Parent Tool Box Part 1

No more emergency cards to fill out and first day pictures to post.  The honeymoon is over.  We are in the 2nd week of Kindergarten.  Shit just got real.

I've known this day was coming as soon as I signed N-Zilla up for Kindergarten.  The notes came home today.  In short, it was not a good day for N-Zilla.

BUT today is the first day I used the tools and picture aids I got from Any Baby Can RFFA (Reaching Families Facing Autism) classes a 100%.  Since last Thursday I have started to use them.  Setting them up around the house.  Taking the wait card  and First/Then card with me in town.  Using it when we went out to eat Saturday.  I've been using it bits and pieces through out the day.

In the morning I have a picture schedule for N-Zilla.  Life got hectic the end part of last week and the first part of this week.  It's gonna be Thursday and I still have the case of the Monday's.   When days or weeks are like this...I fall behind on the picture schedules and schedules in general.

Since Monday I could see something boiling at the surface and sure enough the notes came today.    It's clear to me more now then ever that I have to stick to a schedule and everybody involved with N-Zilla has to be on board.  More social stories.  More visual cues. More patients.  More. More. More.

Today after I picked N-Zilla up from school and drying off from being stuck in the 10 minute rain storm  I used my notes from the RFFA class and tool box.  Next post I will be able to show you pictures.  I can't right now because my phone doesn't hold a charge because it was dropped in the toilet over the summer and in another part of the world a butterfly flapped it's wings.

Hopefully keeping up with the post will keep me on track and put the pressure on to use all his visual cues, social stories etc.

So...

Wednesday Evening:

•  Used "Wait Card".
•  N-Zilla used his cards for his First/Then.  First Snack. Then Homework.  
•  No yelling from me (mom) at homework time.  
•  Used token system.  Worked towards computer time.
•  Multitask. While N-Zilla was on computer caught up with Crazy Horse and drew out a social story for shower time.   While cooking dinner made a grocery list and diner menu with Son #1. Sang little mermaid songs for Talulah while laminating Shower Time social story. 
• First/Then cue to get N-Zilla ready to take a shower.
• Taped social story in shower wall.  Had N-Zilla follow sequence.  Mentally pat myself on back.
• Used Visual cue card for sleep to get N-Zilla to bed (my bed).  Sat in dark with him until he fell asleep.   End time 8pm.  He fell asleep 5 hrs earlier then he had in the past 5 days.