This is an example

Kalen went off to Social Skills Camp today. Several posts ago I talked about this and I also talked about some issues with Kalen's resource teacher Miss S. (special education teacher, resource teacher is politically correct). Well, today I picked Kalen up from camp and witnessed another episode of Miss S. not 'gettin it' about ASD kids.

First I will tell you what I saw today and then explain it. Miss S. is working social skills camp this summer. She came out of the school with her group of kids to put them on the bus. It looks like she has 2nd and 3rd graders. She got all but one little girl on there appropriate buses. As I watched the little girl that she had was going into melt down mode. She did not want to get on the bus, she wanted to wait for her sister and get on the bus with her. Miss S. asked her "is your sister younger or older than you are?" There was no response from the child so Miss S. asked her again "is your sister younger or older than you are?" The little girl said "my sister is 13". Miss S. finally took the little girl back to the building to wait for her sister to come out.

ASD life is very concrete. They do not get abstract thinking. Abstract thinking is a learned behavior for them (if they can). To ask a child with ASD if their sibling is older or younger is not a concept they can understand. If you asked them if they are bigger or littler they could understand that by looking at their siblings size. Just like this little girl she could tell Miss S. what her sisters age is or she could have told her that she is bigger (if she is) but she isn't old enough to understand younger or older.

Kalen understands that Kaleb is her 'little' brother because he is littler than her. When we talk about him being taller than her someday she can't understand it. She should always be bigger because she is the 'big sister'. Kaleb's feet are about the same size as Kalen's, this has totally freaked her. She struggles to make sense of it.

This is another example of Miss S. not getting it. Kalen went to Miss S.'s room in the mornings for math with several other 5th graders, their names being Kenna, Kata, Kristine and Rhett. One day last spring Kalen came home totally puzzled. She told me that Miss S. had made the comment that next year she was going to have to change Rhett's name to Kaw Kaw, so she would have Kalen, Kenna, Kata, Kristine and Kaw Kaw. I got the 'K' thing, Kalen did not. When she pronounced Kaw Kaw she said the words seperately and I didn't get that. Kalen was just baffled by the fact that Miss S. would change Rhett's name. That's just another concept of ASD thinking. A couple days later Kalen brought this up again. Then I realized that she was saying 'kawkaw'. Kalen said to me "why would she want to call Rhett bird poop." So we sat down and had a talk about the 'k' thing. However, I could not tell her why the choice of 'kawkaw' over a reasonable 'k' name.

More horse pics

I took these pictures when we walked to the barn last night. Beau was watching us from behind the windbreak. He looks like trouble and he is trouble.

Beau came out from behind the wall with the hope he was going to be fed grain.

Kaleb is now training wheel free on this dirt bike so he rides it everywhere. Tara thought she would help him out.

This is 'Ol' Whats Her Name'. We brought this two year old mare home with us from Torrington last weekend. She has went all week without a name because we couldn't get Mark to make a decision about it, so I have been calling her Whats Her Name. He finally decided to call her Tom, I've adjusted it to Tommie. Yes, I know its odd. This is the story about ol Whats Her Name. There is a guy by the last name of Thomas that is a horse trainer from Nebraska (just across the state line from Torrington) and Mark has gotten to know him over the years because they show together. When the guy was here in June was the Cowboy States Reining Horse show Mark was telling him about our two year old that is lame. The guy told Mark he had a two year old filly out of his stud that he could have, he has some geldings that he is riding and he doesn't like to ride mares so if Mark wanted her he could have her. So we brought her home from Torrington. Tommie has had very little done with her, but she seems to be smart and a quick learner. Mark has been working with her in the round pen this week.

Torrington horse show

Last Friday morning we headed to Torrington for a three day AQHA show. All in all we had a good time. It didn't get extremely hot as it can in Torrington until Sunday afternoon. We parked under the shade tree's and hung out for the most part. We got up on Sunday morning and went to Scottsbluff for breakfast.

Mark did fairly well showing. On Friday he placed 2nd and he placed 4th the other two days. Annies on hiatus for a couple weeks. Mark may take her to state fair in Douglas for just one day. She ready for a break.

Kaleb made his debut in the horse show world. He got into the walk-trot class on Saturday and Sunday. He placed 3rd out of three each day. He was really proud of himself and we were proud of him too.

A trip to the dentist

I took this picture of Kalen on Wednesday after she had four teeth pulled. Baby teeth that is. Kalen mouth is a dentist and orthodontist dream and a parents nightmare. Kalen did not get all of her baby teeth and she is missing permanent teeth. She has a genetic disorder that causes this. From her last dental appointment I thought they were going to pull two teeth and fill one small cavity. I was wrong. She did very well thru all of it. She struggled with one of the shots, but otherwise it was good. Our dentist is a wonderful guy, we only hope he doesn't retire before we get thru the next several years of serious dental work. I got a little squeamish on the tooth pulling. I don't do blood. So I was a little unnerved by that but then one of the roots didn't come out and the dentist had to dig for it. I can't even talk about it. Anyway, I kept her on Motrin for the day and she was fine. She was pretty concerned that she would not be able to eat. Now we have to see an orthodontist and make a plan before we go any further.

Kalen goes to Social Skills Camp for the next two weeks. It is a program that the school district puts on for kids that have some form of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Kalen has done this camp since they started it several years ago. It runs from 10-2 on Monday thru Thursday. I don't know that she learns anything but she has a great time. It is a place where she can go and be with other kids that have quirks like she has and they are free to be themselves. The lady (Merrie) that runs the camp is great. She was a school psychologist when Kalen started Pre K. She was the first person to say that she thought called had some form of ASD. The rest of the team (teacher, OT, PT and Speech therapist) disagreed. The speech therapist went as far as to say that Kalen's problems were in her home life. It's a wonder I didn't knock her teeth out. About two years ago the school district created a position for Merrie as "District Autism Specialist." Last fall I was told that there was 110 kids diagnosed with ASD and she was continually testing for it. Merries job is to test students and work with resource teachers and schools to help ASD kids and she attends IEP (individual education plan) meetings. I've never known a suggestion of Merries to not be helpful. Our problem last year with the school was that Merrie gave great ideas, but Kalen's team didn't follow them.

Kalen's team at school last year stunk. It was her classroom teachers first year to teach (she is my age and just got her degree) and she was really overwhelmed, then Kalen got a new resource teacher. The resource teacher is suppose to be the caseworker and advocate at school. She was truly a sad disappointment. When the resource teacher isn't on board with your child's learning disability and disorder, your in trouble. The lady was new to the school and she had a list of degrees and experience. In my opinion she has no business being a resource teacher, she truly doesn't get it. A teachers education doesn't mean jack when they don't get it. By the end of the first quarter she and I butted heads pretty bad and our relationship didn't get any better as the year went on. This is an example: Kalen's testing at the end of 5th grade showed that she is at a 7th grade level in everything but math. Math is at a 2nd grade level. That is her learning disability. The resource teacher saw Kalen as being very smart and had it in her mind that Kalen didn't like math and was just lazy. What can I even say to that. I could go on and on.

Black Hills Trip

We headed out Wednesday morning for Rapid City for an AQHA show (American Quarter Horse Assn.). Its a big show that runs all week and draws in a lot of horses and people. Mark rode in the reining on Wednesday and Friday. Wednesday was not a good run. Annie was hot and really took off in the big fast circles in the pattern and he had to shut her down. If he let her get away with that she would try it every time. Friday was a much better run and he placed 4th in a class of 15. In the AQHA shows Mark rides in the 'open' division. So he is up against trainers that ride horses for a living.

We have a horse trailer with a very small living quarters in it. There is about enough room in it to change your mind. It sleeps two up in the gooseneck, it has a two burner oven top (we don't use it because we cook outside) shower and a/c. There is a door that opens into the horse compartment and the kids sleep on cots in there. Don't be alarmed. The horse compartment is kept cleaner than a lot of houses. During this time of the year we use a power washer and keep the horse compartment clean. We keep wood shavings on the floor and when we get to a show we push all the shaving out on a tarp and sweep the heck out of the floor. It doesn't smell like horse. We are able to camp at the fair grounds and the kids love it. We have a portable grill and cook most of our own food.

We had this great idea that we would buy a canopy to put up beside our trailer. We searched and searched and finally bought one with netting on the side. So Wednesday afternoon we put it up. It was a little windy, but it was o.k. We anchored it and tied it to the trailer. Night came and Mark and Kalen were going to sleep in it. Then the wind really picked up. All of a sudden a gust caught it and it went over the top of the horse trailer. Had it not been tied to the trailer I think it would have flown a long ways.

On Thursday we did the Black Hills tourist thing and rode the 1880's train from Hill City to Keystone. The kids like this train, especially Kalen. I think this was our third trip on the train. It is about a 2 1/2 hr. ride from Hill City to Keystone and back to Hill City. Kalen is really into the train thing. If we find trains to ride, we ride them.

Kalen wanted her picture taken with Abe.

Mark and the kids standing in line waiting for the train.

The kids on the train.

Purple.................

I like purple and I like lightning, so when I found this blog background I knew it was for me. We have had our share of lightning storms and rain showers this summer. Last week we had a pretty wicked storm that had the kids scared. When your scared all you need to do is round up our friends and you will feel better. These are Kaleb's friends Ducky and Cowboys. Kaleb got Ducky for his first birthday, he is half blanket and half stuffed animal. Ducky has been through many trials with Kaleb and has slept every night with him the last seven and a half years. Cowboys is what he calls his blanket. Grandma Norma made cowboys for Kaleb was a baby and is close to thread bare, but we keep patching and he is always there.

After the lightning it poured rain. These are two views of the rain.