A cute little funny...

If you are eating... come back later!

Zach still has BM accidents - or on purposes - and he gets a shower when he has poop in his pants.  Since this is quite frequent, he associates showers with poop in the pants.

A few weeks ago I came home from my morning run and Zach was up too early.  Our conversation went like this:

Me: Hey - you're up early, I need to take a shower, can you stay in room for a little bit?

Zach: Momma!  Poopy in the potty! You went poopy!

Very clever...  And he's making connections and transferring his knowledge.  Not bad for 6:30 in the morning!

I'm gonna say it and be hated

This thought has been bubbling in my mind for a little while now, and it just needs to ooze out of my mouth. So, I'm going to say it and then explain why...

THERE ARE MANY MORE SPECIAL NEEDS CHILDREN THAN JUST AUTISTIC KIDS. SO WHY ARE 90% OF THE ORGANIZATIONS, BUSINESSES, SPECIAL-NEEDS-THINGEES DIRECTED TOWARDS AUTISTIC CHILDREN? WHY IS MENTALLY HANDICAPPED STILL SHROUDED IN SHAME?

Ok. I feel better.

Please understand, I am not saying that autism isn't important or a concern for parents. I know it is. But I get so tired of trying to find things for my mentally handicapped children and all I can find are things designed for autism. Or books about autism. Or websites about autism. Or resources for autism.

I get that autism research is relatively new and we are learning so much about it. I also understand that there are so many children labeled with autism. I get that big money is being directed towards autism. I get it.

But what about kids with plain-old low IQ? What about kids with plain-old gross motor and fine motor issues? What about plain-old kids with speech problems.

Maybe I'm jealous that there isn't much help for me. Maybe I'm jealous because insurance won't pay for extra therapies like they would if I had autism. Maybe I'm jealous because there aren't support groups for me. Or respite care. Or money poured into how to teach my kids better.

Don't get me wrong. I'm not saying autism is easy, I just wish there was more for my kids.

So the second part of my rant is the whole shame surrounding mental handicapped people. Maybe shame isn't the right word... but it seems so much harder to deal with/accept/know how to interact with people who have a low IQ. It's not contagious.

And one more thing while I'm at... where is the support group for people like me... my kids have no diagnosis just lots of pieces of a puzzle. Come to think of it... we probably all want a support group designed exactly for our personal needs! I guess we call that family!

"Out of My Mind" by Sharon Draper

I'm reading this great book written from Melody's perspective. She is a 5th grader with Cerebral Palsy and can't talk. She communicates by pointing to words and letters on her board, but it is pretty limited. Melody is actually brilliant and has a photographic memory, but no one really knows this - but Melody.

I love this book and it makes me think about the kids I know who are locked inside their worlds. My kids too - even though they have different disabilities than Melody.

So Melody is being mainstreamed and made a friend, Rose. She invited Rose to go to an aquarium with her family and a neighbor, Mrs V. Mrs V is a big woman who is one of Melody's biggest supporters. In Melody's inclusion classes, there are these two girls who are just mean. The tease Melody and her classmates.

On the trip to the aquarium, the group runs into these mean girls. They corner Rose and ask why she is there with Melody. Rose is uncomfortable and didn't give a specific answer. Mrs V gets involved and what she says is brilliant and I want to remember it forever.

Page 120:

Mrs V, however, isn't going to let anybody stop her. From her almost-six-foot height, she towers over Molly and Claire. "You! Girl with braces on her teeth!" Claire looks up at her, stunned.

"Yes, ma'am?" Claire has enough sense to say.

"Why do you think your parents spent good money on getting you braces?"

"Huh?" Claire looks confused. Molly has quietly disappeared into her Scout troop.

"Your teeth were imperfect, so your parents got you braces. One day you'll thank them when you get a date for the prom," Mrs V roars. The whole Scout troop, plus a few other visitors to the aquarium, stop to listen to her.

"What do my teeth have to do with anything?" Claire asks, looking around nervously.

"Some people get braces on their teeth. Some get braces on their legs. For others, braces won't work, so they need wheelchairs and walkers and such. You're a lucky girl that you only had messed-up teeth. Remember that."

See! I love that!!!! I want to remember that when someone makes fun of my kids or their friends! Brilliant... Hopefully that gives you something to think about - it sure did for me. In fact, I got out of bed, turned the computer on and shared it with you!

Happy New Year, by the way!