Well, today began our journey into another school year! I’m praying that I don’t have to fight as hard this school year to make sure that MJ gets what he needs.
I’m thankful that today both kids had a great first day! However, my daughter complained that she did not play at recess because of the solar eclipse lol.
Wishing everyone a fantastic school year. 😊
This past week MJ had homework for his Social Skills group. He had to call someone from the class and give information about himself. He also had to remember to ask the classmate about himself. I was very nervous about the call because MJ’s processing time is sometimes slow. There have been times when we’ll ask him a question and he’ll answer it in about 5 minutes. That is a long time to wait for simple answers. Anyhow, When he made the call he said, “hello” then looked at me and said, “what do I say next!” It was so difficult not to tell him exactly what to say! Prior to the phone call, I did write one question down that he could ask his classmate. I pointed to the question and he said, “what did you do today?” After that, they had a conversation on the phone. It was exciting to see him go back and forth in conversation on his own. Through the conversation, he found out that his classmate enjoyed swimming just like he did. They were on the phone for about 5 minutes which was actually great for his first time speaking to this person. With continued practice, we are hoping that this becomes easier for him.
Recently I received an email that outlined a social skills group for kids of different ages. In the past, We have found that our insurance never covered these types of programs/therapy. It was always thousands of dollars per year for this type of therapy. As MJ is getting older, we are finding that it is crucial for him to receive additional help in this area. As it stands, MJ believes EVERYONE is nice and EVERYONE is his friend. He needs help with learning what a “real” friend is, what an acquaintance is, and how to have reciprocal communication with people. I was pleasantly surprised when I found out that our insurance did cover it! The sessions are for an hour and a half, once per week. MJ works on various skills with kids in his age group. He even has homework that will help reinforce the skills that he learns during the group. We just had our first session and so far he did great! He seemed to enjoy it and wants to go back! I am praying that this is beneficial for him and that he can take these skills and use them in his life.
#socialcommunicationissoimportant
#peopletakeitforgranted
#MJhastobetaughthowtodothis
#havingfaithwiththis
NickysdayWithAutism 