I am so proud of this guy!! It's been one our top goals on his IEP for a good 2 years now. Out of the blue, he asked Mike if he would get his bike out for him. Got it out, put it on the sidewalk, he got on, and within a few minutes he was pedaling ! Just for those who don't know, this is not riding a 2 wheel bike, it's simply pedaling with training wheels. Colin has never had strong enough muscle tone in his legs to pedal a bike. he is loving the freedom being able to get on and go brings to him! It's the first thing he does each day when we get home from the sitters house now! :-) I'll bet by the end of summer he'll be riding with NO training wheels.
We also did our intake paperwork for Colin's medicaid waiver with our service coordinator this past week. It will still take time for the actual services to be given to him, but for now, we are on first base, so it's a start. It will be awesome once he does get on the waiver. So many things will be opened up for him. The biggest thing is health insurance. We won't have to pay for it any longer, it will be covered in full by medicaid, so that's $60 a month we'll be saving. They are going to try to get us an adaptive stroller, for his size, since with his low muscle tone in his legs, he can't walk long distances, and he's way to heavy to carry. This way, we CAN go lots of places with him, long distances etc and not have to worry about him tiring or not being able to make it. We can put in a request for respite, for reimbursement for yoga classes ( to strengthen those weak muscles), for any additional therapy we think needs to be required outside of school. He'll be able to see a HUGE amount of different doctors, we won't be limited to only the small number of those in the Univera network. Also - this coming Monday, we have someone coming to Colin's school to evaluate his legs/feet to see he requires some sort of prosthetic to help with the bones/muscles and the way they lay. I am hoping they will be able to him, because his feet are just not normal. Here's an example:
As soon as he sits down, they bend in like this. They should not do that. Even sitting on the couch they do the same thing. Walking, the same thing. So, we'll see what comes of that.
Caden ~ Caden has been craving friends these days. He takes Mya for a walk, and I am sure it's because he wants so badly to be included with the other kids, and Mya kind of gives him that "in", because who doesn't like dogs? He sits at the end of the driveways and watches them play, longing to be able to interact in a way that children do. They kind of don't even notice him there. It's sad really. they are all basically the same age, and have grown up together, but Caden has always been different to them. he's the one who never spoke, or talked to them, or played with then. The kid who would walk back and forth with his little push mower all summer long making lines in the grass. The one who has been in the same classroom for 2 years and not moving up with the rest of them. So of course, they still perceive him, as this kid who doesn't talk, look at them, or interact with them. Thankfully with therapy, he can speak, and make eye contact and he wants to play. Of course, he doesn't know how though, to speak with other kids, on adults. So we got involved and ask the little guy across the street who is a week younger then Caden is Caden could play with him. Jacob was awesome to him. He stopped playing hockey and colored in Chalk with Caden instead. Then yesterday, Caden wanted to play again, so he went over and they played some basketball together I love it. It's hard for me to watch him at first. the other kids are rough, and they do still ignore him most of the time, so it makes me nervous when he goes over there, that they will be mean to him, but so far, so good. On weekends when Emma is over, she is very protective of him, so I don't think otherwise, but alone, like this, I feel like he's exposed to hurt. I do not however, want him to miss out of these types of things. He needs them. I am thrilled that he wants to play with kids. Almost 8 years it's been and he's not played with other children, so this is huge. My fingers are crossed he doesn't get hurt in the process.
Still no approval for Caden for the waiver though. Now, they want him to go through all of the Autism testing again for another Diagnosis. So they are working on finding a provider now he will do the ADOS testing for free. Since It's already been paid for and done once, it is no longer our responsibility to get it done again, it's theirs. While at our house, Tammi even agreed, that he does have his issues still. Although he has come MILES over the past 5 years, and is doing great, that does not mean that he no longer has a disability. Lots of people believe because he's doing well, he's "healed" not so.
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