In an update to last week’s blog, I was able to create a list of people who can be part of Elizabeth’s world when we are headed to a game for Michael…in the words of my dear friend, Lynne….WOO-HOO!

So something that has been on my mind a great deal lately and I think it is due to the fact that we are into year 2 of the pandemic, is how well are our goals are set for Elizabeth?

Meaning the very goals that we set up a few months ago may need adjusted, or changed completely.

Do they meet her needs?

And what do we do moving forward into our second spring and summer?

Do we stay the same?

Do we add things ( as safely as we can) or

Do we enjoy the successes and just continue with the them in the same manner?

Hard to say actually as there are days that I think we flow through the day without challenging her. We walk, talk and do life but no real gains have been made. And I have to ask myself if that is okay. I know I am hard on myself so I need to work on that so I am trying to remind myself that doing a day well is an okay thing. Sometimes more than an okay thing given the world we live in currently. Sometimes we are supposed to cook together but find that she is painting more that day and cooking goes by the wayside. The same for the goal of doing her budget or something else

Is that okay?

I am learning to see that it is.

I am trying to see it as life and not as time not made productive.

I think that so many of us are working toward goals for our children that may be the same ones we had a while ago and are still achieving them. Or we have goals that may have been too big for right now, so we are accomplishing them in smaller steps. I think any step in the progressing of a goal is a good thing. So I need to step back and look at the big picture and be okay!

I guess I am trying to see just where we go from here.

Elizabeth and I sat down today to read a bit, review for her volunteering tomorrow and to write her schedule. As she began these tasks I got our small chalk board and asked her to update the goals on it. We erased the old ones and she told me her new goals. Which included help with learning how to ask “more questions when I am talking to someone” This last goal was a really great one because it is a challenge for her to know what to ask next when she is talking to someone about a topic. Her global dyspraxia makes this difficult. So I told her I really loved this one!

I work best when I have an outline of what we are to be doing or what we want to do together for her goals. So seeing this one made me really proud and happy for her.

I remember talking to a friend a long while ago and she asked me how I did all the things I did with Elizabeth and my response was that I can do anything anyone(therapists/educators) tells me to do for her but I do not always know what comes next.

I think that holds true still. Sometimes I do and sometimes I don’t

So with all that being said, I think step one is to take a good look at how things are going, breath and keep talking to Elizabeth.

Step two is to know that any progress and work is called success.

And the last step and this is for me as much as for anyone who needs to hear it is to know that our hearts are in the right place so leading with it can only make for good.

My musings are for those who feel the same way I do…just wondering what do we do next?

I wish everyone a peaceful week and please keep wearing your masks.

Michele Gianetti author of Elizabeth Believes in Herself

The thought that summer time is coming may not have even crossed your mind but when you have a child with special needs, you have to plan for so much for things and it is always best to plan ahead

From the therapies to the sitters. From the activities like camps to their quiet time activities.

The who, what, where, when and why of summer for your child need to be looked at sooner than later

Who

Who are the people you need to contact? Therapists, companions, camp directors, family. Anyone who you think you may need their help or will be working with your child should be contacted early. At least to set up a time to talk further and really get organized on plans. This way you get on their radar early before schedules fill up.

What

What things do you want to plan for your child? Is it Occupational therapy, physical therapy, speech or other ones. Maybe if you have a young adult, it could be working with a life coach. Thinking this through is an important step so that what you plan for meets the needs of your child at this time

Where

Will you be looking for camps or day camps. Will you have to drive far to therapy or is it done in your home? Will your other children have plans that you need to work around? All things need to be considered.

When

How often do you want to plan for therapies? Morning or afternoon? Do your other children have set times for their practices or activities that need to be figured into the mix?

Why

This goes directly to the IEP if your child has one. Figuring out what they need from their summer work, what skills they need to work on. Summer is such a great time to work on skills.

While others are signing their children up for summer reading programs, we are arranging tutoring, so skills will not be lost.
While time with “nothing to do” sounds fantastic to many, for a child with Dyspraxia or Sensory Processing Disorder, this may actually increase their anxiety because open ended time to fill can be challenging for them.

So for us, summer takes on a new form, sort of a combination of therapies, schedules and summer activities.
And this is where my thoughts went to after I watched the commercial.
I think I see summer activities as chances to teach something to our kids.
Try to have the approach that everything is a teachable moment.

So:
• Some may see water balloons, I see a chance to encourage fine motor skills as she tries to fill them up. ( unless you are getting those really cool ones that seal themselves 🙂 )

• Some may see plain side walk chalk, I see an opportunity to play a word game or have fun tracing each other, to encourage concentration and patience.

• Some may see a fun trip to the pool, I see an chance for her to practice ordering and paying for her own snacks. Learning to pack the right things in a bag for the pool

The list goes on, but you get the point.!”
For as hard as we work for our children from September to June, I know that we all want those skills and things learned to grow in June through August.
We want the summer to be fun for our children.

We want the summer to be productive, because it needs to be.

Just some early thoughts!

I wish everyone a peaceful week.

Michele Gianetti author of Elizabeth Believes in Herself