Some Cute Progress

Yesterday while picking up my babies from daycare, the teacher said she had something to show me. She made a "crawling" action with her fingers up Calen's right arm. She went all the way up to the back of his neck. He flinched and giggled. Then, she held her arm out and he repeated the same action!!!! I could have fallen over! I was so excited, I yelled out "I'm so proud of you!" and gave him a big hug and lots of kisses all over his face. He giggles when I do that. I am so happy for him.
I would recommend this daycare to anyone with a special needs child. They don't specialize in such care, but they do such a great job anyway. Calen gets one-on-one attention, too. I made a surprise visit to the school and saw him receiving special attention from his teacher. All the other kids in class were sitting at the table doing puzzles and my baby was in his favorite high chair with Nikki (teacher) right there at his side playing with his toy...a yellow school bus filled with little children. I am so pleased. The daycare is Just Kids on Kelsey Ave. (the street running beside Swamp John's). The owner is Lib Grissom. She has very low turn over. These young ladies have been working for her for at least 3 years.

I made a call to Lisa Highfield. She's the Special Ed. Coordinator. I left a message because no one was in the office. I'm waiting to hear about whether or not she will provide ABA therapy or at least training within Calen's class. This decision will affect our willingness to stay in this area. Huntsville schools send their children to the local ABA center (The Riley Center) at no cost to the parents. If Mrs. Highfield says no, then I'm moving Calen to another school. My friends are encouraging me to stay and fight for it. I would, but I already know that the other parents are acting as if they are afraid to stand up for their children. I would have no support, not that I need it. The main reason I'm saying no is because my son deserves the most help as soon as possible. I would be taking that away from him if I stay and fight. He could be getting therapy now rather than a year or two from now. This area is behind because it CHOOSES to be behind. Mrs. Highfield is a part of the Autism Coalition. There is no excuse for not having any active movements going to help our local autistic children. The way I see it, she should be sitting down with the parents of the special needs children and discuss the various options, such as diets. Muscle Shoals should be "the place to be" for autistic children locally due to her efforts, if any are made. Maybe I'm expecting too much or maybe there's some legal issue preventing her from doing certain things. I don't know. We need to ban together and attempt to get an ABA center here. Or even better...a center that provides various types/combinations of therapies for autistic children. There's not just ABA. I'm also still waiting on someone from Auburn to e-mail me. Their Autism Center has openings for 3 to 5 year old children. I'm interested in getting Calen in there, but if it costs money then I won't be able to. Right now, I'm looking toward Huntsville, Franklin Co, TN, as well as the town of Franklin, TN (right outside Nashville). If Mr. T is reading this, he will be glad to know that I've gotten the FAFSA and student loan paperwork in for Athens State and University of Alabama in Tuscaloosa for their online degree programs. Thanks for all your support. Kind words and encouragement can do wonders for a person feeling burdened. Now, no matter where we may have to move, I can still earn my degrees!

I have Calen on oral B-12, but Nancy Cale from GenerationRescue.org told me that injections work a lot better and get into the system quicker. I called my neighbor who is an RN and asked about numbing topical. When I had my gastric bypass, a nurse rubbed some numbing medicine on my hand when starting an IV on me. I didn't feel a thing. I was hoping my neighbor would know what this stuff was. She didn't know, but volunteered to come over anytime and help hold Calen down while the shot was administered. I said okay. She said that she knows of some numbing med but it would burn if I used it and then opened the skin with the needle.

I plan to order a gf/cf cookbook. I attempted to make some cookies for him but it turned out to be a crumbly cake. He ate it all up though! I think he misses that bread texture. I've also come up with a barbecue sauce that he can eat. It's my mom's recipe and all I had to do was change one ingredient...the ketchup

Gf/Cf Barbecue Sauce
2/3 cup Organic Ketchup
1 12oz can cola
minced onion to taste
minced garlic to taste
sea salt to taste
black pepper to taste

Mix all these ingredients into saucepan and allow to cook on medium heat for about 30 minutes. It will thicken as it cools. As for the cola, use Coke or Pepsi or any type of cola. Diet or regular, caffeine or caffeine-free...doesn't matter. DO NOT USE DR. PEPPER!!! All you will taste is Dr. Pepper. I use regular cola because Calen can't have the artificial sweetener in the diet drinks.

More Crying at Daycare

Yesterday, when I picked up my kids Calen's teacher told me that he was upset for most of the afternoon and they couldn't figure out why. I just called to check on him about an hour ago, and again, he's been crying "real tears" for most of the day according to Miss Lib (the owner). I'm very concerned about this. Either it's because of the lack of structure with the activities, or he doesn't feel good. I asked if he had a bowel movement today, and she told me no. I'm guessing he may be constipated again. I've made an appointment with Dr. Erica Crenshaw for this Thurday. I will also get her to check his ears again, too. If it is the constipation, then I will notify Dr. Kalb in TN to see what to do next. I'm thinking that the meds Calen's on may be working almost "too" well. He's had good normal (solid) bm's lately. I'm hoping it's not constipation. I'm very nervous right now.

I've ordered a few things from AllergyFoods.com yesterday. I plan to start baking my babies some cookies and breads. I even found a recipe for gf/cf cornbread! I had some baking powder from Aldi's but it has aluminum in it. Since I can't use what I have, I'll give it to my sis who loves to cook. I've got some without aluminum on the way. I also ordered him some choc sandwich cookies that look and taste like Oreos. He loves them!! I know my baby is probably sick of eating fruit. I want to put a lot more variation in his diet. That will take a lot more cooking and time on my part, but it will be well worth it for him. I'm also looking for other meals we can eat at home as a family. I don't want him eating his own "special" plate. There are a lot of meals that we can't eat at home anymore. But I'm working on that. I still haven't asked about the canned veggies yet. I will probably have to write myself a note or program my cell to remind me. This morning when I dropped him off, a little boy had a pop-tart on the table and Calen ran for it. He grabbed it, but I caught him just in time to keep him from eating it. I felt terrible because they're one of his favorite snacks. Here's a great website I found for recipes:
glutenfreecookingschool.com

Today, I looked in the yellow pages for speech therapists. Helen Keller has not called us yet, and the summer is almost over. Calen has gone all summer without any speech therapy. I hope this doesn't affect in a bad way when school starts next month. I will be so glad when it does. My baby really enjoys it. I still haven't talked to Mrs. Highfield about ABA therapy. If I can't get what my son needs from Muscle Shoals, then I will start looking to Huntsville. Even though I don't want to move there, I will do whatever it takes for Calen to get all the help he needs. Besides, it's only an hour away.
Kylia is doing a lot more mimicking of Calen's behaviors. I hate that, but she doesn't know any better. She's doing great with potty training too. I'm excited for her. I bought them a baby Einstein CD about counting to 5. They love it. Kylia enjoys it a little more, I think. She counted to 3 this morning while clapping her hands. I'm going to video what she does while watching to show.
There was talk at my job about switching to 10 hr shifts. That way we can come in 4 days a week and have an extra day off. They said it was to help out with gas. I wanted to add my name to the list, but in the end, it wouldn't be worth it. My evenings with my children will be practically taken away. Plus I have to get my son back and forth to school this fall, so I have to say no. I sure could use that extra day off though. It would help with doc appointments too. I would be able to work 40 hours and still get things done! I would also get a much needed day all to myself! But I can't for right now.
I've signed up for 2 colleges. I've signed up for UA majoring in Human Science. I also signed up for Athens State majoring in Management of Information Technology. It's nothing definite. I've still got to pay the app fees. I hope all turns out great with my education.
I'm also looking to buy natural foods. I'm alarmed at the news I heard that little girls were maturing at a much faster rate due to the hormones in meats. I have two co-workers with 4 year old daughters with a small amount of hair on their privates already! I hope I can stop Kylia from having to go through that.

No Money After All

I finally got a chance to go to the web site that Mrs. Binger sent to me. It is the one I referred to previously about getting up to $5000 for speech, occupational and physical therapy for Calen. Well, in order to qualify Calen must be covered under some type of COMMERCIAL insurance. If an applicant is covered under Medicare or Medicaid, they automatically don't qualify. I don't quite understand the concept in behind that. I was disappointed. The grant is through United Health Care. I will get on the phone today or Monday to find speech and occupational therapists that will accept Medicaid. Otherwise, my son will continue with absolutely nothing (accept the few activities I do with him) until school starts back in August. I'm hoping to get him and Kylia into the CP center in Sheffield during the school year. I don't know for sure about Kylia just yet. It will all work out somehow.

I need to make more things for him that will help his fine motor skills. I don't want to spend money on something I can make at home out of everyday things. I'm just not a very creative person when it comes to things like that. He really enjoys stringing things, so I bought some gluten-free penne at Wal-Mart and I have some old shoe strings. I haven't tried it yet, but I hope it works. I also want to get him things that link together. I want to do therapeutic things with him that BOTH the kids can enjoy and learn from. When I was telling the OT lady Calen used to see (Britta from Helen Keller) about how hard it was to spend some one-on-one time with Calen doing activities because Kylia tends to get a little jealous, she actually said that Kylia will just have to "get over it". Spoken like a true woman whose never raised children. I don't want to exclude one child or make one of my babies feel like the can't play with me and the other one. It breaks my heart to think of purposefully excluding one of my children when they want to join in. We're a FAMILY...we are ONE. I love my babies.

Late Night Fun

Yesterday after picking up the children, we went to Wal-Mart to pick up a few things. The kids are always pretty hungry when I pick them up, and having to go through the grocery section is torture. Everything they recognize, they reach for and begin to whine or even cry. Calen will scream and hit. I opened a bag of the Puff Corn for them to eat. I was so busy trying to hurry up and finish shopping so I can get home and cook them something that I wasn't paying close attention. Calen (with a small amount of help from Kylia) ate the ENTIRE bag!!! When we got home, I quickly mixed his medicines in his juice and he drank...and he drank...and he drank. Of course, he wouldn't touch his chicken, corn and mandarin oranges. Around 11pm, he woke up and began to whine a little. I was awake anyway. I was scared he was about to have an episode. I quickly realized he wasn't because he let me hold him and rub his head. He wouldn't lay down without me, so I let him lay his head on my arm. I could hear his tummy making noises, and I became a little worried. He began whining a little again then it happened....he vomited all over my arm, the pillow and the fitted sheet. I screamed! LOL I could actually smell that Puff Corn! It was gross, but I was glad he got that off his tummy. I cleaned up by wiping away excess, washing with warm soapy water and rubbing baking soda on the stain to absorb smell. Then, I covered it with a towel. He went right to sleep. I, on the other hand, was up until 2am. Kylia never even budged.

Calen recognizes McDonald's logo. We can pass by and if he sees it, he will start to kick and whine. When we pulled into the parking place at Wal-Mart, someone had left a McDonald's bag in the buggy next to our car. Calen actually saw the bag, recognized it, and began to whine and become upset because he was hungry. He LOVES their french fries. He can't eat much else from there, and I will not allow my kids to eat any fast-food burgers. If it comes to the restaurant raw, my children aren't allowed to eat it. When I was 18 years old, I heard about a 2 year old that died from food poisoning after eating a fast-food burger. I have never forgotten that. My point in all that is my son has made a new advancement...he has the ability to identify colors and shapes, I think. Regardless, I'm happy and proud. He's been getting oral b-12 and I'm still waiting on something to happen. What..I don't know. I've heard that injections have a better effect but I can't do it. I've heard that b-12 had made a huge difference in some children. I know that Calen has had a normal bowel movement for the first time in a very long time. It used to be extremely loose and very messy. Now it's more solid like it should be. I'm pleased at that. I just don't want him to become constipated. The bottle of magnesium glycerate he takes actually has a statement on the bottle saying that the medicine could cause a change in bowel habits and if that occurs, I should report that to the doc. Calen's on several different meds. He's been taking them for about a month now. He's on omega fish oil 3-6-9, peptizyde, b-12, multivitamins, magnesium glycerate and lactobaccillus acidophiles or something like that (a live strain requiring refrigeration). That last med is such a long word and I'm unable to spell it. All this aids in his digestion. Our next visit will result in a couple more meds for his digestion. I know one is Diflucan. I can't remember the other one. I've read that some children do so well while on these meds that they can actually go back to eating regular food and abandon the gf/cf diet! That would be such a major accomplishment in my house! That would also be about 100lbs of weight off my shoulders.
The daycare has been doing great with his diet as far a sticking to it. I've met them halfway by bringing meat for his meals since everything they have on hand is processed, and that's a no-no for Calen. For his breakfast, I buy Wal-Marts precooked bacon strips. The hickory smoked flavor is the best. 30 seconds in the microwave and they come out perfectly crisp. I checked the ingredients to make sure the bacon was safe to eat, and in big bold letters the most beautiful words I could have ever hoped for...GLUTEN-FREE. I also buy Jimmy Deans precooked saugsage patties. Again, a few seconds in the microwave and they come out delicious. They also make turkey sausage that tastes great!
I've tried finding some precooked meat for him to enjoy for lunch, but so far I haven't been able to find anything. The meats are all coated with ingredients that he can't have. So I prepare his food ahead of time, when possible. I take care of the meat, and the daycare takes care of veggies and fruit. I bake him some chicken tenders (Aldi's - $5.99/bag). These tenders are raw and the perfect size for my kids. I have a cabinet full of McCormick's spices. They use only 100% ground spices. Some other kinds use fillers derived of wheat to prevent clumping. McCormick's doesn't, so I have a cabinet that is well-stocked with various seasonings. I bake the chicken and I flavor it up real good so he'll eat it. I also buy Talapia from Aldi's ($5.99/bag) to bake. The kids LOVE it! I also buy Wal-Mart's Philly steak to include beef in his diet. I thought the meat was precooked for some reason. I was disappointed to see that it was raw when I opened the pkg. But I seasoned it up and cooked it, and the kids love it! It took maybe 10 minutes.

My sister was watching "How it's Made". It's a program that shows how various things are made. She saw an episode where they showed how canned veggies were made. She informed me that the veggies are cooked INSIDE the can! I don't like the sound of that because metals can get into the food and into our bodies. That is especially not good for Calen. I used to cook on aluminum foil to keep from having to scrub pans, and Mrs. Binger told me to stop that RIGHT NOW. As the food cooks, the aluminum actually cooks into the food and gets into our bodies. I only use glass cookware now. I also went out and bought an iron skillet. That brought back memories as a child helping my mom cook! Anyway, I plan to ask the DAN! doc in TN about Calen eating canned veggies. I will switch to fresh if need be. I will also make sure I find somewhere that will sell organic veggies. That will be added to my extremely long list of things to do around the house for the weekend...cook veggies and feeze them for later. Whatever my baby needs I will see to it that it gets done.

I also discovered the ease of cooking with fresh herbs. My sis, Amy, is a good cook. She's the one who told me about it. She went with me and we bought fresh parsley and cilantro. I baked some chicken with it and WOW! The kids loved it too. It made a difference. Now the trick is to try to get some veggies in my son. Kylia eats hers with no problem, but Calen is another story. He loves Glory collard greens, but they have vinegar and he can't have that! I'm working on it. It can get pretty frustrating sometimes in the evening. Both of them hungry, and I've got 15 different things to do plus cook. I've tried giving them a snack to tie them over but it resulted in no dinner being eaten. I can't remember what I gave. Sometimes, I wish I had someone to do the cooking for me. I've been trying to cook ahead of time, so that things will be easier and it makes a huge difference. It takes effort, but it pays off. I love being a mom. It's a challenge, but man...it's worth it!

Calen's Potty Training

I had to take Calen to the doc last week (can't remember what day). The teacher at his daycare called to tell me that he's been crying all morning since I dropped him off. He would cry and scream, then he would calm down and stop for a minute. After almost a minute, she stated he would "flinch" and start to scream and cry again. He wouldn't allow anyone to touch him. It sounded like one of the nighttime episodes that he used to have. I couldn't understand why he was having one during the day. He hasn't eaten anything that he shouldn't have. The only thing that had been done different was the new oral b-12 I had given him that morning. It was supposed to be given under the tongue, but instead he wiggled and the drop landed ON his tongue. I wondered if the medicine went to his stomach and upset it. I contacted the pharmacy in B'ham where the medicine came from (Wellness Pharmacy) to see if that was the case. The tech told me no. So I thought maybe his ears were bothering him. It also could be the untold amount of dirt he was allowed to eat at the other daycare. I took him to the doc, and the nurse practitioner told me he felt a knot in Calen's tummy. He thought constipation was bothering him, and prescribed some medicine to help him use the bathroom. 3 weeks after catching Calen eating dirt at the other daycare, he was STILL pooping dirt! I was terrified. After giving him the medicine, he's done better. The teacher at his school and I have kept a close eye on his poop. I'm so thankful to say I haven't seen anymore of it! Praise God!!!

I've still not called Lisa Highfield to see if she's contacted the Behavioral Center in Huntsville to see about sending a therapist to Calen's school. The therapist would train his teachers in ABA therapy. They won't be certified after training, and the training would be continuous, and would center more and more on Calen. I would like to see all the children benefit from this, but in a selfish thought, since I'm the only parent pushing for it, my son should be the only one centered in it. I hope that doesn't sound terrible. If she refuses to go along with my plan, then I will be considering moving to Huntsville. The school system there sends their kids to the very behavioral centers I've spoken of at no cost to the parents! I just hate to leave the job I have because they have been so understanding about all the times I've had to miss work. I've had to come in late and leave early.
As for the occupational therapy, I've been sitting with him and doing some of the same activities they did at the sessions. I haven't been able to spend the time that I would like though. Plus, Kylia gets in the way alot. I have to try to include her and it becomes too much.

I also haven't called Greenhill Books about joining a natural food co-op. My to-do list is starting to grow. I've been so busy with working and when I get the kids to sleep, I'm usually asleep myself.

Mrs. Binger is the sweet mom from Huntsville who's been too kind in helping me along the way. We communicate via e-mail. She sent me a site to go to so I can apply for a grant to get Calen money for speech, occupational and physical therapies. I still haven't gotten to that either. I feel rotten for that, too. But there is hope! I also received info about a grant that would pay for costs of conventions! A person will be awarded only so much money per year.

My biggest thing right now is potty training both my children. Kylia is doing better than Calen. I can tell her to take her diaper off and go potty and she will sit on the potty. I have to keep her on the potty though. She will sit there for only a minute. I've had success in the morning before she has her first pee pee. I caught her trying to poop so I told her to sit on the potty and poop. She did. Calen is a different story. He will get upset if I try to make him sit on the potty. I don't know what to do with him. It has been more than difficult. If I had a nickle for every time a mom told me to drop a cheerio in the toilet and tell him to pee on it...it doesn't work that way with him and I have a hard time getting some to understand. To him, it's something to eat and he will reach into the toilet and attempt to get the Cheerio so he can eat it. I hope to get Kylia trained soon. That will be one down, and less money for diapers. On a sentimental note, I will be sad to see my baby wearing "big girl panties". I've enjoyed the times I share with her while changing her diaper. When she was tiny, I would sing to her and tickle her to make her giggle. I still do that, but now I sing the ABC song. She also loves "I'm a little teapot.." She sings along with me!! It's so cute. I can't ever get it on video because when I try, she stops singing and she focuses on my phone. I tear up at the memories...

On a more personal note, I've been going through some depression. I think I'm trying to reach too many goals at once. I don't mind much because it keeps me going so I don't have time to sit down and be alone with my thoughts. Sometimes, I miss their dad even though he doesn't care about us. I miss him because I wish I had someone to go through this with me. I admit that I feel quite lonely at times. If only he had the love for us to be the man we need him to be...that isn't ever going to be.
Sometimes, I think about college and past decisions...lots of different things. I'm glad to say I have no regrets because each decision I made, whether good or bad, lead me to having my 2 children.

Sometimes, I try to imagine what Calen would be like without the autism. That makes me the most sad. I felt as though I was wishing he was different or something. I'm trying to grow my hair long again, and I've been unsuccessful for a year now. I have a nervous habit of pulling and twisting my hair resulting in severe breakage. Lately, I wake myself up pulling my hair. I wake up in a pile of broken hair all over my pillow. I've went so far as to take Biotin to help my hair and nails and by a scarf to tie around my head when I'm not at work. That has helped quite a bit, but now I'm making up for it at work! I do it without realizing I'm doing it. I plan to get a surgical cap to go with my scrubs so I can stop my hair pulling at work without wearing that scarf. The scarf is not something to be worn outside of the house...especially to work.

I'm also a little down because a lot of my coworkers are taking vacations with their husbands/boyfriends and children. The lady I share my office with is going to Panama City with her boyfriend. My family and I can't do that. I've used all my vacation time getting the kids back and forth to doc appointments and taking care of them when they were sick. I could use a week off work. I used to travel a lot. Now, not so much. When I go out of town, it's not for pleasure. My children's dad and I used to take trips together quite a bit. My favorite is when we made a few trips to Tunica. I guess I'm feeling a little envious and lonely right now. I'll get over it.
My recent goal was to have plastic surgery. I had my gastric bypass in April 2004. I've lost 120lbs. I have excess skin on my midsection. I went to see Dr. Michael Yates in Huntsville for a consultation. I was told during a class for my gastric bypass that Blue Cross will pay for tummy tucks and breast lifts after weight loss surgery. That is no longer so. I have to pay for it myself. Dr. Yates says I need a lower body lift which will cost $16,000. Needless to say, my dreams of were shattered. It's not only the horrible way I look, but the fact that this extra skin actually hurts my back. It pulls me forward and is very uncomfortable.
I will end this entry because this is starting to sound like a pity party or just a bunch of complaining. That's not my intent. GOD IS WITH ME AND MY BABIES. HE GUIDES ME. HE GIVES ME STRENGTH. AMEN.

Daycare Termination

On June 10, 2008 I received a call from shoals preschool academy stating that Calen has had four episodes of diarrhea and he needs to be picked up. The one who contacted me is the owner's assistant names joanne. I asked why he had to be picked up and she stated that it was their policy. When I arrived, I asked to see the policy book, and of course, they could not find it. She claims to have checked his temp and he had a low-grade temp of 99. I asked for the thermometer to check it myself. With attitude, she brought me the thermometer, and sure enough, his temp had risen to 99.9. So I took him home. I let my daughter stay the rest of the day. I spent some one on one time with Calen. I took him to the park and let him swing, then we came home and I brought his bike that he got for Christmas outside and I pushed him all over the yard. When I went to the daycare to pick up my daughter, the owner sent his flunky joanne to ask me to stop by his office. I did. He claimed that after speaking with Elva Gardner (her last name is actually Garza) advised him that since Calen is a special-needs child and the daycare is just a general daycare and not equipped to deal with special needs children, care for Calen should be terminated. I asked him for the name and number to this worker so I can speak with her myself, and this man refused to give me her number. He said: "I was going to be nice and let Calen stay here a few extra days so that you can find somewhere else for him to go, but if you want to speak with her or the State about this then today will have to be Calen's last day." That let me know that he hasn't spoken with anyone about my son. He also stated that his staff was "too incompetent" to care for Calen. I was nice enough to inform several of his staff members of his comment. I called my good friend, Ashley, with Tuscumbia DHR. I left a message to request that she help me get Mrs. "Gardner's" phone number. I also contacted my supervisor at her home and told her the situation. I was unsure how long I was going to be off work due to this situation. I couldn't have asked for a more understanding supervisor. God knew what He was doing when He gave me this job.

Wednesday (the next day)
Ashley called me first thing this morning with the phone number and the correct name. I contacted Mrs. Garza's office right away and left a voice message. I also received a call from the Wee Care daycare with the United Cerebral Palsy Center. They only do a 6-week class during the summer and they pretty much follow city schools schedules. I may be able to get him in for the Fall for after school care. I contacted Lib Grissom with Just Kids. I've let my daughter stay there before. She runs a good clean daycare with very low employee turnover. Mrs. Grissom let me know that she had room for my babies, and they can start the next day. I also contacted the State and filed another complaint about how Calen was fed since they went against the doc's order's. That's a big no-no! I also let them know that my son was terminated by the owner. I stopped by shoals preschool academy again to pick up my children's stuff and to get the snake to sign transfer papers. He had the nerve to state "You're pulling Kylia out too, huh? That's a totally different attitude than yesterday." I stated, "I don't want my children to be cared for by an incompetent staff". With that being said he just mumbled "whatever" and walked out. I had to sign some papers stating that my children's care was being terminated. I put that care was terminated by the owner at the top of Calen's paper. I told the flunky to make me copies of these. She went into the snakes's office and he comes out and tells me that DHR will not allow him to make copies of papers to give to parents. When I called the state and asked was that true, she said that it's not true, but as long as the transfer papers were correctly filled out and signed then I shouldn't worry about it. He was just being difficult.

Thursday (today)
I took the kids to the new daycare this morning. Calen seemed to not mind exploring the new surroundings. The teachers seemed genuine about wanting to know about Calen's needs. Also, I ran into my baby sister, Tameka, dropping off her son Reese! We were glad to see each other. Kylia and Reese love to play together. They will be in the same class. I'm just concerned about Calen. I called to check on him and his teacher said he is doing fine. Mrs. Garza called me back. She let me know that she DID NOT talk to the snake (which I already knew). She is also working to get Calen in a daycare in Muscle Shoals that cares for special-needs kids. She is a wonderful lady. She is very nice and was surprised that the snake would lie on her like that. I'm hoping she contacts him to let him know that I found her. So far, things are going fine. The shoals preschool's owner is Ron Harden. He has lied about several things regarding the State's policies. There is no telling how many parents he has snowed with his crap. I would love to call him and say some ugly things to him, but God can handle him in a way that I can't so I will leave it all up to Him.

No More Therapy

As of yesterday, June 5, 2008, the occupational therapist, Britta Hughes, told me that she feels Calen's not ready for structured therapy, and she is terminating his sessions. I was not surprised. After removing Calen from the distractions, he still intentionally dropped his toys on the floor, and did not cooperate with her. I agree with terminating the sessions with HER, but not with the statement "not ready for structured therapy". I plan on contacting his pediatrician today to see if there is another provider of speech and occupational therapies because as of now, he isn't receiving anything. One difference I noticed right away: when the sessions first began, an intern named Luke was working with Calen. Calen responded very well. The change in Calen's behavior didn't appear until Luke left. He graduated. I will see about finding Calen a male therapist. I actually feel a bit of relief due to high gas prices and having to leave work. The constant "go" has slacked some. But Britta was kind enough to give me her phone number and invite me to call her anytime to get ideas on activities we can do at home to work on his fine motor skills. I plan to do activities that include my daughter, and will emphasize turn-taking and sharing with each other. This can be a good thing actually. Britta was a bit impatient and never had kids. It's past time for her to retire. Luke was great and I wish he was Calen's regular therapist.

The battle continues with his daycare. I spoke with the owner yesterday on the phone. He is real piece of "work". He told me that he will call the State to find out some information about Calen being on the nutritional program. He stated that if it became too difficult to properly feed Calen, then the State would kick him off the food program, and I would have to provide all his meals. So I decided that he can't make a phone call that I can't make myself. I called the State's Daycare Division and again spoke with Mrs. Richards. She gave me the number to the Food Nutrition Division. There, I had the pleasure of speaking with Traci Person. She consulted her supervisor, James Peoples. I was informed that Calen will NOT be kicked off the program, and the daycare MUST comply with the doctor's note on Calen's file. The owner was concerned about reimbursement for Calen's meals (off all things to be concerned about when the whole thing is about my son's health). I was told that the daycare WILL be paid for his meals. She also was kind enough to fax information straight from the Minimum Standards guide concerning meals. I informed Mrs. Person that my son is autistic resulting in this diet and after noticing some improvement, the diet was endorsed by his pediatrician. What she sent to me was a huge help. When I dropped my babies off at the daycare, I made a sign for Calen's classroom door, and I made another with my phone number on it for the kitchen. Here's the kicker: a note I had made before was ALREADY UP in the kitchen. Well now they have 2 notes. Mrs. Person told me that if they mess up again or say that they cannot provide the indicated diet for Calen, that I should call back and let them know. That is considered a "deficiency". All this has to go on because of 2 dim-witted staff members and an owner who seems to only be concerned about getting paid. The owner was pushing for me to bring his snacks, and I refused. I told him to serve my son fruit. They had the nerve to say that they were concerned about him eating too much fruit. So I guess the crackers was supposed to be better??? I have a concern about my son eating too much junk food for snack if that's the case. But my point is this: a parent can decide to provide their child's meals but it must be in writing and included in the child's file. Had I just said "okay" to this idiot and provided meals and snacks, I would be paying out-of-pocket for his meals and the owner probably wouldn't even report it to the State. Therefore, he would still get paid for food he isn't serving!! Not to be graphic, but he can put his penis away because he is not screwing with me! LOL
Please check out the web site for the States Minimum Standards
www.dhr.state.al.us
check out page 30