19-"Yes or No"

 Continuing with our Throwback theme, I began in the last blog, here is some more video of Robbie in school when he was little for those who didn't get enough last time! He's just so darn cute I had to show more. ;-)

     In the last video his teachers focused on having Robbie copy them, match pictures and use the PECS (Picture exchange) to communicate. In today's episode they are teaching him how to shake his head "Yes" or "No" for desired objects.
   Sometimes Robbie seems to do really well with this and really understand, but other times I think he just does what he thinks the teacher wants him to do. I've noticed over the years that his understanding of words seems to float in and out on different days. Sometimes his receptive language is really good, and other days he doesn't seem to understand a word I say. You may have noticed in older episodes he shook his head "yes" to everything, even when I knew he really meant "no". That's why these skills always need to be reinforced every day, or else after a while he seems to lose the skill. It's a never ending journey!

    Here he is in all his blonde haired glory!

    (click the link to watch the video)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IFvMOhVlB3s

 

    If you're new to our blog and you'd like to learn more about the PECS system, head on back to the older blog about the Behavior Specialist where we show the system and talk a little more about it.

10-Happy Birthday

December 27, 2013

 

 

          In all of Robbie's 24 years I never gave him a birthday party, except for ones at home with family. I explain why in this video. Today, I went to his day program to give him a party. Unlike school and his old day program, this place understands people with Autism and how they have a lot of trouble with being off from their daily routine. So they understand how important it is to NOT close for a week for the holidays! So happily Robbie got to go spend the day at his program on his birthday, two days after Christmas. He was such a happy guy that day!

 

After pizza and cake they all went swimming, which they do every Friday. Robbie loves the water. I think he would live in the water if he could! He frolicked and splashed to his heart's delight.

 

His new recliner was delivered that afternoon. At first they wanted to deliver it in the morning, but I told them I specifically requested delivery in the afternoon because no one would be at the house in the morning. I didn't want to say no "staff" would be there, because after the experience at Macy's, I didn't want there to be a problem. At first they were going to change the delivery to next week, but after I told them it was a present for Robbie's birthday, she put me on hold, came back on the phone, and said the chair would be delivered that afternoon. Woo hoo!

 

 

He's not smiling in this picture, but watch the video and you'll see how happy he was with his new recliner! For dinner, his old roommate came to visit along with his old aide from the group home he used to live at.

 

 

They both miss Robbie. I was nervous for him to see them, because it might confuse him, and he may think he is supposed to go home with them. But he was fine, and happy to come home to his new chair. Whew!

 

Here's the video of the day. :-)

 

 

 

If you missed the story about the recliner, here is Episode 4.