This is the last week of my son's "summer holidays", a term I use, as his school follows the British academic year.
It also means that he has completed Year 2 and will move on to Year 3. It feels like time is simply zooming past very fast, too fast, sometimes. It is still a race against time, for him to continue to progress in his gross motor, fine motor, speech... everything.
His class teacher is happy with his progress in Year 2. He was able to carry on with his work independently. Teacher says he understands what's being taught. He has classmates that were helpful and even a girl that fancied him. : D
However, there are so many areas that concern me. It's hard for him to write stories, stories that have a beginning, middle and end, with characters and setting, a problem and a resolution. There are many levels involved and each level seems to be a challenge - creativity, visualization, thought planning, structuring, legible handwriting.
In maths, he understands concepts like multiplication and division but has difficulty in deciphering word problems. Again, I think it's to do with visualization of the problem. Also, when I do not revise a maths topic with him for sometime, he forgets (e.g. telling time).
Self care skills are progressing and I'm comfortable in that area. There are still assistant teachers assigned to be shared between two classes that will be able to help him get ready for PE (swimming, gym etc).
It's hard to strike the right balance when there are so many areas to look into. What I've written is just a fraction of the many areas. It's like trying to juggle many balls when I'm not a skilled juggler. For example, I've cut down on his time spent reading for the past few months to focus on other areas. Now I realize he has lost his stamina when reading. He'd only want to read one page per session compared to the past where he'd read many pages in one sitting.
But this month long holiday has been good. I made a schedule of areas to cover on a daily basis and award him stars when completed. Earning a certain number of stars will enable him to "redeem" a gift.
I had also signed him up for intensive physio therapy at Amir's Gym. It's brought about good results. They worked on his breath (for speech), posture, strength, co-ordination.
I can feel his arm muscles and leg muscles! He looks fit and strong too, kinda buffed up! He'll need that as his Year 3 class is on a floor up (more stairs to climb!) and school hours are longer.
He's been a chatter box this past week, which I absolutely love! He'll need to speak more to his friends and express himself more, because as they grow up, play time gets more sophisticated. It's also been stated as one of his goals by the SENCO, to talk more in full sentences.
He's progressed in his inline skating too. The therapist in Amir's Gym had built up his core muscles and trained him to put his weight forward when walking. He has a tendency to arch backwards (CP trait) which worsens his lordosis. He's now able to move, albeit slowly, in his skates. I had tears in my eyes when he first managed to go round the park in his skates. Although I wouldn't yet say he CAN skate, it is promising.
Despite all the hard work he's put in this holidays, he's still a happy boy. He's very happy with all the Lego City vehicles that he "redeemed". He had a good break too visiting his grandparents and ate very well. He enjoyed 3 movies - Turbo, Planes, Smurfs 2.
When told that he has only 3 more days left of the holidays, he was momentarily sad that the holidays are almost over, but then cheered up because it meant school was starting soon. Really blessed to have a happy boy, a good school, and good therapists to support him! Here's to a fantastic Year 3!
Friday, August 30, 2013
Saturday, May 25, 2013
A colour poem written by my son
Last week, his school teacher had tasked the children to come up with their own colour poem.
The teacher started off by brainstorming with the kids on what items represent the various colours chosen. For example, purple: Barney, grapes etc; red: fire engine, apples etc. She wrote them down in lists on the white board.
The kids were told to select 2 colours and based on those two colours, select four items that represent them from the lists written on the board.
Then they were to come up with their own poem, writing in their exercise book. After the review by the teacher, they were to rewrite it, this time on the slips of paper like in the photo. The assistant teacher then pasted them on coloured backing and hung them up for display in the class.
My son came up with his own selection of colours and items. He wrote his own poem in the exercise book. Teacher edited the 2nd & 3rd line only, by truncating them. His original 2nd & 3rd line were much longer, continuing with the connective "because". It was explained to him that in poems, you keep it short and it doesn't require connectives.
I was blown away by his 1st and 4th line. It was very much written in the manner of a poem, "poem language" in a way. Teacher was impressed by his 1st line.
The image isn't all that clear, so I'm reproducing it below:
Orange is the sunset when the day is done
Orange is the tigers that are very firce
(correcting it for grammar & spelling: Orange is the tiger that is very fierce)
Orange is the carot that is healthy for your eyes
Orange is the fire that burns very bright.
Late last year, I tried to get him to write a poem. It was about Ferraris (he's crazy about cars). It took a lot of effort and guidance on my part as he had never written one before, and it's so hard for me to get him to write his own sentences at home anyway.
A few weeks after that, we tried to come up with a limerick about his best friend, which also proved tough going.
So, I was really surprised that he came up with that poem & thought it worth a mention in my blog.
He only has 3 books written in poem language and are about vehicles (but of course!) He was assigned a reader book that contained poems about sports a few months ago. That's about the only exposure he has had to poems. So I am really pleased to see his brain working creatively :D
The teacher started off by brainstorming with the kids on what items represent the various colours chosen. For example, purple: Barney, grapes etc; red: fire engine, apples etc. She wrote them down in lists on the white board.
The kids were told to select 2 colours and based on those two colours, select four items that represent them from the lists written on the board.
Then they were to come up with their own poem, writing in their exercise book. After the review by the teacher, they were to rewrite it, this time on the slips of paper like in the photo. The assistant teacher then pasted them on coloured backing and hung them up for display in the class.
My son came up with his own selection of colours and items. He wrote his own poem in the exercise book. Teacher edited the 2nd & 3rd line only, by truncating them. His original 2nd & 3rd line were much longer, continuing with the connective "because". It was explained to him that in poems, you keep it short and it doesn't require connectives.
I was blown away by his 1st and 4th line. It was very much written in the manner of a poem, "poem language" in a way. Teacher was impressed by his 1st line.
The image isn't all that clear, so I'm reproducing it below:
Orange is the sunset when the day is done
Orange is the tigers that are very firce
(correcting it for grammar & spelling: Orange is the tiger that is very fierce)
Orange is the carot that is healthy for your eyes
Orange is the fire that burns very bright.
Late last year, I tried to get him to write a poem. It was about Ferraris (he's crazy about cars). It took a lot of effort and guidance on my part as he had never written one before, and it's so hard for me to get him to write his own sentences at home anyway.
A few weeks after that, we tried to come up with a limerick about his best friend, which also proved tough going.
So, I was really surprised that he came up with that poem & thought it worth a mention in my blog.
He only has 3 books written in poem language and are about vehicles (but of course!) He was assigned a reader book that contained poems about sports a few months ago. That's about the only exposure he has had to poems. So I am really pleased to see his brain working creatively :D
Thursday, May 9, 2013
Progress in his vision therapy
My son started vision therapy slightly over a year ago. Prior to the first vision therapy assessment session, I was skeptical as I had not heard about vision therapy. Furthermore, the ophthalmologist said there were nothing wrong with his eyes.
I went because of 2 reasons. His CST therapist had noted through her CST sessions that something was not quite right with his vision. Secondly, he was putting up a big fuss whenever he had to read his school reading books. In the past, he would read his school readers without fuss, but by Term 2 of Year 1, the size of the text got a lot smaller, and there were a lot more words on a page.
I'm really happy that things turned out well. There have been so many areas that have improved as a result. Here are just some of them:
Vision therapy did bring good progress but it isn't a magic pill that gives instantaneous results. It requires commitment and discipline.
After the initial assessment by the vision therapist (also known as developmental/behavioural optometrist) he went for weekly therapy sessions where he was also assigned homework (vision related exercises) to be done on a daily basis.
One reason for the speed of his progress is that there's a high level of compliance, ie. he does his VT homework (bar illness or holidays) as required. This is one key factor that I've seen in all his therapies that bore good results, and it is linked to what I had learnt from Fezia - you need the right amount of frequency, intensity and duration to see progress.
Some of the exercises are seemingly simple & not immediately obvious that it is a vision exercise, but it works by reorganizing the brain in ways that benefit him overall because the body is linked in far more ways than I have understood in the past.
Some exercises are clearly vision related like getting his eye balls to repeatedly track a moving object, or that focus on hand-eye co-ordination.
The number of exercises and reps vary depending on how difficult it would be for my son to do. But it usually is completed in 20mins (provided he co-operates). I am required to note down my observations of him performing those exercises, for feedback to the therapist at the next session.
During the VT sessions at the therapist's office, he will also perform exercises (but different from those assigned as homework) and it usually involves gadgets that I do not have at home e.g. prism glasses, computer related activities, and electronic gadgets.
He is very blessed to have a great VT who works well with kids. He is able to challenge my son at the right level - not too difficult (so as not to discourage him) and not too easy (so that there's progress). He's also very creative in coming up with exercises that are usually fun, incredibly patient, and understands the psychological and emotional side of kids.
Oh, and he's also been very patient in explaining things to me & trying to incorporate exercises that will address my areas of concern. One of the earliest things that I learnt from him is that you may have 20/20 eyesight but you'll need your brain to do a whole lot more to process the image at the back of your retina. That's when I learnt terms like eye teaming, convergence etc. That made sense to me because with CP, it's part of the brain that is compromised rather than the physical limb/muscle.
I've been meaning to write this post for some time now because I wish to share therapies that have worked well for my son and also because vision therapy is very new in Malaysia, but have been just so busy and tired (I've been without a live in helper for about the same time as when he started VT). It is also in response to a question asked by a fellow blogger, to share my experiences on VT.
This is a link to a YouTube video by Dr John Abbondanza, that I viewed that gives a very good insight to vision therapy. Other videos by Dr John Abbondanza are also very informative.
http://youtu.be/Jac47_OUdlw
Here's the website of my son's vision therapist which provides detailed information on what vision therapy entails and how it is of help.
http://suntime.com.my/treatment
His contact details are on this link, which is also on his website under the "Contact Us" tab:
http://suntime.com.my/make-appointment
I went because of 2 reasons. His CST therapist had noted through her CST sessions that something was not quite right with his vision. Secondly, he was putting up a big fuss whenever he had to read his school reading books. In the past, he would read his school readers without fuss, but by Term 2 of Year 1, the size of the text got a lot smaller, and there were a lot more words on a page.
I'm really happy that things turned out well. There have been so many areas that have improved as a result. Here are just some of them:
 |
| He currently enjoys the Mr. Men/Little Miss series, Horrid Henry stories and Geronimo Stilton. |
- He enjoys reading and his ability to answer comprehension question has improved tremendously.
- He doesn't fight when it comes to doing his homework.
- His handwriting has improved. He is able to write on the line (previously, the letters float) and the size of the letters are pretty much the same (previously, some were large and some small). However, when he's tired, his handwriting goes awry.
- He is far more focused in school and gets his work done pretty much by himself.
- He's significantly better at recalling events. For most of Year 1, his standard answer was "I cannot remember" or "I don't know" when asked about things that has happened (e.g. what he ate for lunch, whether he had a BM lesson)
- He's more confident.
- His gross motor, fine motor, proprioception have improved. Note that these were also because he continued with the various therapies at Fezia's.
Vision therapy did bring good progress but it isn't a magic pill that gives instantaneous results. It requires commitment and discipline.
After the initial assessment by the vision therapist (also known as developmental/behavioural optometrist) he went for weekly therapy sessions where he was also assigned homework (vision related exercises) to be done on a daily basis.
One reason for the speed of his progress is that there's a high level of compliance, ie. he does his VT homework (bar illness or holidays) as required. This is one key factor that I've seen in all his therapies that bore good results, and it is linked to what I had learnt from Fezia - you need the right amount of frequency, intensity and duration to see progress.
Some of the exercises are seemingly simple & not immediately obvious that it is a vision exercise, but it works by reorganizing the brain in ways that benefit him overall because the body is linked in far more ways than I have understood in the past.
Some exercises are clearly vision related like getting his eye balls to repeatedly track a moving object, or that focus on hand-eye co-ordination.
The number of exercises and reps vary depending on how difficult it would be for my son to do. But it usually is completed in 20mins (provided he co-operates). I am required to note down my observations of him performing those exercises, for feedback to the therapist at the next session.
During the VT sessions at the therapist's office, he will also perform exercises (but different from those assigned as homework) and it usually involves gadgets that I do not have at home e.g. prism glasses, computer related activities, and electronic gadgets.
He is very blessed to have a great VT who works well with kids. He is able to challenge my son at the right level - not too difficult (so as not to discourage him) and not too easy (so that there's progress). He's also very creative in coming up with exercises that are usually fun, incredibly patient, and understands the psychological and emotional side of kids.
Oh, and he's also been very patient in explaining things to me & trying to incorporate exercises that will address my areas of concern. One of the earliest things that I learnt from him is that you may have 20/20 eyesight but you'll need your brain to do a whole lot more to process the image at the back of your retina. That's when I learnt terms like eye teaming, convergence etc. That made sense to me because with CP, it's part of the brain that is compromised rather than the physical limb/muscle.
I've been meaning to write this post for some time now because I wish to share therapies that have worked well for my son and also because vision therapy is very new in Malaysia, but have been just so busy and tired (I've been without a live in helper for about the same time as when he started VT). It is also in response to a question asked by a fellow blogger, to share my experiences on VT.
This is a link to a YouTube video by Dr John Abbondanza, that I viewed that gives a very good insight to vision therapy. Other videos by Dr John Abbondanza are also very informative.
http://youtu.be/Jac47_OUdlw
Here's the website of my son's vision therapist which provides detailed information on what vision therapy entails and how it is of help.
http://suntime.com.my/treatment
His contact details are on this link, which is also on his website under the "Contact Us" tab:
http://suntime.com.my/make-appointment
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Swimming progress
My son has achieved a breakthrough of sorts in his swimming during the recent Dec school holidays.
He hasn't had many lessons ever since he started in Aug 2011 because he often had colds. His runny nose would continue for 2 weeks at a stretch. Back then, his therapist Fezia, hadn't built a pool yet and I had to drive 2 hours through traffic from school to the club for his swimming lessons. Obviously that was unsustainable and we stopped after 2-3 months.
Now that Fezia has built her pool, she has very very gradually built up his confidence in the water. She's absolutely great with him because she already knows his character and abilities. She's also superb because she has such a wide and varied selection of "tools" in her toolbox (ie. techniques learnt over the years from various courses she'd attended) to use in helping him.
But because he still often had a runny nose, swimming sessions at Fezia's place was infrequent and irregular. The unpredictable frequent thunder and lightning storms in Malaysia also works against us.
However, there was a wonderful stretch of a week last Dec where we managed to put in 4 sessions of about 1-2 hours each.
This video shows what he achieved by the end of it. I cannot yet say that he has learnt to swim but he's come a long way from the days where he'd stiffen his body when in the water; where he'd gulp mouthfuls of pool water because he forgets to close his mouth; where he chokes and vomits because he breathes through his nose underwater; where his legs float up in front of him because he can't keep them down or behind him; where he couldn't even submerge his face for a split second without vomiting because of fear.
Hopefully, by the time he reaches Year 3 (Sept 2013) he'd be able to doggie paddle and swim. That would greatly add to his self confidence as his classmates are already not only able to swim but swim well.
He hasn't had many lessons ever since he started in Aug 2011 because he often had colds. His runny nose would continue for 2 weeks at a stretch. Back then, his therapist Fezia, hadn't built a pool yet and I had to drive 2 hours through traffic from school to the club for his swimming lessons. Obviously that was unsustainable and we stopped after 2-3 months.
Now that Fezia has built her pool, she has very very gradually built up his confidence in the water. She's absolutely great with him because she already knows his character and abilities. She's also superb because she has such a wide and varied selection of "tools" in her toolbox (ie. techniques learnt over the years from various courses she'd attended) to use in helping him.
But because he still often had a runny nose, swimming sessions at Fezia's place was infrequent and irregular. The unpredictable frequent thunder and lightning storms in Malaysia also works against us.
However, there was a wonderful stretch of a week last Dec where we managed to put in 4 sessions of about 1-2 hours each.
This video shows what he achieved by the end of it. I cannot yet say that he has learnt to swim but he's come a long way from the days where he'd stiffen his body when in the water; where he'd gulp mouthfuls of pool water because he forgets to close his mouth; where he chokes and vomits because he breathes through his nose underwater; where his legs float up in front of him because he can't keep them down or behind him; where he couldn't even submerge his face for a split second without vomiting because of fear.
Hopefully, by the time he reaches Year 3 (Sept 2013) he'd be able to doggie paddle and swim. That would greatly add to his self confidence as his classmates are already not only able to swim but swim well.
Monday, December 17, 2012
Merry Christmas
We finally put up our Christmas tree last weekend.
He was being very helpful because for the first time, he managed to hang the ornaments...a lot of the ornaments. To add to the Christmas spirit, we had Christmas music on in the background as we decorated the tree. Even the weather added to the atmosphere with the rains making it very cool.
He was so happy when it was completed that when I switched on the tree's lights, he started dancing!
Then, he proceeded to take his music book and played the piano!
Wishing everyone, a very blessed Christmas and a Happy New Year!
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Self Assembly Required
This was a birthday gift given at his party. Didn't expect him to be able to twist the screw in or to use the screwdriver! Very happy.
Saturday, November 24, 2012
His 7th year party
Tomorrow, my son will celebrate his 7th birthday with a party with his classmates. It'll be his first ever birthday party.
Seven years old. What a journey. Such achievements he's made. His Year 2 class teacher says he's doing fine in school. He is a lot more focused, completes his work, requires very little supervision. Those comments are a stark contrast to how he was in Year 1 just a few months ago.
There are still many challenges for him to overcome, in various areas. Many a times, I still feel overwhelmed by it all, so burnt out, so helpless.
But there are also many moments were I celebrate his little achievements and tell him just how incredibly proud I am of him for working hard, never giving up and of how far he has come.
I pray for his continued progress, for support, for great friends and teachers, for great health, for resilience, for happiness.
Seven years old. What a journey. Such achievements he's made. His Year 2 class teacher says he's doing fine in school. He is a lot more focused, completes his work, requires very little supervision. Those comments are a stark contrast to how he was in Year 1 just a few months ago.
There are still many challenges for him to overcome, in various areas. Many a times, I still feel overwhelmed by it all, so burnt out, so helpless.
But there are also many moments were I celebrate his little achievements and tell him just how incredibly proud I am of him for working hard, never giving up and of how far he has come.
I pray for his continued progress, for support, for great friends and teachers, for great health, for resilience, for happiness.
Saturday, September 1, 2012
Year 2 is round the corner
 |
| He absolutely loves his new school bag - a Disney Pixar Cars, Lightning McQueen bag! |
He starts Year 2 on Monday and I'm the one who's nervous and worried.
Although he has come far, there are still many challenges for him to overcome in the year ahead. One of the biggest being, his ability to focus, follow instructions, complete his desk work independently and on time. The other challenges are of course related to his neuromuscular condition.
He has started on different therapies this year as and when I come to know of his need for it and the availability of it.
Vision therapy has definitely helped him but there is still so so far to go in that area and I worry that his progress might not be fast enough now that he's in Year 2 where there is a greater demand on his visual skills - reading smaller font text, more text on a page, more writing etc.
The school does not have a teacher's assistant for each class, beyond Year 2. So this is a crucial year for him to progress in being able to learn independently.
Sure, I can have him practice his buttoning, buckling, changing clothes, fitting books into his folder, double clicking a mouse etc, at home. But as always, there isn't enough time in a day to fit everything I'd like him to do. I've already cut down on the academic side where I teach him maths at home and he seldom reads by himself nowadays (I read to him in order to save time, except when he's sent home a book to read as homework). Then there's the physical therapy sessions which he seriously still needs especially when he's physically growing so fast. Vision therapy homework is meant to take only 20 min in theory (5min each for 4 exercises), but the reality is that after factoring in his whining about being tired from school (which is valid), and giving him short breaks in between each exercise, it takes an hour to complete. Thankfully in Year 1, there was very little homework - spelling, ejaan, reading.
I'm hoping that I am able to strike that elusive balance to get most things done without frustrating him and tiring him out too much. I'm hoping that he will make great progress in being able to learn independently this academic year. I'm hoping he will continue to be blessed with a great teacher and wonderful friends. I'm hoping that the current therapies and future ones (Samonas!) will create breakthroughs. I'm hoping that he continues to build his self confidence.
As for the month long "year end" school holiday which ends on Sunday, he has had a great time, with playdates, lots of shopping, two movies, a local beach holiday, and a visit to a themed attraction. I think I had to put in that last sentence to give a more balanced view that it's not just all work and therapy for him (even though he had a therapy session almost every weekday this school hol).
Saturday, April 21, 2012
Primitive reflexes getting in the way
I've been concerned about my son's primitive (or infantile) reflexes for some time now. In the past, I had searched the internet to find out what are primitive reflexes, the kinds of therapies that work on it and if there are such therapists here. Problem is that there are no specialised therapist in KL that work on inhibiting those reflexes, or at least, none that I've come across.
His CST therapist had attended a workshop on Primitive Reflexes recently in Kuching, conducted by an Australian therapist and realises that my son has a lot of them retained, not just a few.
Lately, I've been very very concerned about my son's difficulty on several essential school skills like focusing, listening skills, writing, handwriting, comprehension, reading. I've been getting feedback from his teacher that he has difficulty in those areas (except for reading - he reads at a level above his age group, but he isn't progressing at the same rate as he was in the past). I've tried ways to help him but am not seeing the progress that I expected.
I raised the question to his CST therapist on whether working to inhibit those reflexes would mean progress not just in his motor development, but in those areas I'm very concerned about. Her sms reply was "Yes yes yes!"
So I'm back on the internet again searching and trying to understand more about primitive reflexes beyond mere descriptions of what it is. I wanted to know why it was important that those reflexes are inhibited because I failed to see the link.
I came across this short video that I thought was pretty good even though it's only a very brief overview.
If the embedded video doesnt work, click on this link to the YouTube video.
http://youtu.be/oLBWHyhW1gk
His CST therapist had attended a workshop on Primitive Reflexes recently in Kuching, conducted by an Australian therapist and realises that my son has a lot of them retained, not just a few.
Lately, I've been very very concerned about my son's difficulty on several essential school skills like focusing, listening skills, writing, handwriting, comprehension, reading. I've been getting feedback from his teacher that he has difficulty in those areas (except for reading - he reads at a level above his age group, but he isn't progressing at the same rate as he was in the past). I've tried ways to help him but am not seeing the progress that I expected.
I raised the question to his CST therapist on whether working to inhibit those reflexes would mean progress not just in his motor development, but in those areas I'm very concerned about. Her sms reply was "Yes yes yes!"
So I'm back on the internet again searching and trying to understand more about primitive reflexes beyond mere descriptions of what it is. I wanted to know why it was important that those reflexes are inhibited because I failed to see the link.
I came across this short video that I thought was pretty good even though it's only a very brief overview.
If the embedded video doesnt work, click on this link to the YouTube video.
http://youtu.be/oLBWHyhW1gk
Saturday, January 28, 2012
Happy New Year!
Time flies. A belated happy new year to you!
My son continues to like going to school and is doing fine. The kids were assessed at the end of Term 1, last Dec, and teacher says he's right smack in the middle of the scale (ie average) for numeracy and literacy. I have learnt to take that as good news (bear in mind that I was brought up with the mindset that 'average' is not good enough).
I am slowing down on teaching him academic stuff simply because there are many other areas to work on and I'm getting burnt out. I'm trying not to worry that he'll fall behind academically now that I've stopped his maths enrichment class, so I still supplement what he's taught in school, with focus on literacy and numeracy. I just want him not to be kicked out of school (which they might if he cant cope), and to be independent and happy.
Doing fine doesnt mean things are smooth sailing and problem free. There are still many areas in which I do not know how to help him. Things that are seemingly simple and comes naturally for typically developing kids need to be taught repeatedly for him, and I dont mean fine or gross motor skills.
I am hoping that if I can help his system mature, by providing him the right environment (reducing daily stressors, sleeping early, better nutrition, variety in experiences) and right physical exercises, then he'd be able to focus better in school, learn by himself, and develop the areas he's weak in (speech, social skills, fine motor, gross motor, confidence).
Chinese New Year celebration was good. We were at the in-laws for 5 days. It was more relaxing this time round, for several reasons. He can now feed himself and doesnt vomit. He's managed to get into a good school, so there's far less stress on me in preparing him for the entrance assessment.
Next few months will be busy for me. My current helper's contract is coming to an end. We have yet to find a suitable new helper. But even though I'll be without a helper once she leaves, it'll still be less stressful than present. That is why we are far more careful in selecting a new helper.
I had started preparing for her departure a few months ago, by reorganising and decluttering the house (mainly my son's stuff!). That's also one reason why I've been quiet on my blog. Busy busy busy. There are still many other areas to sort out and cupboards to clean.
It's late. The fireworks have been setting off loud booms in the last 20 mins to usher in the chinese new year. I look forward to a year of celebrating my son's new achievements and a more joyful and relaxing family life.
May this year bring you and your family good health, happiness, and a spirit that is at peace!
My son continues to like going to school and is doing fine. The kids were assessed at the end of Term 1, last Dec, and teacher says he's right smack in the middle of the scale (ie average) for numeracy and literacy. I have learnt to take that as good news (bear in mind that I was brought up with the mindset that 'average' is not good enough).
I am slowing down on teaching him academic stuff simply because there are many other areas to work on and I'm getting burnt out. I'm trying not to worry that he'll fall behind academically now that I've stopped his maths enrichment class, so I still supplement what he's taught in school, with focus on literacy and numeracy. I just want him not to be kicked out of school (which they might if he cant cope), and to be independent and happy.
Doing fine doesnt mean things are smooth sailing and problem free. There are still many areas in which I do not know how to help him. Things that are seemingly simple and comes naturally for typically developing kids need to be taught repeatedly for him, and I dont mean fine or gross motor skills.
I am hoping that if I can help his system mature, by providing him the right environment (reducing daily stressors, sleeping early, better nutrition, variety in experiences) and right physical exercises, then he'd be able to focus better in school, learn by himself, and develop the areas he's weak in (speech, social skills, fine motor, gross motor, confidence).
Chinese New Year celebration was good. We were at the in-laws for 5 days. It was more relaxing this time round, for several reasons. He can now feed himself and doesnt vomit. He's managed to get into a good school, so there's far less stress on me in preparing him for the entrance assessment.
Next few months will be busy for me. My current helper's contract is coming to an end. We have yet to find a suitable new helper. But even though I'll be without a helper once she leaves, it'll still be less stressful than present. That is why we are far more careful in selecting a new helper.
I had started preparing for her departure a few months ago, by reorganising and decluttering the house (mainly my son's stuff!). That's also one reason why I've been quiet on my blog. Busy busy busy. There are still many other areas to sort out and cupboards to clean.
It's late. The fireworks have been setting off loud booms in the last 20 mins to usher in the chinese new year. I look forward to a year of celebrating my son's new achievements and a more joyful and relaxing family life.
May this year bring you and your family good health, happiness, and a spirit that is at peace!
Sunday, November 20, 2011
School's good so far
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
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
Monday, September 5, 2011
First day of primary school
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.
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.
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Photos
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
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.
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
His progress update
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.
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.
Monday, August 22, 2011
How am I?
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.
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.
Monday, August 1, 2011
His first swimming lesson
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.
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.
Tuesday, July 26, 2011
In his eyes
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.
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.
Sunday, July 24, 2011
His previous paintings
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.
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
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 |
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 |
Wednesday, July 13, 2011
Jobs for the disabled - article in The Star
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.
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.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)