Last Tuesday morning Chris and I had a meeting at Simon’s school to discuss the results of his recent re-evaluation for services (a state mandated 3-year eligibility in the area of Autism Spectrum Disorder).

This was a bit different than a regular annual IEP (Individualized Education Program) meeting where we take a look at how he’s been doing and set goals/accommodations for the next year.

Over the last month or so we filled out evaluations (GADS – Gillham Asperger Diagnostic Scale and a parent questionnaire/case history), testing was done at school by the school psychologist (Kaufman Assessment Battery For Children-II and Kaufman Test of Educational Achievement-II), and his teachers also filled out evaluations (GADS – Gillham Asperger Diagnostic Scale).

Around the table at the meeting was the director of Simon’s program, his speech teacher, the regional autism coordinator, the school psychologist, and his third grade teacher.

For two hours we talked about Simon and reviewed a nine-page assessment packet detailing the results of the testing and observations. We laughed, we agreed, we expressed fears, we questioned, we discussed, we giggled at things he does both at home and school, and we shared stories. We celebrated his strengths and brain-stormed ways to help him move forward with his weaknesses.

As I sat, listening and participating and looking around the table, this is the thought that came to mind: I am so thankful for the people sitting around this table. They see lots of kids. They’ve got lots of things on their plates, including attending meetings like this one with parents. They’ve got personal lives and issues. They were all fully present, fully participating, and fully advocating for Simon.

One of my favorite pieces of the assessment came from the “relevant background” section:

“Simon’s teachers note that he is a kind-hearted, conscientious student. He is very sweet and affectionate to those he knows well, he is eager to please, and he is very methodical in his work completion. He enjoys reading and has good memorization of factual information and rules. Simon has a big smile and has excellent fine motor skills. He enjoys talking about family trips and his sister.”

Over the nine-pages there’s a lot of documented challenges for Simon. Without going into details, as a parent there’s a lot of information to get lost in – numbers, averages, recommendations, suggestions, etc.

What I’m simply so thankful for is that the focus of the people around the table was on how we can help Simon continue moving forward – building upon and making the most of his strengths and finding ways to help him gain ground in the other areas.

A few weeks ago I received an email from my friend Shannon letting me know that Scentsy had chosen to create a Charitable Cause Warmer benefiting Autism Speaks called Piece By Piece. Scentsy will donate 100% of the net proceeds from the sale of the warmer directly to Autism Speaks.

As many of you know this topic is near and dear to my heart. According to Autism Speaks, autism now affects 1 in 110 children, 1 in 70 boys. Autism Speaks focuses on the areas of science, awareness, advocacy, and family services.

Through Monday, March 28th Shannon will also donate her commission on your entire purchase to Autism Speaks. That’s 25% of your entire purchase (excluding tax and shipping). If the fundraiser reaches $2000 in sales the commission donation raises to 30%.

Also, for every $10 you spend you will be entered to win Scentsy prize packages. As the “hostess” of this fundraiser I’ll be raffling off the prizes I receive based on how much money is raised. The more the fundraiser makes the more prizes there will be.

Here’s where you go on Shannon’s site:

HERE’S A LITTLE ABOUT SCENTSY:
Scentsy sells wickless candles, ceramic warmers, and a variety of fragrance products. A wickless candle, called a Scentsy Bar or a Scentsy Brick, is a highly fragrant wax bar that is warmed to release fragrance into the air. Because the wax is gently warmed rather than burned, it can hold more fragrance oil than a traditional candle. And, because there is no flame, there is no smoke, soot, or lead. Scentsy wickless candles are a safer alternative to traditional candles.

Next month is Autism Awareness month. I’m hoping to put together some posts for next month that talk more about Simon’s journey and how things have changed since he was diagnosed back in 2004.

Yesterday was Report Card Day.

As a kid and young adult I always loved getting my report card.

I loved seeing how I did, what my teachers had to say, what little surprises my parents might learn about me and my behavior (which was almost always good with the occasional “talks too much in class”). I cared quite a bit about my grades – not obsessively – they weren’t all A’s – but they were good and I wanted to do well.

I was a good student. I loved school. Always.

(Okay, except those first two years in college. You couldn’t really say I was a good student then but I definitely loved the experience.)

Getting Simon’s report card is a bit of a different story.

When it’s Report Card Day I encounter a mixture of thoughts and feelings:

THE CHALLENGING STUFF

• Seeing anything having to do with standardized or percentage-based numbers. Ugh. Just ugh. Usually I look at it, make a couple mental notes, and then move on to the next part of the packet. For Simon, like many students with delays/disabilities/issues, standardized testing (or any kind of testing really) is a major challenge. More often than not the test results say so very little about his actual abilities.
• For as much as I work on my attitude and perspective and acceptance and the bigger picture, it’s still just hard to read about his struggles. I love him, the whole of him, and support and encourage him to do his best every single day.

THE GOOD STUFF

• Getting to see where he’s at with this goals. Each year at his annual IEP (Individualized Education Program) meeting we, along with his teacher and his program director, come up with specific goals related to reading, math, writing, speech & language, and social skills. Most of his goals this year revolve around social skills, reading, and speech & language. His report card includes updates on his progress for each of those areas.
• Anytime the teacher(s) include something personal. His speech teacher noted how “he comes to speech with a cheery attitude.”
• It’s a reminder that things change and progress and get better and get more challenging and that’s just the way it goes. Whatever is the biggest issue right now will ebb and flow into another issue. I find it actually helps me keep things in perspective.
• He’s doing just fine and is making forward progress at his own pace. We find ways to be proud of him every single day.

THE GEM

In addition to the “official” report card content, this was included in his packet:

The “M” next to “I enjoy reading.” is one of the best things I’ve seen in a long time.

I got a little choked up when I came to that one.

This is the first year a form like this has been included with his report card. What I love about it is that it gives him a chance to be self-aware – to acknowledge which things might be more challenging for him and which things he’s great at right now.

This is the kind of thing we hope for Simon.

That he can develop a love of reading and learning regardless of if he’s performing right at grade level. That he can learn to recognize what he needs to work on and celebrate the areas where he excels.

The more confidence we can build in his own abilities the better equipped I believe he will be in the long run.

GO SIMON GO!

Well this morning I opened an email from Jessica and learned this:

Between now and the end of April 30th JessicaSprague.com will match each kit purchase with a $2.00 donation to Autism Speaks.

Seriously. Talk about spreading the love.

After reading that I decided that I can spread some love too and will also match each kit purchase with a $2.00 donation to Autism Speaks.

That's $4.00 on top of what is already being donated through the purchase of the kit.

Here's the kit:

How about spreading some love today?

Purchase the kit here.

See my sample layouts here.

Love you Jessica. Thank you.

Today is World Autism Awareness Day.

As you may have read in the giveaway post yesterday, I teamed up with the designers at Songbird Ave to create a digital kit in honor of Autism Awareness month. All proceeds from the sale of this kit benefit Autism Speaks.

My son was diagnosed with autism right around the time he turned three. It has been quite a journey; many stories have been documented here along the way. We celebrate his successes both small & big, and diligently work through the challenges. We embrace him for the awesome, tender, hilarious, sweet kid that he is. 

You can read past posts about our journey here.

To learn more, including the signs of autism, go here. There is also  a pretty good FAQ here.

Below are two more examples using elements and templates from the Songbird Ave Bloom & Grow kit:

How about a layout where the entire background is a photo? I have done a few of these in the past with enlargements and am planning to do some more for Anna's book. I love working off one big image background – it poses a whole new set of design challenges.

Loving scalloped edges right now. Either digitally, or with the Threading Water punch, I have been wanting a scalloped edge on just about everything I have put together recently. 

For information on working with digital layered templates check out my Hybrid/Digital Scrapbooking series of posts.

I also wanted to take this opportunity to say Happy Birthday the Hero Arts blog. They do such a great job of showcasing stamping tips and providing inspiration for all levels of crafters. You may also be interested in their contests and videos. Happy Birthday!

Here’s the news story from ABC: Grandfather Builds Web Browser for Autistic Boy

The only bummer about it right off the bat is that it’s only compatible with PC’s.

On Saturday, April 26th I will be attending an Autism Fundraiser Crop and teaching a 2-hour minibook class at Ben Franklin Crafts in Bonney Lake, Washington. Half of the proceeds will be donated to Autism Speaks. Click here for more information or call 253-862-6822 to register.