Cowboy Number Two

For the last few months we’ve had a second cowboy in the house.

Will began taking riding lessons during Ben’s lesson at Enchanted Acres with Ms. Trish back in August.  He really really enjoys it and loves his lesson horse, Splatter.

The cool part of it all is that that both Ben’s and Will’s teachers work together for part of the lesson.  Both horses are in the ring and the boys get to play games while in the saddle.  Many of the games are “hide and seek” sorts of activities where they have to maneuver their horses to different parts of the ring to look inside different containers for objects (puzzle pieces, different colored balls, play fruit/veggies…).  There is turn-taking, information exchange, and social interaction involved all while learning how to ’steer’ with the reins, communicate with the horse, and stay in the saddle!

We love that Kelly and Trish offer up this combined experience for siblings.  It’s great for Will who loves to do anything Ben does, and it’s also great for Ben to have a partner to interact with.  I love that the combined lesson doesn’t require me to be in two places at once, and that the relationship piece we work so hard for in Ben’s remediation can be supported in this, one of their favorite activities.

There are parts of the lesson that are not combined and it’s so amazing to see your children interact with other adults, apart from you.  Will listens intently to instructions from Trish and seems eager to please.  He is much more reserved and almost shy during his lesson, using a voice so soft and low that he needs encouragement to ‘use a big voice’ so the horse can hear him.  Trish has Will change positions in the saddle in order to strengthen muscles and encourage proper technique.  This jumping pose, however, sort of freaked me out.

I’ve been assured there will be no jumping for many years, yet–that three-year-olds only practice position.  Phew.

Ella Rose enjoys having me all to herself while we observe the lessons, and even felt brave one afternoon and requested to ride Star–Ben’s really tall lesson horse.  Thank God she’s too young for lessons.  I don’t think I could handle three of them in the saddle.   At least, not yet.  She is pretty darn cute in her boots, though.

Muppet Monday: James Taylor sings “Jelly Man Kelly”

Okay, technically, there are no actual muppets in this scene. We love it anyway. yakka yakka yakka yakka

Funny Things: A Ben Update

I have been terrible about updating this blog.  You can blame Facebook, if you’d like.  It’s a pretty good scapegoat for most of my inadequacies lately.  This isn’t really even a “real” blog entry.  It’s an excerpt from an email I wrote to our RDI/HANDLE consultant about how Ben is doing.  We’ve been on a hiatus from RDI, not working on specific goals, but keeping general principles of living RDI in mind.  During this period, we’re doing a full-on HANDLE program with Ben, instead.  HANDLE uses gentle, simple activities that strengthen underlying, weaker body systems that ultimately support Ben’s neurological functions, physical, emotional, and cognitive development.   Strengthening and regulating those systems (vestibular, visual, tactility, visual-motor, auditory processing, etc. ) are what drives Ben’s progress.  Here’s what we’ve been observing lately:

Ben is doing really well with lots of things, not as well with others.

We’re seeing definite improvement in overall stability and ease in using his body.  Things that really showcase this for us are
1. watching him bowl (no longer just plunking the ball down, but actually swinging the ball, twisting his torso, bending his legs, etc.),
2. swinging on the swing (not just moving legs in and out, but leaning back and into the swing to propel his body forward),
3. running (much faster than before, definitely having ‘air time’ with both feet off the ground at the same time during his stride),

4. riding his horse (he adjusts his body–not all the time–when he slips sideways in the saddle and will be learning to use the reins soon to guide his horse.  He also loves to trot, which is a fairly quick, bouncy walk.)

5. writing and drawing (can write all the alphabet letters with visual/verbal scaffolding, has a new love for drawing CARS.  He always has a story about the car he is drawing, even if it usually has the same components–name of car, the car’s features, and of course the SMOKE he draws while making car noises.  If I suggest something else, he’ll agree if he can incorporate it into his car drawing.  He’s much more confident at attempting different things and uses a more mature pencil grip–not fisting, but using fingers)

and 6.  boogie boarding!  This is the newest thing for Ben.  He’s always loved watching other kids “surf” while we’re at the beach and actually asked me if he could do it the last time I took him by myself with his siblings.  So, this past Saturday when Mark was with us, we bought a board and Ben jumped right in and LOVED it.  He figured out how to do it just by watching others, and with some verbal/visual help from Mark realized where on the board to hold on for maximum lift and speed.  Crazy!

The things that we’re not seeing changes in (and are driving me crazy) are

1.  eating with his fingers
2.  dawdling and getting sidetracked when he is expected to get his shoes, get dressed, pick something up, put something away, etc.
3.  freaking out about nail cutting (fingers and toes) and not as intensely, but haircuts are still a challenge
4.  getting out of bed every night to get in bed with Mark and I

5.  pronation is still pronounced, not sure how to judge improvement there other than increased mobility as mentioned above

6.  just recently, I noticed that holding hands with other children is something Ben is very tactilely averse to.  Holding an arm was an okay alternative and holding an adult’s hand is okay, too.

7.  not sure if HANDLE would address this or not, but Ben definitely does not distinguish between a purposeful and accidental action, in terms of being hurt by the action.  He has this need for “revenge”.  If his toe is accidentally stepped on, he will not rest until he steps on the offender’s toe.  He used to avoid touching or being touched by the baby, but now she is free game for pushing, hitting, kicking, etc.  He doesn’t seem to understand the concept of intent.

8.  anger is also his “go to” emotion when he disagrees with something.  He’ll yell “NO” at kids who ask him to play and really holler at Will when he is not interested in interacting with him.  To be fair, Will is often an instigator of conflict between the two, but just as often he is not, but gets yelled at, or physically hurt anyway.
Ben is using language more than physical violence, though, to deal with the anger lately.  He can actually be quite creative.  “I’M AN ANGRY MONSTER AND I’M GOING TO BITE YOUR TOES OFF!”  “I’M GOING TO LOCK THIS DOOR AND RUN AWAY AND YOU WILL BE LONELY!”

One of the best things we’re seeing emerge with Ben the past few months is a social sense of humor.  He’s always laughed at things that privately make him laugh or are amusing to him auditorally, but recently he’s enjoyed watching America’s Funniest Home Videos and laughs when people or pets do unexpected things.  Such a great sound to hear him laugh along with everyone else, knowing he ‘got’ it.  There is a lot more giggling with his brother and occasionally his sister, too, over ‘private’ jokes and shared experiences.  He’s also been “making jokes”, although I’m sure they’re not exactly intentional.  I’ve got three examples:
1.  While cleaning with me the other day (he sprays, I wipe), Ben starts to sing a la ‘Bob the Builder’ “Bob the Cleaner!  Can he clean it?  Yes  he can!”
2.  While talking over dinner about how pilots have to go to flying school to get their license, Ben comments that he has a “horse riding license”.
3.  After asking him to stop touching things in the grocery store for the millionth time while shopping, he looks at me and says, “but touching is in my blood”  This is from a movie where the actual line is “racing is in my blood”.  Cracked me up.

So, there you go.  A Ben Update.  With stories and  photos to boot.

Horse Show

Ben’s a winner!

We participated with the exceptional rider’s group at a local horse show today.   Tall Pines Horse Show in not-too-far-away Reevesville, SC provides a slot for Enchanted Acres’ group to show their stuff.  Ben on Spot, along with the rest of the group, rode around the ring a couple times, then lined up in the middle of the arena for the ribbon presentation.  Each exceptional rider received a “champion” ribbon for participating.  You can see how much Ben loved this.  The next show won’t be until the Fall.  We can’t wait to see how much more Ben can do by then.  Yaaahoooo!

Lesson 4: He trots??

I have no photos from this therapuetic horseback riding lesson lesson, but it needs to be documented.   It has been just 3 hours in as many weeks since Ben’s first initial freak-out over getting up on a horse.  He has progressed much faster than any of us ever anticipated.  After riding around the ring several times.  Ben decided he’d like to try going a little bit faster.  The next fastest gait after walking is called the trot.   It’s like a fast walk or jog that can be pretty bouncy for a brand new rider during his THIRD time up on a horse.   Ben LOVED trotting.  The bouncing one-two pattern of the gait made him giggle uncontrollably.  It was infectious and we were all laughing together chanting “trot trot trot trot…”.  How amazing is that??

Lesson 3: He rides solo!

Here’s Ben at his THIRD therapeutic horse back riding lesson, riding atop Spot BY HIMSELF.  Ben continues to surprise us all with his ever-expanding comfort with Spot.  This is Ben tacking his horse.  He is pulling the girth strap tight here, using upper body strength and minimal support.

Here is a little RDI moment of  co-regulation between Ben and his brother as they carry the bowl of sweet feed together. And here is Ben after turning Spot out into the pasture after his lesson.  Now that’s one confident cowboy!

In the saddle…

And ON the horse!  Ben surprised us all again.  After countless reminders that he did NOT want to ride Spot and that he did NOT want to sit in the saddle, with enough support and the absence of pressure, he changed his mind. 

Ben’s lesson started with grooming again.  He remembered which brushes to use and warmed up enough to rub Spot with his hand.  He helped carry the saddle pad and saddle over from the  Tack Room and then helped Shelli pull the girth tight.  Using the blue lead rope, Ben then led Spot into the indoor arena.  He learned to stay to the left of Spot, near his head while leading.  We could see Ben’s confidence growing as Spot reliably stopped and started whenever Ben did and followed wherever Ben led.

Next, Kelly and Shelli gave Ben an opportunity to play a ring toss game that is quite difficult to do when not in the saddle atop your horse.  Ben declined to get on Spot, but wanted to play the game anyway.  So, they did.

Although he was sure he did not want to ride Spot today, Ben was agreeable to having *me* ride Spot.  So, I fastened my safety helmet, and mounted Spot behind the child-size saddle.  We expected another refusal when I invited Ben to sit with me, but for whatever reason, he didn’t hesitate in saying “yes” this time.  And other than making sure my hands were on his hips, Ben didn’t panic or get upset in any way when Spot began to move. Kelly and Shelli taught Ben how to make Spot stop (say ‘whoah!’) and go (say ‘walk on, Spot!’).  He loved this and enjoyed practicing with Spot.  After some time riding, Ben said “let’s go back in the barn so we can brush Spot,”  which is just what we did.

But not before Little Brother Will had a turn. 

Ella Rose was also offered a turn.  She did not surprise us and predictably declined.  And that’s just fine.  Two cowboys is enough for now.  We’ll see what happens next week…

I Gallop!

Ben’s first horseback riding lesson was today.  Enchanted Acres Equestrian Center and the lovely Miss Kelly and Miss Shelli offer wonderful individually tailored lessons for “exceptional” riders on Sundays.  This is a different center than the one Ben visited with Mark back in November.   That experience was so positive for Ben that we thought regular lessons might be something he would enjoy.  That, and the therapeutic benefit of riding, of course.

Our first visit was last Sunday, where we observed another child during her lesson.  Ben really enjoyed watching the little girl ride the gentle appaloosa, Spot, but continually asked if he could have a turn to ride.  When the opportunity arrived, Ben eagerly put on his helmet, listened to the directions, indicated he knew his left foot would be put in the stirrup first, smiled as he was hoisted up into the saddle…and promptly freaked out.  “MAMA!  I DO NOT LIKE THIS.  STOP!  I WANT TO GET OFF!  GET ME OFF OF THIS HORSE!  AHHHH!  I DON’T LIKE SPOT!”

We guided Ben to dismount and he ceased yelling, but made sure we all knew that he did NOT like it when Spot moved.  Spot, to his credit, continued standing in the same place he had been during Ben’s stationary “ride”, munching the new grass beneath him, unaffected by Ben’s panic.

Along with the ASD, Ben has sensory integration difficulties.  He can be hyper-sensitive to certain sensations, especially those that affect his balance and motor coordination.  Maintaining his balance on an unpredictable, albeit  stationary,  grass munching horse was too much for Ben’s vestibular system.  It was obvious we were going to have to begin this endeavor at a much slower pace.

Or so I thought.

Ben’s first lesson consisted of initial grooming tasks, then using the lead rope to guide Spot into the arena.  There, Miss Kelly and Ben used finger paints to paint right on Spot.  This was a neat tactile exercise that encouraged familiarity and comfort with the horse, while using all kinds of language, too.  Next, Ben offered different foods for Spot to taste,  including a can of Dr. Pepper which the horse snarfed and asked for more.  (evil high fructose corn syrup!) Here Ben talked directly to Spot telling him “C’mon Spot, here’s your sweet feed.   Do you like it?  Eat some more.”  So cute.

Lastly, Kelly and Shelli introduced us to the iGallop.  It’s an electronic horse riding simulator that really does help you feel like you are in the saddle.  There are 3 speeds on the iGallop, of which I anticipated Ben to vehemently protest.  He was not eager to climb up, even after watching both Will and I take a happy turn.  After encouragement, Ben agreed to get on with Mark and seemed to trepeditiously enjoy it.  Once he realized that he could start, stop, or speed up the iGallop on his own, Ben gradually lost all inhibitions.  We were actually a bit worried at the end that we’d have a hard time getting him off of it.

Hopefully we can transfer this success to riding the real thing.  We can’t wait for next Sunday!

Story Share

My Friend T.J.

We saw T.J. and he came over.  And he was on the swing.  T.J. ran in the house.  He is my friend.  T.J.’s racecar has a broken wheel.  We played soccer.

The End.

by Ben

**notice the actual figures in Ben’s drawing.  This is a FIRST!

The Bunny

We saw a bunny next to our house.  Mama put a blanket in a basket.  We still have it.  And he runs away.  And he run away to the pond to find his mama.  His mama is a bunny.

The End.

by Will

**Will drew a rainbow and a bunny figure after watching his brother make his figure-filled illustration.

Casey

Casey is our new dog.  She is happy.  She’s not sad anymore.  She makes a smile and licks people.  She eats food and she drinks water.  She barks.  Casey has a tail.  She misses her owner.  She sniffs people and the baby, Ella Rose.  And me.  And me, too.  We love her and we hug her.

The End.

a collaborative effort by Ben and Will

illustrated by Ben

More on Casey

We’re over the moon about Casey, the Wonder Dog.  She really is just a fantastic addition to our family.   We always knew we’d have a family dog, but we were waiting for the ‘right time’.  When Mark was serving in Iraq, I was overwhelmingly pregnant with Will, Ben was a toddler not walking or even close, and we had just moved from our big yard house to a teeny yard house–that time–was *not* the right time.  Thank God for Aunt Patty and Uncle Jim who adopted our first pet, Max.  Here they all are visiting us on their spring break last week: 

Having Max stay with us confirmed how ready we were for another pet.  There’s so much to be gained in the way of learning and enrichment for the kids–taking care of another being, responsibility, respect, loyalty.  Max was a puppy when we adopted him from the shelter.  Training him was a lot of work.  We knew we didn’t have the kind of time needed to train a puppy this time around.  We had agreed to get an older dog, but not too old.  We wanted an active dog that would run and play, but would not have to pee every 10 minutes nor chew things that would make us unhappy.

I had also been doing some research on therapy dogs for children with autism.  It’s probably not much of a surprise to dog lovers, but early “research” is showing that there are more than physical needs fulfilled through interaction with a trained therapy pet.   This study is looking specifically at development of social interaction with the help of animals.

Solomon hypothesizes that interactions with well-trained therapy dogs—which are simple, predictable and very rewarding social partners—help autistic children practice social interaction and fill gaps in social behaviors that didn’t develop earlier in childhood. In the future, she hopes to study the results of adding animal therapy to existing clinical programs for people with autism.

“Dogs could be like a catalyst in a chemical reaction,” she said.

I liked that the article spoke in terms of remediation, a la RDI.   Going back for a ‘do-over’ is a simple way to think about it.  Could a dog help in our RDI efforts with Ben?  Who couldn’t use a catalyst?

Enter Casey.  The craisglist post proclaimed her “the poster child for the perfect family pet”.  After 3 days with her, we really cannot argue that claim.   We’ve witnessed great affection and “private” moments between both boys and Casey that are worth any cost of having her.  Already.  How cool is that?

Here are some photos of the boys doing some training work with Casey.

“Casey, come!”“Sit.”“Lie down.”

And then there’s Will’s technique…

“Casey, come and eat this yummy treat.”

“Lie down like me.”“Have another yummy treat.  Good girl.  She likes me!”