Working with an Autistic Individual

Professionals says that “Autism is a condition involving abnormalities of brain developement and behavior which manifests itself before a child is three years old and has a steady course with no remission.

It is characterized by impairments in social interaction and communication, as well as restricted and repetitive behavior” which proved itself to be true in the case of an autistic child that I raised. Her repetitive behavior displayed with her flinging her hands wildly in the air and giggling to herself all the time.

Autism comes in all shapes, colors and ethic background. It does not discriminate. Each diagnose is different in a sense. You may see similarity in each case but there is always something that sets each case apart.

Some individuals with Autism, may grind their teeth while others does not. Some may shake their hands, while others rock. Some may play peaceful by themselves in their own world while others are very disruptive.

This is a complex neuro-developmental disorders. Hereditary contributes about 90% of the risk of a child developing autism, however, it is unclear which genes are responsible for it. It is suggested strongly to be associated with agents that cause birth defects

No one knows for sure what causes autism. Most experts will say that Autism is probably caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors. Even those experts, though, do not have a definite answer. For many people, this uncertainty is terribly frustrating. However according to my research, interest in and funding for autism research is on the rise, so new and better information should be forthcoming shortly.

I know in the case of the individual that I was raising, alcohol played a large part in the development of autism. We know that she did not want you to touch them. At times,she would come up to you, perk up her lips for a kiss and change her mind before you could respond. She loved music. If she got disruptive, all you had to do was put on some soft music and she would put her fists to her eyes and calmly rock to the beat.

There were times when she would be in their own world. You could see that she was not attentive to what was going on around her. However, she had a keen sense about her when we were driving. She could tell when there was a McDonalds nearby even if you did not see it. She would get into one of her giggly arm swinging posture, sure enough, within 5 minutes we would come upon one. This happened several times, in a places we had never been. This was amazing plus scary (smile).

However,she taught us that she was just as much an individual as the next person and therefore demanded to be treated the same way. She would let you know by her actions if she was not satisfied with you.

In her calm times,. she was more delightful than ever. She would pull on you so she could wrap you arm around her neck and she lay in it but would stop if you tried to embrace her.

More of my experience next time.

My life working with Special Needs Individuals

There are many things we take for granted that would indeed be a joy and a delight to a disabled individual.

I had an opportunity the other day to really realize and understand more fully what a physically disabled individual goes through.

I had shoulder surgery in June. I then slipped in the tub hitting it against the side of the tub. Thank God I was sitting down and just fell over instead of down in the tub.

With my arm in a sling and not being able to bathe myself completely much like scratch when I its on my left side, it brought tears to my eyes to think a disabled individual goes through.

Lets imagine a few they have to put up with each and every day, when some of us get bent out of shape because someone did not do something for you when you can do it yourself.

1. Your scalp itch and you are unable to scratch it

2. Fly or bug lands on you and you cannot knock it off

3. Something get in your eye and you cannot reach up to get it out

4. You want to wipe your face but is unable to do that, too

5. If you are unable to talk, you cannot even ask for anything

6. If you are unable to walk, you have to wait someone comes and move you. You may not want to be moved at that time but you cannot tell them no not now I am enjoying the scenery.

These are just a dot of what is on the list of things that we take for granted that are what some special need individuals long for.

We have become so self-centered, that it has become a ”me,me” world.

We need to step back and consider what it would feel like just to help a special needs individual that you know; ask if it is okay if you give them a hug, wash and brush their hair, or be brave enough to take them to a shopping mall. Care should be used, of course! This not only can apply to special needs individuals but there are many, many individuals in your neighborhood that would appreciate such attention, also.

I have a new found respect now as to what I can do for my daughter to make her life more meaningful.

She loves having her hair washed. The days it is not washed, I can make more of an effort to just run my hand through her hair and scratch her scalp for her while I am talking and kissing her.

She also loves for you to put lotion on her. I can make an extra effort to massage her when I am putting lotion on her or whenever I am just holding her hands or checking her legs to seeing if she is cold or hot.

She loves the great outdoors. We can go for more walking trips in the neighborhood. This will solve two things at once. One will please her to be in the fresh air and the other one would be that I will be able to get in the walking exercise that I seem not to have enough hours to do it in.

What I am saying is that I see that I have to put a lot more effort in what will make her enjoy life more than how much time it will take. True time waits for no one but you can be so caught up on time that you miss the beautiful rainbow right in front of your face.

I feel if others looked at life from the other person’s shoes they will also be able to see what can be done to provide a better life for all not just special need individuals.

Se You next time.

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My Life's Journey

Hello, My name is Florencetine Preston. I am about to write a summary of what I do and how I got here. I will be asking a small favor of everyone that reads it. I would like for you to critique my blog. Give me your honest opinion.

My intention is to find out what you would like to hear more of; whether it be the lessons I have learned from my experiences in life and where I plan to go? It would be my pleasure to take each and every one of you with me on this wonderful journey.

My journey has been a fulfilling one. I have always had to ability to pick out an individual in a crowd with special needs. Even when I was very young, if I saw a group of children playing, each doing the exact thing, my heart would go out to that one child that had a challenge that others around did not see. Thanks God, I had two healthy children, a girl and a boy, in that order.

About 5 years into my 2nd marriage, we had to privilege to be appointed guardian of my husband’s niece and 2 nephews. At that time, that family was going through a hard time and we offered to help in any way we could. After receiving the children, it was confirmed to me my purpose on earth. It was to care for the less fortunate, because, one of the boys had a learning disability, that had been overlooked by his teachers, doctors and other professionals.

It took us 6 months to convince them that this child could not read because he was dyslexia and needed intervention. During that time, there was not much information available on dealing with a child that suffered from it.

We tried everything. What really helped was that we knew that his words appeared backwards to him so we had him put a mirror at the top of the page and this worked. We coached him in recognizing how the words appeared in print as he saw them in the mirror. Everyone was amazed at his progress. He was soon removed from special education.

I remembered one day at work as I was taking a payment from a customer, her eyes became very glassy and she was staring right through me. I called the sales person, who was right near her and asked that they hold her because something was wrong with her. They looked at me like I had lost my mind because she was just standing there doing nothing to indicate there was a problem.

Within seconds, she began to collapse. She was having a seizure and had she not been held she would have fallen, hit her head on the tile floor. It was a grande mal seizure, where your jerk yourself around.

It was only through the grace of God that I was the person helping her instead of one of the other cashiers because they admitted they did not see what I saw. This is in no way intended to be a brag just stating the facts.

I retired shortly afterwards, with 25 years of service. I did not stay retired long. I started looking for other things to do because I was bored at home. I volunteered at the daycare where my niece and nephews had gone earlier, while keeping the books for a printing shop in the neighborhood.

Shortly, thereafter, a friend of my husband called to say that there was a company out of California looking for parents without children at home, to be parents in their houses that they were opening up in this area. This company was called CHARLEE. It stood for Children Had All Rights Legal Educational and Emotional. This again confirmed my purpose in life to me.

We were not accepted for the home that we applied for. The director said that we were more suited for the other home that they would be opening up in several months. They explained that the house we applied for had 4 teenage boys with mental and behavior problems. However, the other home was for disabled children. Most, if not all, would be in a wheelchair, requiring a plenty of hand on hand help with many, many doctor’s appointments. They had already selected the children, therefore, they knew a little about what type of hands on hand care they would need. Another confirmation to me.

They told us to discuss it; talk it over among ourselves and let them know. I looked at my husband and told him as far as I was concern we did not have to discuss it and I could give them my answer now. He agreed.

During our tenure, we had a total of 12 kids (ages 14 months – 15 years) come into the home. A 15 year old, declared so mental delayed, would never to able to obtain any formal education, was on a 4th grade reading level, wheelchair bound as a result of an automobile accident a very young age. I am glad to report that she is now in her 40’s, has graduated from a 4 yr college with a 3.0 GPA; has her own business and is a great writer.

A 10year old, with so many disabilities (drug related), unable to talk, severely deformed, wheelchair bound except when he is in the house, unable to do anything for himself , only ate pureed food. He is in his late 30’s, able to talk, will quickly tell you what he wants and what he does not want. He dresses and feeds himself, get in and out of his wheelchair without assistance, maneuvering it at will. He works at a job site each day.

A, 5 year old, with autism, as a result of alcohol and drugs, not toilet trained. She was unable to talk. She did not like to be hugs. She would ask you for a kiss or hug and before you could give it to her, she would have changed her mind and is pushing you away. Nothing or no one could come close to her. When talking on the phone. she would hold the phone away from her ear. She is now in her early 30’s, able to talk, ask for what she wants. She will come up and grab you now, hug you all the time just smiling. She will now hold the phone to her ear, long enough for you to ask three questions and she give you the answer.

Another 5 year old, with Spinal Bifida, in wheelchair, very, very active. However, he could not dress himself, had to be lifted in and out of the wheelchair. It was very hard understanding what he was saying. He was very mischievous. There were many problems trying to keep up with him. He is now in their early 30’s, loves reading the Bible, going to church and singing in the Men’s chorus. There is no problem now understanding what he is talking about. His mind is very keen. He works at a job site and sings in their choir.

This is just some of the children that has greatly enriched my life.

We worked for this agency for over 26 years. During this time, they changed their name to what it is today and very appropriately. It is Helping Children Grow because that is what it all about.

We started thinking about retiring, however, we could not phantom the idea of leaving the 3 children who were in the home at the time, with each having a different degree of cerebral palsy. So we did the next best thing, we adopted all three.

My daughter, 5 years old when she came into the home stopped breathing after 36 hours of birth that left her unable to talk, unable to walk and can not sit along with seizures and asthma. At this point, she was 16. She requires total care. She communicates with her eyes, baby like sounds and body language. One blink is yes; 2 links, no; a stupid question that she feels you know the answer, she will just stare at you. She has the most sweetest disposition you could ever imagine. When she wants you, she will start out real soft with her sounds, each time she calls, she raises the volume until you answers. If you ask her if she is calling you, you will get something that sounds like yeah and she will be smiling when you get there. She also has a host of other medical problems, many surgeries and is G tube fed for all of her nourishment. She is now 24 years old.

One son 14 months old, weighing 15 lbs. His mother was addicted to alcohol, crack cocaine, and you name it. We had to wrap him in a blanket in order to hold him. At 14 months old, he had to be taught how to suck a bottle. He had poor jaw muscle control. He was very spastic in all of his limbs. He had seizures, asthma and was cortical blind, with the biggest and brightest smile you have ever seen. He would recognize your voice, turn towards you and would just grin out loud. He loved the sun to shine on his face, learned to love your rubbing his hair and loved singing (humming) spiritual songs. He was a very delightful gift.

At the age of 11, we went through many things that remain a mystery to everyone even today. After 20 months of internal bleeding, black outs and big balls of sweat, he went home to be with the Lord. He was at the hospital so many times, they started registering him whenever the ambulance was on their way because they knew him that well. I just had to sign him in.

One son in a wheel chair, when, we first came into program at another house. He had a failed adoption, on crutches and placed in my home, at the age of 8. He was placed in special education because of his physical condition. He now uses a cane to get around when he is not at home. He is a very bright boy, now 17, going into 12th grade with a 3.45 GPA.

We had a retirement income for two persons not 5 persons. My husband had dabbled in several ventures off and on. I decided that I had to do something to help ensure our future. I could not go back to work. I had to be home when the children got home from school. I started searching the Internet as that avenue. After a number of years, losing money and wasting time, I received an email telling me about a company that you could join for FREE and that there no strings attached. The Word FREE rung a bell but this time, the sound was different. Maybe it was on the up and up, I said to myself.

So I signed up right then and there. I prayed that it was true and it was not like all of the other programs I had tried. I, at first just kept looking for the other shoe to fall. I would purchase little things to see what would happen. I am still looking for that shoe to fall, mind you After I signed up, I started getting emails from the home office, at first, I thought, here come the mail asking that I upgrade or something but when I opened it, it was support and encouragement to help me with my business. I even got phone messages stating that they were from my upline and if I had any questions, do not hesitate to call. All of this was new and foreign to me. However, I liked the support.

I soon decided to check this company out thoroughly. This company is My Power Mall, a division of Together we Can Change the World. I discovered that this company had many of the same ideas I had and was trying to do with my limited funds. I have always worked to be of service to others. I would help anyone in need regardless what the circumstances were. If I have a dime, you have a dime. This is the way I was raised, to look down on someone only when you are trying to pull them up.

Getting back of MPM, years of being involved in helping others has instilled a deep passion in our Founder and CEO, Ginny Dye to create tools to help individuals, organizations and businesses make a difference in their world. It was this passion that led to the creation & development of Together We Can Change the World(TWCCTW).

TWCCTW was created as a way for non-profits to have perpetual income without having to ask for donations, pledges, raffles or such.. Our vision is to Harness the Power Of Everyday Shopping To Change The World. We believe that each and every person should be able to afford a home-based business without going broke. With My Power Mall, there is no way because they pay for my membership and is giving me extra money for my pocket to spend any way I see fit.

I am truly relying on MPM as my way of creating an inheritance for my two children. I know that with the structure of the program that they will have perpetual income for the rest of their lives. I also know that while they are making money, a non-profit organization or their choice is also reaping the benefits.

This program is so involved in helping others that last year they brought 20 Ugandan orphans to tour the United States for 6months. They put on concerts to collect money to paying it forward in building orphanages and school in their village. Now, MPM is in the mist of helping them get solar ovens by supplying the funds to build a solar factory.

I have really found out that there are doers, and talkers in this world. With My Power Mall, they are leading the pact in doing and they are walking the talk.

When I started writing this summary I had no idea that it would turn out to be this long but once I started it seems I could not stop telling you of the good things that has happened to me in my life span.

I thank God for this privilege to be of service to His precious ones and I pray that I can continue to do what I feel He has called me to do.

By working with My Power Mall, I see that our future is very bright and I pray that others will be able to learn something, if it is nor more that it is better to give than to receive.

I thank you for your time. I pray that you will critique my blog. Give me your honest opinion where I can improve because it is only through others can you see what you need to do more or less of.

I am available to communicate with anyone one on one at mika@youreasymoneystore.com

Thanks again! Looking to hear from you or see you on the flip side.

Help In Dealing With Special Needs Individuals

I used to words Dealing with Special Needs Individuals as my l last topic. I do not want society to get the ideal that it is burdensome. I mean dealing as having to anticipate their next move like a game of cards. You are always looking for a better outcome each and every time you interact with that individual.

There is a famous quote that goes something like this. Mind you, I am paraphrasing, that if you continue to do the same thing you have always done, you will reap the same benefit you always get. In other words, if you continue doing what you are doing, the same way you have been doing it, you will always end up in the same place.

This may be true in normal individuals, however, with some special needs it is thru repetition that helps the individual gets confidence or comfort to relax and proceed. The more they see the same things, the more at home they feel. A great number of special needs individuals do not like change. If their pattern is disrupted, it causes confusions that they cannot handle.

When you plan to go somewhere or do something different with that individual, you cannot just take off and go and do it without first considering how this is going to affect this individual. Something as common as a horn blowing can send a special needs individual into frenzy. You are so in tuned to driving and what is going on around you that you do not even pay attention to the sound of the horn; therefore, you are at lost to what set this individuals off.

If this individual does not like for you to touch them, then you cannot give them a hug and kiss to make it better, which is your normal reaction. Besides, this could easily happen in the middle of rush hour traffic, on a highway or bridge where you cannot pull over. You, then, have to try and talk this individual calm, by looking thru your rearview mirror because you cannot turn around to attend to them. You must not show them that you are very frightened by their outbreak or the timing of it. If you do, they can sense and react to it which makes matters worst.

They all have the same moods, attitudes and behavior as quote a normal people, but does not know how to express it or even know what is going on with them. In fact, some of their senses are sharper than others because of their challenges. I have heard many say that when you lose one of your senses, the others increase. I know that is true for a fact. My son, who died at the age of 12, was cortical blind, however, he could hear you long before anyone did and would turn his head towards you.

“Special Needs" covers a long array of diagnosis. They can be Medical, Physical, Developmental Delayed, Social Behavior, or Learning Behaviors.

Therefore, it is extremely important that the teachers and students are aware of this individual’s capabilities. It is more important that an Individual Education Plan (IEP) be formulated for students and Individual Treatment Plan (ITP) for adults, so that everyone is aware of their strengths as well as their weakness. However, they must stress their strengths and build on them.

The goal of this plan is for everyone to work together to achieve the best outcome for this individual. It is a guide to determine where this individual has come from; what needs to be worked on next; how far this individual has come; and how long will it take this individual to reach the set goal depending on current progress.

Although every special-needs child is different and every family is unique, there are some common concerns that link parents of challenged individual or caregiver, including getting appropriate care and accommodations; promoting acceptance in the extended family, school and community; planning for an uncertain future; and adjusting routines and expectations. Parents of children with special needs and caregivers are often more flexible, compassionate, stubborn and resilient than other parents. They have to be!

Dealing With Special Needs Individuals

Let me thank you for stopping by and ask that you bear with me! I am new at blogging, I ask that you be patient with me. I have a desire to help others understand a little more about special needs individuals. My aim is to be able to add to the blog at least twice a week, if time permits.

I have been in service to special need individuals for over 30 years as a foster parent and 10 years being an adopted parent of 3 special needs children.

They are exactly right with part of the dictionary definition of special needs. They are indeed “SPECIAL”. The dictionary describes them this way.

Special-needs(adj.)Of or relating to people who have specific needs, as those associated with a disability: special-needs housing; a special needs teacher.

This definition is not fully complete. First and foremost, one must understand that all disabilities are not the same. Some disabilities are seen while others are not. It is also true that a special needs individual need special-needs housing and special needs teachers. They need much, much more! They need your love, your understanding, a lot of your time and your patience, most of all.

They need to be able to express themselves in the way that they know how. Some all they can do is to scream to the top of their voice, while others will become physically abusive. It can be bothersome to some, while down right embarrassing to others. But you must realize that this is an individual who may be trying to tell you something and cannot display what is termed “proper behavior” to do so. They too are very frustrated; in some cases because that is the only way they know, to let you know how unhappy they are.

I mentioned proper behavior because everyone seems to have a difference of opinion of just what that is. A majority believes it is being quiet in a restaurant, no acting out in public (as they say), and doing what you are told. Sometimes, this is very hard for a special needs individual..

When an autistic individual joyfully plays with their hands in front of their face or take off runing like crazy at nothing. The more you call them, the funnier it gets to them and they run more. Do not dare try to run and catch them. It then becomes a “cat and mouse game” to them not realizing the danger they could be in, should they run in the street while a car is passing.

To the outside, it appears that this child has not been trained to act “proper” in public. Some will just shake their heads in disgust while others will just stare at you as if to say “can’t you handle your child” or “they do not have any home training”.

If they only had the compassion for what the parent is going through, they would see the fear on the parent’s face and realize that it has nothing to do with handling the child or home training. They will know this is an individual trying to escape the pain they are in or that this individual does not understand their surroundings because of a mental disability. One of those unseen disabilities.

I call working with special needs individual a service because to me it is an enjoyment even in those troubled time. I feel I received more from them because of the pure love they give back.

That’s all for now. Hope to see you at the next update.