My Journey

School's good so far

2011-11-20T22:20:00.001+08:00

This update is long overdue.

I've been busy with errands and projects. I'm also very tired having to drive on average 3 hours a day just transporting him to and from school. I'm praying for a good helper once my current one completes her contract because I'd rather do without a helper than to have another one like her again.

My son is enjoying school very much. He really likes his teacher, whom I think is great (not perfect, but still great). She has been very supportive and sees his abilities first before his disabilities. She is very approachable and answers whatever questions I have, whether about him or about the curriculum.

I've seen her in action in class (I volunteered to put up some decorations, and also during an Open Morning they had) and like the way she achieves the learning objectives. Her lessons are interesting, a lot of fun and definitely promotes learning.

I dont think I can say that for some of the other subjects that she doesn't teach (e.g. BM). There's such an obvious difference in teaching methods/delivery between a local teacher (think kebangsaan school) and her.

She reckons my son is about average academically compared to his peers. "Average" is pretty good for me, given that he does have special needs, and that he is being compared to others who are pretty smart (the school's entrance assessment seives out the "good" ones).

It's hard work trying to keep him "average" especially now because there's just so little time left in a day after he comes home from school. Also, the literacy and numeracy curriculum for Year 1 seems to cover quite a lot of areas and I'm honestly struggling to support him in those areas at home.

I'm struggling to fit in the therapies he needs, the swim class, his free playtime, his music class, his maths enrichment class and homework. One reason I preferred an International school is because there's very little homework compared to a Kebangsaan or Chinese school. For Year 1, there's just a weekly English spelling test, a weekly reading book which the teacher assigns, one library book a week which he chooses, and ad hoc projects.

Social wise, he seems to be a hit among some of the girls in his class. They've probably fallen for his cuteness (chubby cheeks and mannerism) and usually assist him with this or that, without him asking, and sometimes without him needing their assistance.

I've also created various "social opportunities" for him in ad-hoc show and tell sessions. I do it in the hope of boosting his self-confidence, to get him to talk, to get others to talk to him, to get others think he's "cool" etc. Sneaky? Maybe. But I think it's worked.

Teacher says that he's one of their "smilers"... a child who's often smiling. She says that he often has a friend with him and seldom alone.

In the first two weeks of school, I saw for myself how kids come up to him to see what he's drawing on his personal whiteboard and interact with him from there, before class starts proper. It was so heart warming to see that for myself, that I almost cried. In the first two weeks of school, it felt like I was walking on sunshine. Seriously happy. He had settled down so fast and so well that it was beyond my wildest dreams. God is so great!

This does not mean it's been perfectly smooth all the while. There are many areas I need to continue working on with him, and areas which I've yet to figure out how to help him. Kids at that age do not necessarily see the disabilities. They love to help. That's what my friend who has special needs kids (in a different international school) had told me, and I do see that it's true. But she said that things change as the kids grow older and more mature in thinking, in interests, etc.

I've met most, but not all the parents of his classmates. I made it a point to befriend them, yet I am cautious on not revealing his disabilities. At this point, they probably do not know of his disabilities, but may have picked up on some odd things about him. Two mums have asked his age.

I also made it a point to be helpful to the teacher in small and not so small ways. It's not that I'm currying favour (it doesn't work that way with caucasians usually). It's just that if the teacher needs help, and then gets that help, then I think she'll be less tired and stressed and be a better teacher for the kids.

There's lots more that I can write about (especially about his frequent colds/runny nose in Sept & Oct!) but it's getting late. My alarm clock is permanently set at 5.20am. Leaving the house 5-10 min late makes a big difference. Getting a good night's rest means I'm less grouchy and impatient and less likely to doze off on the road in the afternoons.

So while my son seems to have settled down well, I'm still trying to find an equillibrium. I know that I cant achieve everything I wish to do. I know that I still need a good helper. I know that I still need a lot of support - from my husband, from my sister, from his teachers (school and those outside school), from his therapist. Most of all, I cant do it without God (I forget that sometimes, and often fall flat on my face). Oh yes, I also need to schedule some "me time", on a regular basis instead of fitting in everything else first. : D

First day of primary school

2011-09-05T12:02:00.000+08:00

Today is my son's first day at primary school so it certainly deserves a post on my blog!

He was a bit nervous this morning when I changed him into his new school uniform. He said that he wasn't big enough yet (to attend "big boy" school) and that he'd only wear it for a short while and then have it taken off!

I told him that it's ok to be nervous. I told him that I was nervous too when I started school. I gave him a hug and carried him for a little while to assure him. Then I distracted him by asking him to draw while I went to get changed myself. He didnt cry or get clingy.

We were ready to leave the house by 7am. That's a record! In order to achieve that and not be overly stressed, I woke at 5.30 (to make soft boiled eggs...and to wake my helper up-sigh) while he woke just before 6am.

The exit off the highway leading to his school was incredibly jammed. Luckily my husband had taken the day off to drive us there. I think I'll have to leave the house around 6.50am tomorrow!

At the assembly hall, he was able to sit in the line with his class. But he was clearly nervous, turning to look at me to make sure I was still around. I'm very glad he was able to sit with the rest while the principal made a very short announcement.

Parents were allowed to walk the kids to the class on the first day. He held my hands very tightly. The other 6 new kids in his class walked by themselves.

At his class, I showed him where to place his backpack and water bottle. Then ushered him quickly into his class to join the rest who were already seated on the floor. He was alright. He didnt cry. He found a place to sit in front of the group.

We stayed around the school compound for a while after that. There was a long queue at the bookshop so by the time I finished, it was quite near their snack time.

I didnt want my son to see me, so I kept my distance when they came out to the canteen. My husband went to take a closer look at him and realised that he didnt insert the straw into the UHT milk packet and no one came to help him.

I will have to communicate with the teachers to explain his fine motor difficulties and ask for their help. I will also have to see what the tailor can do to alter his shorts which are a bit loose for him (the smaller size was too small for him).

All in all, he seemed ok. He seemed happy walking with his class down to the canteen. He was happy during the short play time (after snack, and before the end of break time).

A friend seemed to be explaining to him something (perhaps where to place his water bottle during play time) and I was happy to see that. Maybe they had assigned the more experienced kids (most kids continued on from Reception into Year 1) to help the new kids.

We left shortly after the kids assembled to head back to class after break. Actually, we were asked to leave a few times this morning but we stuck around! There were just a handful of parents whose kids were also new and in Year 1, who stayed back. In a way it was nice to know that there are a few other mums who were also worried about their sons.

I'll be driving there shortly after lunch to pick him up. I'll probably leave very early to avoid a possible traffic jam (I'll be driving myself as my husband's sick). I hope to be able to speak to the teacher to find out how he was, her concerns, and to ask for help with inserting straw into his packet drinks.

I'm quite tired and my body aches. Hadn't slept well the past two nights having had strange dreams and nightmares. It felt like I was the one attending a new school! I must have been nervous myself but tried very hard not to show it, to avoid my son picking up on my body language. I was very worried about not waking up on time so I had been using 2 alarms (a conventional alarm clock and my handphone!) the past few days to train myself to rise early.

I'm very happy that his first day went well. It's a big achievement for him, a major milestone, the beginning of a new chapter.

Photos

2011-08-25T01:12:00.000+08:00

I fell asleep putting my son to sleep tonight, and then woke up a few hours later with my heart beating very fast. It's not unusual for that to happen. But I think because I'm nervous about him starting school very soon, it takes a longer time for me to calm down. I end up with a somewhat disruptive sleep pattern and it's happening quite frequently lately.

Anyway, here I am on my blog. I'm too tired to write a proper post, so I'm posting a few recent photos instead.

I took these photos on 25th July. That's the book he was given to read as weekend homework. It was the 3rd weekend that he was assigned books from Stage 6 of the Oxford Reading Tree series.

Playing football with other kids at his classmate's birthday party.

I absolutely love clear blue skies! Captured this after a session at Desa Park City on Sun, 17th July. I think it was one of the first times that we were there with Milo boy & his mum.

I got him to try on his new uniform, for size, earlier this week. Is he admiring himself in the mirror? LOL

His progress update

2011-08-23T00:08:00.000+08:00

I've not written about his progress for quite a long time now. So, this post will cover quite a few areas, with just a short description on each area.

While reading what I've written below, please bear in mind that I'm not a kiasu mum. The academic side that I'm working on with him is to gear him towards independence, as is everything that I do with him. I want him to be strong and quick in maths so that he doesnt get cheated in his daily life later. He has to be able to read. He still has to be able to write legibly even though things are more electronic based nowadays. The importance of self care and social skills development are obvious. Learning to swim is part of being safe.

Reading
I no longer have time to read with him or have him read aloud, on a daily basis. I know that goes against the advice of reading experts and teachers. But for the past few months, self care skills have taken a higher priority. Thankfully he brings home a book to be read every Friday which forces it to be done at least on a weekly basis.

I'm extremely thankful that he's still quite strong in this area. He's at Stage 6 of the Oxford Reading Tree Reader Series, where there are about 4 lines or 4 sentences per page and about 20 pages in a book. He can read the entire book in one sitting with minimal help from me. Last Friday, he brought home a Poem book about clocks and I think he enjoyed it.

A friend had recently presented him with the Disney Pixar Cars Storybook Collection. It's a very thick book, over 200 pages. It's A4 sized with more than half the page filled with words. He was excited about the gift that he easily read the first page (about 12 lines) aloud, with minimal help from me. He loves Cars, the movie, so that was a big motivating factor.

Handwriting
His writing has definitely improved comparing it in March 2011, and now. His handwriting practice comes in the form of practising his spelling and ejaan (homework) for about 5 days a week. He's motivated to write nicely because he gets rewarded with stickers. Thank goodness stickers still work on him!

But when I check his school BM workbook, his handwriting is horrible! I'm not sure whether it's because he was tired or he's in a hurry to complete it or the height of the school chair and table are unsuitable.

I just bought his Year 1 school books today. I've more work coming up. I've to start teaching him joined writing (cursive). Sigh.

Maths
He scored well on the previous test and continued on to the next module at the maths place. I make simple handwritten worksheets for him to practice on. Sometimes I wish the class would stop for a week or so, so that I can have a break. It's not hard for him, but I've to keep going on and on and on.

They've started to introduce the concept of multiplication, through skip counting by 2s. Next week will be skip counting by 5s and 10s. I would like to build a strong foundation for multiplication so I'll build on this slowly over the next few months.

The next few lessons are easy for him so I plan to teach him other concepts that weren't covered or that was presented in a different way in his Year 1 workbooks or that I know he's not strong in. I find it strange that he's not strong with the "before" concept. He can tell me what month comes after say, June, or what day comes after Tuesday. But he cant tell me what comes before.

Taking a shower and towelling dry
I've to keep reminding him to be quick and not play with the water, to be quick in towelling so that he doesnt catch a cold, but he's generally progressing well here. He cant yet reach his back to soap up or to dry off properly.

This area took on a high priority because he will have swimming lessons as part of his PE curriculum in school. It includes reminding him to keep his clothes that he has changed out of (or it might get lost/mixed up amongst all the other kids' clothes and bags). I've not found a suitable container for his shower gel to be used in school, which is leak proof and yet easy enough for him to open. Details, details! It's tiring doing so much thinking.

Putting on his T-shirt, shorts and underwear
After months of teaching him one way to put on his T-shirt, I recently had to teach him another way as he wasn't progressing in the previous way. Some T-shirts are easier for him to remove than others. He's fine with putting on and taking off his shorts and underwear. It gets put back on crooked sometimes, but hey, it's on! He can't tuck in his shirt, so I hope teachers dont give him too much grief about it.

Putting on his socks and shoes
Thankfully, I finally found suitable black leather boys shoes that are of a design for "office wear", that have velcro, that he can easily get in and out of by himself, and fairly quickly. It took 4 afternoons of going shop to shop in different malls. I'm not even going to get started on finding suitable slippers for wearing to the pool.

He struggles with putting on socks. His fingers arent strong enough to stretch the socks. He struggles with balancing and co-ordinating his body, arms, legs, foot to get the socks on. He yanks them off easily though.

Buttoning
Ah, a major source of stress for both of us. I started this activity with him months ago, using a purpose made vest (thanks Fe!) and big buttons. He was doing fine. But time snuck up on us and I had to quicken his progress. He finally got so frustrated with it last week that he cried (not just whine, but tears rolled out). I had to let this one go...for now. I've thought of alternatives but we'll just have to see how receptive the teachers are when he starts school.

Feeding himself
He's progressed well enough to not starve in school. He has yet to learn to use the fork to avoid making a huge mess. He has to learn to cut up his food (fingers not strong yet). He has to learn to take a break from chewing for the 15 minutes that he's gobbling up the food, and then to continue feeding himself after the break. Otherwise, he doesnt get enough.

Colouring
He has very recently taken an interest to colouring, which is great. But he uses his bigger arm muscles to colour instead of his finer hand and finger muscles, so it's still very immature. I'm not stressed by it at all as it's low in my priority. I'm just happy he wants to do colour.

So on Sunday, I bought a Disney Pixar Car magic colouring book. Using the special magic colour pens that comes with it, you colour on the fabric book, and when done, you can just wash the entire book and recolour again. To some kids, that might seem a total waste of effort but I sold him the idea that it's special and cool!

Drawing
He loves to draw lots and lots of trucks. Dump trucks, trucks carrying soil, cement mixers, container trucks... He started off with just plain trucks and over the months evolved to a variety of trucks.

Again, this is not high priority but I do want him to be better at drawing cos it'll be needed in science and other subjects.

Lacing
Bought a new lacing set in the theme of cute animals. I hadnt done lacing with him for quite a long time, so I was very happy that he has progressed (through other activities), and that he now likes doing it. He still needs help in remembering which way to thread it through, to pull it tight etc, but it's progress nonetheless.

Lego building
I bought some sets from the Lego City series which involve vehicles. I "release" parts of it from the box over a few months. So far we've built a fuel tanker, a repair truck (bucket truck), fire truck with long ladder, and a police buggy. He's doing well in following the assembly booklet but needs help with the fiddly flat pieces or single knob pieces. About 2 weeks ago, he surprised me by being able to fit the legs and body of a policeman by himself, and then his head. I helped with the cap.

Cycling
We resumed cycling shortly after my surgery but stopped again about 2 weekends ago. He can cycle at a faster speed, and for a longer duration. He can cycle mostly by himself twice round the Desa Parkcity lake. He needs help with getting up the steep bridge, and some slopes. Today, he surprised me by being able to squeeze on the brakes tight enough to control his descent.

Gait training

Fezia, his therapist is doing a great job on this. The aim is to correct his gait (longer strides, heel toe motion, arms down and swinging). Also aiming to strengthen his muscles, and stamina (slight gradient, slightly faster speed etc)
Social skills
He has made a new friend recently (I shall call the boy, Milo boy, for his love of iced Milo!). We shall be meeting up with Milo and his mum, on a more regular basis, at the park or other activities.

Oral motor
I've managed to slot in a few minutes a day, on a regular basis, for him to blow bubbles, and to suck from crazy straws to strengthen the muscles around the lips. After just a week, I've seen improvements - he can drink from a soft straw without biting on it.

Swimming
It's going to be a long journey, this one. He has difficulty doing both blowing and kicking at the same time. It's also difficult kicking while keeping his knee straight, and keeping his mouth closed underwater. But I'm definitely happy with his progress after 4 lessons in the first two weeks of Aug. He didnt attend last week and wont be this week either due to his cold.

He can now stick his head underwater and blow bubbles. He can "swim" a very very short distance from the instructor to me (teacher pushes him towards me while his whole body is submerged). It's not swimming in the true sense of course, but that's how the teacher boosts his confidence. He's brave in the face of being challenged more ever so slightly each lesson.

He loves being in the company of other kids during the lesson. Group learning has helped him in that he tried to copy what the others are doing. The other kids are competent swimmers. He absolutely loves racing with them, with my help of course.

I'm sure there are other areas of improvement that I've not covered but I'm really tired and it's late. Feeling happy to have got it all written down. My mind feels a bit lighter.

How am I?

2011-08-22T22:37:00.000+08:00

I've been very silent on my blog for the past few weeks and not as regular at writing posts the past few months.

After my surgery, I had been very tired. What I had thought was a minor surgery, while not major, was not as minor as I had expected. I still have a slightly infected wound that's taking its time to heal.

So after resting lots in July, there was a backlog of errands to be done in Aug. I've tried to set my own boundaries (by listening to my own body and resting when I need to) so as not to fall sick but when it comes to helping my son progress, I cant seem to slow down much.

I have also been very nervous about my son starting at the new big boy school. I'm not worried about his academic side. I'm concerned about his self care skills. So from a few months ago, after getting through the assessment, my focus had been on improving his self care skills. While some aspects of that has seen improvement which I'm happy about, there are still others that need more practice.

More recently, I had felt rather unsupported and lost.

I wished that I didnt always have to be the one to drive him to music class or maths class or to the park for cycling. It's tiring to always be thinking about my son from thinking of cooking nutritious food that he likes, to whether he's had his vitamins for the day, to how to squeeze in yet another activity, to reprioritising his activities, to managing his time for a shower, for getting to swim class on time, for getting to bed on time, to finding the right pair of school shoes, to whether he's had his antihistamine and aerochamber (yes, he's sick again).... it's endless.

I wished that I too could go off on an overseas vacation all by myself and yet rest assured that all his needs and household matters are taken care of. Well, I can but dream.

One thing's for sure - I am slowly changing. I'm slowly learning to set my limits and take care of myself. I'm slowly learning to let go of things I can't change like my sister's disability. I'm slowly learning that there are consequences to reprimanding my helper in front of my son, and thus learning to deal with her at a later time.

I'm yet again learning to enjoy my son for who he is right now. He is growing up fast. He starts Year 1 in two weeks' time. He has achieved much. I love his smile. I love his determination. I love to "cradle" him in my arms now and tell him how tiny he was as a baby.

He loves me a lot, or in his own words (on different occasions): "I love you soo soo soo soo much, you know that? I love you forever and ever and ever and ever and ever. I love you in the morning and at night. I love you even when I'm angry with you (that's an echo of what I told him). I still love you like that (when he saw my fresh ugly scars with stitches and dried blood still on)." Those keep me going day after day.

His first swimming lesson

2011-08-01T22:53:00.001+08:00

Last week, I finally called up and made an appointment for my son's first swimming lesson. Found a teacher whose charges were reasonable for a group lesson and it turns out that he taught my sister how to swim a long long time ago.

Last Sunday morning, we spent almost 4 hours in the mall shopping for swimming goggles, for a present to bring to his friend's birthday party, and had lunch there.

Btw, Carrefour has own brand cheap decent goggles (anti fog, adjustable nose strap, kid sized, UV protection). Jusco carries the Ogival brand which is good and not expensive and fulfils those requirements.

I was a bit worried how his first lesson would go and had prayed about it. The outcome? It went swimmingly well! (Couldnt resist the pun) Thank you God!

We arrived slightly early so as not to get stressed rushing. There were a few kids already in the pool messing around. It was important that he saw kids in the water having fun before he started his lesson.

He was a bit scared before getting in and wanted me to accompany him into the water, which I intended to anyway. Once in, he was fine.

One of the kids was his age and I quickly made friends with him. My son liked him as he was talkative, active and friendly. The other kids were already pretty good swimmers and somewhat older than him (6+ to 12).

In a group lesson, there is very limited time that the teacher can spend with my son. I had been given the heads up, by another mum, that I'd be expected to get into the water with my son in a group lesson. So most of the time, I was the one leading my son from one end of the pool to the other, encouraging him to kick.

Teacher was nice to my son and every so often would take him from me to teach him a little. Then he'd hand my son back to me and I'd try to help my son practice what the teacher tried to teach.

Thanks to Fezia, my son was already introduced to the idea of kicking and of blowing out under water (blowing bubbles, she said). Most importantly, she was someone he trusted and was very gentle in introducing him to the pool, many many months ago. I'd have a much harder time if he had a phobia of the pool. Of course, the other positive pool experience he had a few months ago with my friend's 2 girls helped a great deal too.

Teacher refused to put any time frame when I repeatedly asked how long it'd take for my son to be water safe. He said that each person is different and that my son was fine today. He didnt want to put any pressure on him to avoid the risk of him disliking swimming lessons. I agree with him, especially when it's at the early stage.

Since I was like his shadow aide in the pool, I also saw how the teacher interacted with the other kids, and how he was able to challenge them just a little bit. So I think I've found the right teacher for my son for now. Only thing is that we got stuck in an awful traffic jam coming home (slightly over hour in traffic when it could have been 20mins on a clear day)!

He ate a lot for dinner and is sleeping soundly. Hopefully with swimming lessons, he not only learns to be water safe, but will bring about improved co-ordination, stronger muscles, stronger lungs and deeper breaths.

In his eyes

2011-07-26T20:54:00.000+08:00

An empty plastic container was on the dining table after I removed it and the contents from the fridge.

What do you see in the image above?

An empty plastic container with condensation? That's what I saw.

But there's something else that he saw. He scooted up to me and said "Look mama! Look! It's a person dancing".

His pronounciation is getting a bit bad so he had to repeat himself many times cos I didnt have a context to help me guess what he was saying.

Do you see what he saw? Use your imagination!

Still dont see it? The dancer's head and upper body are horizontal, with both arms vertically down supporting them. The dancer's legs (with baggy pants) are vertically up.

His previous paintings

2011-07-24T22:31:00.000+08:00

Since I'm on paintings, thought I post photos of his previous paintings.

It was done way back in April this year! I did say that he doesnt get much opportunity to paint at home. I do wish that he had time to go for art class cos I think it's something that he likes...and that applies for me too - I wish I had time to attend oil painting class cos it's something that I like.

The paper was intentionally stuck to a vertical wall cos it exercises a different set of muscles (my hidden therapy objective!).

I intentionally only bought 3 bottles of paint, being the primary colours because I wanted him to learn about mixing colours. I dont let him paint often enough, so he's still not learnt how to mix to get the colours he wants. I'm not bothered about it though.

A boy who's crazy about vehicles would obviously paint...vehicles! Cars, vans, trucks...he said

Mahjong paper although very large, tears easily

His paintings today

2011-07-24T22:11:00.000+08:00

He doesnt get to paint much at home cos there's always other "more important" things to be done. I know that shouldn't be the case but that's the truth because there simply isnt enough time in a day to do everything (& it takes time to set up & clean up!).

Today I bought some roller sponges (it's been a few years that I've searched for them!) because they were on offer and he wanted to use them immediately! So that's why he got to do some painting today.

Actually, my intention in buying those rollers was for him to learn to control his wrist and his strength (fine motor) & not so much as for sheer enjoyment.

But he got to enjoy painting (without one of mama's hidden therapy objective) later on. See pics at the end of this post.

Bought at "Think Toys" shop at The Curve

He used the dotted roller, the lined roller, the scrapper and blade sponge. I helped show him how to make a blue border with the lined roller

"What is it?" I asked after he had pulled me away from cooking tonight's dinner.

Can you guess what he painted?

"Rocks" he said, "...in space".

Asteroids! I reckon he's been learning about space in kindergarten. Some words in his spelling test for the past 2 weeks were of the space theme (words like "planets", "Jupiter").

He filled up 3 pieces of paper with asteroids...and would have continued if it wasnt time for his shower

Jobs for the disabled - article in The Star

2011-07-13T21:44:00.000+08:00

Earlier this year, I spoke at length with a mom of 2 special needs kids, the eldest of whom was in secondary school. She pointed out that once out of school, there isn't enough support to help the special needs young adults obtain the skills to secure a job, and there are extremely limited job opportunities for them.

She went on trips to Singapore and Australia to specifically find out the situation in those countries, and noted that our government is lagging far behind in providing support and opportunities. As she shared details and her concerns, I felt that the future did look rather grim for young adults with disabilities, in Malaysia.

So when I read an article in The Star today about a 4 star hotel in KL that hired those with disabilities, I was encouraged. Perhaps with greater awareness being raised through the media, there will be far more employment opportunities for the disabled.

------------------------------

Article below was reproduced from:
http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2011/7/13/central/8984135&sec=central

Wednesday July 13, 2011

Jobs for the disabled help them to be independent

By TAN KARR WEI
karrwei@thestar.com.my

GOING to work on the LRT might be a mundane task for many city dwellers but 18-year-old Koh Khong Way had to be trained by his mother before she let him take the LRT alone from their home in Sri Kembangan to his workplace in Traders Hotel Kuala Lumpur.

Khong Way, who currently studies in SMK Bandar Tasik Selatan, is one of the disabled workers currently working in the hotel.

Traders Hotel communications manager Theresa Goh said that 1.8% of their 400 employees were from the disabled group.

“We started in 2008 as part of our CSR project and we approached organisations and disabled societies for people that could work with us.

“It has been a success and now people are approaching us. We also get referrals from Socso for employees under the ‘Return to Work’ category who have lost their previous jobs because of work-related injuries,” said Goh.

* Full story in The Star (Metro Section) today.

Learning while using AeroChamber

2011-07-11T23:18:00.000+08:00

I've written in the past about using a device called the AeroChamber. I've now inserted a picture of a boy using it.

To use it, I've to press the Ventolin inhaler (that grey thing at the back of the AeroChamber), then wait 30 seconds for him to have inhaled in the medicine. Then repeat that 3 more times.

He had to use it rather frequently in the past 5-6 weeks. At one stage, it was as frequent as every 2 hours (excluding when he's asleep).

What came about as a way for me not to lose track of how many puffs he's had (easy to lose focus when I'm lacking sleep), turned out to be an opportunity for him to learn counting, language, pitch & rhythm!
Here's what I did:

Counting
- simple counting from 1 to 30 (cos 30 secs for each puff to be fully inhaled)

- reinforced his understanding of skip counting by 2s & odd/even numbers. I'd say the odd numbers, and he'd say the even numbers.

Language
- He needs 4 puffs, so his 1st puff of 30seconds worth was counted out loud in English, 2nd puff in Bahasa, 3rd puff in Mandarin, 4th was back to English. He's not good in BM & Mandarin as we dont speak it at home, so it was a good opportunity for him to learn.

Pitch
- to vary the activity and make it a bit more fun, I said the even numbers in varying pitches (either high or low) and he'd to follow that pitch when he said the even numbers.

At first, he didnt get it. So I used hand gestures/body language as a visual guide. If I said an even number in a high pitch, I'd raise my hand and head up slowly as I said it & vice versa.

Later when he got it, I made it more tricky by doing a single bigger number (say 23) in a pitch that rises then drops, all within that same number. He had fun with this!

Rhythm
- that's just saying it fast or saying it very very very slowly.

Silent consonants

2011-07-10T22:38:00.000+08:00

My progress in teaching him phonics has been rather slow the past few months.

There are a few reasons behind that. Firstly, I think he's doing fine in terms of reading. Secondly, I needed to focus on other areas like his self care skills, handwriting, fine motor and maths (and preparing him for the entrance assessment which he has since passed). Thirdly, I'm not sure how to progress further once I've completed teaching him the long vowels.

He's learnt how to make (read/spell) the long vowel sounds of a, e, i and o. Before I could teach him, I myself had to learn about it. The Morris-Montessori Word List book was incredibly useful in this respect. Thanks so much Yvonne! We just started on the long vowel u today which I think is tricky because I dont quite get it. To me, "u-e" sounds just like "oo" rather than "u".

Anyhow, I was very happy to have come across this article in The Star, Educate pull out section, today. Very timely. Very useful, as it lists out some of the rules for silent consonants.

I googled the name of the author's approach and came across this site which has more resources that'll help me learn more.
http://www.internationallanguageacademy.com.au/index.php?option=com_k2&view=latest&layout=latest&Itemid=61

The article that appeared in the newspaper is reproduced below.

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The Star newspaper, Sunday July 10, 2011

Recognising silent symbols

EXPLORING ENGLISH

By KEITH W. WRIGHT

Knowing when a vowel or consonant is ‘silent’ will help you spell and pronounce words confidently.

A characteristic of the English language that causes spelling and pronunciation problems is the presence of silent symbols. Tens of thousands of English words have at least one symbol (letter) that is not sounded when pronounced.

Mastering silent symbols is necessary to be able to determine how a particular word is pronounced and spelt. To assist learners, 4S teaches a number of Keys that have already been introduced in previous Exploring English columns.

Silent symbols fall into three distinct groups: silent vowels, silent single consonants, and consonant combinations, where one or both of the symbols are silent.

Silent vowels

The most common silent symbol is the final ‘e’ in words such as: ride, lame, bone, and tube.

The 4S Key To Understanding Pronunciation and Spelling teaches: The final silent ‘e’ usually lets the other vowel do the “talking”. When the final ‘e’ is not sounded, the preceding vowel is “long”, i.e. it says its own name.

4S applies the Skills Transfer technique to teach other related ‘e’-ending words. When one can spell and pronounce “ride” correctly, it is easy to also spell and pronounce bide, hide, side, inside and many other related words.

The next most common silent vowel category is when two vowels come together in a word.

Usually when this occurs, the second one is silent. The first vowel can make either a “long” or a “short” sound. The semi-vowels ‘y’ and ‘w’ can also be silent when they are at the end of a word or syllable, e.g. day, knowing.

The 4S Key teaches: When two vowels go out walking the first one usually does the talking. This is when the first vowel is sounded but the second one is silent, e.g. aim, people, tried, breathe, bread, health, leopard, weather. This also applies to words with the semi-vowels ‘y’ and ‘w’ such as blow and pray.

Again, skills transfer is easy to apply here. Once you know how to spell and pronounce bread, for example, you will realise similar techniques in dead, dread, thread, instead.

Sometimes, in words borrowed from other languages, the first vowel is silent, for example: shield, guide, neutral, guess, quest.

Silent single consonants

Of the 21 consonants, 11 are sometimes silent as single consonants: ‘c’, ‘d’, ‘h’, ‘l’, ‘p’, ‘r’, ‘s’, ‘t’, ‘b’, ‘n’, and ‘z’.

Two other consonants, ‘w’, ‘g’, can be silent in symbol combinations.

The silent ‘c’: back, rack, track, shack,

The silent ‘d’: Wednesday, judge, ledge

The silent ‘h’: honest, hour, heir, exhibit,

The silent ‘l’: walk, talk, calm, palm

The silent ‘p’: receipt, corps

The silent ‘r’: iron

The silent ‘s’: island, isle, aisle, descend

The silent ‘t’: listen, often, fasten, whistle

The consonants ‘b’ and ‘n’ are always silent in one-syllable, root words when they follow the symbol ‘m’, such as in the words bomb, dumb, thumb, lamb, damn, column, hymn and mnemonic. The silence can be lost when a suffix is added, e.g. hymn > hym/nal.

In two-syllable words, when the syllable split is between ‘m’ and ‘b’, both the symbols are always sounded as they end and begin each syllable, e.g. num-ber, thim-ble, tim-ber, ram-ble.

In some words borrowed from other languages there can be an unexpected silent symbol, e.g. such as ‘z’ in rendezvous.

Consonant combinations

Common consonant combinations with silent symbols are ‘wr’, ‘wh’, ‘gh’, ‘kn’ and ‘sc’. In ‘wr’ words, ‘w’ always remains silent, e.g. wrap, wrong, write, wreck, wrench, wrist.

Remember: ‘wr’ always says ‘r..’.

In ‘wh’ words, the silent symbol varies from ‘w’ to ‘h’.

Compare: (i) whip, why, wheat, whale, which, wheel, when, what, where – and (ii) who, whom, whole, whose, wholesale.

In “who” words, the ‘w’ is always silent.

While ‘w’ is often silent when used as a demi-vowel, e.g. blow, it also can be silent when it is part of the ‘sw’ symbol combination, e.g. sword, answer.

There are two variations of the “gh” combination in the silent symbol category.

Sometimes, both symbols are silent: ought, caught, daughter, height, eight, weight.

At others, only the ‘h’ is silent and the ‘g’ says “g..” as in “goat”: ghost and ghetto.

The letter ‘k’ is silent in “kn” words such as knife, knee, know, kneel, knit.

In some “sc” words, the “c” remains silent, e.g. scene, scent, science. But the exception to this is scat and scuttle.

Most odd-looking consonant blends have a silent symbol. They are usually found in words borrowed from other languages, e.g. rhinoceros, gnome, khaki, fjord, tsunami, psychiatry, pneumonia, and so on.

There are two 4S Keys that could be applied here: In odd-looking consonant blends, only one consonant is usually sounded; and when ‘p’ begins an odd-looking consonant blend, it is usually silent.

Keith Wright is the author and creator of the 4S Approach To Literacy and Language (4S) — a modern, innovative and proven method of accelerating the learning of English. The 4S methodology and the associated Accelerated English Programme (AEP) mentioned in this fortnightly column are now being used internationally to enhance the English proficiency of people with different competency levels.

E-mail
contact@4Sliteracy.com.au for a free copy of the 4S-AEP Silent Symbol Booklet.

Things he's revealing

2011-07-09T21:40:00.000+08:00

Of late, there have been a few remarks from my son that threw me.

Perhaps it's because I've slowed things down now that both of us need to rest, and therefore, perhaps, there's time for both of us to talk about other stuff (not just maths and phonics and practising his fine motor skills, and therapy).

Recognising cars
I've been getting him involved when I flip through the papers. I think his teacher talks to the kids about major news events sometimes, so I thought it might be timely to start opening up his world.

Most of the time though, he's far more interested in photos that have vehicles, whether it's a photo accompanying an article or an advert. Recently, there was a car offered as a grand prize in a contest advertised in the papers. The photo was in black and white. As it was grainy and partially blocked by another object, I couldnt tell the make of the car.

But my dear son could. I humoured him by playing along that he was right, because I really couldn't tell. Then when I flipped a page or two after, there was that car in the same profile, but the photo was larger and in colour. And it was that brand he that said it was. I dont know how he does it sometimes.

Hybrid
Another time, I was getting him to read the caption below the photo of a car because he didnt know what model it was. It was a Lexus Hybrid, which isnt common on the roads here, which explains why he's not familiar with it. When I spelt out "hybrid" (because the print was tiny), he immediately said "...like, like, like, like that Prius and Insight. They are hybrid cars, right?"

Yes, he was right. He loves spotting Honda Insight and Toyota Prius cars on the road. Although I did talk to him about what's special about those cars, I didnt think he'd remember the word "hybrid" as it's word hardly used.

Car number plates
He's so switched on even though he's just sitting in his car seat while I'm driving through traffic. On two or three occassions, he spotted a car that had the same last two digits as my car, and would tell me so.

Zero gravity
I'm glad that he's not just remembering stuff about cars, or just stuff I'm telling him. He seems to remember stuff from school too. One day I was talking about clouds being tiny water droplets, and how they become rain, and fall to the ground (which I've talked to him about before). He then interjected and said "there's zero gravitiy in space right? And water will float, float, float...that's so funny". I think school had been on the space theme cos some of his spelling test words tie in to that theme.

I am really glad that he's learning in school. At the last Parents Teacher's Meeting, his class teacher told us that he's "above average" but at the back of my mind, I wondered if that remark came about because I had been coaching him so much in maths and phonics. Now, I know that he is learning stuff in school too, not just stuff I'm teaching him.

Stones & camera
Before my surgery, I explained to him the what, how and why it had to be done, in simple terms. When I told him that I had stones in my gallbladder, his immediate reaction was "WHAAAAAAAT??? It must be outside!!!" I thought it was so funny. He found it strange that there were stones inside my body, when stones are usually on the ground, in the garden, outside. He then asked how it got inside, and I explained it to him.

After the surgery, I showed him the 3 scars on my abdomen. He asked why there were three. Luckily, my husband had asked that prior to my son asking, so I had the chance to ask my Dr. I told him that one was for a tiny camera at the end of a hose, to go inside me. Again, his immediate reaction was "WHAAAAAAT??? It must be outside!!!". Ah, yes, it would be very odd to a 5 year old wouldn't it, to have a camera inside your body. LOL

I'll send you home
He said something very odd this morning. Something that was not nice at all. I was finishing off my breakfast, while he was riding his scooter as usual. My helper was in the dining area. Then he got cranky (he is sick with fever and diarrohea) and kept on saying angrily "...(mumble)...I'll send you home!" in the general direction of my helper.

I was in shock. My husband and I have never said that. Not in his presence or when he's not around. I suspect my sister might have said it to my helper in his presence. My sister is intellectually challenged and does give us challenges to face every now and then, especially with regard to the helper. There is no point quizzing my sister as she'll just clam up or deny everything.

I explained things to my son. Later, after I related it to my husband, he quizzed our son but he just said that came up with it himself.

So tonight, I'm yet again reminded that I've to be very careful of my words and action. We are role models for him.

When I'm so worn out from him being sick 4 times in the last 5-6 weeks, plus needing the rest myself after my surgery (thankfully it was minor!), it's really hard to be a good role model.

Recovering

2011-07-08T15:39:00.001+08:00

My keyhole surgery last Thurs was successful - gallbladder removed, hernia fixed and adhesions removed (a 3-in-1 surgery!). I was discharged on Sat after 2 nights. I had my follow up this morning, and stitches removed. Dr said it looked good and next follow up is in 3 week's time.

That's a relieve for me and it means that my husband can go on his holiday peacefully. He had taken care of our son when I was in hospital. My son was down with fever and a cough a few days before my operation and I was concerned about him.

After my discharge, on that very Sat night, my son started having a fever again. I suspect that he might have caught another virus from visiting me at the hospital, before he had fully recovered from the previous flu/cold. But his fever subsided on Sunday and was back to school on Monday and Tuesday.

That allowed me a bit of rest and to cook proper meals, while he was in school. I also managed to do some light groceries on those two days at the nearby supermarkets, with the help of their staff and my sister to lift the bags. The food shopping simply had to be done as there was very little meat in the freezer and no veg. My stock had run down because my son and I took turns falling ill in the 3 weeks prior to the surgery!

However, he started having a fever again on Wed night. It was quite high this time round, and it kept coming up again after the paracetamol and Voltaren wore off. He stayed away from school since Thurs. He vomitted his lunch and a bit later had bad diarohea, on Thurs itself. He might have caught a stomach virus.

He's been on paracetamol and/or Voltaren to bring down the fever every 4-8 hours. He's been on Ventolin (using the AeroChamber) regularly for the past 1-2 weeks. Just stopped running to the hospital for his nebuliser today (partially because I'm so tired & partially because he might have caught the new virus from the hospital). He's taken Smecta last night and this morning to stop the runs. He woke up at midnight crying from stomach pains, so gave him Buscopan to relax the spasms and Gaviscon, in case it's gastric (didnt take milk so might have been hungry) and paracetamol for the fever which spiked again. He's also on Zyrtec or Clarintyne day time and Prometazine (nights) for his runny nose.

Luckily it was a minor surgery and I had been able to care for my sick son during my recovery. Even though the Dr says things look good, I am still cautious. I do not want to exert myself because I do not know how things look internally.

Right now, I just wish my son would recover really fast and fully. It would be nice to be able to rest a bit more. I was too tired, cranky, worried and uncomfortable the first few days after discharge. So I've decided to TRY and take things easy.

I've given up on managing the maid as she was a huge stress factor. I've cooled down on helping him revise his maths (maths test coming up soon - if he fails, then he'll just resit the entire module again, all 3 months worth of lessons). I've cooled down on getting him to do fine motor practice (handwriting, grip strengthening), gross motor (stopped physiotherapy), and self care practice (buttoning, showering, changing clothes, self feeding etc). I know that there will be consequences. He'll regress and I'll lose time. It's only 2.5 months to go before he starts big boy school. That's why it is hard to take it easy. That's why I say I'll try. Just wish I had more support in those areas.

Rethinking Pedagogy - article from The Star

2011-07-04T11:41:00.001+08:00

Sunday July 3, 2011

Rethinking pedagogy

By AMINUDDIN MOHSIN

educate@thestar.com.my

An education system that emphasises rote learning rather than understanding has no place in a world that demands students to be equipped with reasoning, analytical and problem-solving skills.

Are education systems across the world still relevant to the needs of our society and future? One expert from the United States (US) is not afraid to say that the system – in the US, at least – is obsolete.

According to Tony Wagner’s book, The Global Achievement Gap, there is a huge chasm that divides what Americans are teaching and testing in their schools versus the actual skills students need to further their studies and pursue their careers.

Wagner is co-director of Change Leadership Group (CLG) at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, which is a research and development centre charged with helping teams to be effective leaders in schools and districts throughout the US.

“Wagner points out that the relevant skills needed for the 21st century is no longer taught in classrooms and lecture halls,” said Victoria University vice-chancellor Prof Peter Dawkins.

In his lecture, a part of the Tan Sri Jeffrey Cheah Distinguished Speakers series held at Sunway University, Prof Dawkins uses Wagner’s book to discuss the skills required for employment in the new workforce.

“Today, employers are not just looking for ‘domain skills’ and knowledge relevant to their field in a potential employee.

“They are also looking for ‘generic skills’ like problem-solving and teamwork. Focus on these skills is lacking in our education systems,” said Prof Dawkins.

Even when the study is transposed onto the Australian education system, it points to many areas where changes can be made to better prepare students for transitions – from school to college, then to work, said Prof Dawkins.

In the book, Wagner noted that there was no curricula or teaching method in place to teach students how to reason, analyse and write well.

He explained how the American education system was on the verge of crisis as most of the tests it uses for accountability comprise multiple choice assessments, which require more memorising than thinking.

Different minds

The concern that an overwhelming emphasis on exam grades, which in turn encourages students and teachers alike to get through the syllabus and memorise key points – rather than taking the time to understand concepts – is all too familiar in Malaysia.

So what can be done to narrow the gap between what is taught and and what is needed?
In his lecture, Prof Dawkins drew upon Howard Gardner’s Five Minds for the Future to identify what students need to learn and how to teach them those essential skills.

“Gardner identifies the types of intelligences we should develop, and points to the various different faculties of the mind,” he said.

The “five minds” include the disciplined mind, which is the ability to focus and develop a deep knowledge of at least one subject matter; the synthesising mind, which allows one to process information from various sources to combine it in a way that makes sense; and the creating mind, which puts forth new ideas and fresh ways of thinking.

The other faculties of the mind are respectful and ethical thinking, which are critical in developing students who not only welcome and respect different people and opinions, but understand them and work to benefit society at large beyond their own self-interests.

“By developing these faculties, we can produce students that can think creatively, bridge knowledge from different fields and act ethically,” said Prof Dawkins.

Although he conceded that not everything can be taught in classrooms, the classroom should take efforts to adapt to the needs of society.

Prof Dawkins shared that when he was a member of the Victorian Curriculum and Assessment Authority board, he chaired a committee tasked with writing out a declaration of educational goals for Australian children.

“I was part of the committee that produced the Melbourne declaration on Educational Goals for Young Australians.

“One of the goals was developing successful learners by teaching them how to think and draw upon a wide range of different learning to solve problems,” he said.

Meanwhile, trainee teacher Nur Hidayah Shukor was of the opinion that there was nothing lacking with Malaysian students.

“Malaysian students have abundant potential and given the opportunity, they can be as expressive, creative and critical as any student out there.

“They only need to be given a platform to do so — something which could be better incorporated in our schools,” said Nur Hidayah, who is studying at Universiti Teknologi Malaysia (UTM).

During her three months of practical training at SMK Taman Mutiara Rini, Johor, Nur Hidayah said she saw what teaching in non-conventional methods could do to boost the students’ interest and morale.

“You should see how even the weakest students who refused to speak a word of English became confident speakers with the correct methods.

“I used drama to get them to speak and detective work to get them to write reports. Eventually they spoke and wrote English comfortably,” she said.

However, she admitted that as a trainee teacher, she could teach students in creative and interesting ways without worrying about finishing the syllabus in time.

“On the other hand, full-time teachers are often worried about completing the syllabus in time, whereas my only concern was impressing my lecturers,” she said.

Changing perceptions

According to veteran educationist and Kirkby College Alumni president Tan Sri Dr Yahaya Ibrahim, it is precisely the teachers’ burden of finishing the syllabus in time that needs to change.

“The concept of finishing the syllabus must change — in fact, the syllabus must be malleable and robust enough that it can fit the needs of any situation.

“Teachers should not succumb to tunnel vision when teaching. If they are looking at the syllabus, they are not looking at their students growth or decline,” said Dr Yahaya.

He added that teachers go through four stages of teaching — they start off “telling” as a new teacher, then they progress to “explaining” as they gain experience.

“After that point they educate – a good teacher educates. And the final transformation is the inspirational teacher who inspires,” he said.

On a different front, UTM vice-chancellor Prof Datuk Dr Zaini Ujang says that students learn more outside the classroom.

“That is why we encourage students to partake in summer school programmes, conferences, summits and other events held outside the classroom.

“While out of campus, they are expected to learn not just from the programmes they attend but also through mingling with peers and professors abroad,” he said.

In his 2011 new year address, Prof Zaini highlighted what he expects new academia to look like after changes to conventional academia.

“We want to move from the traditional paradigm of having only professors filling up teaching positions to having policy makers, practitioners and entrepreneurs fill some of those spots.

“We also need to change our outlook on what we use as teaching materials — we cannot narrow it down to just academic journals and books,” said Prof Zaini.

Prof Zaini points out that it is important to learn through experience and that failure is a great teacher.
“We need our students to be versatile enough to be able to gain as much as possible through
experience,” he said.

As information and technology moves faster and faster, it becomes ever more important to teach students how to think critically and synthesize information.

“We need to develop inquisitive minds. We can’t have students just jotting down notes from their teachers without pondering over what they have written.

“We are transitioning from traditional learning to e-learning at a fast pace, and we must teach our students how to think,” said Dr Yahaya.

As the adage goes, knowledge is power — but this is assuming the person with knowledge knows how to use it.

This is why how we teach is as important as what we teach. Students must know how to relate to what they learn and implementation of the knowledge learned is as important as understanding it, said Dr Yahaya.

A shared view

Many policy makers, education planners, deans of faculty, principals, lecturers and teachers have pointed towards a tectonic shift in pedagogy – the art of teaching – to fit global trends.

During the launch of EzLearn2u at SMK Bandar Utama Damansara 3, Deputy Education Minister Datuk Dr Wee Ka Siong said the “chalk and talk” method of teaching used by teachers in the past no longer fits the students of this generation.

Taylor’s University School of Communication dean Josephine Tan said the advent of new channels of information makes Gen-Y students less likely to be receptive to one-way learning.

“With so many avenues open for them to obtain information, classrooms must adapt,” she said, adding that students must be allowed to use their smartphones, iPads and laptops to access information relevant to their class.

She also said the short period of three to five years in tertiary education was not enough to fully develop the thinking skills of student.

“These thinking skills must be developed from early education,” she added.

Even with all these little initiatives by various education institutions, the question remains, is it enough? Or is nothing short of an overhaul of they way we teach necessary for pedagogy to catch up with the needs of our times?

Dr Yahaya, who has served under various Education Ministers and Prime Ministers, said he has always posed one question to them: “What kind of Malaysian do you want to produce?”

Perhaps it is only after we answer that question can we choose a path to walk down.

Sick, sick, sick

2011-06-29T10:23:00.000+08:00

My son and I seem to be taking turns in falling ill recently.

3 Sundays ago, he was down with fever and a cold and recovered sufficiently to attend the second round of assessment later that week.

2 Sundays ago, it was my turn to fall ill. I had stiff neck, body aches and fever. The aches gradually became more painful so much so that I couldnt stand up at night to walk over to check on my son. Blood test was done and it ruled out dengue and bacterial infection. So reckon it was a bad virus attack. I've recovered since.

Now, it's my son's turn to fall ill again. He had a fever last weekend and started coughing. He's now on anti-histamines (Zyrtec & Rhinatiol/Promethazine) and using the AeroChamber (with Ventolin) every 2 hours.

I was told off by his paediatrician yesterday for not being aggressive enough in treating his cough symptoms! Apparently I should have started him on Ventolin (using the AeroChamber) the moment he starts coughing. Sigh. He never told me that before. Anyway, Dr said his lungs are clear and that he's fighting off the virus himself. No sore throat.

I had thought that he told me to start on the anti-histamines the moment he starts coughing. And that usually works to arrest the coughing quite quickly. I think this time round, he had one too many consecutive nights of poor sleep and kicking off the blanket. So, it deteriorated too quickly.

Anyhow, I'm also taking him for nebuliser at the hospital twice a day now. It'll taper down as he gets better, as will the frequency of the Ventolin.

I've a minor operation scheduled (for myself) tomorrow. I'm a bit worried for myself and for my son. This will be the first time I'll be sleeping without my son. I'm hoping my husband will be able to care for him (especially now that he's sick). As I'm the stay at home mum, my husband tends to be rather hands off. But as I'll be hospitalised for just 2 days, 1 night, it isn't so bad.

New playgroup for special needs kids

2011-06-28T23:04:00.000+08:00

The Parent Support Group that I'm in has recently set up a new playgroup, which will start next month.

It's focusing on special needs kids who aren't at the moment attending any other playgroup. The reason behind that is because they wish to reach out to more people, people who do not currently have access to early intervention and support.

They do not have paper qualification for early intervention nor claim to be early intervention specialists.

They do however, have experience with special needs kids as most of them are themselves parents of special needs kids. They do also genuinely have a love for and desire to help special needs kids.

One of the parent there is Montessori trained and used to own/run a kindergarten but stopped to care for her special child. I have found that a lot of Montessori methods is useful for special needs kids - their way of teaching one thing at a time; their sensorial approach; their catering to the speed/progress of the child; their fine motor activities help self care skill development etc.

At least one parent is required to attend the playgroup with the child. I think in that way, the parent can learn a lot of activities to be replicated at home for the benefit of the child. Also, it's a good opportunity for the parent to meet other parents of special needs kids as this journey can be quite lonely.

Further details of the playgroup are as follows:

Date : 6 July 2011 (Wednesday)

Time : 9.30 am – 11.30 pm
Venue : Level 4, Wisma FGA
11 Jalan Peria, Taman Goodwood,
Jalan Kuchai Lama, Off Jalan Kelang Lama,
58200 Kuala Lumpur
Play Group provides some affordable form of early intervention in basic education and living skills for special needs children, ages 4-6.

Activities include story-telling, music and movement, educational computer programs, art & craft, gross motor skills, individual skill building and group games.

Parents are required to attend with their children.

Cerebral palsy teen aims to be a lawyer - article from The Star

2011-06-22T16:03:00.000+08:00

After last Friday's Parents Teachers Meeting at his kindergarten, my husband commented that if my son was as "above average" as what his teachers (and assessor at his soon-to-be-school) think, then perhaps he might even make it to top universities like Oxford, Cambridge and Harvard.

I honestly cant see that far. There are a lot more challenges that he will have to face. But I remember one of the feelings I had when I was told that he was accepted into school. I felt that we were given tickets which allowed us into the world of normal kids. I felt that I could dream and hope for my child.

A few days ago, I read the following article in The Star newspaper. Since revamping the paper, they've run a lot of inspiring stories, several involving people with physical disabilities. Perhaps it too might give hope to other parents of kids with cerebral palsy.

------------

Cerebral palsy teen aims to be a lawyer

By RUBEN SARIO
sario@thestar.com.my

KOTA KINABALU: Teenager Mohd Amirul Asyraf Asri has cerebral palsy and cannot even hold a pen.
But the disability has not stopped him from excelling academically he is now studying matriculation in Labuan.

He was one of the three disabled students to receive the Shell Educational Excellence Awards here yesterday.
Against all odds: Mohd Amirul showing his Shell scholarship award to his father Mohd Asri and mother Halipah during the Shell Educational Excellence Awards 2011 in Kota Kinabalu Monday.

Thirty-four Sabah students were presented with the bursaries totalling some RM3.5mil.
Mohd Amirul is now doing his diploma in bio-physics at Kolej Matrikulasi Labuan but hopes to continue his education in law at UiTM after completing the diploma course.
The former Sekolah Menengah Kebangsaan (SMK) Madai, Kunak student uses a laptop for his studies and examinations as he is unable to write.
His schoolmates, said Mohd Amirul, were true friends as they helped him to get from class to class, and even fed him during meal times.
His father Mohd Asri Alian said the eldest of five children had consistently done well in school.
Mohd Amirul had scored 3As, 3Bs and 3Cs in the Sijil Pelajaran Malaysia (SPM) examination last year.
Mohd Asri and his wife Halipah Bachok said they had always encouraged their son to rise above his disability.
Shell Malaysia chairman Anuar Taib said the company was awarding 400 bursaries and 100 scholarships worth RM11mil nationwide this year.
Deputy Chief Minister Datuk Dr Yee Moh Chai handed out the scholarships on behalf of Chief Minister Datuk Musa Aman.

Second round of school assessment

2011-06-15T22:19:00.000+08:00

As mentioned in a previous posting, he sat for an assessment last month. Two weeks ago, we were told to come in again, because the principal would like to see him, for an interview.

He had his second round of assessment today, except that I wasn't expecting him to be assessed again. After all, the lady who conveyed the message to me said it was an interview and not an assessment.

He had a high fever just 2 days ago. I've put him on paracetamol and anti-histamine, and used the aero chamber with the Ventolin puff when necessary. He still seemed chirpy on Monday morning which was good because I dont think I would have coped very well with a grouchy sick kid from Monday to today, immediately after 2 weeks of school holiday where I spent 24 hrs with him, plus when I'm sick too.

I'm down with a flu and feel awful. I woke at 4.30am this morning and couldn't fall asleep again. Nervous, no doubt. The bad headaches, stiff neck and shoulder pains are back together with a sore throat and random sharp shooting pains. Think I might head for a massage tomorrow (when he's back to school tomorrow)! But the early start to my day meant I had plenty of time to do my relaxation qi gong.

My son woke early, which meant there was enough time to get both ourselves ready with minimal stress. My husband came along this time which made a huge difference - moral support! I was nervous for sure, but a lot less so compared to his first assessment. I dont think my son felt my nervousness as I was trying very hard to think positive, and prayed, prayed, prayed.

We arrived early. I had a quick browse at the bookshop and spoke to the lady there about the school's shoes, socks, and types of exercise books they used. I was working on the assumption that my son would be accepted (that's being positive huh!) and began planning ahead.

We met the principal and briefly chatted about my son's areas of disability. Then he was whisked away for the assessment with another teacher. He was in safe hands, so we were asked to wait at the canteen.

It was break time and I began planning ahead again...I was surveying what the kids were eating, their type of lunch boxes, how they paid for food, the crowd level at the tables, the crowd level at the counter, whether the amount of time given to eat was sufficient for my son, were the kids supervised, how many teachers were supervising etc. You see, I was imagining how my son would cope in that situation, and what were the areas I'd need to work on to help him.

The school's break time is staggered. From Nursery to Year 12, they were staggered into 4 blocks such that their break times do not overlap. I did a lot of observing and that certainly took my mind off worrying how my son was doing in the assessment.

Finally, they came down to ask us to go back up with them to discuss the results. We talked. They talked. The principal finally said the words I so wanted to hear. He's been accepted! I almost teared up but no tears came.

But it came with a condition that I work closely with the school in helping support my son. No problem! Then we talked even more with the teacher, and finally left about 11.30am. There was so much talking that I dont think I registered half of what they were saying. Thankfully my husband accompanied us.

The past year or so have seen much effort by his therapist and myself on preparing my son for school, or "school readiness" as it's commonly termed.

So, I'm surprised at my own reaction, or lack of. I'm not jumping over the moon. I'm not shouting it from the roof tops. I expected to cry tears of joy but none came. I dont really know what I feel. Relieved, I suppose. It's very strange. Perhaps an anti-climax. Perhaps I'm too tired. I know I wanted to give a big, big, big hug to each of my friends & family who prayed alongside. I did give a big hug to his therapist (had a session in the afternoon).

I know that this is just the beginning of my long journey to help my son. I'm already tired. There's so much more to do. I'm now searching for an oral motor therapist, and a retained reflex inhibitor therapist. If you know of any in the Klang Valley, please do let me know. I can't find any!

Then there's seeing to his self care needs - he still cant cut up his food (they serve set meals, cost of which is inc in the fees), he still cant botton/unbutton, he still cant get in or out of a T-shirt, he still cant put on his socks, he still stuffs his mouth if he likes the food (risk of vomitting), etc.

I've to start him on swimming lessons in order for him to be water safe. I'm really really scared cos they have swimming lessons for Year 1 kids during school hours.

They place a great emphasis on developing his speech. They expect me to be very diligent in doing what his speech therapist asks, and what the school's learning support head asks. They expect progress. I most likely have to find a new speech therapist as his old one, who was very good, decided to homeschool her kids. They are spot on for emphasising progress in speech, but I'm worried how quickly they expect to see that progress. I think the progress in his speech is hampered right now by the lack of oral motor work...and there doesnt seem to be oral motor therapists locally!!! Perhaps I really do need to attend that 5 day oral motor seminar which I posted about. I booked a slot to see the therapist for an asssessment, but havent signed up for the seminar. I'll have to discuss with my husband because he'll have to take leave from work (boss makes it hard to take leave) to care for my son while I'm at the seminar.

But I feel better now that I've written it all down. I can breathe again. Sorry you had to bear with me while I got it all off my chest.

One thing that made this all possible was obviously God - God's grace, God's love, God's provision. Jehovah Jireh! With God, any thing is possible. Thank you to my "group of 7" who prayed and prayed!

Now strangely, I feel like I CAN celebrate! Jehovah Jireh, my Provider, His grace is sufficient for me.

He can bake muffins...with my help

2011-06-09T17:07:00.000+08:00

I read a long time ago that baking is a good activity for young kids. I never got round to baking with him, because he was not so capable when he was younger, and then I just forgot about it, amongst the many other things I want him to do.

So when his therapist suggested it about two or three months ago, I took it on. It was sometime near Teachers' Day so I suggested to my son that he bake muffins for his teacher. His first attempt at baking was to make Orange Poppy Seed Muffins and it was successful! We were so pleased that I forgot to take photos and gobbled up the remainder.

We used the instant mix muffins under the local brand, Nona. It just needs water, oil and eggs. Easy. Tasty! The manufacturer's website is http://www.tortofood.com/

The second attempt was blueberry muffins which didnt taste as good (different recipe - Betty Crocker label, I think). It required water only, and not oil or eggs.

Today, we baked chocolate muffins. It was also using the pre-mixed Nona recipe. Tasty too.

He enjoys baking and was very pleased to give some of them to his therapist.

I love that he's enjoying more and more activities that normal kids do.

Videos of him driving

2011-06-08T22:29:00.000+08:00

One of the fun activities he did during the school holidays was to drive a car!

He's nuts about cars, so when we spotted this place in a neighbourhood shopping mall, he just had to try it out.

The cars come in various designs like a jeep, motorbike, cartoonish cars etc.

The car is battery operated, with buttons that either play music, or turns on the left/right indicator, or sounds a horn. He's in full control of the car, able to steer it anywhere he wants, able to move it forward or in reverse with the flick of a switch, and accelerate the car with a foot pedal.

There's a seat belt but doesnt look like it's of any use. It moves much slower than a bumper car, so it's quite safe for him.

He doesnt need much strength to turn the steering wheel, so he could control it himself (unlike the bumper car he rode in at Genting).

Now that he can drive, I'll teach him to run errands for me! LOL

Healthy hearty breakfast - experiments!

2011-06-07T22:39:00.001+08:00

Part of preparing him for school includes introducing him to eating solids for breakfast. Most of his life, he's had liquids for breakfast - mainly milk or smooth baby cereals.

This school holidays, I started introducing solids for breakfast. It requires quite a bit of experimenting and so I chose the school holidays to start. It's too stressful to introduce it on school days as we're already so rushed for time.

It's been hard getting him to eat, and not just drink his breakfast. In the first place, he takes a long time to drink his milk. Secondly, he tends to gag when he has solids for breakfast. I'm not sure if it's because it's too early in the morning or if he's not yet used to chewing at breakfast.

I'm not a good cook and not a morning person. So, it was most helpful that his therapist suggested two healthy, hearty recipes. I asked a few friends what their kids had for breakfast. Two mums said it was just milk as it was too early (kids have no appetite), but one mum packs home cooked snacks for her kids' morning snack (she wakes at 5.45am). Another said cereals or bread.

So far, I've only come up with these options for a breakfast that's filling and healthy. I'm trying to achieve some mix of complex carbohydrates, grains, protein, milk, veg, with minimal processed ingredients and minimal preparation time. It's not easy to achieve to be honest.

Rice Porridge - to provide variety, I'd have to change the protein element (e.g. chicken, pork, fish) and veg (carrot, french bean, spinach).

I tried using brown rice instead of my usual basmathi rice, but it turned out too gooey and gunky. I might have to experiment with different quantities of rice to water ratio and/or cooking times. I use a slow cooker and let it cook overnight because I'm not a morning person!

Grains - this was the recipe from his therapist, which is a bit like a sweet Chinese dessert. Barley, green mung beans, gingko nuts, dried fruits for sweetness and fibre, gets cooked in a slow cooker overnight on low heat.

I tried it with brown rice as the main grain with apples and almonds as suggested by his therapist, but turned out gunky. I might experiment with different proportions of ingredients to water. I'll also try out nutrition dense grains like millet and quinoa but have no idea how it'll turn out. I do know that I cant give him almonds and gingko nuts as he gags and vomits on it, after a few spoonfuls, even though it's soft.

Soft boiled eggs - this is the only one that has been fail safe (where he eats it all up). But I cant give it too often or he'll grow bored of it. I've also not found the right timing to boil the eggs and sometimes forget to bring it out from the fridge the night before (to let it warm up to room temperature).

I serve it without soya sauce or salt. He takes about one and a half Grade B eggs, or about one Grade A egg. I've not served it with toast, because it already takes some time for him to finish it.

I am concerned about salmonella in under cooked eggs, so I'm going against my instincts (I'd previously written about it in my blog) in serving it. I read that soft boiled eggs is an Asian thing!

Omelletes - I might reserve that for weekends as it'll require a bit more time in preparing it and because he has gagged and vomitted on it on different occassions.

Cereals from a box - I've never given him cereals targetted at kids like Honey Stars or Koko Krunch as it's just too loaded with sugar (and he'd not like the gooey texture after it's been soaked in milk). So far, the only ones I've given him which he likes are Nestle's Cheerios (not sugar coated), and Post's Honey Bunches of Oats.

Recipe book
Tonight, I came across an article in the Star newspaper (it was probably Sunday's paper & yes, I read whatever news I can even if it's stale news because I dont have time) that mentioned a new recipe book by the Nutrition Society of Malaysia, targetted at babies to pre-schoolers. I've had a quick scroll through it and it sure looks tempting! It's divided into age groups, and has breakfast recipes.

I have surfed the web to find breakfast recipes previously but it's too time consuming - some contain simple carbohydrates (e.g. pancakes), or ingredients not easily available locally, or are not age appropriate.

So when I discovered this gem tonight, I felt relieved. The book is available for free in soft copy format at : http://www.nutriweb.org.my/downloads/Nutritionist's%20Choice%20Cbook_lr.pdf

Suggestions please
What does your child have for breakfast on school days? What time saving tips do you use when preparing breakfast?

His 3 wheel scooter and imaginary phone conversations

2011-06-06T22:24:00.000+08:00

After about 6 months of contemplating, I finally bought him a three-wheel scooter. He's been happily riding it round and round the house.

It's taken me that long because I was keeping an eye out for cheaper versions of it at hypermarkets, and also because we were too busy to make a trip to the shop together. I needed to go together with him because I need to check if the height and the width of the foot rest were suitable for him.

When I finally saw it advertised at Tesco's, I couldn't find it on the shelves. So more waiting, and not having the time to get to the shop.

Now that it's the school holidays, we're taking things easy and have been heading to the malls rather often. There is currently a slight discount on it at Toys R Us, so I bought it.

I was thinking of a scooter because I wanted him to work on his balance, but I noticed that it's been good for more than that. He gets a good work out on various muscles too - his core mucles, his arms, his legs. His reflexes has to be quick. Co-ordination is required of both legs and arms. He has to learn to push down on his legs (he still tip toes sometimes).

Aside from the physical benefits, he's using his imagination too! He has kept a few small containers (he scoured my box of fine motor activity for it) in the little bag strapped to the handle bars. Once in a while, he'll stop the scooter, pick up a small metal container, place it to his ears and pretend it's a mobile phone! It's so amusing to see him at it!

His conversations go something like this:

"Hello?...Yes... Hi so and so (it's sometimes Ah Kong, Ah Ma, my sister, my brother, his friend, his cousins)...hmmm....ah-huh....mmm...yeah...ahhh...yup...yup...yup...ok, bye"

Sometimes he hands the phone to me and tells me the person on the other side wants to talk to me. So I humour him and continue the conversation, making it as real as possible, using words rather than just his uhhms and yups. So I ask if the person has had lunch/dinner, how's the person doing, are they going anywhere this school holidays, when are they coming to visit etc. By doing so, I hope it builds his imagination, social skills, and speech.

Btw, the scooter is available at Toys R Us, for RM89.95 after RM10 off (other models sell for up to RM250). The height of the handle bar is adjustable. The base of the foot rest lights up. I've not had him test it on grass or other outdoor terrain, but I've no problems with the tyre grip on indoor tiled floors. Only gripe with it is that the assembly instructions omitted mention of two small important parts (white tubes to be inserted to the back wheel's axle) so I suggest that you have the staff assemble it for you instead of doing it yourself (as I learnt the hard way).

A swimmingly fun Sunday

2011-06-05T22:26:00.000+08:00

A friend invited us to swim with her girls at the club this morning. The weather was dreary when we woke up and started to drizzle when we left the house. By the time I found my way around the club's complex, it was much heavier. My son looked disappointed when I told him we can't swim and were to go home. So, luckily we stayed on to play with the girls because the rain soon stopped and everyone had a great time!

He was initially scared to enter the baby pool but was willing to when I said that I'd accompany him. Thankfully, he likes playing with the girls, and followed the older girl who was very quick and eager to get into the pool.

Surprisingly, he managed quite well with the ring shaped float (thanks Elly!) in the big pool. I did of course have my hands right by his side because he's not yet water safe. He enjoyed kicking and splashing and using the water shooter.

At some points, I had to help him bring his lower body horizontally behind him, because he tends to move into a curved C position with his legs in front of him. This was his first time with a float and with friends, so I didnt want to correct him too often (no fun if it's turned it into a therapy session). But it was definitely a really good work out for him because he was very hungry at lunch time!

Thanks for a great time Elly!

Single-mum initiates school for disabled children

2011-06-02T22:03:00.003+08:00

About 2 weeks ago I read an article in The Star newspaper of the opening of a new center for special needs children (and yes, I now have time to read the papers, not daily, but often enough). My thoughts when I read it, was that it was really good that there are more centers catering for special needs kids because there just isn't enough support here compared to developed countries like UK, and US.

What I didnt know then was that there was a very inspiring story behind the setting up of that centre. A week ago, a good friend emailed me a link about one of the founders and how the centre came to be. It's inspiring because despite the huge challenges faced in parenting a special needs child, she was also able to help other special needs kids, and to further add to her challenges, her husband left her. Reading her story brought tears to my eyes.

See below for the story of the single-mum who set up the school. The 2nd story after that is the article I had first read in The Star, of the opening of the center.
----------------------------

Single-mum initiates school for disabled children
By Yvonne Lim

http://www.goodtimes.my/index.php/Community/special-needs-school-born-of-adversity.html

Single-mum Christine Wong, who is parent to a child with a disability, turned her adversity into something good not just for herself but for others as well. With the help of other parents of disabled children, the piano teacher set up the Special Children’s Society of Ampang (SCSOA), a school for disabled children.

SCSOA has its genesis in 1996 when Wong, alone and with little cash to spare for seven-year-old Amanda’s costly therapy sessions, teamed up with two mothers whose children also had Down Syndrome to start a "tuition class" for their children.

They held the classes in their homes in rotation but the arrangement did not last because the children became very distracted by the toys in the homes.

Then one day, a parent of one of her piano class students suggested to Wong to start a playgroup for disabled children and charge a small fee for working parents to send their children there while they work. The parent, Maria Chow, even volunteered to run the class for a while as she used to be a teacher.

Word got around and more parents with special needs children began bringing their kids to the class. Three years later, with Wong at the helm, they formed SCSOA with 20 disabled children in a rented double-storey terrace house with borrowed furniture. The next year, SCSOA was properly registered with the Welfare Department as a special-needs society with 28 children. Today, SCSOA is located in a cheery, brightly-painted bungalow, which the society owns.

No longer a "tuition class", it has become a school with 12 committee members, each one a parent with a disabled child; 60 children; 12 teachers; and an unceasing flow of volunteers. Each child is charged a small fee of RM400 a month upon admission to the school. However, the fee is waived for orphans or needy children whose parents cannot afford it. SCSOA relies on donations and sponsorship to meet the financial gap.

Today, some of SCSOA students − nurtured and showered with love through the years at the school − are working as packers under Carrefour’s community outreach project, Carrefour Cares.SCSOA partners with HELP University College, Universiti Tunku Abdul Rahman and Masterskill University who regularly send students to volunteer at the school over a period of one and a half months to three months under their practical training programmes. Wong says SCSOA teachers also benefit greatly from these visits as they learn from the students’ lecturers who regularly turn up to check on their students.

Although 22 years have passed, she clearly remembers the day Amanda was born and the numbing shock she felt when told by the doctor of her daughter’s severe disability. Looking at her success, one would say that Wong has made lemonade out of the lemons life has thrown at her. But it has never been easy. “It never is, for parents with special needs children, especially if you are a single parent,” says the gentle-mannered Wong.

“She was born on a Wednesday,” she recalls. “After delivery, my mother and my husband asked why she wasn’t in the cot like the other babies. The nurses said they were keeping her for observation and I got a little worried.

“The next morning, I was alone in my room when the doctor came and flatly said, ‘Good morning. Your child is mentally retarded’. He explained Amanda’s condition, but I didn’t hear a word. My head was spinning; I was in such a shock. He didn’t even bother to wait for my family to come in first to help me bear the news.”

As a toddler, Amanda needed "24-hour surveillance" as she was a hyperactive child, always darting and running under the racks at clothing stores, Wong says.

When she turned seven, Wong and her husband had another child, Jonathan, who was born normal. It was a tough time trying to get Amanda to school as she was having difficulty accepting a baby brother in the family.

“By that time there was no more early intervention for Amanda. So I took her to a government (public) school where she underwent an assessment to determine if she could attend the school.

“During the assessment, Amanda had to stack up some blocks but before she could even finish, the assessor took away the blocks and gave her another puzzle to solve. That upset Amanda who threw a block at the assessor.

“The assessor was angry and told me, ‘If your child cannot behave, she won’t be accepted. Our children (at the school) must be well behaved, must sit down quietly, cannot run around and must be toilet trained’.

“I thought this was very unfair. Thousands of children go into Std 1 every year. When they reach the age of seven, they have the right to go to school,” Wong says.

After that, it was rejection after rejection from all the public schools for Amanda. The situation became even bleaker when Wong’s husband, unable to take the strain and humiliation of having a disabled child, left the family. Wong was now alone.

Without the additional financial support, she could not afford to pay for Amanda’s private therapy sessions on her income as a piano teacher. The rough road she had been travelling on had become a very steep hill.

“I had to struggle alone, running my home, raising my children, running the classes for the disabled children and teaching piano to make ends meet,” Wong recalls. “It’s much easier now that Jonathan is bigger as he can take the bus to school by himself."

Apart from helping the children develop, Wong and her committee members try to help and counsel the parents of the children at her school, some of whom are depressed and have lost hope.

“I’ve been there. I’ve walked that path,” says Wong. “It is very frustrating, you have no where to go, you don’t know how to seek help. That’s why we try our best to support the parents as well as the children.”

Wong is thankful for her family members, whom she says are her “pillars of strength.” “My mother has been my right hand throughout, giving me support while my father was pretty much Jonathan’s father until he passed away in 2008.”

Today, Jonathan is a strapping, well-mannered, athletic and bright Form 3 student. He also plays the violin and piano excellently.

“It has been a very tough road, but this kind of toughness is good because it strengthens you and you can help others who are walking the same road,” she says.

---------------------------

The Star
Monday May 16, 2011

Selangor ruler opens centre for special kids

By FAZLEENA AZIZ

http://thestar.com.my/metro/story.asp?file=/2011/5/16/central/8662514&sec=central

THE Special Children Society of Ampang (SCSOA) Centre was officially opened by the Sultan of Selangor, Sultan Sharafuddin Idris Shah recently.

SCSOA is a non-profit charitable organisation providing a centre for children and adolescents with various disabilities, helping them to maximise their potential and achieve independence.

There are 60 children at the centre from the age of three to 30 years. Their disabilities range from Down Syndrome, Autism, Cerebal Palsy, Global Delay, Prader Willi Syndrome, Epilepsy and slow learners.

The centre aims to provide a holistic programme and training, not only for children but their parents and families as well.

They encourage participation from local communities by volunteering time and resources, thus allowing the children to integrate into society.

During the event, Sultan Sharafuddin was taken on a tour of the centre. He was also presented with a special artwork made by one of the children as well as treated to performances by the children.

Also present at the opening were SCSOA patron Tengku Puteri Puan Sri Nor Zehan Sultan Salahuddin Abdul Aziz Shah, Tengku Panglima Perlis Tan Sri Syed Anuar Jamalullail Tuanku Syed Putra Jamalulail, Ambassador of Cambodia Princess Royal Norodom Arunrasmy and Ampang Jaya Municipal Council (MPAJ) president Datuk Mohammad Yacob.

Meanwhile, the Ronald McDonald House Charities Malaysia (RMCH Malaysia) contributed RM257,000 to the centre’s new premises.

The money was raised from the annual RMCH-Tropicana Charity Golf Championship in 2005 to help start the ball rolling for the centre’s effort to get a new building.

A total of RM80,000 out of the sum raised was channelled to establish the 10th Ronald McDonald Sensory Room in Malaysia.

The facility provides a full range of sensory stimulation using ‘Snoezelen’, a multi-sensory stimulating system.

SCSOA president Christine Wong said the opening marked a major milestone of achieving their dream of owning their own home after 12 years.

She added that they started in 1999 with three parents and children with toys and books borrowed from Malaysian Care’s library.

“We want a place where the handicapped and able-bodied can integrate and live on equal terms.

“We may not be fully equipped with the state of the art facilities but we are trying to get there,” she said.

Wong also thanked all their sponsors for their encouragement and support over the years.

The centre is funded by parents contributions, public donations and fund raising activities.

To contribute to the centre, call 03-4256 8719 or e-mail enquiry.scsoa@gmail.com or log on to www.scsoa.org.my. SCSOA is located at No 386, Jalan 3, Taman Ampang Utama, Ampang, Selangor.

School holidays are here!

2011-06-01T17:59:00.000+08:00

Two weeks of school holidays! No plans to go off anywhere as it's just too much of a hassle (difficult to find right sleeping temperature for my son) and we'd probably be jostling with the crowds for meals and facilities anyway.

We've been having our own "holiday" right here. Our formula: Get a break from the routine + do some fun things that are not therapy related + explore new places + revisit our old haunts + eat out often = a simple holiday where we can come back to the comfort of our own beds.

Friday, 27 May 2011

We started our holidays on Friday, after school. We had lunch at home and went to watch Kung Fu Panda 2. He was laughing at various points (he enjoys slapstick humour) but was also restless about half way through. I think he enjoyed Kung Fu Panda 2, his second movie at the cinema, more than Rio as it has more action and is funnier.

We bumped into my friend who brought her girls to watch the same show, so we had frozen yougurt after the movie.

I've started introducing him to cold food like frozen yougurt and cold fizzy drinks (100 plus). He's slowly able to eat a little more frozen yougurt each time, but barely able to finish more than 10% of a small portion. He doesnt really fancy ice creams, frozen yougurt, cold fizzy drinks, which is healthy I guess, but I do want him to be able to take just a little bit of it as a oral sensory activity.

While we were enjoying the yougurt, it was wonderful to see and hear him casually answer my friend who was asking him questions like whether he went to kindergarten that day, the name of his kindergarten, and if it was far away. I was seated in between them, and my friend could understand all that he said! He usually requires me to prompt him to answer adults, so I was really pleased to witness that. Unfortunately, I whispered to my friend how surprised I was to see what just happened and he then became self conscious and didn't want to answer further. I'll keep such comments to myself next time!

As she had some time to spare before heading off, the kids played in front of Toys R Us while I refreshed myself on what it was like to talk to an adult on non therapy matters! He wanted to engage the girls in play by following what they were doing but wasnt able to physically climb up to the platform to then slide down. He did have fun though, exploring the Step 2 little cubby house, the Thomas the Tank Engine ride, observing the antics of the girls, played chasing with the younger girl etc. He indicated he would like to play with them again this school holidays. I'll try to arrange an outing to the Bird Park or something, with the girls.

Saturday, 28 May 2011

I had some errands to run and since my husband was off on his own holiday and he didnt have music class this time, I brought him along. We had an early lunch (usual for a Saturday) and then headed for his maths class. He's doing well in maths class but does require almost daily coaching to help reinforce the lesson. The teachers there love him cos he sits to do the worksheets, participates in the maths games, is obedient and is usually able to do the sums with just a little teaching. That's opposed to some other kids in other classes which I've observed to be very vocal, or find it a bit hard to focus on the worksheet.

We usually then have a snack (thosai, roti telur) at the mamak because lunch was early. It's also because I want to expose him to different foods in terms of not just the taste, and texture, but also the way to use cutlery to eat it (e.g. tearing up the thosai, dipping into the dhall).

We then headed straight for my university alumni association's AGM. It's a small, quick and informal affair so it was fine with the rest of them that I brought my son along. I had beforehand loaded up the bagpack with my own maths worksheet, blank paper, Crayola markers, pencil case, and toy cars. He was so well behaved that a few of them complimented him on it. A kind elderly gentleman tried to engage with him but I think he didnt respond much except for nodding his head or answering his age. Unfortunately, he's still very shy especially on meeting an adult for the first time.

For the rest of the days so far, we've been keeping busy. We start the day with some maths, spelling, phonics, handwriting practice, fine motor practice after breakfast. We then head off to the park (Titiwangsa seems to be his favourite nowadays) for pedalling and a horse carriage ride. We sometimes have lunch out, and do some errands at the shops/malls. He gets his physical activity in the afternoons through walking, pushing the shopping cart, and learning to use his new 3 wheel scooter at home.

Tomorrow, we'll be visiting another international school that's nearby. We've not as yet received an acceptance letter from the school that assessed him, so I was a bit nervous and a few weeks ago, had made an appointment to see this school that's nearby. We're unlikely to apply for admission there (fees very high, school population huge) so I guess it's just to see what it's like for comparison's sake. This school issue does bother me but I keep busy and focus on God to avoid being consumed by worry.

His field trip

2011-05-19T09:00:00.005+08:00

At the end of every term, his kindergarten organises a field trip. Two Fridays ago, they went to the Animal Kingdom at the Mines.

He was a bit worried about the trip, a few days beforehand and on the day itself. He said that he was worried about the bus going over bumps on the road. I think he was a bit scared going on a big bus without me. I assured him that the bus driver would be very careful because there were so many young kids on board.

I was a bit worried too, but just a bit. I was concerned about his toileting needs, if he'd remember to drink enough water and if he'd vomit during lunch. My husband was worried that he end up not eating anything for lunch.

He managed to poo before leaving the house that morning, so I knew then that he'd be alright. I packed two sets of clothes (t-shirt, shorts, underwear, socks, and handkerchiefs) just in case there was a toileting accident or vomitting. I packed a snack in case he vomitted his lunch. As for drinking his water, I asked teacher to remind him to do so. And with my concerns addresses as best I could, I went about my morning as normal, without worrying about him.

It was good to hear that he enjoyed himself. It was his first field trip without me. Last year, he missed the first trip due to illness, and he went for the second trip with mummy tagging along (upon teacher's request).

He told me the various animals he saw - a black & white tiger, peacock, parrot, a sun bear, turtles - and that the snake he touched (he said he squeezed it) felt like rubber. I was very pleased that he remembered the animals that he saw!

It was hard understanding him when he was naming the animals (as I had no point of reference) and he often got frustrated with me! I know I've got to be more diligent on doing the oral motor exercises.

He said that he ate all his nuggets (they had McD's Happy Meal for lunch) and didnt vomit. Hurray! That entitled him to a sticker as a reward! I was pleased because that was the first time he ate without me around, in front of his teacher and friends, used his fingers, and finished it all!

A few months earlier, I was having issues getting him to eat his snack during snack time in class. I think he was put off because he vomitted a few times during snack. Teacher was also putting a bit of pressure on him to eat, for the right reasons (to avoid gastric) but in a manner that backfired. He ended up refusing to eat any snack. That's a different story, for another time.

On the following Monday, I checked with teacher on some facts (albino tiger?) and how he was. She said he was fine, and that she was surprised he managed to walk the whole trip. That's my son - if he's interested, he'll walk and walk and not feel tired.

Here's to more enjoyable field trips in the future...and his growing confidence!

Day trip to Genting

2011-05-18T12:07:00.000+08:00

My helper had been stressing up everyone at home. On Monday, I ended up having to send her to the agency for counselling yet again. This time I left her there for 2 nights.

Since it was a public holiday yesterday and we needed to destress, we decided to take a day trip to Genting, the theme park in the highlands. After all, my son had been hankering to "go somewhere" for some weeks now. I guess he too needed a break from school, homework, maths class, mummy's maths coaching, therapy sessions.

On the drive there, I began to breathe easy. The sight of the lush forests, beautiful green mountains, and clear blue skies, helped me to momentarily forget all the stressors of life - my helper, his entrance assessment, my abdominal pain, his delays...

My son thoroughly enjoyed himself. He went on a total of 10 outdoor rides and an indoor ride, out of which, he went on three all by himself. He is growing up, slowly becoming more confident of himself, slowly becoming more like a "normal" kid.

The staff manning the rides which he took by himself were kind enough to assist him when I asked for help, explaining that he is slightly OKU. It was simple things like assisting him to buckle the seat belt, get in and out, get unstuck after a bumper car after collision, but was much appreciated especially when we know how bad customer service is in our country.

It was by far, the most relaxing day trip to Genting for me. It's relatively easier to care for him. No need to bring bottles, cups, spoon, milk powder to feed him; no worry of vomitting; no need to carry him.

It's been ages since our last holiday (myself & my son), and even though it was only a day trip, it was still a very good break indeed!

"My Child is Autistic" - A book review

2011-05-16T11:25:00.000+08:00

As a blogger (and a mom who is encouraging her son to read), I’m actually not someone who likes to read books. It takes me many months if not years to finish a thin novel, if at all. However, when I started to read the book “My Child is Autistic”, I couldn’t put it down for 2 solid hours and only stopped because I had to pick up my son.

It was easy to read, and very captivating. It is in no way a clinical account or written in a textbook-like manner. It was written from the heart. The book is a very honest and brave account of what it was like for a mother to raise up her severely autistic son.

While it was written to give hope to other parents whose child has been diagnosed with autism, it was certainly not sugar coated as there were heartbreaking moments where I felt her pain.

The author Renitha shares with the readers what she did to help her son become who he is today. Her son is today, an 8 year old boy attending school for typically developing children, who is socially aware, full of emphaty, loves his taekwondo, excels in maths, swims, plays the piano and has a bright future to look forward to.

Although my son is not autistic, it was very easy to relate to many issues that she faced. My son too has gross motor, fine motor and speech issues. While the steps that she took to help her son’s issues may not work for all kids, as she repeatedly emphasised, I would certainly try some of them.

Feeling alone in one’s journey to help your special needs child can be rather crushing. It is hard to connect with other parents who are able to understand as we all lead busy lives and have various constrains. In a way, I do not feel alone in my journey, having read the book. It certainly didn’t matter that I’m in Malaysia while the author is in UK and it didn’t matter that my son does not share the same diagnosis as hers.

She is an absolutely amazing mom for not only surviving the tough early years of bringing up her son, but being able to bring out the best in her son. It has given me added motivation in my effort to help my son too.

I would definitely recommend this book to any parent with a young autistic child, any parent whose young child has been diagnosed with special needs, and anyone who are friends with parents of young autistic children.

The book is reasonably priced at a recommended retail price of GBP 8.99. It is available on Amazon at: www.amazon.uk, and www.amazon.com. I’ve compared overall prices and suggest that if you are ordering from Malaysia, to buy it direct from the publisher’s website as I did, (www.authorhouse.co.uk) because it charges less for postage compared to Amazon.

While the author is my best friend from school days (and I’m so proud of her), I can honestly say that the review above is unbiased. If you get onto Amazon UK’s site, you’ll be able to read the very good reviews left by many readers of her book. This was the review from the National Autistic Society in UK, posted in Amazon UK’s site:

An excellent example of the pain, confusion and difficulties that can be involved in raising an autistic child.

Moreover, an example of how an autistic condition is not necessarily static, but that autistic children can grow and develop beyond expectations, even to the extent that their initial diagnosis effectively changes.

This book struck many chords with me and it was interesting to read the unique problems faced by one mother and how she dealt with them. Renitha also raises many interesting issues, such as the need for a non-uniform but informed approach to autism, and her understanding of the causes of autism.

The book provides a valuable insight into autistic family life and should by read by all professionals, policy makers etc, so that they understand how hard life can be for some families. Parents also need to know that there is much to hope for, that the struggle to cope with and understand their child is worthwhile, that incredible progress can be made from not just learning about autism per se, but from playing to your own and your child's strengths, from finding your own unique way to best help your child and enjoy family life.

Photos of his spelling test pages

2011-05-13T22:47:00.009+08:00

I started off having him practice his spelling test words twice a day. Teacher gives a new list roughly every week. It started off with just 5 very easy words, out of which he already knew 3. Slowly over the months, the list became 10 words and some of the words became trickier (non-decipherable or were the "irregular words" phonetically speaking), with words like "conserve", "tasteless", "branch".

Now, he just revises his spelling once a day at most, if at all. I think he's finding it harder, and so is more reluctant to revise.

The teacher has the list on her whiteboard, so kids revise it in the mornings before class starts. I think that helps him a lot too, to be able to visually see the words often (well, if he bothers to do so cos he'd rather play with his friends in class).

I'm glad that I started him off early on phonics. Although it was seemingly a slow start for him, it was a strong foundation.

I still remember his previous year's class teacher saying that the other kids can read but he cant. At the time the comment was made, he was saying the sound of each letter, then slowly blending 3 letter words like c-a-t, cat. Meanwhile the other kids were "reading" long words like "elephant". I knew in my heart that they memorised that the long e word pasted on that precise location, on the paper stuck up on the wall, to be "elephant". I suspected that if that word was in a book, they would not know how to "read" it.

I knew it was important for him to be able to read. But I didnt know until today, just how important it is, especially in terms of getting into a school. Back then, I only wanted him to be able to read because I wanted him to be independent, and to have access to written knowledge (also part of being independent).

Being able to read better than some of his classmates has given him an important boost to his confidence.

Reading, goes hand in hand with spelling, and he is doing well there too. The kids seated at his table in class are aware of it too. One day when I came back to his class with his probiotics (he complained of tummy pains), the kids were about to start their spelling test. One girl sat at his table commented that he is good at spelling, and the other girl agreed. Hey, that's a confidence booster for sure!

Btw, he now also has Ujian Ejaan (spelling test of Bahasa Malaysia words). It's about 6 words weekly. But with suku kata, it's not too difficult for him. He does though get confused between the Malay sound for "a" and the English sound for "u".

Here's some proof that he's doing well in spelling. Though the photos are a bit grainy, you can just about make out the "Good" and "A" grades given by the teacher.

Oh, and you can see his handwriting is legible but not very nice looking. Perhaps I should take photos of his handwriting a year ago for comparison. He's come a long way in that area too.

School entrance assessment

2011-05-10T22:11:00.002+08:00

It was a big day for my son. It was the day of the assessment to see if he'd be accepted into an international school (for normal kids). All kids must go through an assessment regardless of age, even little ones entering Nursery at age 3!

I didnt tell him about the assessment. The night before I merely told him that there wont be kindergarten the next day and we'd instead be visiting the big boy school. I didnt want him to be nervous or worried.

Two weeks ago, I was informed of the date of the assessment. Surprisingly I was at peace for most of the 2 weeks.

But a two days ago, I started being anxious. It didnt helpt that I wasnt sleeping properly - I still wake up several times at night to check if he's sweating (he'd catch a cold if he sweats and is not changed out of his wet pyjamas) or if he's too cold (he kicks off the blanket sometimes).

I was so tensed that I decided to cancel yesterday's therapy session. I was having a headache for 2 days running, obtaining relief from panadol. It might affect my son so I let him choose where to go yesterday afternoon. (He had been asking to "go somewhere" the past week or so. I guess he needed a break too) It was too hot for the park, so we settled for the craft place where he makes cardboard vehicles.

He was happy there, as usual! I ended up having 30mins of upper body massage at Thai Odessy which was amazing! It was painful, but it really released those knots.

We both slept fairly well last night even though I still woke often to check on him. His runny nose which was continuous for almost 2 months stopped about 5 days ago - just in time! Thank you God!

We were slightly late in leaving the house but since I had factored in extra time for the journey, we arrived early. Phew! Getting him out of the house on time in the mornings can be quite stressful at times.

We sat with another mom who was there early. I was fairly at peace while waiting and so was my son. It was a quite spot where I could observe other kids walking by. I didnt talk much to the other mom as I didnt want to be stressed. Her son was applying for entrance to Nursery (that's when I found out 3yr olds also have to sit for assessments!)

We were taken to the classroom for the assessment. Class was on going for the Reception year kids. As I entered the room, he started crying! I was very patient, spoke in a calm even voice to him, encouraging him, explaining to him, distracting him with the kids' work pinned up, with the other kids going by, with the many colourful displays in the room. He kept saying that he's not a big boy yet, that he wanted to go home. This went on for about 30mins. Not good.

All the while, the teachers in the room went about their tasks. One said that I cant be in the room when assessment was being run. Later the other said that they cant do the assessment if he's crying. I was getting worried as surely the teachers' patience was wearing thin. I explained that my son is shy, but was told that independence (being able to separate from me) was one of the things that they assess. Sigh. Surely there are kids who cry on their first day of school?

Fyi, the only other kid also taking the assessment at the same time was teary eyed but managed to be brave enough to go in without the parents and sat with the other kids while they sang.

My chance came when they broke up into groups for table based activities. I quickly moved to the one that involved reading a story book.

I asked one of the teachers if I could just leave him there with her (even though he was still scared and teary). She said, yes if I felt it would help him stop crying (ie he'd not cry if I werent around). I was risking it. It was now or never.

I squatted beside him, then behind him, very very slowly distancing myself as she started on the books with the kids. He kept on holding my hand, or checking that I was there...but as she got into the book proper, I made a quick getaway.

You see, he loves books and I think he knows that he is good at reading. That probably gave him the confidence he needed.

I stood behind the wall, outside the classroom, afraid to move for fear that he'd see me and start crying again (the wall was between 2 doors that had glass panels).

The uncle of the other kid was looking in, checking on his nephew but also checked on my son. Thank goodness for that kind soul as he understood how nerve wrecking it was. He was there to give moral support to his sis, brother in law and nephew.

The good news started flowing in. I could breathe easy.

The uncle was feeding me with little updates: He was reading...He's not crying... He was taken to the other table with the other teacher.... He was colouring.... He's doing really well...I think he'll make it... He's writing.

Suddenly, the other kid was taken out of the room by one of the teachers. Apparently, he was crying non-stop for a while. They couldn't do an assessment. Mom and dad had to console him. Eventually, he went in again, but with mom for quite a while. Mom later came out but he stayed on.

At two instances, I left the area to check out the canteen's condition during snack time. I wanted to know how crowded it might be and what was served etc.

When I came back after the second visit to the canteen, teacher was bringing him out of the class. I tried to stay out of his view as the teacher explained that they were moving to another room to continue the assessment. Though he didnt see me, he knew I was there (teacher said "oh, there's your mom!"). But he was alright. He was happy. He was smiling, wanting to show me the worksheet in his hand. My brave boy!

I waited around with the mom of the other kid entering year 1, while they continued the assessment. We chatted. After seeing my son smiling, I was less anxious, and could chat. She thought my son would surely get in. I didnt reveal his disability.

When it was over, I asked the teacher how he did. She said that "...he's a bright boy...academically, no problem...he could read"

However, she noted he has fine motor issues. She noted his pencil grip was odd, and probably his colouring (more like scribbles) gave it away too. She might have noticed that he pulled up his pants in an odd manner too.

She explained that it was not her decision to make whether to accept my son or not. She'd have to write her report, pass it to the principal who'd then decide. She wasnt sure if my son could keep up with his peers given the fine motor issue. We expect to hear from them end of the month.

I was disappointed. My mind was running wild replaying the morning's events, and with what if questions. I couldnt think straight.

My son's chances didnt look good even though he is academically bright. They have a long waiting list, something like a ratio of 4 kids to 1 place. They can easily pick and choose the best ones, the perfectly normal ones who are bright.

Various dealings with the school have given me the impression that they only want perfectly normal bright kids. The mom of the 5yr old kid was under that impression too. The parent who waited with me prior to the assessment was outraged that her 3 yr old needed to be assessed, and that a report needs to be written up. It's their school. How do we change the rules when there are lots more parents knocking on their door.

We headed home. We went for an early lunch and caught a movie. It was the first time I brought him to the cinema. I wasnt sure what to expect. He was fine! He loved the comfy chair, and enjoyed the movie, Rio. It helped that there was only 4 other patrons in the small screen (lots of breathing space to relax and a clear view of the screen).

I only started to calm down and feel better around 6pm, after a brief rest and a shower (and pest control fumigating our house).

It's not cast in stone yet. He still has a chance of getting in. I've a few friends praying along - thank you from the bottom of my heart!

It's in God's hands now. I will trust in Him. I give thanks for so many things: for the chance to do the assessment; that my son really did do his best; that my son has come so so so far that they only spotted his fine motor issue and think he's bright; that God has guided us thus far in helping him progress; for His peace that passes all understanding!

Even though I will be disappointed if he doesnt get in, right now, I celebrate all that my son is and all that he has achieved. He is amazing! I love him, love him, love him to bits!

Progress in his pedalling

2011-05-02T18:16:00.000+08:00

Lately I feel more like my "old self". He's been having more activities outside the house compared to the earlier months this year - physio therapies, art & craft, etc.

About 3 Sundays ago, I started bringing him to the park in the mornings to pedal. In that first outing, I could see how he had "regressed" a bit in his pedalling ability. It was because I had stopped all physical activities for too long (4-5mths).

With his disability, hard earned progress is lost when the frequency and intensity is stopped.

However, I took heart by what his therapist had said a long time ago: It might be a case of 5 steps forward, 2 steps back, but he's still gained 3 steps forward.

We went to the Taman Tun park today cos I wanted a change of scenery from his ususal cycling venue of Desa ParkCity.

I am so happy with today exercise! He has definitely gained back what he has lost, and then some!

He mostly pedalled by himself, the entire path around the lake, with only minimal pushing from me. He also managed to pedal the fastest ever, and maintained that speed for quite a long distance.

I think he was feeling proud of his ability, for I certainly told him how impressed I was with him, and how proud I was.

He didnt want to stop at that one round, around the lake. He wanted to take on another path, the outer path that went uphill which was far more challenging. I was game for it as I certainly didnt want to put a damper on his enthusiasm.

I pushed him most of the way up the incline, but he did try his best, even to the extent of using his "power sounds".

Half way up, between the bottom of the slope and the condo, I wanted to take a break to rest but he told me "Don't give up. Keep trying. I will help you be strong and healthy"! I laughed! He was indeed helping me to be stronger cos I was pushing him uphill.

The last bit about being strong and healthy was not an original thought from him. I had several times in the past explained that exercise, sleep and proper nutrition were important elements to be strong and healthy. I'm glad that he had internalised it.

In the past I had also made a deal with him, that I won't give up helping him if he himself doesn't give up and keeps trying. I wonder if he remembered that. So I agreed to continue pushing him uphill as he was still trying his best to pedal uphill.

Nearing the condo, I had to stop. I was knackered. I told him I had to stop as I couldn't go on pushing him anymore. He still wanted to continue but relented when he tried with all his might to pedal on his own strength. I love that determination of his!

Just to put his pedalling progress in context, about a year ago, he wouldn't even have made it half way round the lake. Back then, he couldn't maintain the momentum (no stamina and strength) and would have required me to push start him many times in that short distance.

It may be a case of 5 steps forward, 3 steps back....but regaining that lost 2 steps was faster than I expected. His strength and stamina are definitely improving, with daily physiotherapy sessions (weekdays). That determination of his, if applied to other areas in his life, will get him far.

I can see clearly now, the rain has gone...

2011-04-25T17:00:00.000+08:00

Jan to March were highly stressful months for me.

My son was sick most of the time, with a cold. The common cold is usually not a big deal for most kids and their parents. With my son, it's important to stop the runny nose fast because there's a high risk it'll turn into a lung infection.

He also tends to sleep badly, being woken up by his coughing or a stuffed up nose, which then, very understandably, makes him real grouchy and uncooperative.

If he coughs a bit too hard, or there's too much phlegm, he vomits his previous meal. It's understandably distressing for him when that happens because sometimes the vomit comes out from his nose too, or sometimes the phlegm is hard to cough out. When he's distressed, I'm stressed.

With him so frequently down with the cold, it was inevitable I got sick too because I lacked proper rest and sleep. It took me a long time to recover because the night cough, which lasted a month, meant I continued to have interrupted sleep. I was drained, disappointed, frustrated and slightly depressed.

There were also other stress factors during those few months added in to make it a potent brew for a stressed out mom!

He started in a new class, when the new academic year began in Jan. I was naturally worried about the new teacher, his new classmates, how he'd cope without me, etc.

My live in helper was driving me nuts as well. It was near impossible trying to educate, train, teach, and change her. It felt like teaching someone with a learning disability (I know cos I've tried teaching my sis).

Having stopped physiotherapy (because he was sick) for so many months caused him to regress in his gross motor skills, and his speech (one word answers instead of long phrases cos muscle strength needed for breath). His stamina worsened and was tired often and very quickly. I was so disappointed. I was anxious cos he has 2 school entrance assessments in a few months' time.

I was very tensed up. I couldn't rest. I was squeezing things to do in every minute. I couldn't stop. I was shouting a lot. The tiniest things would set me off. I disliked myself but it was very hard to break the cycle.

The turning point came when I attended a Parent Support Group Seminar around the middle of March titled "Strength for the Journey". It was very timely as it was about managing stress. I could easily tick off the boxes for factors causing "unnecessary stress" - guilt, blame, envy, shame, resentment, etc. I learnt about finding "oasis" - periods of time for myself. I learnt about "restful people" - friends who are supportive and understand, and do not demand anything from you. Thanks Wai Sze for prompting me to attend!

In the second half of March, I slowly gave myself permission to rest and not feel guilty about it. I slowly took time off for myself. I had a hair cut. I visited my grandma (long overdue CNY visit). I had a facial (thanks to my husband for giving the green light!). While waiting to pick up my son, I started to use a few minutes to be still, to be silent, to talk to God, to calm myself down, instead of making maths worksheets, doing up lessson plans, listing out errands etc.

But, things are looking up. He's resumed his physiotherapy & is slowly getting better again. Key word being "slow" but I now accept that's the way it has to be. There have been improvements in other areas that I'd love to write about. I've kept a lot of his work, with the intention of taking photos of them and uploading onto my blog, but there's just no time to do so!

In my mind, I started "writing" this post about a month ago. But I only managed to start actual writing about a week and a half ago. I lacked the time to complete it until today when he's having a 2 hour session with Fezia.

I've always loved this song - see lyrics below. When I heard it on radio 2 weeks ago while driving, the sky was beautifully blue, without a single cloud. I took a long deep breath and smiled. I felt good. I was back to being my old self again. I still have stressful moments in my day, but I'm ok.

I can see clearly now, the rain is gone,
I can see all obstacles in my way

Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind
It's gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright)
Sun-Shiny day.

I think I can make it now, the pain is gone
All of the bad feelings have disappeared

Here is the rainbow I've been praying for
It's gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright)
Sun-Shiny day.

Look all around, there's nothing but blue skies
Look straight ahead, nothing but blue skies

I can see clearly now, the rain is gone,
I can see all obstacles in my way

Gone are the dark clouds that had me blind
It's gonna be a bright (bright), bright (bright)
Sun-Shiny day.

Orofacial Regulation & Oral Functions Myotherapeutic Re-education Workshop

2011-04-15T11:36:00.000+08:00

Orofacial Regulation & Oral Functions Myotherapeutic Re-education Workshop

Target audience
Occupational therapists, speech therapist, physical therapist, parents and others

Date
9am -5pm, Monday 11th- Thursday 14th July, 2011

Fees
RM2,500

Methods and techniques used
Castillo Morales Method by Dr. Anna Regner and the Padovan Method by Stascha Kulen Gay

Topics covered
The workshop will encompass the following exercise program:

•Swallowing, chewing, drinking, sucking, mastication, deglutation

•Breathing/ Respiration techniques

•Exercises with the vestibular oral screen

•Kinesiological procedures for speech related body movement

•Motor exercises for speech improvement

•Proper localization of speech organs like correct tongue position

•Sensory-motor integration (vision, touch, hearing, smell, taste)

•Spatial orientation training for body muscle tension regulation

•Exercises for the re-education of the reflex-vegetative oral functions

•Facial muscle strengthening exercises

•Neuromotor face trigger points activated through tactile stimulation

•Facial massage using vibration and intraoral stimulation

More info on the speaker
This is Dr. Anna Regner's professional website http://www.arsoftinc.com/index.php

Contact persons for further info & registration
- Fezia at feziat@yahoo.com, or 019-312 8437
- Phoebe Long from Breakthrough, e-mail: bestcentre@breakthru.com.my

Almost fully recovered

2011-03-15T23:46:00.000+08:00

Yesterday was the first full day in over a month where I didnt give him any cough medicine. What remains of his symptoms is merely some coughing and gagging/choking when he wakes up in the morning, to clear the phlegm that had accumulated during the night.

So today I quickly brought him to the GP for a flu vaccination. I reckon this is as close as he'll get to being well during the flu season. Since a new flu vaccine formula will be released in May, for the southern hemisphere, we may consider having him vaccinated again in a few month's time.

Thank you for praying for his complete recovery! We look forward to enjoying the rest of this short week of school holidays.

He's recovering

2011-03-10T21:04:00.000+08:00

He's just fallen asleep for the night. I'll have just enough time for a quick update. He usually wakes or stirs about an hour or two after falling asleep and I must be there otherwise he'll cry til he vomits.

He's getting better although not fully recovered. His night coughs are lesser. His runny nose has lessened too. He does still have quite a bit of phlegm to clear in the mornings upon waking. So in a way it's good that he wakes so early these days (around 5 or 6am) to give him enough time to clear it before breakfast.

I've resumed him on his milk cos he can't go on this long with so little to eat. Stopped the tumeric drink and the chinese herbs as they didnt seem to work. I've started him on royal jelly on Sat and perhaps that's helping.

He's also sleeping more. He's been taking naps most days, for 2 or more hours at a stretch. In total, he gets about 11 hours of solid sleep in a 24 hour cycle, which is about right for his age.

My night coughs have stopped. My diarrohea has stopped. I'm still quite tired though. Feels like my "internal petrol tank" is always near empty. When it gets topped up a little (through a decent night's sleep or time away from my son when he's napping) I quickly use it all up doing errands, chores, preparing for my son's maths lesson, managing my helper, etc. I have been shouting a lot. Snappy pants mama will write another post on running on empty when I've the time.

My sister has recovered from her bout with the flu too. But a few days ago, she started having a sore throat again. When she isn't monitored closely, she forgets to drink enough water, or she sleeps late for no good reason. She was duly "quarantined" for 2 days in her room. She's fine now thankfully.

Now my helper has started coughing a little. She hasn't been drinking enough water too in this hot weather and taking too much toast, biscuits, cocoa drink etc. It's tiring having to monitor this aspect of my helper in addition to her other stuff. I sure would like to do without the need for a helper but I can't right now.

My husband's the only one who hasn't been sick recently. Perhaps I should take a leaf from his book and put my legs up in the evenings and weekends, and spend my time planning 3 holidays (ie. holidays without us cos my son falls sick too often) for 2011. That sure would reduce my stress and see me less sickly!

He's recovering but I'm sick

2011-03-04T11:09:00.000+08:00

A very quick update.

My son is slowly recovering. He has been attending school. He's been on various cough syrups to reduce the phlegm. The past 2 nights, he no longer coughs in the middle of the night. But he still has a lot of phlegm in the mornings, which means he's not fully recovered as yet. He's been having long afternoon naps (drowsy cough syrup) so I think that helps his body rest.

He's not on milk as people say it produces phlegm. He's also not on soya milk as apparently, it's "cooling". He's just on solids but since he doesnt eat much, he's likely to lose some weight as this recovery seems slow.

As for me, my night time finally stopped last night. But the bad news is that I caught another virus. Since yesterday afternoon, my blood pressure is rather low. Been feeling very light headed. At the clinic this morning, it was 90/60. I've had bad diarrohea, headache, fever, painful stomach, sharp body pains and nausea. It'll take a few days to recover. If I dont get better, the Dr will take some blood for white cell count.

I'm so tired. Wish I had more support with simple things like sending my son to school, or someone driving me to the clinic (a bit dangerous with low BP). I'll still have to feed my son his meals as my helper has never done it.

Stopped crying but sick again

2011-02-25T11:02:00.000+08:00

He's been attending school this whole week. There were only a few tears on Monday morning as I was changing him into his unifrom, but it stopped very soon.

Last weekend, I spent a lot of time with him on various activities. I felt that it might give him some assurance that I still do love him, and hope that it might boost his confidence a little (academically).

Another teacher there had suggested that it might have been because he was away from school (for the CNY break) and not used to it. This might be true as he had been absent from school a lot due to his illnesses.

I did tell him many many times that he was to go to school as he is a big boy now. In a few months he'd have to attend "big boy school" (primary school). He said that he wanted to attend big boy school now & not his kindergarten!

So this week, I had the time to sort through old worksheets, activity sheets, filing, reorganising some of his shelves, grocery shopping at the wet market. I also made several of my own maths worksheets, had the alarm technician come by (many times since last week!). I've not really had any rest even though I've not recovered fully.

A few days after his last round of illness, he started coughing AGAIN! It's gradually gotten worse over the week. Last night, the cough medicine knocked him out from 8pm - 2am. I guess that it wore off after that as he started coughing and had interrupted sleep.

So I gave him another dose of the drowsy medicince at 3am but he still coughed a lot until 5.30am, at which time, he annouced that he "had enough sleep". We did some reading, puzzles, until it was time for breakfast. Even though I gave him warm water and Olbas Oil, and another type of medicine (at 7am), he still had chesty cough. Then his runny nose started. Sigh.

I'm so tired. I'm so disappointed he's sick again. I was in half a mind to have him stay home today but decided against it cos I didnt want to go through all that crying and "I dont want to go to school anymore". It's Friday anyway (shorter school hours) and I'll strictly quarantine him this weekend.

Its very tricky getting the right room temperature for him at nights. I've tried with air cond at 28C with light blanket, at 26C with light blanket, and with thicker blanket, switching on and off air cond at half hour intervals, no air cond with and without blanket....etc. He still sweats in the first one or two hours of falling asleep and I quickly change his pyjama shirt. Later in the night, he sometimes sweats again or he kicks off the blanket. I'm at wits end.

I've recently started giving him Scotts Emulsion, resumed his probiotics, increased his Vit C dosage, and a tumeric drink (high antioxidant and to stop phlegm). Perhaps his immune system is just at a rather low point, so it takes a longer time to see results.

I'm guessing that his immune system had taken quite a beating and had not fully recovered before being attacked by yet another virus. He's been sick once in Nov, once in Dec, twice in Jan and now three times in Feb.

Before this most recent cold, we had decided to give him the flu shot. But he didnt recover long enough (just 2 days cough free) for us to bring him for it.

I'm very reluctant to quarantine him for extended periods (like a mth or 2) in order for his immune system to recover. That would bring him back to square one with the separation anxiety. Also, that would bring us too close to the international school assessment date.

Please pray for speedy recovery, for stronger immune system, for good night's sleep for both my son and myself.

He cried in school

2011-02-17T11:26:00.000+08:00

Now that he's recovered, he's been attending school. However, for the first time, he cried yesterday.

He vomitted slightly yesterday at the school's car park. But I thought that it might be just some phlegm he was trying to clear or that he had too much wind in his tummy. He did wake up very late (8am)yesterday cos he slept late (9.30pm) the night before, so I hurriedly gave him his milk in 15mins. Perhaps he didnt have the chance to clear his phlegm after waking up. Perhaps he drank his milk too quickly. But I didnt think he was sick.

I briefly spoke to the teacher as I drove past her to pick him up yesterday, asking how he was (cos he vomitted), and she told me that he cried! She said it was during English, and that perhaps he felt he didnt know the words, but the teacher thought that he actually does. I didnt have time to get into details then as I was in the car, so I left it to be discussed today.

As I drove right up to the gate and saw him, he was crying again! Such a pitiful cry, with his mouth in an upside down U shape. Not howling. He continued crying in the car but stopped as I reached the house.

At home, when I asked him what happened, he started crying again. I comforted him and reassured him that I love him very much forever and ever.

Later, I asked him what happened. He took a while to reply, then said "I miss you". He couldnt elaborate.

Much later, I asked more specific closed questions like whether the teacher scolded him, or a friend did something to him. He said no. I asked what he was doing at the time he cried, but he didnt reply. It was very difficult getting info from him, so I left it. My husband also tried many times to find out from him, but couldn't.

Today, he woke a little late (7.45am) even though he went to bed at 8.45pm. I reckon it was because he didnt sleep between 3-4am. That's partly my fault due to my coughing.

He vomitted some of his milk at home. I think he was trying to clear some phlegm. Then he refused to go to school saying that he's not well. He said that he has phlegm. That was not a good enough reason to stay home, so we wore his uniform for him despite him protesting. My husband would have a fit if my son didnt attend school again.

I had to carry him from the car to his classroom. He clung on to me so tightly. He didnt want to get down despite seeing his friends play. I spoke to the teacher while I was still carrying him. Then he started crying.

He stopped after some comforting, and managed to put him down with the group of boys playing cards. The principal happened to walk in, and asked me what happened yesterday at the waiting room. While I was talking to her, he started crying again, and needed to be carried and pacified.

Eventually, teacher got the lesson started, and with some difficulty, managed to put him on the floor with the others. I walked out saying that I had to help him put his bag outside. Then the BM teacher talked to me, giving me the work that he missed out on during his absence.

I stayed briefly to see him but he saw me and started crying again. I had to walk away...with a heavy heart. I could hear him wailing loudly. My heart got heavier. If I stayed to pacify him or to take him home, he might never want to go to school on his own again. If I didn't do that, he might refuse going to school totally. Sigh.

As I drove my car out of the parking lot past the main gate, a teacher came to say that he vomitted all over his shirt. I told her that he has a spare change of clothes in his bag, and drove off. Sigh. It was hard to do that.

I had to return his library books today, so it was good that I wasn't stuck at home overly worrying about him. I still worried about him but committed him to the Lord to take care of him. It's now 11am, and the school has not called me, so I presume he's "under control".

I've still got to help him gain confidence in himself. I'm not sure how to help him report back to me things that happen or are bothering him. How do I help him cope in school?

He's recovered

2011-02-17T10:47:00.000+08:00

Thank you all who prayed for his recovery. He's much better now. He no longer coughs at night and I've stopped giving him his medicines.

He's still not gotten back his full energy though and is tired easily. He's also not sleeping through the night, waking around 2 or 3am and saying he can't fall asleep again. I have refused to carry him to help him fall asleep, as I wish to break that habit. So sometimes we talk a bit, or rather I mumble some slurry words every few minutes. Other times, he rolls around, tosses and turns.

I'm the one on a slow recovery now. My sore throat is gone and so is my blocked nose. But there seems to be a a slight runny nose way at the back of my nasal passage. At nights especially, it trickles to the back of my throat, causing me to cough badly. After a few days of this, my diaphragm and core muscles really hurt. This too has interrupted his sleep unfortunately.

Now, my sister has also caught the bug and has had a sore throat the past few days. Hope she recovers fast, with rest, water and Vit C.

Please do pray for speedy and complete recovery for myself and my sister.

He's not getting better

2011-02-11T13:59:00.000+08:00

He hasn't resumed normal activities. He didn't go back to school on Thursday or today, Friday.

Please pray for a speedy complete recovery for my son (and myself)...and for understanding that I too want him back to school asap....but not at the risk of picking up other viruses...or at the risk of him getting worse.

Thursday

Around 2am on Thursday morning, he woke and coughed. He had difficulty going back to sleep because he kept on coughing. I packed his bag and took him to the hospital for a dose of the nebuliser. We came back about 4am and after a drink of water, put him to bed.

He slept past 9am. He was obviously tired. After his milk, I brought him for his next dose of nebuliser at 10+am. I went to the nearby hawkers to pack some lunch home, and by the time we got back it was 12noon.

Then it was time to feed him again, shower him, give him his syrup medicines, get him to drink some water, and shower myself...there was a lot of fussing, stalling, and protesting along the way.

Finally got him down for a nap at 4.15pm...and he slept right through to 7.15pm. He was tired out. I napped shortly with him too as I needed it.

Then it was time again to feed him, shower him, give him his medicines, drink his water, his milk, change him into his pyjamas, and shower myself....all accompanied by the usual fussing etc. I brought him for his nebuliser at 10pm and got home about 11.30pm.

By bed time, I was pretty much looking forward to sending him back to school today. At that point, he wasn't getting worse or better. I understood the concern and desire to send him back to school asap. I would have welcomed the break myself, so that I can get on with my To Do list. It's much easier to clear my errands than it is to look after a sick child, so please believe me that I want him back to school asap too.

Friday

He didnt sleep well. He had his chesty cough several times in the night even though I switched off the air cond, and even though he didnt sweat.

Around 7.15am, he woke and had on and off chesty cough for a few minutes. Since it was still early, I thought I could squeeze in a nebuliser before school. I got his bag ready and headed to do a round of nebuliser. There were so many people at the hospital but were lucky to be called head of the rest.

Strangely, he was still coughing a lot after his nebuliser. Usually, he wouldn't be coughing for hours. It got me worried. He was already cranky, even before completing the nebuliser, wanting to go home.

His hands were freezing. I reckon he was very hungry. I didnt bring his milk along cos I thought I'd feed him at home and send him off to school. I wasn't going to make him wait several hours, on an empty stomach, to see his dr.

We got home at 8.30am, fed him his milk and some cereal, gave him his medicine, and had my breakfast. By 9.45am, I was unsure whether to send him to school late, or not. I monitored him for the next 30mins. His nose was excreting mucus - coloured and thick - every few minutes even though I clean it up with cotton buds each time. That was unusual.

When I picked him up from school on Wednesday, the lower half of his face was smeared with dried mucus (he's not efficient in wiping his nose). He only finished half his water (or spilled it). So with that in mind, I decided to keep him home from school today.

After this post, I'll bring him for another round of nebuliser and again tonight. I hope he'll take a long nap today too. He needs the rest. He needs lots of water. He needs Vit C. He needs a more patient mom! LOL

Tomorrow morning, I plan to wait it out at the dr's clinic because I think he's developed a secondary bacterial infection (coloured mucus) and requires antibiotics. Unfortunately, there's likely to be lots of people and noise in the hospital lobby as there's a lion dance scheduled tomorrow morning.

Sick again

2011-02-09T16:20:00.000+08:00

We’re back in KL and I can’t believe he’s sick again. He had just recovered from the stomach flu in time for the CNY flight. A few days later, he started showing cold symptoms – started off with a runny nose. I had brought his cough, fever, and diarrhoea medicines with us, so after a day or so of having a continuous runny nose, I started him on Clarinase and Promethazine.

He was active during the day, playing a lot with his cousins. But he found it hard to sleep through the night. It was tricky finding the right combination of factors affecting his body temperature - the air conditioning, the blanket, the right number of layers of clothing, his internal body temperature (was he “heaty” from the travel or “cold” from the unusually strong winds this year?). This resulted in him waking up in sweat a few nights in a row, and crying.

A few days before our flight back, he started having chesty coughs at night. It was especially bad upon waking. I was ready to bring him to the local hospital there for nebulizer (although I didn’t bring his Duovent and Pulmicort) but decided to monitor him instead. Luckily his symptoms didn’t deteriorate too much before our flight home.

We arrived home late Saturday evening and I brought him to the hospital for his nebulizer after dinner. He had another dose of nebuliser on Sunday night. He didn’t seem too bad on Monday so I skipped his nebuliser but he was having difficulty breathing (stuffed up nose) on Monday night. The entire Tuesday morning (4 hours!) was spent at the hospital waiting to see his paediatrician, waiting for his turn at the nebuliser, and waiting for his medicine (Prednisolone to open up his airways) to be dispensed.

He was absent (again!) from school Mon and Tues this week but we decided to send him today even though he hasn’t fully recovered. He was active during the day on Monday, and his cough seems to be more frequent at night. In the past, and again today when I spoke to her, the teacher encouraged me to send him to school unless he’s really, really sick. Also, they had a lion dance performance and class party today, which he was keen to attend.

My husband also caught a virus before we were due to fly back. He had a temperature, very sore throat and generally tired. I managed to hold off the virus until Sunday night cos I could rest when away for CNY. I think the worst of the symptoms is over for all of us, and are on the road to recovery.

My son will take some time for him to shake off the symptoms. Since he is a bit stronger than a few years ago, we will resume normal activity for him. However, it has now gone down to his lungs, and because his lungs are sensitive, I must still monitor my son closely.

Hoppity New Year

2011-02-04T18:27:00.000+08:00

Here’s wishing all readers and their families celebrating Chinese New Year, Gong Xi Fa Chai. May you be blessed with good health, peace, and happiness.

My son recovered sufficiently from his stomach flu to catch the flight! Thanks to all who prayed for him and the advice given.

Since this is the year of the rabbit, I’ll also write about our adopted pet, a 1 year+ old rabbit, which joined our family around Sept 2010.

I stress that we adopted the pet and it was not bought. Our neighbour down the road had 2 rabbits. As the newer and younger rabbit grew larger, it became aggressive towards the older rabbit. It kept attacking the older rabbit and it got so bad that it bit off part of the other’s nostril. So, they had to give one away.

Seeing that my son has a gentle demeanour, they felt a rabbit would make a suitable pet as rabbits are very timid.

The rabbit was very warmly welcomed and immediately loved by all at home, including my helper. My son talked to him, wishing him good night, asking him how he is etc. My son also on occasion brushes his fur and strokes him.

I do agree with what’s written in the papers that rabbits are not low maintenance pets. I reckon they are lower maintenance compared to say dogs, but not exactly low maintenance.

There is lots of poo to clean up (my helper collects it for use as fertiliser), and its urine has a strong odour. Its nails require clipping which actually scares the poor creature. It gets to roam in the patio during the day and provided it’s not raining, it gets a free run in the garden in the evenings. It consumes quite a fair bit of rabbit food (contrary to popular believe, carrots are not a staple) so I bulk buy on trips to the pet shop. It also requires regular brushing to minimise hair balls in its digestive tract.

First month in new class

2011-02-01T18:03:00.000+08:00

I meant to share this piece of good news with you a few weeks ago but he was down with the cold and more recently, down with a stomach flu.

Since the new academic year started on 3rd Jan, he’s attended kindergarten without me and without a shadow aide! A big milestone for him!

For the few weeks before school started, I was rather anxious as I didn’t know whether they required him to be with a shadow aide. I didn’t wish to bring it up to them prior to school starting cos I feared that they would take the opportunity to require him to have a shadow aide.

The first day

The first few minutes of meeting the teacher for the first time on the first day was a bit awkward as I didn’t know if I’m supposed to be with him. I was happy that she preferred that I wasn’t there (she explained it’s because she wanted him to be more independent) but I was really worried too.

School was dismissed early at 11.15am on the first three days to ease the kids back into the academic year. They had prepared a coffee corner for the parents who wished to wait there for the kids.

I was extremely anxious so I chose to wait there. Luckily there was another mother (an ex-colleague) who was also waiting there, so I chatted with her (it seemed like a long chat cos I was so anxious). I only took a peek to see how he was doing during snack time (I was worried he might gag/vomit/can’t open his drink). The rest of the time, I distracted myself by reading the papers.

Subsequent days

On the second and third days, I chose to head home as I didn’t feel comfortable amongst the other parents and their topics of conversation – it’s just a different world that I live in.

I try to arrive a few minutes early just to speak to the teacher each day but sometimes we arrive just before the bell rings so I don’t always get that chance. Now that I’m not with him, I don’t know how he’s coping, what his specific needs are, what areas he’s progressing well in, how his friends perceive him etc.

Reporting back

We were worried that he was not able to report back to us things that happen in school, especially things that bother him. In the first week, I couldn’t get any information out of him despite asking open questions and specific questions. I only got a few one word answers. When I asked him how was school, his usual reply was “It was good”. When asked if he liked his teacher, he’d reply “Yes”. When asked if she was fierce, he replied “No”. When asked if she shouted or scolded him, he said “No”.

One day he returned home with a party pack. He wasn’t able to tell me the name of his friend who celebrated his birthday. He could though, tell me (via specific closed questions) it was a boy and he was a new friend (ie. not from his previous class). It’s important that he learns the names of his classmates in case anyone of them does something to him which he doesn’t like.

When he returned back to school after his 2 week absence due to a cold, there was more information (bits of it anyway) forthcoming from him.

Once while walking to the car after picking him out from school, he told me he “did reading”.

One night while getting ready for bed, he told me that Wednesday is pronounced as “whens-day” rather than “WED-nes-day” according to his teacher.

Another time, also before bedtime, he asked if there were bones in his body. I told him there were but octopuses and squids didn’t. I thought he was recalling something he watched on TV. He then told me there were lots of bones in the hand. He then told me the head bone is called the skull. I remembered that I taught him that many months ago. Back then I had talked to him about the skeletal body, showed him a well illustrated book belonging to his CST therapist on the body and the full sized skeleton she had in her house.

However when I next had the chance to talk to the teacher (when he returned back to school after his absence due to the stomach flu), the teacher confirmed that she had taught them about the bones in their body!

After that incident, I was hopeful that in future, he might tell me more about what happens in class. I am still worried whether he would tell me if something’s bothering him. So far, he’s just telling me what teacher taught, not what his friends did or said, and not what he finds difficult. For example, if it weren’t for the teacher checking with me over the shoe incident (see below) I wouldn’t have known about it.

His Teacher

Teacher said that he’s fine, he’s ok. I think she’s referring to him not having behavioural problems, that he can follow instructions, that he knows his numbers etc.

Teacher is pushing him a little in certain areas, to get him to improve. She tried to get him to colour on the first few days (he’ll only colour if I help him!), to get him to move faster (e.g. close his tumbler faster), to get him to put down his left arm, to talk louder etc.

On Monday (24th Jan), she asked if it’s alright with me if he takes part on Sports Day because she wanted him to and she noticed that he can run. I was happy to hear that she wanted him included (and that implicitly she didn’t feel that sports is all about winning only). She said not to worry about that “the powers that be” might not want him participating.

On Wednesday morning (26th Jan), she asked if he complained about the teacher the previous day. He didn’t. She explained that he couldn’t put on his shoes after completing the e-teaching lesson (For 2011, e-teaching is done in a new room and no shoes allowed in). He apparently called out to his friends for help (I’m amazed!) but teacher told his friends not to help him, as she wanted him to learn to do it himself. She said that he cried (he said he “cried” without tears i.e. protest) and struggled. Teacher helped him a little and noted that his fingers got in the way of inserting the strap through the D ring on his shoe and his fingers weren’t strong enough to pull the Velcro straps tightly. He can take his shoes off easily by himself but I explained that he’s still in the process of learning to put on his shoes. It’s a slow tiny step by step process that requires loads of practice for each tiny step.

At home, I’ve showed him short cuts to putting on his shoe and he doesn’t seem to have a huge struggle with it (just a slight struggle) but things are different in school, I guess. So I’m now thinking of buying a normal pair of white canvas school shoes for him, just to make things a little less stressful for him in school. It’ll mean having to learn how to put on not just his custom-made black shoes, but also his new pair of school shoes. I’ll buy them after CNY.

Settling in

I’d say that after the first month, he’s still in the process of settling in but is making good progress, especially in light of the 2 weeks of absenteeism due to his cold and stomach flu.

In the first week of starting school there were a few nights where he woke up in the middle of the night crying and it was a bit difficult to soothe him back to sleep. I suspect it might be him adjusting to attending kindergarten on his own.

Better things to come

However, he seems happy going to class each morning. He’d run along the corridor towards his class. He’d happily choose a place on the floor to sit amongst his friends. He usually gives me a big smile before I walk away.

I believe there’ll be further progress in his social skills, his confidence, his self care skills, self regulation, and in terms of his academic abilities, with the right support from his class teacher and acceptance from his classmates.

Nasty stomach flu

2011-01-28T16:10:00.000+08:00

Thank you for praying for my son's recovery. It's very much appreciated. He's well on the road to recovery as I type this post.

We were at the hospital bright and early yesterday to have the paeditrician check my son. His temperature at the clinic was 38.3C even though I gave him panadol and Volatren (a suppository) a few hours prior. The Dr reckons it's the stomach flu which on average clears in 3 days. My son was so tired from poor sleep the night before that he had dozed off on the way home.

When he woke after an hour's nap, he started complaining about his tummy. I quickly started him on his medicines.

That was the start of what seemed like endless rounds of visiting the toilet, washing his bum, drying him, applying a nappy rash cream, putting on a diaper (I'm not keen on handwashing lots of soiled underwear), putting on his pants, and repeating the whole cycle again and again!

I think he must have poo'd about 3-4 times each waking hour yesterday. Seriously.

I started to panic when there were bits of blood in each watery stool deposit in his diaper. So I brought him to see a nearby GP (a reliable one) with the soiled diaper, cos his paed was in a meeting. She agreed to take a stool sample for culture but thinks it's a case of a rather bad stomach flu going around.

The GP herself has a mild case of the stomach flu and she recently saw a few kids who had it bad. My aunt from Australia who's back for a visit, caught it on Monday. We just heard that her friend who lives in TTDI had it bad with vomitting, diarrhoea and bad spasms.

My poor son was suffering and I couldnt help ease his pain. I gave him all the medicines - Colimix, Buscopan, Smecta, and heavy doses of my probiotic, LactoGG. Yet, nothing could soothe him. He was constantly saying "my tummy is not well" and whining. Nothing could distract him from the discomfort.

By night time, it became "pain....pain...my tummy is painful". I felt so helpless. He tried so many times but couldn't fall asleep because of the pain. After praying about it, it came to me that it might be gastric pain. I gave him my Gaviscon (thank goodness his paed replied my sms and gave the ok!) and that temporarily soothed him.

Middle of the night, the diaper leaked badly which required changing the bedsheet, the dust mite protector, washing him, washing his pants, putting on a new diaper, washing off the poo from the bedlinen, soaking it in anti-bacterial liquid, wiping the toilet floor...I was so thankful that I had a helper!

He required a few more doses of Gaviscon before dawn but at least both of us got a few hours of interrupted sleep.

This morning, I simply had to send off the comforter to the dobi, and buy some Clorox wipes. I was not taking any chances seeing that it was quite contagious and proceeded to disinfected his bedroom floor and walls (my helper accidently swiped the soiled linen on the wall) and toilet floor.

I'm so relieved that he's better today. His stools are slowly forming. There's significantly less complaining. His appetite is picking up. I'm no longer giving him any fever med. Now, it is my turn to take panadol - body aches and headache! LOL

Diarrhoea & Fever

2011-01-26T17:26:00.001+08:00

He recently recovered from a cold which saw him stay home for the past two weeks. Today, he has come down with a fever and a bad tummy. He might also be starting a runny nose (it's so slight that I'm not sure if he is). From what I hear, it seems like quite a few people are falling ill, but I do not know about his classmates.

He hadn't been sleeping well since Sunday. Each night he wakes up at least twice each night, coughing a little, then crying and vomitting, and having a hard time getting back to sleep.

I'm disappointed that he's sick again so soon. I feel he's missing out so much on opportunities to socialise with his classmates and to build his confidence. I'm not so worried about the academic side cos I believe he's still on par with the others (about average).

He only has about 3 months to go before he sits for an assessment by an international school, and about 6 months to go for another assessment by another international school. I'm getting anxious. I can do my part and help him with the academic side but not so much the social skills and confidence building if he keeps falling ill regularly.

I love him lots, but I'm also not looking forward to nursing a cranky monkey so soon again.

At least he's finally completed the last 2 HBOT sessions yesterday. I was looking forward to doing other things like Neurosuit, music, CST, speech therapy, and a maths enrichment programme. Guess those will have to wait...again.

Please do pray for a speedy and complete recovery, for peaceful sleep, and for a less cranky mood! CNY is just several days away and we have a flight to catch!

Mama, I love you

2011-01-23T22:39:00.000+08:00

My son was in an incredibly excellent mood today. Perhaps he had a good rest last night.

Perhaps it's also because he has now fully recovered from his cold. I totally stopped his Promethazine and Clarinase today. There wasn't any sign of a runny nose, and but he did have a slightly phelgmy voice.

It's definitely a long while since he was this cheerful for an entire day. It was a welcomed change to the past week and a half, or two, of crankiness...and weeks and weeks of tiredness!

He was happily running as fast as he could along the pedestrian path between the wet market and the parked car.

He happily accepted a lollipop from the optician, even though we were there merely to accompany my aunt.

He was laughing lots at home - pushing the large button to make the toy train spin round; kicking a ball all over the place; banging large empty biscuit tins...

He didn't protest when it was time to brush his teeth, to shower, to eat, to change into his pyjamas.

He was very focused on what I attempted to teach him today. He still requires some reinforcement on the concept of a number being smaller than another number (he understands bigger, not smaller). At the moment, at the beginnng of each session, I still need to do a few examples of "smaller" before he is able to get it right consistently.

However I was extremely pleased that he achieved the other learning objective I set out to do with him today - to identify even numbers beyond 10. I had attempted to teach him this many many months ago after he knew that even numbers are quantities that could be paired up (montessori way of teaching) and after 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 became "Key Instant Recall Facts" for him, but I just couldn't make any headway even after trying many ways of presenting the lesson. So, I left it for many months and decided to try it today....and he got it! (I'll have to write a separate post about that lesson)

Best of all, he has swapped his frequent "I'm so tired" of the past weeks to "I love you"! He must have said it close to 50 times today!

If I could bottle up whatever that made him this happy today, I would ...and have him take it everyday! LOL

Switched on

2011-01-19T22:30:00.000+08:00

He has only 2 more sessions to go for the Hyperbaric treatment, which ought to have been completed last Wednesday, but didn't because he caught a cold.

Actually, he should have done a session a day continuously for 6 days a week, every week until 40 sessions were up. Instead, he caught a cold in November which lasted 3 weeks, and then there was a week of Neurosuit (pre-planned weeks in advance) which meant there was a month's break after session number 18. When we picked up where we left off and had another 20 sessions in a row, he fell sick again.

He's still sick with a runny nose and a bit of a cough despite medicine and keeping him away from school. I dont know when his runny nose will stop, but I hope it's soon just so that I can finish the 2 remaining sessions, and get on with other things!

Before he fell sick the 2nd time, I was undecided whether to add on more HBOT sessions. I was very tempted to add on to make it a series of uninterrupted 40 sessions ("more is better" syndrome!).

But now that he's sick again, I have decided not to. It's so tiring. Also, it's because I suspect that it might have made him a bit hot headed (more impatient than his usual self) and hyper (he was bouncing off the walls after several sessions!)

As it is, I'm very pleased with the positive results achieved from the sessions. We noticed the following recent progress since he started in late Oct:

Cognitive - He seems more "switched on". Keen to learn, and to play. A bit more "normal" in some ways e.g. he looks for toys to play with when I'm not doing an activity with him. Previously, he'd wait for me to direct his activities. Also, now when he asks for permission to play, he rejects my offer of therapy based activities or learning based activities thinly disguised as play! LOL. His appetite for books has grown! He goes through 10 story books a week (thank goodness he loves the library books!).

Concentration - He's able to stay focused as I read through an entire story book with him.

Speech - He talks more frequently and there's improvement in clarity too.

Self care - He went through a phase, before he fell sick, where he'd feed himself most of the time (lunches and dinners). He'd make a big mess but that's already an improvement from seldom feeding himself.

Response time - He's physically moving around faster. At times he was bouncing off the wall, which is not so good! His thinking is moving a bit faster too.

Fine motor - he's less spastic, a bit more flexible with his hands and fingers. He's able to hold and drink from an ordinary ceramic mug filled with water (shows his strength). He's able to use a pair of scissors to cut a short straight line by himself! He's now learning to cut zig-zag lines. His control of the pencil has improved a bit where he now doesn't use the pencil grip anymore.

His confidence has improved too but that's probably an indirect result of HBOT and more of a direct result of the other activities he did.

There's still a lot more he has to improve on because when compared to his peers, I still notice a difference. But, I am definitely happy with the progress as a result of HBOT.

My cranky monkey and I

2011-01-14T08:47:00.001+08:00

My sick son has gone back to sleep and I've a chance to blog. It's 8am and I wish to go back to sleep too but my brain cant seem to shut down. I woke at 2.30am this morning, with my heart racing and got back to sleep a few hours later, only to be woken by my son at 6. So that makes for a cranky son and a cranky mama! LOL

My son fell ill a few days ago. On and off he kicks off his blanket and if that happens once too often on consecutive nights, or is coupled with poor sleep for a few nights, he falls ill.

A few nights ago, he accidentally wet his bed (seldom happens) and was restless until I realised what happened. Also, for about 2 nights recently, he woke crying badly when I wasn't with him. He gets scared when he wakes at night and I'm not there beside him. Sometimes I have a quick errand to run, or to grab a bite if I didnt eat enough at dinner, or have paperwork to do in the next room, or am on the internet but I guess, I'll have to stay in bed with him til morning, for the next few days at least.

He couldnt do his hyperbaric on Tuesday cos he complained his ear was painful. That was the earliest sign he caught a cold. He's stayed home from school since Wednesday. He was easy to care for on Wednesday, showing just slight signs of a cold. We did quite a lot of activities at home ranging from fine motor to maths and reading. The Clarintyne, Vit C, and Olbas seemed to help. But the level of crankiness started to rise in the evening, as he got more tired and hungry. I cut down his feeds as his appetite has gone down and also, I didnt want him to vomit.

Wednesday night was a totally different story. Despite giving him Clarinase before bedtime, his runny nose couldnt stop. He woke more than 10 times, needing to be carried most of the time, and at other times, he'd be tossing and turning, kicking off his blanket etc. I was so tired by Thursday morning, and so was he.

I gave him Clarinase again on Thursday morning and when that didnt work, I also gave him Afrin, a nasal drop. When that didnt stop the runny nose and cough, we went to see his peadiatrician. It was a very long wait - a record waiting time of 2 hours. Luckily I brought his toy fuel tanker and milk.

Dr said that it's a bad rhino-virus (a virus that attacks the nasal area/upper respiratory tract) and wanted to treat it aggresively. So he's now on Promethazine (that's the brown drowsy cough mixture) 3x a day, Clarinase and Afrin.

When Dr pointed out that the Promethazine would make him sleepy, I quickly said that that's probably what he needs. Without sleep, he'd only get worse (both in terms of his health and crankiness!).

He managed to take a long nap from 3-6pm yesterday, which allowed me to rest too. The med worked like a charm last night too, where he slept from 8pm to 6am without waking.

He was still cranky his morning but that's probably because he was very hungry (he had only half his dinner) and still a bit drowsy because of the med. Cranky but still wanted to play!

His med has kicked in, and he's now sound asleep. Thank goodness for drowsy medicine! Thank goodness for Panadol (that's for me cos I'm feeling sick too)! I'm now gonna try to rest with him.

Please pray for a speedy, complete recovery (my hubby hates it when my son misses school) and for peaceful sleep for all of us.

How hard is it to fill in an application form?

2011-01-09T17:50:00.000+08:00

My husband, myself and my son first visited this particular international school back in June 2010 (http://humbledmum-myjourney.blogspot.com/2010/06/visit-to-international-school.html), having heard good things about it from another mother of a special needs boy.

Fast forward a few months to November. That same friend drops by on the off chance I'm home. She urges me to quickly submit the application form for registering my son. She heard from another parent there that there was already a waiting list.

I panicked. I scrambled to get things in order. Luckily, it wasn't the school holidays yet and he was attending class without me, thus enabling me to see to this matter.

You see, completing the application form is no simple task that can be completed in an hour or two. The form itself is 28 pages long. Among other things, it requires both parents to submit a Curriculm Vitae covering education and employment history. That was one of the easiest documents to attach to the form. The rest of the documents requested required more effort.

A recommendation letter from a non-related parent with a child currently enrolled in the school, was required. No big deal? Well, that friend of mine is super busy stay at home mum with 3 kids and no helper. She's very involved with her special needs son, and my request for her help came at a bad time. She was stressed out preparing her special needs son for the term exams. Both of us didnt know what to write in the letter. I'm thankful to her that she not only slotted in time to come up with the letter, but also the words that I think are able to touch the heart of the principal.

A doctor was required to fill in his medical history of vaccinations, and conduct a medical examination based on their check list. My son's paeditrician is a very busy doctor and you will usually need to book appointments one month in advance. I didn't have the luxury of waiting a month, so we went in one afternoon as a walk in patient, and waited and waited and waited.

Being a special needs kid, there were additional documents required. The check list for special needs kid was simple enough to fill. But I needed time to get reports from his speech therapist, his physiotherapist, and a detailed report from his kindergarten. I spent many more hours over several days getting those reports, so I was kinda busy while he was in school, on top of the other stuff I had to see to.

I wasted a few hours struggling over drafting my son's kindergarten report (yeah, I was asked to draft my son's report). Thankfully I subsequently remembered that many months ago, I had downloaded a very detailed assessment guide (UK's Early Foundation Years Assessment Guide) and got going. After 4 more hours, I ended up with a detailed 4 page report for his kindergarten teacher to review!

My advice to other parents of special needs kids who are planning to register their child in a private/international school, is to get the paperwork started early!

That was just the part on getting the application form ready. There's another long story on attempting to submit the form, and then to get an appointment to meet the principal. Even though there have been mini road blocks along the way, I believe it is worth, just to get the chance to get him into that school.

Note that from the school's viewpoint, that was just Stage 1 - Submitting the application form. I'll now have to wait until July to be called for my son to be assessed by their teachers. I had sent a prayer request to a few friends on this schooling matter, as it is a major worry for us.

The big worry is: what happens if he doesnt get through the assessment? It was only in the last few days of Dec 2010 that I found out from another parent that another international school (that is also far from home) accepts special needs kids with shadow aides. Realising that it was also affordable (a fraction of the more popular international schools), I went there last week to place him on the waiting list.

This back up plan doesnt provide any guarantees. In fact, it may be harder to get into this second school as it is a lot more popular (modern, more facilities, spacious, more reasonable fees) with a long waiting list. That school has as it's preference: non-Malaysians; existing students from it's other schools within the group; siblings of existing students; or resident of the housing estate in which the school is in. We're non of the above, and to top it off, he has a mild disability. Not much that I can do, apart from praying! God will make a way!

December's craft projects

2011-01-07T23:08:00.000+08:00

I had originally wanted to write separate posts on the many crafts I did with my son last December, but seeing it's now January and there are many more things I wish to write about, I'll instead make it brief and into just a single post.

First off, I've to state that the crafts below are not my ideas. They were obtained from various websites (and modified to suit his abilities and according to what materials I had around the house), which I've unfortunately now forgotten and thus unable to give credit appropriately. Apologies.

Next, most of the crafts below required significant input from me. My son's effort was probably 30% at most. I didnt want you to think he could do it all by himself.

Even though he didn't contribute much, I simply wanted him to see what could be achieved with his hands. I wanted to encourage him to use his fingers and hands, in a fun way. It's boring to merely cut straight lines off worksheets. Also, I hoped to show him what a bit of creativity can achieve (other people's creativity not mine!).

Toilet paper craft

Christmas Toilet Paper Craft

This "family" was made from toilet paper rolls. We made one character a day. It took too long to make the first one, Santa. So my lesson learnt was to prepare the materials before hand!

As with all craft projects, I hoped to develop his fine motor skills. In this project, he helped to colour, to apply glue, to paste.

He was rather proud of the end products, which is good cos I wanted to boost his self esteem/confidence (even though it's not 100% his own effort). When Papa came home at the end of each day's work, he proudly showed them off.

Paper baubles

Paper Bauble Craft

This paper bauble project took many days to make. We ended up with a dozen colourful baubles, and stopped when I sensed that he was bored with this project.

It was a great way to have him practice his scissoring skill. This was the FIRST time he was able to cut!

There was also quite a bit of preparation needed for his project. I cut long strips of similarly coloured magazine paper and kept in separate containers according to colour. He then had the freedom to choose which colours he wanted to work with on a particular day. His job was to snip those strips into squares, apply wet glue, place them in a designated place to dry out, and apply glue on the circumference. I did the rest like cutting the cardboard, hole punching, and applying the glitter dust.

Btw, I now have several different types of glue bottles - dry glue stick, wet glue that comes with an application stick, wet glue that has a roller ball on the tip - all bought with the intention of exercising different finger/hand muscles.

Button wreath Christmas tree decoration

Button wreath

I thought this was a great idea but turned out too challenging for him. It's really a disguised lacing activity!

Its made from thin pipe cleaner, with various Christmassy coloured buttons thread through it. The buttons were too small for him to handle.

But there was still some benefit: I had him lay out the buttons in a pattern (an early maths skill); he still had to pick up the small buttons and lay them out (pincer grip); he had to use both hands to lace even though I had my hands over his to help him.

Paper wreath

Paper wreath

In this project (which also took several days to complete), I had him trace the outline of his hand onto a cardboard. I cut that out and then used it as a template. He traced the outline of that template onto green paper many times. I cut out several little green hands, which he then had to apply wet glue to, and paste them onto a cardboard ring. He also applied glue using the roller glue bottle unto the centre of the ring and a few "fingers". I then scattered glitter dust on those bits.

Paper Christmas stocking

Paper Chirstmas stocking decoration

I thought this was a great idea to get him to practice lacing. He did like decorating the stocking with Disney's Pixar Car (his favourite movie) stickers and the glittering christmas tree. But when it came to lacing the front and back of the stocking, he refused! I only managed to have him lace two or three holes! I'm not sure if he had too much of craft work (this was the last craft work for Dec) or that he was just too tired at that time.

Good internet connection

2011-01-07T22:09:00.000+08:00

It was pretty amazing that Maxis actually responded positively to my complaint. An engineer called to say that others in my area had also complained of the bad connection. So they've increased bandwith, and I'm so happy.

That was about a week ago. I've however not had time to update my blog although I've lots to write about. It's been busy (so what's new). I need more time to settle down to a new routine, to plan what to teach my son etc, to reorganise the cupboards. If the state of your desk is reflective of the state of your mind, then the state of my house pretty much reflects the "mess" in my head! Right now, there are just too many things I want to do straight away.

I will try though to catch up on some news that happened in Dec and share January's good news. That's assuming my son sleeps through the night tonight...

Neurosuit - general info

2010-12-30T22:11:00.000+08:00

Over the last few months, there have been a few readers asking about the Neurosuit. So I thought I'd share some general info about it. I hope it'll be useful.

The suit is yours to keep upon purchase. The suit comes in various sizes. My son is wearing the smallest size now. We bought it when he was 3 and a half years old. The oldest person whom I know who bought the suit is 20+ years old.

The suit consists of various separate pieces - vest for the upper body; a pair of shorts; two arm bands; two leg bands; a cap (I think for those with poor head control). You can't buy the pieces separately. It comes in a set. There are also lots of bungee cords and small hooks to attach the cords to be suit.

The suit is designed such that it is "expandable" to grow with the child for a few years. A sneaker or sports shoe, has lace on the front to accomodate slightly different sized feet. So too, the suit has lace parts on various parts to accomodate for a growing child. There's lace on the front chest and back of the chest, on the left and right side of the shorts. There are also velcro straps, to accomodate a growing child. Those straps are on the vest, arm and leg bands.

You will have to pay for an assessment and training from the therapist. The therapist will ask you the child's history, and see what is his/her area of need. The therapist will decide on how to hook up the bungee cords according to the child's needs. The therapist will train the caregiver on how to prepare the child's body before putting on the suit. That simply means doing a series of reflex patterning movements or massages. The therapist will work with the child, the way a physiotherapist would, except that the child is wearing the suit. It's good to book a few sessions because there is much to learn and much to ask. The therapist will also come up with a home programme for the caregiver to do with the child. Home programme means homework, exercises you do with the child in the suit when at home/at the park etc.

You could also bring the child in the suit to the therapist for a series of intensive sessions. My son just completed a series of 5 consecutive days of 2 hourly sessions, earlier in Dec.

It's also important to check back with the therapist on a regular basis (3mths/6mths depending), because as the child grows and improves, the hook ups may need to be changed.

I believe the suit works because the cords help to align the body correctly, which then helps the child to use the right muscles. The cords also provide resistance to build up muscle strength - think resistance training for an athelete. Importantly too, the suit itself provides proprioceptive input to the brain which I think is lacking in conventional physiotherapies.

To see results, it's best to use the neurosuit as frequently as possible. As with CP kids in general, it's important to achieve the right frequency, intensity and duration, to bring about progress. In the earlier days after purchasing the suit, my son exercised in the suit almost everyday, twice a day, usually at the park. We chose the park because there's equipment there that I don't have at home.

For more details about the suit, you may contact the therapist directly. His name is Adnan and is contactable via email on: adnanasgerali@yahoo.com.

Hyperbaric Oxygen - resumption of sessions

2010-12-28T11:51:00.000+08:00

We resumed his Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy sessions about a week and a half ago. He still has quite a few sessions to go and it's likely to run into the first few weeks of Jan.

I had originally intended to complete it by early Dec, but was delayed because of his on and off cold. Then I had planned for him to have two sessions in a day, in order to complete it before school reopens. However, I decided to make it just once a day because it was tiring for both of us. That allowed him time for other morning activities like playdates, Gymboree sessions or just messing about at home.

One thing I learnt which I wish to share is that if the latex neck seal is slightly big for your child, place a handkerchief between the seal and the child's neck. That will prevent too much oxygen from leaking out. Thanks for the tip Fe! It saved my arms from being sore as I used to fold and hold the excess latex to make a tighter seal, for an entire hour.

I pray that the remaining sessions bring about further positive changes, especially in clarity of speech, quickening of his reflexes, reduction in spasticity, and improvements in maturity.

I've not been sleeping well

2010-12-27T04:33:00.000+08:00

It's 3am. I've been unable to sleep for at least the last hour. This is becoming an unwelcomed regular occurence. I decided to try my luck with the internet connection (I'm in luck!), so here I am, blogging.

I am tired, mentally and physically, but felt the need to blog. It's been my emotional outlet for destressing, and my way to try to work out what's going on in me. There must be issues bugging me that cause me to wake from sleep at ungodly hours lately.

As the school holidays come to an end, I worry about the new academic year. Will his new teacher be supportive? Will his new classmates be nice to him? Will his teacher be effective in teaching so that my "home teaching" workload is lighter? Have I done enough for him this school holidays?

Lately I have been stressed on the homefront in managing my helper and my learning disabled adult sister. I confess that on many occasions since this helper came to us, I had been so angry with them individually, and together. I do not blame my sister for her actions - she is the way she is because of her limitations and the current circumstances. I do not have the ability to, on a consistent regular basis, give her the attention she craves for or see to beyond her basic needs.

I'm beginning to see that there will always be issues between my sister and who ever becomes my live-in helper. I've not yet come to the stage of being able to do without a live-in helper, and I've yet to learn to manage the dynamics well.

I'm aware that I ought to have been able to deal with the issues in a calm manner. I do worry that my displays of anger is a bad influence on my son. Parents should be good role models. I've stopped shouting and am allowing more slack. I think though that it's ended up being bottled up inside me, which is very unhealthy and dangerous.

I need some "me" time, away from home, away from my son, so that I can breathe. I dont need a holiday from it all and that's just not possible anyway. I need "me" time on a consistent regular basis. It doesn't have to involve a lot of money or a lot of time - I think just having a cup of tea at the mamak is enough. I've hardly had time alone since this helper arrived in March.

There! I've had my say. I feel much better now. There are other issues simmering under the surface, which I cannot write about, and many other frustrations which I will have to deal with. To those reading this post, and who previously thought I'm coping well with everything that's going on, I'm not. Everyone needs help and support, even more so as parents of special needs kids.

Hopefully, my internet connection improves considerably (during normal waking hours!), as blogging seems to have a positive effect on me - both in terms of writing my blog and reading the blogs of others. It's now 4.30am and I'm off to a hopefully peaceful sleep.

Bad internet connection

2010-12-26T07:50:00.000+08:00

There are a lot of activities I wish to write about but have been pampered by the really bad internet connection from home, over the past few weeks. Incredibly frustrating!

Most times, I cant even get into the internet. On the very few occasions that I did, the speed was less than100kbps for a split second, then drops to zero. I've only been able to check (from home) my email and my blog for comments on extremely rare occasions - e.g at 5am when I can't sleep.

I had been able to get fast speeds when I access from places outside my home (e.g at the mall while he's at Gymboree, or at the therapist's house, or while waiting at the car workshop), so I managed to search and download more worksheets, and information that I hope will help in developing his maths and other skills.

I had lodged a complain to Maxis, but will take 3 -7 working days for the technical team to investigate. You know what customer service is like in M'sia...so I'm considering switching providers.

Do tell me which mobile internet service provider do you use? Does it provide fast and stable speeds?

Science activity - sink or float

2010-12-24T06:11:00.000+08:00

This was a quick and simple science activity during the holidays.

I first saw it on my friend's blog (thanks for the idea Yvonne) many months ago, but never had the time to get round to do it.

I just used objects I found around the house, with a mix of large and small items, those that'll float and those that'll sink.

He loved throwing the stuff in cos it'd make a splash or "kerplunk" sound!

But before throwing it in, I'd ask him to predict whether it'd sink or float, and I'd make a guess too.

I was trying to introduce to him that in science experiments, you'd make a prediction, then test it out, and compare the results.

Most times, he predicted wrongly, which is fine cos it wasn't about getting it right (not at his age anyway), but about taking part in an experiment and what is an experiment all about. Btw, I some of my predictions were wrong too! LOL

I also prepared a chart for him to record the findings. Recording one's findings is also part of an experiment.

But I also realised it was useful to teach him how to use or read a chart. By this I mean reading a row and column in order to find the right place to place the tick mark.

And, no I'm not kiasu on this aspect cos his kindergarten workbook had two pages that needed him to understand how to use a chart. He needs more practice on this as you can see he initially chose the wrong column or row to record the outcomes. But as usual, I've a lot of things for him to learn and right now, this low on my priority list.

I also did this activity to break from the usual activities which are more therapy based and from the lots of craft work we did lately.

Craft activity - corn

2010-12-20T08:00:00.002+08:00

This was one of the first craft activities we did during the school holidays. It's quick, simple, I had all the materials on hand and he liked the picture on the website so we did it even though it was part of a Thanksgiving theme (Thanksgiving isn't celebrated here).

I found it on one of the many kids education/activity related websites. I have recently been surfing on many of those websites that I've forgotten where I saw this.

I cut the pieces of paper and he helped to glue them on. He placed glue on the "corn", scooped various types of beans and grains from containers, and scattered them on the corn. Even though each step was assisted, he still did some bits of it himself.

I found it's good for fine motor, sensory, and hand-eye coordination. I did a lot of craft work with him during the school holidays as it's a fun way to get in fine motor practice. He gets to open and close the glue cap, to squeeze the glue bottle, open and close tupperwares containing the craft materials, use both hands together, figure things out himself, etc etc.

There's of course the creative element to it - I've not emphasised creative skills in the past.

He also gets a sense of achievement which I hope will boost his confidence. He was very pleased with this piece of work and showed it off to papa when he came home.

He attended class without a shadow aide

2010-12-19T04:34:00.000+08:00

I’m very late in writing about this but it is an important event that I wish to share.

Back in Oct I had mentioned in my blog that I had floated the idea, to his teacher, of my son attending kindergarten without a shadow aide. Teacher agreed, but for it to happen only after the concert.

So after the concert, I raised it to the teacher again. After a week of nervous waiting, I got the approval from the principal.

On 1st Nov, a week after the concert, my son went to kindergarten without me, without any shadow aide. It was a big milestone – for him and for me!

I was worried for several days prior and didn’t have proper sleep in the run up to the first day. I was worried that something might happen that would lead to him being kicked out or to him disliking school. I was worried how he’d cope with the stress.

His 1st day

My heart sank when we arrived in class on the first day. His teacher was absent and it was the fierce teacher’s aide substituting for the day instead. It wasn’t the best start but if he “survived” the day, I knew that he’d probably be ok the rest of the days.

I was too nervous to be stuck at home while he was in class, so thankfully a friend was free to accompany me to a toy wholesaler in the city. I not only managed to buy the main gift for the party packs for my son’s birthday party in school, but also found a fun (& useful) toy for his birthday.

I spoke to the substitute when I got there early before dismissal. He fed himself his snack and drank his water. He needed help to open his water tumbler and Tupperware. The substitute took him to toilet but he didn’t shee-shee (scared I guess!). He didn’t cry or cause any trouble for the substitute.

The remaining days

There were not many school days from 1 Nov to 19 Nov. Out of those 15 days, there were 2 public holidays, 1 day the school was closed, 1 field trip day, 1 year end party day.

Nonetheless, he successfully attended those school days without me, without any incident. Initially, he was very happy to attend class without me. Teacher said he was happy, smiling, laughing and playing with his friends.

On one day, he was laughing so loudly that the teacher in the class next to his commented that his true self could be seen when I’m not around. I think that was because he and another special kid had completed their work before the rest (with teacher’s assistance) and allowed to play. They started chasing each other and so my son was happy and excited.

There wasn’t much teaching in those last few weeks of school, so I’m not sure how he would have coped during a more “typical school day”. For the teaching that did take place, he was able to follow lessons during workbook time. When it was floor time, he continued to be a bit fidgety and easily distracted, curious what his friends who weren’t paying attention were up to.

After a few days of attending class without me, he started to show some little signs of stress. He would say that he missed me whereas in the initial days, he didn’t. He would hug me very tightly or hold my hand extra tight when I picked him up from school.

Helpful friends

The kids were curious why I didn’t attend class with my son anymore. Teacher explained that my son’s big enough now and almost 5, so doesn’t need mummy anymore : )

I’m thankful that the kids were kind to him. They would help him with this or that. They included him in their play (teacher did tell them to). It looks like his social skill is slowly improving because on one occasion, he played Lego with his best friend and not just alongside or merely observe.

Assistance still needed

He still needs help from his friends or teachers in various small ways. He sometimes needs help to open his water tumbler (esp when my sister closes it super tight to avoid it spilling). He needs help opening and closing his snack box (I’ve since found a container he CAN open by himself – a Lock & Lock brand). Teacher needs to keep a close eye on him when he’s eating as he has a tendency to put more food in his mouth before completely swallowing the previous bite, and thus gag/vomit.

He needed assistance from the teacher when it came to writing practice (several lines). He was distracted during lessons, by the out-of-the-box girl who sat beside him so I guess that’s why teacher had him sit at her table with the other kids who needed more attention during workbook time.

Teacher was very supportive of him in terms of his toileting needs too. She initially walked with him to toilet but peeped from behind the wall. The next time, she had his friends go with him but would check on him a few seconds later. A few times more and teacher didn’t need to check on him in the toilet. But she had to be aware of how long he was in the toilet and if he didn’t return, she’d go and check on him. On occasion his underwear or pants would get twisted and when he returns to class, teacher would notice him tugging and help him adjust.

Next year, 2011

I believe this “without a shadow aide” trial happened mainly because the class teacher was supportive, understood my son’s need, felt confident enough to handle him, and they had completed the syllabus for the year, and it was only for a few weeks.

Teacher mentioned that next year, it’s most likely that I’ll have to be with him for the first few months at least, to help him settle down because he’ll have new classmates, new teacher, new classroom set up etc.

But the fact remains that he did successfully manage to attend class without me, albeit with assistance from teacher and friends. This definitely bodes well for the future.

Extra hours for me

Those few weeks gave me a few precious extra 3 hours in a day. Even though I didn’t get to relax, I did manage to do many errands.

Day 1: bought the main item for the party packs for his school birthday party & his birthday gift.

Day 2: bought remaining items to fill up the party bags.

Day 3: fell sick & slept the morning away!

Day 4: made a lot of phone calls – quotations for my car’s cracked windscreen, fixed 2 doctor’s appointments for myself, fixed appointment with contractor etc. Cleared some paperwork.

Day 5: shopped for Christmas presents and sister’s birthday present.

Day 6: appointment with Gynaecologist.

Day 7: appointment with Hepatologist.

Day 8: errands to the Laundromat, cake shop, flower shop for my sister’s birthday, met up with contractor.

Day 9: drove to workshop to get opinion on cracked windscreen and picked up some groceries.

Day 10: paperwork at home & general tidying up.

Day 11: accompanied son on field trip.

Day 12: picked up his birthday cake and celebrated with him in school & since it was the last day of school, they were dismissed at 11am.

As they say, no rest for the wicked!

Mild Cold

2010-12-09T23:34:00.000+08:00

Hello! Hello! Hello! It’s been many weeks since my last posting as I’ve not had the time. It’s been busy, stressful and eventful. I’ll try to write several postings on key events that happened as I don’t think it’s possible to summarise it all into just one post.

In this post though, I will write about his mild cold that he currently has and then in my next posts, back track in time to some past events.

He started his mild cold on 18 Nov and he’s still not fully recovered from it yet. He was getting better after a week or so, then got worse, and repeated that better-worse cycle two more times over a 3 week span.

He is on the recovery stage as I write this post and hopefully he’ll recover completely this time so that both he and I can at last have proper sleep.

Although 3 weeks is a long time, I am thankful his cold has been mild and mostly managed with runny nose medicine. He only needed a few days of hospital runs for the nebuliser, and even then it was only using Duovent. In the past, the months of Nov & Dec typically see him falling ill with a bad cold leading onto bronchitis or bronchiolitis, so I hope this means that his immune system is getting stronger as he grows up.

3 weeks of putting plans on hold because of the cold is a long time for me. It’s 3 weeks of the year end school holidays lost.

I had planned for him to complete the 40 sessions of HBOT on 1 Dec. We’ve only done 18 sessions so far. Even though his cold is mild, it has made it difficult for him to equalise as we dive. Perhaps because he’s still small, the sinus and Eustachian tubes are also tiny, and thus either slightly inflamed or congested with a bit of mucus.

I really do want to complete the remaining sessions asap as I’ve seen good benefits from it. His spasticity is reduced which enables him to do more fine motor work. Oral motor has also seen some improvement where he can now purse his lips and chew chunkier spoonfuls of meat. He seems to think a bit faster and speaks his mind more frequently.

I had also planned other activities for him this school holidays, apart from HBOT. I wanted to do Neurosuit therapy to maintain/improve his stamina, and increase his muscle strength. I wanted to have many play dates with some of his classmates, at home and outdoors (at the park, science centre, PetroSains, cinema) to improve his social skills and confidence. I wanted to resume his music class so that the gap between the kids doesn’t grow even wider. We wanted to celebrate his birthday with an outing to the KL International Motor Show, as he’s crazy about cars. I wanted to bring him to see the beautiful Christmas decorations in the many shopping malls. I wanted to start him on swimming lessons in order to be water safe before he starts primary school (one lesson period a week is allocated to swimming).

Well, those were the things I planned for him. Then there were the errands which I planned but got shoved aside...reorganising his room, the kitchen cupboards, my cupboard, the store room...renovation to hack off and replace several cracked floor tiles, chopping down the durian tree, reupholstering the dining chairs (they are peeling so badly that they look like the flaking skin of a sunburnt swimmer)...planning how to help him progress in his maths and phonics...and more...

As you can see, I’m not one to waste time. So instead of carrying out my original plans, we did other home based activities. But I kept them light and easy, and limited the number of activities as he was sick. There were lots of art and craft activities, other fine motor activities, a few pages of simple worksheets a day and reading daily. I had more time (and patience) for him to practice self care skills (self feeding, wiping his backside after poo poo etc). He had a lot of time to play with his vehicles - that’s a special treat I allow as it is the school holidays, and he is sick (and cranky!). For the first few weeks, he literally had a vehicle in his hand the moment he woke, and was the last thing in his hand when the lights were switched off. That’s just how crazy he is about vehicles. : )

Tomorrow, he starts his intensive Neurosuit therapy for 5 consecutive days. It should be ok for the first few days but I’m not sure if he can last 2 hours a day for 5 days! But I’m sure the therapist will adjust accordingly.

Hyperbaric Oxygen: Sessions 7 – 11

2010-11-12T08:05:00.000+08:00

He’s a quarter way through the series of 40. We’re getting used to being in the chamber, but can’t wait to complete all the sessions. It’s still a bit tricky getting the neck seal to completely seal around his neck as he does move around quite a bit in the chamber.

Last Thursday was a school holiday so he did two dives, one in the morning and another in the afternoon, with at least a 4 hour gap. I’m really trying to complete it as fast as possible, but am acutely aware that it tires him out (not to mention the boredom).

Last Saturday morning, he vomited his milk at home, and he started to cough the night before. So, to be extra cautious, I cancelled Saturday morning’s dive in case he had phlegm which may interfere with equalising. I gave him Promethazine twice on Saturday and thankfully, his cold didn’t progress any further.

To relieve his (and mine!) boredom and to de-stress from all the hyperbaric oxygen therapy, we went to Desa Park City’s park on Sunday morning. It was a good decision. We were blessed with cool weather while we fed the fishes and he rode his bike. Of course, there’s a bit of therapy that I snuck into those simple activities, but it really was mainly for relaxation.

Hyperbaric Oxygen: Progress!

2010-11-05T08:00:00.001+08:00

I had started to worry several weeks prior to starting the hyperbaric oxygen treatment (HBOT), about the many many many safety aspects; about how my son would react to being stuck in a chamber with a hood on for an hour; how I’d take to the compression and decompression; whether I’d see any benefits; when will we see the benefits; how best to utilise the hour while in the chamber; what are the changes to my daily routine that I’d have to make to slot in the treatment etc.

People told me to not have high expectations with HBOT (as it’s not a prescribed treatment for CP). People can’t tell me for sure what improvements, if any, my son will have (as each person is so different from another).

After a week of HBOT, with adjustments on my part and on my son’s part, I’m generally happy despite the side effects (tiredness). Happy because there have been improvements!

The 2 areas I’ve seen improvements are in his speech (I think the aspects of cognition and oral motor) and fine motor skills.

Speech

He’s saying more syllables in a single breath:

“Oh my gosh! He gave him so many books!”

"Yeah, just like my rabbit but a bit different."

He’s also saying more (using several breaths to say something much longer):

"It's just red lights, not ghost. It's for warning the big aeroplanes...you are flying too low...and for small helicopters...and small aeroplanes...and big helicopters." (He was referring to the red warning lights on top of tall buildings)

“Twinkle, twinkle, little star, how I wonder what you are. Up above....” (He sang the entire nursery rhyme on his own initiative, and without needing any help)

He’s saying things he doesn’t typically say:

“Thanks for reminding me.”

“Let’s go to find out.”

“What do you think?”

“What are you saying? I don’t understand you.”

Fine motor

He’s now able to put on his sandals (fake crocs) needing me to only hold the sandal steady. He’s able to move his foot this way and that way, to fit into the sandal, quite smoothly, which I’m so surprised to see!

Thank you, thank you God for blessing us! Please continue to pray for protection and progress!

Hyperbaric Oxygen: Session 3 – 6

2010-11-04T08:00:00.001+08:00

Session 3: Wed, 27th Oct 2010

We tried him on the mask but things didn’t work out as expected, and when he wanted to urinate, we decided to cut short the session to just half hour. He fell asleep just as we got home so I put him to sleep still in his scrubs. He must have been so tired cos he slept for 3 hours straight.

Session 4: Thurs, 28th Oct 2010

Reverted back to using the hood, but also brought in the mask (as thoughtfully suggested by the staff) to be used if he fell asleep in the chamber.

Half way through the session, he needed to urinate! So we “went back up” to allow him to use the toilet, then “went back down”. As it was decompressing, he started to fret and cried (he seldom cries nowadays), so we stopped the session half way. He probably felt discomfort having gone down and up and down again.

Again, he fell asleep on the way home, and this time, he slept for 4 hours straight! During the first two hours of his nap, he didn’t move an inch! That told me just how tired he was, and probably why he cried.

Session 5: Fri, 29th Oct 2010

The boss accompanied us in the chamber. He was genuinely kind and managed to get my son to laugh while in the chamber! My son was so well behaved during the session that it amazed the boss too. I was very relieved there was none of the fretting or crying of the past few days.

We brought in a plastic urinal into the chamber this time round so it made things a lot easier! Didn’t I say that they are really responsive?

Session 6: Sat, 30th Oct 2010

Luckily no one else had booked the chamber for Saturday mornings, so we can complete the 40 sessions faster. We rested a bit, did a few pages of worksheets, made up some literacy games, and read a book (and of course, he used the urinal).

One important tip that the boss told me was to keep the hood slightly puffed (that would indicate that the hood is filled with oxygen). I tend to have a bit of hassle with the neck seal. When my son moves, the neck seal gets loose and I’ve to try to stick the latex together. It’s not a major problem. It’s just that I’ve to be more alert to it from now on.

The staff’s response was to wipe it down with sanitiser (prior to entering the chamber) which makes it stickier.

Hyperbaric Oxygen: Sessions 1 - 2

2010-11-01T08:05:00.011+08:00

Apart from his concert performance, the hyperbaric oxygen treatment (HBOT) had me very nervous.

I had initially planned to start HBOT on Monday morning, the day after his concert. However, I was such a nervous wreck that I couldn't even decide whether to postpone it to Tuesday instead. In the end, I just took the plunge (excuse the pun) and he had his first "dive" on Monday afternoon.

Session 1: Monday, 25 Oct 2010

Being locked up on a small space (can sit 4), having your son wear a latex neck seal and a plastic hood over his head with hoses attached, and wearing scrubs, is not a normal everyday experience. To say the least, the entire experience takes a bit of getting used to.

I was giving uncontrollably huge yawns every second to equalise the pressure as it was going down. To help my son, I was advised to have him drink through a straw (thanks for the tip Fe), which I had him do.

I'm so thankful that my son didn't cry or fuss on the 1st day. I could tell that he was a bit scared but was also being brave about it.

I think it helped greatly that he had a good experience when we visited their facility earlier this year, at which time I also had the hood briefly placed over his head (just to see his reaction). Then a few months ago, we visited their facility again at their new location on their Open Day, as I wanted him to feel comfortable with the set up. However, I must say that I prayed hard about it too!

To pass the time, they played the movie "Up" for us to watch. Since it was played on a laptop outside the chamber, viewed through a porthole, it was more of a silent movie version, and my son lost interest in it part way through. So we did some reading instead. I had prepared a bag full of worksheets, a few books, and a pencil for him so as to make it more productive (again, thanks for the tip Fe).

Session 2: Tuesday, 26 Oct 2010

He must have been very tired after the big school party that he fell asleep in the chamber.

After getting used to it, the chamber can be a bit relaxing especially when the lights are switched off, and cool air starts circulating. There are no noises, except for the blower occasionally going on and off to ventilate it. There are no distractions like the handphone, internet, visual reminders of chores yet to be done etc.

But it's not for those even mildly claustrophobic. Inside, it probably measures only 5 feet by 3 feet at widest, which is comfortable enough for my son and I.

The staff have been very kind and thoughtful. They had answered all my 20 odd questions via email, and further questions I had when I was there.

Having noted that I was very nervous, they were very patient, understanding and accomodating where possible.

They were kind enough to allow me to wear their scrubs (shirt and pants style) instead of the centre's gown. I could even bring it home for ease of changing into it in the comfort of my own home before driving to the chamber.

At the end of session 2 (when my son fell asleep), he saw that my son's hair was damp from sweat, he suggested that my son try the mask instead the next day.

So far, so good...

Concert Performance - 2nd day

2010-11-01T08:05:00.003+08:00

Apologies as this post is a week overdue! His second day of the concert was two Saturdays ago. I've not been able to write as there have been several things worrying me, but on to the concert...

He did well on the second day too! I managed to see him perform up close (I peeped through the side door) as most of the parents of his classmates weren't there to block my view (they came on Day1).

At a point in time during his performance, he even smiled very naturally! My husband said that he looked more relaxed compared to Day 1. I'm very happy that he came both days!

Prior to his performance, I was again nervous even though he did well the day before. So I kept myself occupied by helping with the kids, and having my nasi lemak :)

This time round, I managed to speak to three other parents. Even though it was just for a few minutes each time, I was happy enough to have made the connection with them. You see, I don't get much chance to socialise!

Speaking with one of the parents brought a bit of perspective to my challenges, as I was again reminded that it can also be challenging when raising a typically developing child. Another parent of a typically developing child was encouraging and had kind words.

Concert Performance - 1st day

2010-10-25T08:00:00.003+08:00

Woo hoo! He did great on his first day! Teacher was so very happy with the performance of his class, that she gave them a gigantic star on the whiteboard. The executive director told my husband and myself on separate occasions that my son did well.

He remembered to keep looking ahead and not be distracted by the other kids. He remembered to keep playing his drum. He even remembered teacher's advice to move forward if another kid was blocking him from being seen by the audience.

Blogger has fixed the image uploading problem but I didn't get the chance to take photos!

I chose to be with my son and his friends up until the time they walked onto the stage. I then quickly rushed to get into the hall but I couldn't even put a foot in as parents were blocking the way!

So I only managed to see his Indian dance performance on the LCD screens set up outside the hall to cater for the spillover. But for the grand finale, I managed to get in and watched from the back of the hall, together with my husband.

I was so nervous and excited that I was up just before 6am. I have to tell you that I stuffed my face... 2 hard boiled eggs at home for breakfast, then a big curry puff (bought from the food stalls set up in school) at 9.30am, a big packet of nasi lemak at 10am and another big curry puff at 11! I blame it on the nervous energy... and hey, it's hard work getting kids changed while maintaining your cool, and being grounded while there's a hive of activity around you. LOL

His first day of concert performance turned out well even though the night before he had said that he was "a bit scared". When we got home, and I asked him whether he was very scared (cos of the crowd and excitement in the air), he said he was "a bit brave"! Bravo my little boy! May he do well again on his second day!

Btw, his concert is held over 2 days because there isn't enough space to accomodate the parents of the entire school population. Hmm, more yummy breakfast again for me! LOL

Does he have friends?

2010-10-22T08:13:00.001+08:00

A few months back, my best friend asked whether he has friends in school. Back then I wasn’t sure of the answer. Now, I think I can say that he DOES have friends!

He names 2 kids as his friends – a boy J, and the Japanese girl. She is sweet, gentle and smart, but I think his “crush” on her has waned. He no longer seeks her out to sit with her during circle time. Instead, he finds J to sit next to him.

He has yet to learn to use his words to say “excuse me please”. He instead acts like a VIP, whereby the person sitting next to J, has to move to the side to make way for my son to sit next to J. Sigh.

J is a gentle and kind boy who has taken a liking to my son. He shares a book with my son. He kinda plays with my son. Sometimes he mimics the funny action that my son does. Sometimes he makes funny faces at my son. Sometimes he puts his arm on my son’s shoulders. Sometimes he places his palms on my son’s cheeks and gently squeezes. Sometimes he gently strokes my son’s hair (I guess he sees my son as a baby to some extent) Sometimes they partner each other when lining up in twos.

About 2 weeks ago during play time, my son was looking for a group to join in. The other kids finished their snacks way earlier so were well into their games. My son approached a girl V, who was playing with another boy, and she didn’t want my son there. So she gave him 2 blocks and told him to go somewhere else (or so I gathered from their body language cos I was too far to hear her). She did the same to another boy (also special needs) the very next moment. Teacher saw it and advised her that it was not a nice thing to do, and suggested a different way.

Then last week at the playground during PE time, the very same girl, V, intentionally came to befriend my son. She held his hand and ran around with him, invited him to play the slide, followed behind him as he climbed the stairs to the top, slid down after him, smiling all the time. They went on to play on the merry-go-round-thingy with other kids. At the playground, the kids move 3 times faster than my son. They don’t wait for my son. So it really surprised me that someone was playing with him. I was cautiously happy to see that, cos I wondered if teacher had told her to take care of my son. I was even happier when teacher told me that she didn’t suggest or prompt V to do that.

There are 2 other girls, S and CSH who took a liking to my son from months back. But they definitely see him as a baby and treat him as such. They sometimes squeeze his cheeks (he’s learning to tell them to stop when he doesn’t like it). They sometimes carry him (he’s quite a bit smaller than them). They sometimes bring his bag or water bottle to him. They sometimes seek him out to be his partner when lining up in twos. CSH often tells me that my son is so cute.

Sure his cuteness gets him some mileage now. But he must have more confidence to speak and speak loud enough and with clarity.

My next challenge is to find play friends to meet on a regular basis outside school, as suggested by his music teacher to help him along his development. I say “challenge” cos he only has weekends free. For other kids however, weekends are usually precious family time especially when their mothers work and they most likely attend enrichment classes. There is someone I have in mind but have yet to broach the subject, and it’ll most likely only be in Dec during the school holidays. From next week onwards, he’ll be doing HBOT (Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment) which is very intensive, and finish in early Dec.

I pray that his social skills continue improving and that he will always have good friends throughout his schooling years and beyond.

Neurosuit Physiotherapy Progress

2010-10-21T08:00:00.001+08:00

There were very few days of therapy over the last 2-3 weeks cos his therapist was helping other kids overseas. That gave both my son and I a breather from the intensity of his physio programme. I did a lot of errands and planned ahead for the upcoming school holidays.

Just prior to that 2-3 weeks, I felt that it was getting too difficult for my son to do several of the exercises. I think that break helped him as it allowed him to rest. Perhaps that’s also why it was recommended to have a 2 week break for every 8 week intensive therapy stretch.

This week’s sessions have been great so far. Really great! Some of the exercises that were very hard for him just 3 weeks ago have become just “a bit hard” (his words).

Some of the improvements noted this week:

- More often than not, his feet are still in one spot (previously, he’d need to keep his feet moving around, often stepping on my toes many times!)

- He’s able to stretch his hamstrings effortlessly so much so that it’s almost like a ballerina’s split

- When lying down, he can raise his legs up easily

- When sitting down with legs in front of him (long sitting), he can touch his toes easily (sad to say, I can’t do that!)

- He is beginning to engage his arm muscles a bit more

- The muscles at his shoulder blades and the back of his neck are no longer tight (observed during CST session yesterday)

- His loud voice has returned!

Yesterday in class, I noticed that his handwriting had suddenly improved so much! He was practising writing for his spelling test. He wrote the words “rob” and “sob” within the blue lines of the exercise book all by himself, without needing me to place my hand on his. I noticed there was good flexibility and control although he was writing it slowly. Unfortunately, I am still having problems uploading photos on blogger, so I can’t share it with you.

There are still many other areas to work on, for example:

- He needs to engage the various muscles so he doesn’t keep sliding off the chair when he’s seated down

- Gluteus muscles not engaging

- Lower quad muscles need to be stronger

- Biceps and triceps not engaging enough and not strong

- He has winged shoulder blades

- His left arm and hand tends to rotate outwards

- His left hand is clenched often

- All 10 fingers need to be stronger

- Finger isolation not yet achieved

- No heel strike on his right foot when he runs, but fine when walking

- Running gait still funny

- Toes of right foot still sometimes curled

Yes, he has many more challenges to overcome in the future, but he has improved so much since starting the intensive Neurosuit therapy! I believe there were two key “ingredients”: the right therapist, and the intensity of the Neurosuit sessions.

These few days of improvements have made me so happy. Thank you, thank you, thank you, dear God. And thank you all for your prayer support! Thank you Fe for your dedication!

My invisibility super power

2010-10-18T08:48:00.003+08:00

There's only a month left in the school year. Not much time indeed for him to practice his self care skills, school readiness, social skills etc.

About 2 or 3 weeks ago, I spoke to his teacher about my son doing without a shadow aide. She was agreeable to it, but she suggested we only start after the concert is over. Her reason being that she'll need a teacher's aide assigned to help her in the class if I'm not going to be his shadow aide, and the teacher's aides are all currently very busy with the daily concert practices.

I'd have to talk to the principal about it of course, to obtain her approval. Please pray for a positive outcome from talking to the principal.

Pls also pray that he copes well without me, and for the teacher to be able to give a positive report on my son (before he moves on to another class next year). This is also part of my planning ahead, in case his Primary school asks for a report from his kindergarten.

His teacher thinks he'll be fine without me, and that she'll be able to cope. But I wanted a "trial run period" to see how things might be. I didn't want to just disappear and really not know what happens.

So, I decided to invoke my invisibility super power! After I spoke to the teacher about it, I backed away even more than before from my son.

I tried to limit helping him to the times when he needed to go to the toilet, when there's a page of writing, when he clearly struggled with his water tumbler, opening/closing his food container, during computer time, helping him up the stairs to the stage for concert practice...

Doesn't sound much does it? But then, there are the littlest things that frustrate him or that requires a lot more practice, like...
...remembering what to do when he arrives in class cos he gets excited and wants to join his friends(remove water tumbler, pencil case, and homework folder, then find somewhere to place them, zip back the backpack, place backpack on rack, and remember to pick up those things to bring into class). Since this is quite a bit for him to remember, I do give verbal cues.

...zipping and unzipping his backpack. He's getting better at it. But when it's dismissal time and the bell rings, he gets too excited and fumbles too much.

...keeping his food container in his backpack

..."arranging" other kids bags on the rack so he has place for his bag

...inserting the exercise books into his homework folder

...learning social skills

...learning when he's not wanted (he got pushed, had his hand thumped, had his head butted by a girl!)

So you see, although he has come a long way, I still worry about how he'd cope.

I wonder whether he'd get to practice those skills or whether the teacher's aide would end up doing it for him if she runs out of patience.

Only one way to find out! To borrow a tag line: Just Do It

New schools for autistic children in Malaysia

2010-10-14T22:12:00.000+08:00

Tonight, I was happy to read about 2 new schools for those with autism. My son isn't autistic but I'm happy because there are so many kids who are falling through the cracks in the education system. In Malaysia, it is really hard to find a school that accepts special needs children, one that is affordable, one that really will be inclusive and supportive.

In my search for a suitable school for my son, I was frustrated at the lack of choice, the ignorance, etc, and that was when I haboured a dream to set up a school that welcomes special needs kids. I can't begin to imagine the huge challenges involved in such an endevour which is why I don't really dare to dream it. So I find it absolutely amazing that a group of parents got together to start a school in Ipoh for their autistic children. How incredible is that!

So, I simply have to share the news below with you because it's given me hope for positive change in the world of special needs in Malaysia.

The news was taken from the Dignity And Services blog http://dignityandservices.blogspot.com/

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NEW SCHOOLS FOR PEOPLE WITH AUTISM

Their teaching content may be different, but their intent is the same. Parents in Selangor and Perak are taking the initiative to set up schools to cater to autistic children who would otherwise fall through the cracks of the education system.

By Pang Hin Yue

AFTER helming the National Autism Society of Malaysia (NASOM) as its chairman for eight years , Mr Teh Beng Choon is still all fired up to push for changes for people with learning disabilities. Under his leadership, 16 nationwide centres providing Early Intervention Programme (EIP) and three vocational centres have been set up.

In addition to these, NASOM has its own one-stop centre for assessment and diagnosis that is supported by a dedicated team of experts that include three psychologists, two speech therapists and an occupational therapist. It is no small feat , for a nominal sum of fee, NASOM provides a multitude of services that cater to a wide ranging group of people, from pre-schoolers to adults . All of which are geared towards educating, empowering and liberating people with autism. And now Teh is taking it to the next level.

He is planning to set up a special school for autistic children who have been denied of a place in government schools owing to their multiple disabilities or who have not benefitted from the government’s special education programme. “It is open to all who one way or another, can’t fit into the current education system,” he explains.

He is targeting for the school to be set up by next year . For a token sum for rent , SP Setia Foundation has provided a premise for NASOM to run its EIP in Setia Alam, Shah Alam since April this year. NASOM hopes to expand to include its latest school pilot project. Although Teh and his secretariat staff are working hard to convince a major housing developer and the State government to support their endeavour to have a permanent site for the new school, he feels the time has come to, “just do it”.

What will set the new school apart from others? “It will be driven by parents. They will be the ones giving inputs and getting involved directly ,” he says. He believes that parents can make invaluable contributions given their experience in caring and managing their autistic children.

Teh’s empathy for parents who are hard pressed for an alternative school for autistic children stems from his own share of ups and downs in securing his son’s rights to education. Although diagnosed with autism, his highly intelligent son sat for UPSR and passed with flying colours. But he was denied entry to secondary school because he was under 12 when he sat for the national exam. That left Teh with no option except to admit his son to a private school and seek exemption from the Education Ministry. Today at 15, his son is studying for a foundation programme for a master degree in pharmacy at a leading university. Would the outcome be different had his son remained in the mainstream school system? “My son enjoys his time at the university because he is finally learning by exploring,” he says.

Teh strongly believes that children with autism – whether they are high or low functioning – should be given every opportunity to realise their full potential. Just because they can’t fit into the mainstream school system, it does not mean they should be denied of their right to be the best they can be.

“The conventional education system requires children to learn a wide variety of subjects, and may be in languages that they may not be accustomed to. Children with developmental disorders may take a longer time to learn them, a situation which is not afforded by our school system. Further, their innate impairments may hinder their learning process. Consequently they develop a poor self image and see themselves as failures, thereby impeding their progress. This is further compounded if carers also give up. Which is why the new school will be unconventional,” he explains.

Instead of teachers, there will be facilitators determining what each child wants to learn and what he is capable of learning, says Teh. Facilitators will explore various learning options until they find those that bring out the best in the child, he adds. For instance, if a child is more proficient in English, then his programme will be structured based on his spoken language.

“Ultimately, the learning process is to ensure the child is supported in areas where he shows potential , be it in the field of academia, music, art or cooking and work towards independence and job skills,” he says.

Towards this end, Teh invites parents and critics to give their thoughts and ideas how best the school should be operated and email to him at info@nasom.com.my .

Being a non-profit organisation, he is only too aware that for any of NASOM’s programmes to succeed and remain sustainable, it has to have the financial security and strong teams of staff supporting them . For instance, NASOM spends RM1 million annually to ensure 61 students across the country have teachers aides to help them study in mainstream schools.

For members of the public who wish to donate towards NASOM’s causes, he cautions against giving their money to any third party. “NASOM is not affliliated to any foundation or organization,” he stresses, adding that all donations are tax deductible and that NASOM welcomes volunteers.

Ends

For more details, contact NASOM Secretariat at 35A Jln SS21/37, 47400 PJ. Website: http://www.nasom.com.my/. Email: secretariat@nasom.com.my, tel: 03-77104098.

SPECIAL SCHOOL IN IPOH

DETERMINED not to settle for less, eight parents together with two advisors in Ipoh, Perak decided to set up a school for their autistic children. Calling themselves , Autism Support Association For Parents (ASAP), this motley crowd of parents went ahead and opened a school this year. With an undisclosed sum of money given by a generous donor, they found a double storey house and had it renovated. Says ASAP committee member, Tan Pek Imm, the members are thankful to find a retired teacher who accepted the challenge to run the school with the help of a teacher aide.

The school sessions are held in the afternoon, from 2-5pm with an enrollment capacity of six students. Mathematics, Science and English are taught based on the Singapore syllabus. “After examining the various teaching methods and contents, we settled for the Singapore syllabus because it allows our children the flexibility to take the secondary school level exam, one subject at a time,” explains Tan. She travelled to Singapore, spending time talking to officials at the island state’s education ministry and went away impressed.

“We prepare our kids to sit for ‘N’ Levels, ‘O’ Levels and ‘A’ Levels. We may also plan for them to sit for Cambridge exam upon completion of Year 6 in order to expose them to having exam in a public hall,” she says, adding that the school also offers other forms of interventional therapy for speech, behaviour and motor skills.

“ Next year, we plan to increase the number of classes to three to cater to a total of 18 students. The sessions will be held in the morning,” explains Tan whose son aged 13, had previously attended an international school in Ipoh before settling in his new school.

To ensure the viability of the school project and to garner support and services for families with autism in Perak, ASAP endeavours to increase its fund raising efforts with help from its patron, Datin Grace Lee.

ASAP invites parents to enroll their children at the new school. ASAP also welcomes those who are interested to be teachers to write in. For details, contact Charlotte at 016-4227076 (email: charlotteccy@yahoo.com) or Tan at 016-5535803 (email: immseng@streamyx.com)

Full Dress Rehearsal

2010-10-13T22:55:00.000+08:00

It was full dress concert rehearsal today. It was the first time they had to perform in their costumes on stage. The professional photographer was there, so the pressure was on.

My anxiety over the event started yesterday. I was probably more anxious than he was! LOL I had strange dreams and drifted in and out of sleep last night. I was concerned he forget to play his drum and end up standing there like a statue, looking left, right and behind at his friends. I was concerned the “powers that be” might be upset with him for “spoiling” the performance.

I was also worried about waking up on time. In the end, I woke at 5.30am, before my alarm clock went off for 6am. That’s just me! Imagine how super nervous I am about missing a flight!

It was a party atmosphere in school. So fun! Kids came in make-up, even boys! Photographer went round classes taking shots. The teacher and I helped the kids change into and out of their clothes, decorations, and shoes. His classmates were in various brightly coloured Indian costumes. All the kids looked so good that I took many photos of my son with them.

That’s one of the privileges of being his shadow aide – I get to take photos when it’s less chaotic. It’d be far more stressful and chaotic on the actual concert day with parents buzzing in and out, trying to take photos etc.

So how was his performance? Well, I was nervous for him and busy taking photos that it was a bit of a blur. I know there were times he forgot to play his drum, there were times he turned to look at others around him, and at times he looked a bit dazed by it all. Maybe I should borrow a video cam and have my husband record it on the actual day!

I think the whole thing got a bit much for him. He’s a bit confused by the different and contradicting instructions he’s received over the recent past few weeks. There’s also probably a bit of system overload. The music is really loud and fast. He’s got to remember to constantly play his drum. He’s got to look forward and smile. He was probably worried that his friend might forget to come and lead him to his next position. He has to remember to adjust his position if someone happens to stand in front of him and block him. He has to remember to move forward with the rest of the boys for the finale. He has to remember to take a bow with the others. He has to remember to walk off the stage with the rest.

It’s not much to remember at all if he were a typically developing kid. The other kids get far more complicated dance steps which I doubt I could do myself! But he’s not typical. His processing time is slow. His therapist is also working on bringing his various internal systems to work together at the same time. For example, simple kids song with action like “the sailor went to see, see, see, to see what he could see, see, see” require recall of the song, speech, hand movement, proprioception, timing. It’s quite demanding on the brain.

However, at the end of the day, I’m happy. I’m happy he got the chance to be with his friends on stage. I’m happy the teacher was supportive of him and specially thought of a role that suitable for him. I’m happy he wanted to get on stage with his friends and perform. I’ll sleep happy tonight : )

Radiant Child® Yoga Workshop

2010-10-13T08:31:00.002+08:00

I thought of joining the Radiant Child Yoga workshop to learn more about various exercises that are beneficial for my son because I realise, through his therapist Fezia, that several exercises done during his Neurosuit therapy are similar to those done in yoga.

However, I'll have to miss it this time round because my son is not yet able to feed himself independently and I do not trust my helper to feed him.

I have attended Fezia's yoga sessions myself and found them effective. That's why I believe it would help my son improve his range of motion, his co-ordination, his strength. Perhaps it might benefit your child too, whether a typical child or a differently-abled child.

---------
About the Trainer...

Fezia Tyebally has a passion for yoga! She is a Radiant Child Yoga ® Facilitator, certified to teach levels 1 and 2, a certified Kundalini Yoga teacher, a licensed practitioner in Yoga for the Special Child™, and is a certified Yoga therapist at the 500 level. Fezia has lectured extensively in Southeast Asia on programmes for children with special needs. She currently teaches a module that she has created for adapting children’s yoga for the differently-abled child; ranging from Cerebral Palsy to Autism.

As a therapist, Fezia'’s yoga sessions naturally lean towards the therapeutic benefits, but her playful nature ensures classes are fun and lighthearted. With a home base of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, she is available to teach Radiant Child Yoga in Asia, Australia, and other parts of the world as well.

In addition to these very specialised therapy skills, Fezia is a trained CranioSacral therapist who completed her Advanced level and Pediatric level training with the Upledger Institute. She has also completed a two-year diploma course in Biodynamic CranioSacral Therapy

Radiant Child® Yoga Program (RCYP) is a comprehensive training program designed for anyone who is interested in teaching children yoga. The vision of RCYP is to create a world of peace through the union of yoga and children.

RCYP was founded by Shakta Kaur Khalsa, who recognized the need for children to be given the opportunity to thrive and blossom through the gift of yoga. Radiant Child Yoga began in 1999, and is one of the very first training programs for teaching children yoga ever offered anywhere in the world. It has grown from teaching groups of 5 or 10 to groups of 50-100 as yoga for children has become more widely known for its beneficial effect on children’s health and happiness

RCYP participants include yoga teachers of all traditions, schoolteachers, therapists, parents and grandparents. Previous yoga experience is helpful although not required. Participants gain a wide variety of practical yoga tools and tips, and have fun playing at being a child again.

RCYP has been approved for CEUs in public schools, as well as Yoga Alliance 500 level accreditation. This course has been presented at Montessori and Head Start conferences and therapy centers for ADHD and Autism worldwide. Radiant Child Yoga has been featured in major newspapers around the world, and well-known publications such as Odyssey magazine in South Africa, and Yoga Plus in the United States.

Course detail:
Date: 22nd Oct 2010 ~ 24 Oct 2010
Time:
22nd Oct 2010: 7pm - 9.30pm
23rd & 24th Oct: 9am - 5pm

Course fee: RM1200 per person
(including 4CD's 1DVD Yoga in Motion, training manual, Yoga in Motion book)

To register you can
email: info@lightonearth.my
or call the organiser @+603-7729 0068

Hyperbaric Oxygen Treatment

2010-10-12T08:30:00.002+08:00

I plan to start this new therapy for my son soon.

Please pray for all the 40 sessions to go smoothly and be effective in helping my son. As with any medical treatment, this is not without its risks.

I thought of sharing with you what is HBOT about. Below are some of the information I gathered from the internet.

--------------
What it is....

Hyperbaric oxygen therapy (HBOT) refers to intermittent treatment of the entire body with 100-percent oxygen at greater than normal atmospheric pressure.

This increased pressure, combined with an increase in oxygen to 100 percent, dissolves oxygen in the blood plasma and in all body cells, tissues and fluids at up to 10 times normal concentration

Normally oxygen moves through the body only by way of your red blood cells. With HBOT, the oxygen is pushed into all of the body's fluids--the plasma, lymph, central nervous system fluids, as well as the bones and ligaments--where blood flow is lacking

How it helps...

By using HBOT, additional oxygen can reach the damaged areas and assist tissues and the body to heal faster. Increased oxygen flow enhances the ability of white blood cells to kill bacteria, reduces inflammation and allows new blood vessels to grow more rapidly in the affected areas.

Most people have only heard of using a hyperbaric chamber for the "bends," another name for sickness brought on by an air embolism. But many other conditions such as stroke, cerebral palsy, head injuries and chronic fatigue have all benefited from HBOT.

One of the scientific research says...

Hyperbaric Oxygenation Therapy in the Treatment of Cerebral Palsy: A Review and Comparison to Currently Accepted Therapies (published in the Journal of American Physicians and Surgeons, Volume 12, Number 4, Winter 2007) -
"The 10 studies on the treatment of CP with HBOT presented in Table 3, even though some have a small number of participants, have all demonstrated significant and often impressive improvements compared with what is seen from the majority of known and accepted therapeutic approaches for this condition.

In fact, depending on the age and the severity of the condition of children with CP, the rate of progress (see Table 4) measured with the GMFM can be up to five times higher than the one obtained with intensive physiotherapy (PT) or even after rhizotomy followed by intensive PT.

So far, no recognized approaches in the treatment of CP have shown faster or more impressive positive changes in gross motor function. Moreover, most recognized approaches like PT or rhizotomy do not improve cognition or communication. HBOT has an effect on global function of the brain and, besides the very important changes in motor function, the most common improvements reported by more than 80% of the parents are in cognition and language."

An excerpt from the book "The Synergy of Body/Brain Repair" by Virginia Neubauer:

"Plasticity is one of the most important mechanisms of brain repair and involves the redirection and reeducation of neurons to make new pathways to learn and improve both cognitive and motor skills. Following any brain insult there is a period of plasticity while the brain and body compensate and attempt to overcome and rewire their connections to learn to take over the tasks of the damaged neurons.

In children, plasticity is ongoing, as the brain is in development and still growing new brain cells. Just as babies need to be taught to walk and talk, newly awakened neurons need to be redirected and retrained.

HBOT, the safe, non-invasive use of 100% oxygen under greater than atmospheric pressure, has been clearly proven to reactivate and facilitate dormant, idling, damaged neurons that had been receiving enough oxygen to exist but not enough to function or fire electrically. The reactivation of these cells with HBOT opens up whole new areas of plasticity so that the brain is able to learn or relearn the skills that are necessary for proper function of both the brain, as it relates to cognitive function, and the body as the brain makes new connections for recovery of trunk, limb and muscle movement.

New neurons are like newborn babies. They need direction for their optimal growth and development. This is why a multi-disciplinary approach to brain injury in cerebral palsy and the brain injured child is so crucial to the outcome. The sooner the new neurons can be redirected to take on the tasks of the damaged areas the more promising the prognosis. It is the intensive therapy and strength training that redirect the brain cells when they are reactivated by HBOT to form the necessary pathways for functional recovery. The synergy of the two approaches combined demonstrates a good and positive outcome for the child."

Workbooks from BookXcess bookshop

2010-10-11T08:44:00.001+08:00

I've stopped buying reader books from bookshops since I joined the library. But I have bought workbooks for my son when I happen to be at a bookshop.

The ones in this post were bought from BookXcess. BookXcess is on the third floor of Amcorp Mall, PJ. Tel: 79560455. Website: http://www.bookxcess.com/. They have a list of books (children's section) on their website so you can see if what you want is carried there.

Books sold there are brand new (unlike places like Why Pay More Books) and reasonably priced. They are able to offer good prices because they buy "stock over-runs" from the publisher or distributor.

My son likes this "Coming Top" series and I bought several topics and several age groups of most of the topics.

Each book is not exactly cheap (RM8.90) compared to the locally available workbooks, but it is at a discounted price, and it is of good quality. The pages are of good quality paper, so it's easier for him to turn the page by himself. All the pages are in full colour and attractively designed, so it keeps him interested and he himself chooses to work on it.

There are lots of good quality cute and colourful stickers to reward him with, as well as the usual gold star stickers. There are lots of extra stickers given so I plan to use them for other self created activities.

For the younger age group of 3-4, he is usually able to work through it without supervision. I feel that it helps build up his confidence.

Importantly too, the activities are rather well thought out. It presents one small idea at a time. It progresses slowly through out the book. This can't be said of the workbooks he has in school! I've spotted errors in his school workbooks, activities that are not suitable for their age, activities that are not well thought out (too many layers within one page).

The package: before removing the plastic shrink wrap

This LeapFrog workbook package was recently bought from BookXcess also.

It was a pretty good deal. For RM34.90, you get 2 wipe clean books, 3 normal workbooks with a CD each, 2 packs of flashcards (addition and subtraction), and a non-woven foldable box to store them. All pages are in full colour.

Books are for age group 3-6. Some of it is easy for my son, but I still bought them because he needs a lot of writing practice. He uses Crayola washable markers, but you can instead get whiteboard markers, which are easily available.

Back view of the package before opening it up

5 books, 2 flashcard packs, 3 CDs inside the books, a storage box

A page in one of the wipe clean books

My insurance policy made me sick

2010-10-10T22:43:00.000+08:00

I've not been able to sleep well for the past 12 consecutive days. That was very likely the reason why I've been having bad headaches and am now mildy sick.

There have been several things on my mind but the main worry that has gotten me so upset is my life insurance. I feel so cheated by my agent and the insurer.

I was told I need only pay premiums for an estimated 16 yrs at the point of signing and nothing more thereafter. Now I find out that it's not 16 years, but 33 years. Fair enough that estimates are just that, estimates. But doubling 16 years to 33 years is outrageous!

There's not much I can do about it since I've paid 11years worth of premiums, and will lose RM17,000 if I decide to cancel it now.

I dont need to emphasise that that is a lot of money. That would have covered 120 hours of hyperbaric oxygen treatment, or 210 hours of Neurosuit therapy. I'm so mad.

The agent has been extremely slow in providing the numbers and information to enable me to make a decision whether to cancel the riders or to cancel the policy in its entirety.

At the moment I do not know what I should do. And that is driving me nuts. I'm still so mad.

My son is also mildly sick. I hope it wasn't me who passed the germs to him. There are 2 kids in his class who had flu symptoms and another 2 who were absent last Friday. I pray he be well soon as his concert full dress rehearsal is on this Wednesday. That's when the professional photographer will be snapping the photos and recording it on video.

5 minutes to go

2010-10-08T22:07:00.000+08:00

It was the last activity of the day. Teacher guided the kids through the BM workbook activity. They were to match the pictures to the written words.

There must have been about 12 words, which is quite a bit considering the kids are not strong in BM. Teacher made it easier for the kids by replicating onto the whiteboard, the entire page of the workbook. Furthermore, teacher had drawn lines to match the pictures to the words.

So really, all the kids had to do was to copy the “answer” from the whiteboard. How hard is that? (Forget for a moment the fact that I don’t quite agree with kids just copying the answer. Was the learning objective really achieved?)

It started out fine. For about the first one or two minutes, the kids attempted it on their own. My son was using his knowledge of suku kata to decipher the words and match it to the picture. He managed to do 2 pictures when teacher announced, “You only have five minutes before the bell rings. So hurry up.” My son panicked! He shrieked! He couldn’t think straight anymore. He didn’t know which picture matched which word.

So I stepped in to help him. Very soon I was surrounded by 4 other kids also panicking. With high pitched voices, they were desperately trying to get my attention to help them complete their work.

“Aunty! Aunty! Help me! Which one does this match to? Which one?!!!”

“Aunty! Aunty! Aunty! Is this correct?”

“Aunty! Aunty! Quick! Quick! Tell me! Which one?!”

Normally, I do not just give the answer, whether it’s my son or another kid asking me because the child would have lost a learning opportunity. Instead, I guide them towards the answer.

But oh my gosh. I couldn’t guide them this time. Not when there were four of them (excluding my son) coming to me at the same time, all panicking. It was hilarious! It was like a scene from a slapstick comedy or kids’ cartoon.

I “surrendered” and got the teacher’s attention. The teacher quickly calmed them down by saying that it’s alright, and that they could continue the next day.

It reminded me of what happened at music class a few Saturdays ago. The kids were to replicate a pattern using magnetic seeds, as many times as possible, before a song finishes. It was so funny to see how the reacted when the tempo was increased. Panic! My son was doing his funny jumping motion, his hands were moving around really fast without really achieving anything, his brain was frozen!

If I were in his shoes, I would have done exactly the same thing – panic! It was very interesting to note that others react in the same manner.

My learning outcome from all this? Teach my son how to stay calm under time pressure. Easier said than done!

Speech therapy - 6 Oct 2010

2010-10-07T23:07:00.000+08:00

He had his speech therapy today. It’s been 4 mths since his previous session.

I prayed for a good session where he’d readily speak. In the past it was difficult to get him to talk during the session. I wanted him to talk freely the way he does with me at home. I wanted her to experience that so that she has a more accurate picture, so that she could give a more accurate assessment, and so that she would be able to write a more positive report should his future school require one.

Prayer answered! Thank you God! He did well at therapy. He didn’t speak as much as he does at home, but it’s a whole lot better than in past sessions. He spoke in short sentences and longer phrases. In the past it was mostly one word answers or short phrases. It was also much easier to elicit responses from him.

One of the games that we played was like a game of broken telephone. The therapist would whisper a sentence to my son while I turned away and had my ears closed. Then he was to tell me what she said. For most of the time, I understood him. Then it was reversed, where I whispered to him, and he repeats it to the therapist. Most of the time, she understood too! In all there were probably 6-8 sentences, and with roughly 90% accuracy in repeating what was whispered, I’m very happy and so was she.

She noted the following in terms of physical appearance: he’s more stable; his response time is faster; his core is stronger. In terms of speech: he doesn’t strain or exert energy to talk; there’s improvement in clarity. I attribute all that to the intensive Neurosuit therapy that he’s undergone – thanks Adnan and Fezia.

We didn’t get to discuss much cos my son needed 3 toilet breaks (one to pee, twice to poo) which took put some time. I did ask her opinion about VitalStim therapy and I’m unlikely to pursue that therapy. She’ll be attending Caroline Bowen’s workshop, so she’ll be sharing some of the things that she’ll learn which applies to my son’s case (I decided not to attend the workshop cos I don’t trust my current helper in caring for my son for a full day without me).

Next session will be in 3 months’ time but I may schedule it in Dec just before the start of a new academic year. My speech therapy homework til then is to target accuracy of the c, k, g sounds. Accuracy of the other sounds (r and l) can wait as he’s only just turning 5.

We've got to where we are now by achieving small steps forward. But nowadays, it’s very hard to attain his co-operation in various activities, therapy based or otherwise. Please, please pray for wisdom and God’s healing to achieve this target. Thank you!

Canadian helps disabled speak through music

2010-10-06T21:39:00.000+08:00

I read this today on a blog that I follow http://bloom-parentingkidswithdisabilities.blogspot.com/ and just had to share it with you.

It's amazing! Imagine how beautiful the hospital hallways sound. Imagine the joy it'd bring to the parents! And the research being done to expand that technology into yes/no answers...can't wait for the results!

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MONTREAL, Canada — Children immured within their severely disabled bodies may soon be able to communicate thanks to a newly unveiled device that translates physiological signals into music.

Stefanie Blain studied for five years the interactions of children with severe disabilities and their parents, as part of her doctoral studies at Canada's largest children's rehabilitation hospital, Holland Bloorview, in Toronto.

"They can 'read' their children by observing minuscule movements of their lips, or changes in their breathing," she told a Technology, Entertainment, Design (TEDx) conference in Montreal.

By measuring those tiny physiological signals, Blain was able to show that Max, a 15-year-old adolescent who was seemingly in a vegetative state, became animated when he spotted his favorite toy.

Even completely paralyzed, the body continues to react by changes in body temperature and sweat levels, as well as heart and breathing rates, she explained.

Blain initially created a graphic translation of these physiological arousals.

"But my curves and 3D simulations didn't speak to anyone," she said with a smile. So, being a musician, she wrote algorithms to convert them into sounds," she said.

"Another child, whom we believed was always sleeping, started to emit a 'biological song' whenever clowns entered his room. It was the first time that his parents and hospital staff realized that he was conscious of the world around him," she said.

The software she created deciphers physiological signals and translates them into a range of tonalities, from soft low-pitched sounds when an individual is calm to high-pitched and more complicated tunes when they are thinking of pleasant things.

"Each 'song' is unique," she said.

"Imagine that when I arrived at the hospital, the hallways were quiet leading to the rooms of children who could neither move, nor speak, and not even make facial expressions," she said.

"Imagine these hallways now (full of music), imagine parents who can really get to know their children."

Currently, the research team lead by Tom Chau is seeking to expand the technology to make it possible for severely disabled children to answer yes or no when prompted, and use a computer.

Copyright © 2010 AFP. All rights reserved

Copying it down

2010-10-01T18:06:00.000+08:00

Attending kindergarten has given him practice in copying from the whiteboard unto his book. He’s come to the stage that he’s able to copy the day and date by himself. It’s only on the odd occasion that he misses out some letters, for e.g. Wednesday, which is a long word or when he’s in a hurry to pass up his work.

Those are familiar words to him and it’s copying just one word at a time. So far in kindergarten, he’s not had to copy more than one word at a time (e.g. a sentence or a few sentences). I suppose they’ll gradually build him up for it next year.

About a week ago, he decided to copy the Days of the Week chart I had stuck on his cupboard door. I didn’t initiate it. I merely gave him a blank piece of paper, with which I intended to use for a different activity.

He wasn’t seated in front of the cupboard. His table was at the side of it. So he had to keep getting up from his table, walk across his mattress, to the cupboard, and return to the table to write it down.

I thought he did fairly well - he had to store it in his head for a few seconds longer compared to if it were in front of him. I stayed with him only to see him write Monday, and left him to do the rest.

There were 7 words to copy and he missed out Wednesday initially. When I pointed it out to him, he inserted it in the right order, but misspelled.

The other misspellings were actually not so bad because the misspelled words still sounded phonetically close. Th-r-s-day sounds right tho it should be spelt Thursday. Sat-e-day sounds possible too if the “e” is the BM way of sounding out “e” as in “emak”. It makes me wonder if he’s not just using his sight to copy but also using his knowledge of phonics in the copying process.

He wanted to add the title just like I did for his chart. I now think it’s important to add a title to things I put up. Again there’s a misspelt word in the title: “Days” is written as “das” which is phonetically correct if the “a” is sounded out as the long vowel “a”.

Problem uploading images!

2010-09-29T23:24:00.002+08:00

I cant seem to upload images onto blogger. My images are JPG files. I've compressed it to a tiny 33kB sized file but am still getting a message "Error, please try again" after it tries to upload. It started yesterday when I noticed blogger had changed the uploading application/window to something fancy.

I've searched for answers via the "Help" link but it's of no help! Read that some other users in the Help Forum are having same problem (since Aug!), but Blogger hasn't come up with response. I can upload it to Picasa then unto blogger but it's so time consuming that way (especially when Maxis broadband is so unstable).

Anyone else out there having the same problem?

I’m learning about Maths

2010-09-28T22:34:00.000+08:00

Another mother had recommended a book she found useful in teaching maths to her (typically developing) son who’s currently in Year 3.

It is indeed a good book. It’s very easy to read and understand. Of the book’s 196 pages, I read the first 50 pages within an hour or so.

It’s not a workbook. It’s doesn’t give you lesson plans. It doesn’t contain a syllabus. It’s not a book chock full of ideas to teach maths creatively.

It’s written for the parent who “wishes to be an active participant in his or her child’s arithmetic studies”, hence the title “Arithmetic for Parents – A Book for Grownups about Children’s Mathematics”.

It’s written by Ron Aharoni, a maths professor who teaches in university. He “accepted his friend’s invitation to teach maths in elementary school as part of a project, and has since devoted much time to primary mathematics education”.

Here are some excerpts that I’d like to share:

“One of the insights I came by while teaching in elementary school is that elementary mathematics isn’t simple at all. It has depth and beauty.”

“Proper teaching of mathematics depends more on an understanding of the mathematical principles than on educational tricks. It requires familiarity with the way the fine mathematical layers lie one upon the other.”

“What have I learned? Much about teaching, about approaching children, about the way children think. I have learned about the importance of being systematic...I understood that concepts adults perceive as a whole are actually built of many small elements, one upon the other, and that you cannot skip any one of them. I learned...that explanations are usually futile in elementary school: Concepts must originate in the child through personal experience...A large part of what I learned wasn’t new facts, but something completely different: subtleties. It was like looking at a piece of cloth – from afar it seems smooth and uniform, but up close you discover that it is made of fine, interwoven threads. What I believed to be one piece turned out to consist of a delicate texture of ideas.”

“Education researchers use the term “mathematics anxiety”. There are no history anxiety or geography anxiety, but there is mathematics anxiety. Why only mathematics? The main reason lies in its layered structure: Mathematics anxiety arise when one stage is unheedingly skipped...many of the layers of mathematical knowledge are so elementary that they are often easy to miss. And when this happens, and an attempt is made to establish a new layer on top of the missing one, neither the teacher nor the student can discern the origin of the problem.”

Within a week of receiving the book, I had loaned it out to another mother who’s 12 year old child could do maths if it’s presented in numbers, but had difficulty with word problems. She found it useful too.

So if you are interested to purchase the book, (and I do highly recommend it) here are the details:

Title: Arithmetic for Parents – A Book for Grownups about Children’s Mathematics
Author: Ron Aharoni
Publisher: Sumizdat
ISBN-13: 978-0-9779852-5-8
ISBN-10: 0-9779852-5-8

It’s not carried by the major bookstore chain in Malaysia, but is easily bought through the publisher’s website: www.sumizdat.org.

It was my first time ever buying anything over the internet, so I was really anxious and paranoid! But I must say that their customer service (via email) was excellent – went out of the way to reassure me.

Slowing down

2010-09-27T23:49:00.001+08:00

The past 6 weeks have seen both my son and I falling (mildly) ill... twice. That has forced me to slow down drastically.

He didn’t attend school for a few days. His physiotherapy was cut down and made easier when it resumed. He got to play with his cars, trains and trucks. We read for enjoyment, and not with the purpose of learning phonics. We lolled around on bed and he spoke whatever was on his mind.

I got to sleep more. I wasn’t in a state of anxiety, thinking of what I should be doing with him. I wasn’t going around keeping one eye on the time (for the most part anyway). I wasn’t stressed that he still wasn’t feeding himself, or that he still struggles with pulling up his pants, or that he still hates having his teeth brushed, or that he eats so little.

I had time to appreciate the gift of my son.

His personality is developing. He likes to tuck his teddy in. He likes to pretend to be the teacher. He has his favourite foods (steamed fish, roast duck, char siu, corn on the cob, pizza, pasta bake, tortilla wraps, pitta bread, sandwiches). He laughs when watching Mr Bean. Strangely, he likes maths shows (Numberjacks, Maths Mansion, Puzzle Maths, Numbers Count). He’s taken on the Malaysian way of talking with the “lah”, “ah” etc added on. He’ll tell me “I like you because you are nice to me.” He’ll hand teddy to me, asking me to take care of it, and when I pretended not to know how to, he showed me (he hugged it and kissed it). LOL

I had time to reflect.

I remember when he was just a few months old, I hung on to the words of hope offered by my best friend (who also has a son with special needs): It’ll get easier. Caring for him has indeed gotten a lot easier, slowly over time. It’s not easy, but it is getting easier. I’m no longer crippled with fear. He can be left alone in his room with toys for a short period of time, while I quickly fix a meal or have a shower. He sleeps through the night. He’s toilet trained. He can climb into his car seat by himself. He is able to eat mostly what we eat. I can go out with him alone – it’s so liberating – without needing my helper to tag along. He’s learning to dress himself. He’s learning to put on his shoes. He’s learning to drink without a straw from his tumbler. He seldom vomits. There is some semblance of family life.

I’m aware there’s less than 2 months to go before school closes for the year. I’m aware there’s about a year to go before he enters Year 1.

Right now though, time has slowed down. It’s not a project. He’s my son. And I love him to bits.

Reflecting on his progress in school

2010-09-26T18:15:00.000+08:00

There’s about two months left in the academic year. Looking back, he has progressed quite a bit in terms of school readiness skills but he’s still not ready to be without a shadow aide when the new academic year starts in Jan.

I still need to help him when he drinks, during snack time, when nature calls, when he has to do a whole page of writing, to put on his backpack etc. I also remind him to collect his book or colour pencil (he might have a problem with transitioning from one activity to another).

During computer time, kids share a computer two to one, and I usually intervene to make sure he gets his share of using the mouse and help him so that he and his friend are not too far behind in completing the work as compared to his peers. Some of the kids display strong one-upmanship, and compete to see who finishes first. That irks me but I know it’s a normal part of childhood. Thankfully, he’s not bothered by it.

He has gained acceptance from his classmates. They perceive him as a baby (cos he still has chubby cheeks and requires help) and sometimes point out the funny way in which he moves or asks why I’m there. I’m very thankful that none of them have bullied him or called him names. In fact, one or two of them will sometimes help him (e.g. carries his water bottle or bag to him).

I hesitate to say that he’s made friends. His social skills are improving but still delayed and because of his dysarthria (speech disorder), slow movements (his CP), and self-consciousness, he doesn’t really play with others. He plays alongside them (e.g. he’ll be building his own Lego tower), or chooses to be next to them (observing them).

He’s started to mimic what they play. Just before the holidays, 2 girls went around with a tray of toy bricks shouting “Jelly, jelly!” (pretending to sell jelly), and promptly, he took a tray of Lego pieces copying them. Although no one could understand his pronunciation, he had fun and I was very happy to see that. This is one reason I don’t want to do homeschooling. At home, he pretends to be the teacher teaching me, just like in class when the girls pretend to teach the other girls (seems to be a ‘girl’ game).

It was a big challenge getting him enrolled in kindergarten and we had a rough start but I’m glad things have settled down (and he has settled into it).

Insects, spiders, frogs

2010-09-25T23:32:00.001+08:00

Hmm, how did that old nursery rhyme go - the one about what little girls and little boys are made of?

"What are little boys made of?
What are little boys made of?

Frogs and snails
And puppy-dogs' tails,
That's what little boys are made of"

Well, lately, some of God's creatures are finding their way into our home. In the span of about a month, we've been visited by a small brown frog, two large long legged brown spiders, a large shiny green beetle, and a brown moth.

I started catching them and temporarily place them in plastic containers for him to observe. Hey, I see it as opportunities for quick science lessons!

It is also for him to learn not to be so squeemish around them. In the past, he wasn't afraid of insects and such. That changed when he mimicked how his classmates reacted to a really large (dead) moth that the teacher showed the class. Sigh.

I didn't take a photo of the small frog. He liked observing it and since it was caught during breakfast time, I asked him if he wanted to bring it to school. He did and was quite excited. His teacher however is squeemish about frogs...so I stopped bringing such things to school in case she's also squeemish about other creepy crawlies.

Teaching him not just the names of the parts of the bugs but also observation skills, and labelling. Btw, I helped him colour and write but he added the "thorns" on one of the back legs himself.

That's the second of the large spiders to visit us. It sadly lost 4 of its legs when we found it.

He knows that insects have 6 legs, while spiders, being arachnids have 8. I borrowed that book about spiders from the library cos he was interested in spiders, after the first spider appeared in his bedroom.

I didn't take a photo of the moth. I drew a picture of the moth while he added the spots and coloured it.

Well, that's about the only science that I recently taught my son. Not much time for specific science lessons. But what little bits of science I have taught, he does seem to remember well. Just a few days ago, he saw a picture of a butterfly on a flower and kept on saying "poh-nee-shen". I didn't realise til a few seconds later that he was trying to say "pollination"! LOL

Playcentre Library

2010-09-24T23:01:00.003+08:00

Thanks to my friend who was so patient in giving me directions, I recently joined the Playcentre Library in PJ. I had actually followed her there before, but that was more than 5 years ago, and I’m bad with remembering directions.

Glad that she brought me there again as I’ll be able to cut down on buying books and channel the money saved towards the Hyperbaric Oxygen Therapy I plan for my son later this year.

I highly recommend the place as it has a huge collection of books for kids from about preschooler age. It has picture books, rhyming books, several reader series, factual books, Dr Seuss books, Ladybird books, books in Bahasa Malaysia, etc. Some books are really old (I recognised some Ladybird books from the time I was a kid) but still in readable condition. They do of course have new books but are likely to be more popular.

The library is run entirely by volunteers, which perhaps is why the fees are very reasonable. Membership is RM15 per year with a RM1 registration fee. You may purchase multiple memberships under the same name, and each membership allows you to borrow 2 books each time. I signed up for 3 memberships to start off with.

They are rather strict, so please do adhere to the rules or you’ll be fined or blacklisted. I think that’s just being fair to others.

Details on the library are as follows (and are correct as of the time of typing this post):

Playcentre Library Association
18 Jalan 6/6
46000 Petaling Jaya

Tel: 03-77817813

Hours: Tues: 9.30am – 4.30pm
Thurs: 9.30am – 12.30pm
Sat: 2.30pm – 4.30pm
Closed on public holidays.

Mild cold

2010-09-23T21:20:00.001+08:00

He's sick. Just a mild cold, with some phlegm and cough. Didn't attend school since Wednesday.

Went to see a doctor this morning, just to get Promethezine actually, as I was running low. It was such a long wait...2 hours + (excluding the wait to buy back lunch). Sigh.

Luckily my husband came along (he's sick too and needed to see the doctor!) so he waited inside the clinic which was packed with sick people, while my son and I waited at a cafe and later on, in the car.

He must have been tired from this morning's wait. He fell asleep at 5.45pm and is still asleep as I write this at 9pm. Will need to change him into pyjamas and a jumper soon. I hope I dont wake him up.

Not sure where he caught the virus from...

I was mildly sick again about 1-2 weeks ago with a night time chesty cough, so I might have passed it to him. I suspected he was on the verge of falling ill the past week cos he seemed tired quite often and didn't sleep long enough or peacefully at nights.

On Monday night, he fell asleep in his T-shirt and shorts after an outing to Desa Parkcity. I didnt want to wake him to change him into pyjamas and jumper, and just covered him with his duvet. But he kicked it off several times at night even though I kept putting the duvet back on. That wouldn't have been good for him.

Or it could be that he caught the virus from school. On Friday, 3 classmates were absent. On Monday, his teacher and 2 other teachers were sick. On Tuesday, 4 classmates were absent.

Do please pray for a speedy recovery. I want him to get back into his physiotherapy routine, and practice for his school concert, and to be his happy energetic self again.

Craft - a game board

2010-09-20T23:04:00.000+08:00

We made this 2 weeks ago. It’s a simplified version of the snakes and ladder game – there are no snakes or ladders!

This was an actual art activity that was carried out at a place we used to go to for a Saturday afternoon free art activity. Back then he wasn’t ready for weaving so he instead pasted cut out coloured squares onto a game board.

For this piece, I pasted coloured paper on a cereal box for a firmer feel. He isn’t yet able to weave by himself but I explained and showed him how it should be done. At certain parts, I held his hand to help him weave it. I wanted him to learn to use both hands. I wanted him to see the pattern.

He wrote the numbers with the Crayola washable markers (I've now forgotten if I held his hand or not). He was able to recite the numbers up to 29 easily. He also got stuck at 39. So at these two points I helped him by asking him to count in 10s (10, 20, 30, 40) to get the idea that after 29 comes 30, and after 39 comes 40.

He chose the stickers to decorate the board. I advised him on which ones that would fit better – some of those he chose were way too big to fit the sides of the board. His visual spatial needs further work.

We played using a large rubber die. I bought it from a novelty shop in 1 Utama (Mini Toons). If thrown hard on the ground, a light inside the die will flicker.

I wanted him to get the idea that addition means the resulting number gets larger. That’s one of the reasons I decided to play this game (maths in a fun way). Recently he became a bit confused between addition and subtraction. School had taught subtraction but I’m not getting much progress in teaching him subtraction at home so, I’ll just focus on addition for now.

For the most part of the game, he was in the lead. Then I started throwing large numbers while he threw small numbers. When I overtook him, he wanted my counter while he’d give his counter to me. LOL! I told him it’s cheating. In the end, he did win. I hope he learned a little about social skills too!

Craft - truck and fire engine

2010-09-20T23:01:00.000+08:00

I'm only now getting round to posting photos of his August craft activity at that arts and craft place in 1 Utama.

We went twice in Aug, so he made a delivery truck and a fire engine.

I might have a word with the assistant there cos these two times, he only painted the body of the vehicles, the black wheels, and the siren. He didnt paint the windscreen, or draw the outline of the headlights or doors.

He played with the fire engine so much that he broke the front wheels! It's to be expected given the way he bears weight on the vehicle. The body and tyres are only made of cardboard. Satay sticks and hot glue hold the left and right wheels together.

I'm glad he likes it and feels proud of his work.

Our education system

2010-09-20T20:17:00.005+08:00

I was reading a page or two of my institute's magazine a few days ago. The cover story was about the graying population and how we should take charge of our financial future.

What struck me was not that Malaysia is fast heading towards an ageing country, or about the high income disparity, or about Malaysia being stuck in the middle income trap.

What struck me was a comment by an economist who's a member of the National Economic Advisory Council, and former Advisor to Bank Negara. He said at a recent conference that Malaysia ranks as one of the highest income disparity economies in Asia. While the service sector is growing, foreign investment is declining. Another danger sign is poor education: advanced economies characteristically have higher-skilled human resources, which are the result of succesful education systems producing good teachers. Educationally, Malaysia has been underperforming in terms of enrolment and output: teachers are not becoming better educated.

I suspected something's not right about the education system. I think more and more ordinary folk feel it too (judging from growing enrolment numbers in non-national schools). The comment above comes from not just anybody, so it carries with it some weight and credibility.

I guess I've to put in more effort in setting a strong foundation for my son!

Olbas Oil Inhalant Decongestant

2010-09-19T08:30:00.000+08:00

My son and I had a cold several weeks ago, and his therapist had loaned us her bottle of Olbas Oil Inhalant Decongestant. It worked so well to clear up our blocked noses, which helped us to sleep better, which in turn I believe speeded up the recovery process.

About a week ago, I caught another cold. This time my sinuses were hurting, my eyes watery, phlegm was building up. I sniffed this before bed time, put a few drops on my shirt and went to bed. It really did bring relief! Amazing. Didn't need medicines.

Olbas Oil an inhalant decongestant for immediate relief from catarrh, colds & sinuses

Olbas is a non greasy mixture of essential pure plant oils originated in Switzerland for relief of bronchial and nasal congestion and hayfever by inhalation.

How to Use:

Adults & children aged 2 and over:

Inhale 2 or 3 drops from tissue to clear painful sinuses and nasal congestion. At night sprinkle 2 or 3 drops onto a tissue tucked inside the pillowcase for all night relief.

I'm told that unfortunately it's not sold here. So I'm hoping a relative who's coming back from UK is able to find it and bring back a bottle.

Thanks Fe for introducing it to us. Will return yours tomorrow as I'm better now.

Pattern activity - blank coloured name cards

2010-09-17T22:49:00.000+08:00

At last Saturday's music class, the teacher showed us the blank coloured name cards that he bought from Carrefour. He suggested we get them too for our kids (to make patterns) as it's very useful and handy.

I happen to be in Desa Parkcity's Max Value (Jusco) supermarket walking down the aisle and spotted the very same stack of cards! So now you know it's also available there.

We had lunch after getting some groceries. After feeding him, I brought out the cards to occupy him while it was my turn to eat. This was one of the patterns I made with the cards, and had him repeat it. It has 5 colours but made up of 7 cards (2 colours repeated). This was the first time I tried 7 items with him. He could repeat the pattern. But given his fine motor impairment, I allowed him to use his words to request the colour he wanted instead of pick it out from the case.

This was one of the patterns we played with when we got home. I wanted to try something different, not just the usual linear patterns. He had a lot of difficulty with this when I asked him to build the pattern from scratch. Perhaps because it's non linear. Perhaps because it requires spatial awareness. So I did the second flower myself. The third I completed by myself except for the centre red card (intentional). He spotted it was missing (visual discrimination) and told me so. The fourth flower, I completed it except for two missing petals, for which he correctly placed the cards. The fifth flower, I started off with the purple petal, and asked him what comes next until the entire flower was completed.

I turned the tidying up of the cards into another activity with him. He was to sort all the cards there into groups by colour alternating the use of his left and right hands, and also trying to do it with the palm open. Then we counted them as he passed them to me to keep in the box (maths).

When keeping each colour group, I had him compete with me to see who could collect the most cards (to quicken his reflexes). Then I had him count and compare who had more, who had less (maths). After a few rounds of that, I changed it to an addition activity (my cards + his cards = how many cards).

Very useful cards indeed! Thanks for suggesting it! I've got a few more maths ideas on its use, and am already thinking of getting another box of it.

Mooncake Festival

2010-09-14T21:57:00.000+08:00

We attended my friend’s homegroup mooncake festival gathering last Saturday evening. It was my son’s first time celebrating it with a lantern of his own. (Elly, thanks for being so thoughtful and getting a car shaped lantern for him!) Mooncake festival is also known as Mid-autumn festival or lantern festival.

There were about 20 kids, half of whom were in the 2-6 age group. Initially my son was shy as he didn’t know any of them except my friend’s daughters, and it was his first time at the host’s house. The more the other mums tried to persuade him to join the rest in playing ball, or playing Frisbee, the closer he stuck to me.

I liked the way he has become more confident in replying when asked his name and his age. Not so long ago, he’d just stay silent.

He had KFC chicken for dinner (they had some firm kid’s favourites like pizza too) and luckily didn’t vomit. He started to warm up when my friend brought him in to the lounge and played ball with him, giving me a chance to have my dinner. Nice to have a few minutes to myself (while knowing he’s safe) and have some adult conversation that didn’t revolve around him! : )

He got into the joyous spirit when the kids performed a fun and fast action song, with the adults cheering them on. It was good to see that he paid attention to the speaker when he shared the story of how the mooncake festival came to be (ie able to pay attention not just to a teacher). He was seated with my sister, and it was nice to see that he didn’t need me to be right next to him. I was seated slightly behind him.

After the adults helped to light up the kids’ lanterns, everyone was off walking around the neighbourhood. I’m glad that he wanted to join in. He was quite focused on holding the lantern, making sure it didn’t drag on the road. I thought it was pretty good that he held it up the whole time as it must have gotten a little tiring for him (arm muscles not strong).

It was then time for the mooncakes, fruits and desserts...and fireworks. Both of us were a little scared by the fireworks, especially with the ones that whizzed and spun like crazy. He liked to see the fireworks but at a safe distance. While he didn’t want to play with the sparklers, he did observe the kids play with them. I reckon he’s still a little too young for sparklers.

It was way past his bedtime and he was getting tired. While saying our goodbyes, some of the other mums asked if he was happy. He said yes. So although he wasn’t all out excited, he was happy.

For me, I enjoyed the evening even though I didn’t know most of the people there. I especially liked the warmth and acceptance. They were genuinely nice folk. No one seemed to notice he was disabled. No one asked if he could do this or do that. He was just one of the kids who was a bit shy. It was also nice to meet with two other playgroup parents whom I last met when he was 2+. They both noticed that he had improved so much and gave me a pat on the back (not literally). It was a good break from the routine, and to be able to socialise and relax!

Thanks for thinking of us and inviting us, Elly! You have wonderfully warm and caring homegroup members.

Article in Star Education: Thinking out of the box

2010-09-14T21:44:00.000+08:00

The article below appeared in Sunday's Star newspaper, Education pullout. It's about schools in China, but it applies to schools in Malaysia too!

--------------

China wants its youngsters to get their creative juices flowing instead of blindly memorising facts.

CHINESE schools have to get their students to be creative and think for themselves, instead of expecting them to only memorise facts and figures.

Its Premier Wen Jiabao has said that rote-learning which is deeply ingrained in the national education system, should be replaced with other methods of learning where students will begin to think and analyse.

Students in China perform well in exams and tests in which they are required to memorise answers, but rate less well in creativity and critical thinking, hampering the country’s ambitions to move its economy up the value chain.

Quoting Nobel prize winner Albert Einstein Einstein, Wen said imagination was more powerful than knowledge.

“Students don’t only need knowledge, they have to learn how to act and use their brains,” Wen said. The scientistis had also written that the spirit of learning and creative thought were lost in strict rote learning.

“We must encourage students to think independently, freely express themselves, get them to believe in themselves, protect and stimulate their imagination and creativity,” Wen said.

Other countries in Asia, including Singapore and Japan, have struggled to address similar problems in education systems which stress exam results and conformity.

China’s ruling Communist Party keeps a tight grip on what can be taught in schools and allows no dissent on sensitive subjects.

Wen did not suggest how schools were supposed to alter their teaching methods to encourage freer thinking, but said that education reform was vital for the country to develop and prosper. — Reuters