads 2nd and 3rd grade books and wants to learn division.  But, the problem is his maturity level.  Just because he can explain to me what enursha is and his favorite number is infinity, he is only 4 years old.
Back to the point, I talked with Thanh and he thought I was crazy, that he was just smart and a typical boy. So, I decided to take it up with the pediatrician.  He told me I should have told him a long time ago, not to question my judgment.  So, tomorrow we are going to a specialist.  My friends still think I'm crazy, but I have Thanh on board with me after spending 2 weeks at home over the Holidays.  He got to see first hand what it was like homeschooling 3 kids with our Sweet Kaden. 
I love him so much, I just want to give him the best start in life.  I need to learn how to discipline him without causing him to downward spiral. I want to know how to teach him how to thrive in life with this small speed bump.
I have been searching online for helpful websites.  And what has got me aggravated is how many sites took you to books to buy or websites you have to pay for for support and advice or discussion boards.  I was disappointed, because I'm desperate for help and in need of answers. 
Tomorrow I will have a new start, a new start for Kaden.  It's been a long, lonely road and I have a feeling it will still be long in our future, but not so lonely.