Update on Aiden

It's been a month? Wow! Time flies. 

Aiden has a lot of stuff going on and so I thought I'd give an update. This post has a ton of pictures but they aren't necessarily in date order but they are all cute :)

(Aiden chowing down on mac and cheese on our Thanksgiving cruise to celebrate by in-laws 40th anniversary)

I have no idea where to start with an update on Aiden so this might not make the most sense.

Today Chris and I have an appointment with his psychologist to discuss strategies to dealing with his outbursts. He can be aggressive, especially when told no.

Hitting.

Kicking.

Spitting.

I wish they weren't a daily occurrence.

(At Disney, they put streamers on our table to celebrate Aiden's birthday. He is wearing a PJ shirt-not a battle that is worth fighting)

Last week I filled out paperwork for Aiden to attend a Summer Treatment Program. It is a medical based program for kids with ADHD so although it will involve all sorts of fun activities for Aiden (swimming, sports, field trips) it will also include counseling, and daily work on organization, listening, following directions, etc. He attends for 8 weeks 8am-5pm M-F. The only excused absences are ones that we get a doctors note for. Good thing we weren't planning any vacations this year.

 
(At Disney-high fiving Phineas.)

Aiden's IEP meeting is coming up on April 11th.

Sigh.

I have sent our requests to his learning support teacher but won't know whether they are approved or not until the 11th.

I am preparing for a fight, gathering data from his tutors, past and present, looking up what we are entitled to based on the laws, reading other IEPs and recommendations from other moms who have been through it already.

Aiden is my full time job.

(Enjoying ice cream on the Disney Cruise with my parents at Christmas time.)

One of the things we are asking for is that cursive not be required for Aiden.

He still struggles with print.

He is dysgraphic. **Dysgraphia is a transcription disability, meaning that it is a writing disorder associated with impaired handwriting, orthographic coding (orthography, the storing process of written words and processing the letters in those words), and finger sequencing (the movement of muscles required to write).**

They are teaching 3 letters a day. Each day.

He loses his recess if he doesn't complete his cursive writing in class.

(In Cozumel, part of the T-giving cruise)

Speaking of taking recess away. Why do teachers do that to ADHD kids? I'm not saying that ADHD kids shouldn't be responsible for their behavior but at the beginning of the year I always give the teachers a list of "heavy work" that Aiden can do to help him calm down.

Instead of losing recess he could move books from one room to another, push the TV cart to another classroom, help load/unload something.

At least have him run laps instead of sitting there.

GRRRR.

(self-portrait with my phone, he loves to take pictures of himself)

I love this child. In all his uniqueness.

I wish I could make things easier for him.

For me.

For us.

(One afternoon after a particularly rough day at school, curled up next to me on the couch)

He is so trusting.

So forgiving.

For that I am thankful.

(Catching snowflakes after a field trip)

He has been waking up super early lately.

And being naughty.

Doctors are talking about a sleeping pill.

(Aiden is taking a break from karate-he would cry before class. He is starting to miss it though so perhaps next school year we will try again.)

Speaking of medications.

We go on Friday to meet with a psychiatrist to start Aiden on some new medications (stimulant and anti-depressant). His PCP won't change his meds and we've been waiting since we moved for this appointment.

Hoping for good things but I know it's a bunch of trial and error and a lot more paperwork. On the good side though this Doctor is supposed to be one of the best.

(Opening Christmas presents from Nana and Papa in Maine.)

His favorite "toy" right now is clay.

And anything he shouldn't be playing with.

Tools.

Liquid nails.

etc.

Oh and his bike. He loves his bike but he's allowed to play on that. :)

(Aiden with the stud finder while we were working on a bedroom project.)

He loves to help around the house and when he's supervised Chris doesn't mind including him. He drills, hammers, puts things together. He will make some woman very happy when he grows up. He's not afraid of work.

(We bought Aiden a pressure swing-the blue thing in the right corner. He also has a regular swing that he plays on)

I still think he should join Cirque du Soleil.

This was taken on March 7th.

His favorite shirt (Tom and Jerry)

His favorite pants (because they are silky)


Aiden needs a lot of support right now but I console my self with the thought that someday he will invent something really cool and thank his mom and dad for always supporting his "creative" side. But even if he doesn't I will still adore the person he is.

(Tomorrow I will post a Zach update--I will start writing it right now :)