Things Coming Together.. and I Got a DATE!!!!

So yesterday, I finally got to see some things pay off.

Burp and I have devised a way for him to multiply, since he can't seem to remember times tables.
I give him a problem, like 3 x 8 = ?
And on his little white board, he writes the problem, then draws 8 circles.
Then inside each circle, he writes his count-by 3's.  3,6,9 etc. to fill each circle.
If he can't use the count-by's, then he can make tally marks in each circle.
Example... he has managed to memorize that 7 x 7 = 49... but has no clue what 7 x 8 is.. so he writes out
7 x 7 = 49 + and a circle that he can put 7 more tally marks in. (I picked the circle so he could get that multiplication is dealing with groups of numbers)
He seems to get this system.

I told him that I would talk to his teacher and see if he could take a white board to class. He said, "Well, mom. We have white boards... we just aren't allowed to use them all the time."
And I told him we'd get that changed. Which turned into an argument about "But it's the rules..." How do you tell your kid that an IEP means rules can be broken... without inviting a "rules don't apply to me" attitude??... So I didn't go there... I was just like, "You watch Mommy work her magic babe!"

She has agreed! She was actually very receptive to my request. Which I'm ecstatic about, but also kind of sad that he's had a white board in class all year and she never noticed that it helped him. We also vaguely talked about taking him out of main stream math. Which I'm not opposed to. I think "special ed" math isn't such a bad idea for him... or even no formal math at school, but for them to send it home and for us to do it on our own (but I don't know if they'll go for that).

Second... when I requested a new IEP meeting citing that 1) I am concerned about Burp's situation in math, and 2) I would like him to have Unscheduled sensory breaks, stating that scheduled breaks don't teach him to recognize and address when he is having stress-related issues, plus don't do anything to address the times that he really needs them. I also pointed out that I was ... unhappy.. that he got a referral for getting out of his seat and talking during a state assessment. I understand that it's against the rules.. but REALLY? That's basically giving him a referral because he's an Aspie with ADHD. He should have been sent from the room for a few minutes. Now he's terrified of getting another referral cuz he doesn't want to get expelled.... But anyway, the woman I spoke to, later found out she was the new vice principle, said that they don't really do unscheduled sensory breaks and I should feel fortunate because a lot of schools don't do any sort of sensory breaks.... I called her on her bullshit because Burp has a friend at that school that has unscheduled sensory breaks.

So I'm still waiting for that meeting to be scheduled.. But, I asked Burps teacher if he could take a coloring book to school. At home, he uses this activity as a destressor and he told me that another girl in class gets to color during free time. So I asked. AGAIN.. His teacher was super supportive. I explained to her that he had some educational coloring books in his special interest areas (hoping to deter the thought that a main stream cartoon coloring book might be disruptive to others...) and she said yes. I asked if she could make a list of the "rules" for his coloring.. when, where, etc... as I'd told him it was her classroom and she gets to make the rules.. And she said no prob... actually, she was planning to make a packet for him to keep in the hall (which is a HUGE common area with tables and such that all the classes in that wing open into) that would hold his coloring book and crayons and that he would be allowed to excuse himself when he felt overwhelmed and go out into the common area and color for a few minutes..
OMG!!!!! Sounds like an unscheduled, self-imposed sensory break to me!!

So, YAY! I can't even tell you how excited I am by these little breakthroughs.

Next, I had never thought to look for a book that explained to Burp about Asperger's. I knew there were books for me..  but him? DUH!!! I know..
So a couple of days ago I ordered a few, and the first just got here... "All Cat's Have Asperger's Syndrome". He hasn't looked at it yet, and not all of it applies to him.. but I think it will open the doorway for questions.. And questions are good.

ALSO.. my mom called me yesterday to tell me about a show that's being put on tonight at the Eugene Hult Center that is called "Land of Oz" being put on by the Bridgeway House. Apparently it's a show about autism put on by autistic children and adults from our area. I showed the Hult Center info page to Burp, and he was instantly excited.

So, I have a date with my squid tonight... He doesn't know it, but I'm going to take him to Chinese food, then we will go see Land of Oz.


Yesterday, his friend Gamerboy was over..... they were, DUH, playing video games.. But I found out from his mom that he as another special interest besides video games.... inventions. So I was looking around on line and telling the boys, "Hey, did you know that they think Einstein was autistic?", "Isaac Newton?" to which Gamerboy corrected me, "SIR Isaac Newton.. he discovered the theory of gravity......", Mozart, Emily Dickinson,  Thomas Jefferson, Michelangelo, Darwin, VINCENT VAN GOGH.. which got Burp's attention. There is this bright light that comes into Burp's eyes when he realizes that there have been very important people who had issues just like him. He seems proud and amazed. THAT is a good thing.

Anyway, I have some junk that needs to get done before my hot date tonight...
Have a GREAT DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!