A Door is Peaking Open
Posted: Tue Oct 23, 2012 8:12 pm
We are in our 3rd week of HOD and the kids are really enjoying it. Our 6 yr old dd still has the attitude of "is that all I had to do today?" and loves the routine. She especially enjoys all the reading and artwork. Her confidence in reading is beginning to grow. We read the history reading assignment together each day. She reads the words that she knows or can sound out, then I read the passage again to her so that she can simply listen. She is loving those times.
Our 4 yr old ds is slowly making his way through the lessons. As I have stated before, I have to make some minor adaptations, but he is able to do most of the work. Over the past few days, I have been watching as the Lord is blessing us with a door that is now beginning to peak open. Like most children with classic autism, our ds is non-verbal. (1/3 to 1/2 of those diagnosed with classic/infantile autism never develop a workable communication through speech)
The amount of painting that we have been doing to work through his lessons is taking us to a new place. On days when he paints a lot, filling the small clothesline over our kitchen windows with paintings, his other areas of function seem to improve. For example, he is calmer and has no meltdowns the entire day. He is also beginning to communicate through the painting. When asked to paint a flower stem (he was painting the climbing roses that his sister was also doing as part of her schoolwork) he was able to do so without aid. It may seem like a minor thing, but it is actually a huge issue. The "professionals" who tested him thinks his cognitive level to be that of an 18 month to 2 yr old. He is 2.5 yrs behind in that diagnosis. So to have him paint the stems on his own was a big deal.
I am now looking at using his love of painting as a therapy tool. I would not have thought to do this so soon if it were not for the curriculum he is using. Anyways, I just wanted to share how this is helping.
Our 4 yr old ds is slowly making his way through the lessons. As I have stated before, I have to make some minor adaptations, but he is able to do most of the work. Over the past few days, I have been watching as the Lord is blessing us with a door that is now beginning to peak open. Like most children with classic autism, our ds is non-verbal. (1/3 to 1/2 of those diagnosed with classic/infantile autism never develop a workable communication through speech)
The amount of painting that we have been doing to work through his lessons is taking us to a new place. On days when he paints a lot, filling the small clothesline over our kitchen windows with paintings, his other areas of function seem to improve. For example, he is calmer and has no meltdowns the entire day. He is also beginning to communicate through the painting. When asked to paint a flower stem (he was painting the climbing roses that his sister was also doing as part of her schoolwork) he was able to do so without aid. It may seem like a minor thing, but it is actually a huge issue. The "professionals" who tested him thinks his cognitive level to be that of an 18 month to 2 yr old. He is 2.5 yrs behind in that diagnosis. So to have him paint the stems on his own was a big deal.
I am now looking at using his love of painting as a therapy tool. I would not have thought to do this so soon if it were not for the curriculum he is using. Anyways, I just wanted to share how this is helping.
