Mama Heating Pad in the Brooder (Picture Heavy) - UPDATE

[TexasLisa]

LOVE the pictures Blooie!! Thank you for sharing.

 

[Blooie]

Too late, we already did!

OK, I'm going to start this post with a picture of me at the moment



NO!!


Shouldn't Ch smell like cherries?? That is really interesting. Perhaps she can detail other things like that. We "normal" people would never consider such things but can understand it if we are educated.


You don't need to rely on me, anyone reading that can see the wisdom far beyond her years.


I don't think it is hooey. I know a guy, now about 30 I think, 18 when I met him that clearly has Aspergers. He definitely doesn't like to be touched and once told me he found it PHYSICALLY painful to look people in the eye. But, like Katie, he fought with himself and learned, to some extent, to work through the pain. You see, he wanted to be a figure skating judge. Lots of people meeting and greeting and such. You don't look those existing judges in the eye and they think there is something fishy going on. Good way to not get appointments. He now holds a Gold appointment for both Moves and Freestyle, the highest level.


I LOVE this picture!!!!!!




You bet we will! We can say "I knew her when".

Don’t cry, Bruce....it’s okay! As far as her being 13 now, we knew it was gonna happen!!

She’s just recently been able to understand and begin to articulate how her senses work, and yep, “ch” smells like oranges to her. It’s not a thing where we just sit down and talk about it....it’s more like she’ll suddenly just look up and blurt something out. It could take years for her to put it all together, and even more to explain it to others. I can wait. Won’t change how proud I am or how much I love her anyway, right?

I didn’t mean to imply that lack of eye contact in Autism is hooey.....as I said I think that as a diagnostic tool it’s hooey. There are just too many other factors that have to come into play for a definitive diagnosis. We all know people who find that intense eye contact uncomfortable even without being autistic. For me i suspect that it came from my stuttering, afraid to look up and see mockery or exasperation in people’s faces. (God bless you, Dad, for never letting me see that in yours!) Some people just don’t like the intimacy it implies. There are a lot of other reasons for limited eye contact. Conversely, as you’ve seen through the years, Kendra is often very comfortable with eye contact. So there are three extremes of eye contact right in the same family - one with Autism who had real issues with it, one with Autism and very little trouble with it, and one without Autism who wasn’t (and still isn’t) comfortable with it. Whether or not the girls find eye contact painful, I don’t know, and if Katie is aware of it she’s never said. Sounds? Now those are painful for both girls.

I helped Katie to be more comfortable by tacking little stickers of her favorite cartoon character on the lower lens of my glasses, then reminding her to “Ask (or tell) Dora” when she wanted something or had something to say. Worked. At first she’d just glance real quickly at my face. That was okay, it was a start. Over the weeks she became more comfortable looking at my face for conversation or questions. It was so successful with her that now it’s being used in a program for other kids. I started to use it with Kendra but she was usually really good about it anyway, so I don’t push it unless she slips for a time. We are very lucky to have had therapy programs for both girls that trusted our instincts, let us think outside the programs, and if we had better, innovative ideas, encouraged us to try them. And the therapists that Katie had as a little one, now Kendra has. So they know the family. I know you’ve heard me talk a lot about Cindi and Heather, probably Cindi more.

AND I LOVE THAT PICTURE TOO!!!

Thank you so very much for allowing me/us to know Katie and Kendra's story to this point! I feel like I'm going to be hearing a lot about your incredible grandchild in this world someday. She is destined for greatness I think. You are rightfully one proud grandmother and a fierce protector.
When I said "can you imagine" it was out of admiration and not in a mocking tone. I truly believe that the world just might depend on people learning to think differently.
Respectfully,
Becca

Shoot, if you’re gonna know me, you’re gonna know all about Jamie, Little Diane, Evan, Katie, Kendra, our recently lost grandson Austin, and Jamie and Rachel’s two kids, my great grandkids Landyn and Madelyn! Just a well known BYC fact! The girls even have their own article here!

I didn’t take the “can you imagine” any differently than exactly the way meant it, as introductory to a post, not mockingly. And I wish I had a nickel for everytime I’ve looked into Kendra’s big blue eyes and wished with everything I have that I could get in there with her for just a little while to try to understand. So please, don’t give that another thought.

Kendra can read, and has been since she was not quite 4. Identifies everything we show her, repeats it, and from that moment she recognizes and verbalizes it perfectly, even when we’re showing it to her in another’s color, form, or configuration. She memorizes songs. She uses her magnetic letters on the fridge or pencil and paper and spells out what she wants, she just can’t seem to tell us. Every so often we get these huge “Ah HA” moments...little glimpses into what she comprehends, but then the window closes and we just can’t seem to open it again. She’s always been affectionate - loving hugs, being held and cuddled, and loving contact. (Well except for Katie for a few years, and I’m not convinced that that wasn’t partially based on her being a little jealous that she had to share space, Mom and Dad, toys and food with her big sister) She has a wicked sense of humor, her teachers and classmates from preschool on to now (in 1st grade) are crazy about her, and she learns everything quickly and usually before the other kids catch on. Yet she’s totally frustrated absolutely every speech therapist she’s had so far. She just turned 7, and she’s stumped 4 therapists so far, going on 5. She just doesn’t fit the boxes. Yeah. Neither do I!

Okay, I think it’s time I just while I still can. I’ve spent 5 years on BYC sharing stories, issues, surgeries, milestones, photos and videos of my grands. Eventually they’re gonna throw me out of here!!

 

[Bamabexchicks]

Don’t cry, Bruce....it’s okay! As far as her being 13 now, we knew it was gonna happen!!

She’s just recently been able to understand and begin to articulate how her senses work, and yep, “ch” smells like oranges to her. It’s not a thing where we just sit down and talk about it....it’s more like she’ll suddenly just look up and blurt something out. It could take years for her to put it all together, and even more to explain it to others. I can wait. Won’t change how proud I am or how much I love her anyway, right?

I didn’t mean to imply that lack of eye contact in Autism is hooey.....as I said I think that as a diagnostic tool it’s hooey. There are just too many other factors that have to come into play for a definitive diagnosis. We all know people who find that intense eye contact uncomfortable even without being autistic. For me i suspect that it came from my stuttering, afraid to look up and see mockery or exasperation in people’s faces. (God bless you, Dad, for never letting me see that in yours!) Some people just don’t like the intimacy it implies. There are a lot of other reasons for limited eye contact. Conversely, as you’ve seen through the years, Kendra is often very comfortable with eye contact. So there are three extremes of eye contact right in the same family - one with Autism who had real issues with it, one with Autism and very little trouble with it, and one without Autism who wasn’t (and still isn’t) comfortable with it. Whether or not the girls find eye contact painful, I don’t know, and if Katie is aware of it she’s never said. Sounds? Now those are painful for both girls.

I helped Katie to be more comfortable by tacking little stickers of her favorite cartoon character on the lower lens of my glasses, then reminding her to “Ask (or tell) Dora” when she wanted something or had something to say. Worked. At first she’d just glance real quickly at my face. That was okay, it was a start. Over the weeks she became more comfortable looking at my face for conversation or questions. It was so successful with her that now it’s being used in a program for other kids. I started to use it with Kendra but she was usually really good about it anyway, so I don’t push it unless she slips for a time. We are very lucky to have had therapy programs for both girls that trusted our instincts, let us think outside the programs, and if we had better, innovative ideas, encouraged us to try them. And the therapists that Katie had as a little one, now Kendra has. So they know the family. I know you’ve heard me talk a lot about Cindi and Heather, probably Cindi more.

AND I LOVE THAT PICTURE TOO!!!



Shoot, if you’re gonna know me, you’re gonna know all about Jamie, Little Diane, Evan, Katie, Kendra, our recently lost grandson Austin, and Jamie and Rachel’s two kids, my great grandkids Landyn and Madelyn! Just a well known BYC fact! The girls even have their own article here!

I didn’t take the “can you imagine” any differently than exactly the way meant it, as introductory to a post, not mockingly. And I wish I had a nickel for everyone I’ve looked into Kendra’s big blue eyes and wished with everything I have that I could get in there with her for just a little while to try to understand. So please, don’t give that another thought.

Kendra can read, and has been since she was not quite 4. Identifies everything we show her, repeats it, and from that moment she recognizes and verbalizes it perfectly, even when we’re showing it to her in another’s color, form, or configuration. She memorizes songs. She uses her magnetic letters on the fridge or pencil and paper and spells out what she wants, she just can’t seem to tell us. Every so often we get these huge “Ah HA” moments...little glimpses into what she comprehends, but then the window closes and we just can’t seem to open it again. She’s always been affectionate - loving hugs, being held and cuddled, and loving contact. (Well except for Katie for a few years, and I’m not convinced that that wasn’t partially based on her being a little jealous that she had to share space, Mom and Dad, toys and food with her big sister) She has a wicked sense of humor, her teachers and classmates from preschool on to now (in 1st grade) are crazy about her, and she learns everything quickly and usually before the other kids catch on. Yet she’s totally frustrated absolutely every speech therapist she’s had so far. She just turned 7, and she’s stumped 4 therapists so far, going on 5. She just doesn’t fit the boxes. Yeah. Neither do I!

Okay, I think it’s time I just while I still can. I’ve spent 5 years on BYC sharing stories, issues, surgeries, milestones, photos and videos of my grands. Eventually they’re gonna throw me out of here!!

 

[Blooie]

LOVE the pictures Blooie!! Thank you for sharing.

Ah, Lisa...you’ve known these kids as long as Bruce has! And you know I’ve never had any problem sharing!!

 

[Bamabexchicks]

They can't throw you out, you are too good a writer. I look forward to following along.
My ex with Aspergers is still my best friend, and when I remarried after many years of being alone he and his wife traveled from Ohio to here in Alabama to meet hubby. He needed to know that the new man was fit to be married to me! Lol! Gotta love that!

 

[Blooie]

They can't throw you out, you are too good a writer. I look forward to following along.
My ex with Aspergers is still my best friend, and when I remarried after many years of being alone he and his wife traveled from Ohio to here in Alabama to meet hubby. He needed to know that the new man was fit to be married to me! Lol! Gotta love that!

Absolutely!!! The ex checking out the new? That’s a new twist for me, but it speaks volumes about all of you.

Thanks for the kind words re writing, too. I love to do it...feel like I almost have to do it....because of speech issues when I was young. But I do get wordy!

 

[bruceha2000]

But I do get wordy!

Yeah, we are STILL waiting for your first book!

 

[aart]

Since this thread is soooo long and 'cluttered'...as much fun as it's been ....
...anyone willing to do an article with links(either to other articles and/or specific posts in this thread an others) to the various iterations of the heating pad designs?

I'd do the article if y'all would help gather links.

Spring is near(not really, but it sure feels like it here) and we will soon be deluged with newbies needing advice....I think it's already started. Sending folks to this thread is not really helpful as there is so much to wade thru to find the facts.

Whatchatink?

 

[Blooie]

It's up to you, of course. Personally I'd like to keep this thread going because there are so many helpful photos and videos on it, but you are absolutely right - it is cumbersome and far too long, with too many side conversations. Hey, I'm guilty of doing that...and I know it.

What I usually do when I send people over here is to tell them NOT to be intimidated by the size of the thread - that everything they really need to know is contained in the first post. There are the original instructions as I started documented my long and somewhat convoluted journey, and at the bottom of that very first post is the link to @Beekissed's post and photos of her different setup, the way most people are now doing it, about halfway down the page. I tell them they can then just skim through the rest, skipping around and not worry about the details, just noting the camaraderie and the support we give each other, and the cute and/or helpful photos and videos. I should have added a link to your thread there as well, but the time limit for editing threads during the "changeover" to the new format had expired before I remembered it. That's on me. So I don't know if there are that many actual links to send folks too...maybe yours, @azygous' outdoor brooding and set up, my outdoor brooding setup (which has changed slightly, using her portal doors) and that's about it. I'm definitely open to more links as they are found! There are some good articles on alternative heating methods and having them all in one place would be brilliant.

My big issue now is time. With Ken's new position as Grand Master of Wyoming, we are so seldom home and it's hard to keep up with just the watched threads, let alone try to rebuild a new MHP thread. So I'm certainly open to suggestions! I think we've talked about this a few times before, but it always fell by the wayside once it was realized how much info is really here. Good thinking!

 

[Bamabexchicks]

It's up to you, of course. Personally I'd like to keep this thread going because there are so many helpful photos and videos on it, but you are absolutely right - it is cumbersome and far too long, with too many side conversations. Hey, I'm guilty of doing that...and I know it.

What I usually do when I send people over here is to tell them NOT to be intimidated by the size of the thread - that everything they really need to know is contained in the first post. There are the original instructions as I started documented my long and somewhat convoluted journey, and at the bottom of that very first post is the link to @Beekissed's post and photos of her different setup, the way most people are now doing it, about halfway down the page. I tell them they can then just skim through the rest, skipping around and not worry about the details, just noting the camaraderie and the support we give each other, and the cute and/or helpful photos and videos. I should have added a link to your thread there as well, but the time limit for editing threads during the "changeover" to the new format had expired before I remembered it. That's on me. So I don't know if there are that many actual links to send folks too...maybe yours, @azygous' outdoor brooding and set up, my outdoor brooding setup (which has changed slightly, using her portal doors) and that's about it. I'm definitely open to more links as they are found! There are some good articles on alternative heating methods and having them all in one place would be brilliant.

My big issue now is time. With Ken's new position as Grand Master of Wyoming, we are so seldom home and it's hard to keep up with just the watched threads, let alone try to rebuild a new MHP thread. So I'm certainly open to suggestions! I think we've talked about this a few times before, but it always fell by the wayside once it was realized how much info is really here. Good thinking!

I enjoy stopping by to read this thread. Good content and really nice people.