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

[bruceha2000]

Wow @Bamabexchicks that is SO SPECIAL!
Her work is wonderful, with her autism that she was able to get a PhD and do what she does is amazing. High functioning indeed.

 

[Bamabexchicks]

Wow @Bamabexchicks that is SO SPECIAL!
Her work is wonderful, with her autism that she was able to get a PhD and do what she does is amazing. High functioning indeed.

Very high functioning! My ex and his brother are both in the genius range...funny as heck, smarter than me by far; but NO hugging,thank you!

 

[Leahs Mom]

I had the good fortune of meeting Dr Grandin when attending a continuing education seminar for veterinary personnel. She sat right next to me. When she lectured later that day I got a little wave from the podium! She is brilliant. As the former wife of someone diagnosed with aspergers it was quite inspiring. She revolutionized livestock processing with her insight. A clear indication that you should NEVER give up on someone that learns differently.

I am reading her book right now: Thinking in Pictures. After I'm done with it, I'll pass it on to my friend who has an autistic grandson.

 

[Bamabexchicks]

I am reading her book right now: Thinking in Pictures. After I'm done with it, I'll pass it on to my friend who has an autistic grandson.

I bet she will find hope and inspiration there. I did!

 

[bruceha2000]

I remember reading an article about an autistic man who saw numbers as shapes, color and movement. Not the "characters" most of us see. I don't remember anything specific but as an example 1 might be a red sphere, 10 a red shimmering sphere. It was an amazing thing.

 

[Bamabexchicks]

I remember reading an article about an autistic man who saw numbers as shapes, color and movement. Not the "characters" most of us see. I don't remember anything specific but as an example 1 might be a red sphere, 10 a red shimmering sphere. It was an amazing thing.

Yes! It was on TV recently. Like 60 Minutes or the like...can you imagine?

 

[Blooie]

If you’re looking for a short post after the topic of Autism has come up, you might try a different thread - this ain’t gonna be it! See, it’s my thread and I’ll hijack it if I want!

I don’t have to imagine....I live with it two-fold. Granddaughter Katie, who will turn 13 on Monday (can you believe that, @bruceha2000?) has high- functioning Autism. She has worked harder than anyone I know to claw her way out of the label, and in fact won a Masonic award last night based on part on her openness about her battle and her work with other kids with disabilities. She went from camper to camp assistant at the camp for kids with disabilities she has attended for years. This summer her little sister had summer school at her elementary school, and Katie was one of her aides. She has told me how certain letter combinations for her are not only heard, but smelled. For instance, she smells “Ch” as oranges. “St” smells like cherries.

As recently as a year ago, she could not have articulated that to anybody, and she has told just the family because she didn’t want people to think she was crazy in addition to being Autistic. I asked her about reading this book. With typical Katie wisdom (and again I rely on Bruce to back up how wise she is) she replied, “I could, Gramma. But I have my own quirks to finish sorting out. I think if I read any ‘self help’ or ‘this is my story’ books, my brain would mix what I’m reading with what my sensory issues are and get all tangled up. I might never get through it all then.”

Her little sister, our granddaughter Kendra, has Spina Bifida, more severe Autism, developmental delays, is non-communicative, has hydrocephalus, neurogenic bowel and bladder, hyperscusis, and seizures. But Katie has been incredible with her. No lack of empathy here....Katie made her a beautiful quilt because with no feeling in her feet, Kendra can be cold before she actually feels cold. Katie was about 9 or just going on 10 then. Just this year she learned how to catherize Kendra, which we have to do 5x a day. Funny, for years Kendra wanted nothing to do with Katie - pushing her out of “her space”, kicking her even when her legs were encased in plaster, and taking whatever Katie had away from her. Yes, it hurt Katie, physically and emotionally. She wanted to be a true big sister. But Katie and I seemed to be the only two who held Kendra accountable - making her get things for herself instead of waiting on her, expecting her to pitch in with chores, cleaning up her own messes, and teaching her that Katie WOULD get into her space and if Kendra didn’t like it, SHE could move. Now they are devoted to each other and Kendra will spontaneously climb up on Katie’s lap, give her hugs and kisses, sing and play little games with her. Katie will sit on the floor working with Kendra on her flash cards. They’ve both blossomed.

Katie still exhibits a lot of Autistic behaviors. If she has some sensory overload she no longer flaps, but needs to use her sense of taste to center herself. Eye contact (which I’ve always considered a load of hooey diagnostically anyway) can still be problematic. We don’t care - shoot, I have trouble with staring at somebody’s eyes when they’re talking to me - but the “experts” set great store by it. She
also has hyperacusis and has her sets of headphones available at home, school, and our house and with no fuss smply reaches for them as needed.

She’s been in dance class for a few years, despite not being able to do some of the moves due to poor balance, asymmetrical hips and a missing rib. She’s active in school choir, band (clarinet) and has been on the honor role all through Middle school - every quarter of 6th grade last year and so far every quarter of 7th this year.

Yes, I’m bragging. Those kids are my heart (“and you’re my gizzard”, Katie always retorts) and once you get me started, I don’t shut up. Katie doesn’t need to read the book on climbing up from the darkness of Autism - she could write her own!

A couple of photos from last night’s ceremony - Grampa choked up more than once getting through that, I’ll tell ya, while Gramma was actively blubbering.

And Katie with little sister Kendra:

Splash park.

Their dance recitals.

Play time. We always believed we’d see this - we just didn’t know when.

A hug for Katie after she successfully did a catherization on Kendra for the first time.

Social situations in with s big crowd are now easily handled with skills she mostly taught herself. She’s been attending formal and informal events since she was 5, has been on a cruise with us, and proudly got up in front of everyone when Grampa was installed as Grand Master of Wyoming and presented him with his gift on behalf of the grandkids - speech and all!! This was just a couple of months ago.

All Katie - “Watch out World - I don’t know for sure where I’m going yet but you’ll damn sure know when I get there!!” This was on our cruise in 2017.

Autism doesn’t scare this family.

 

[bruceha2000]

Yes! It was on TV recently. Like 60 Minutes or the like...can you imagine?

NO! It is just SO different. I have to wonder how his mind is wired so differently that the characters most people see are transformed in his head to something we would recognize but not AT ALL what we see. And most likely, he always assumed everyone saw numbers that way.

I've never had depth perception and until I went to a vision therapist 11 years ago could choose which eye to focus with but the other would see only very gross color and motion. I was in my mid teens when my mother said she felt bad that I didn't see the same as most people. News to me, just ASSUMED we all saw the same way.

 

[bruceha2000]

See, it’s my thread and I’ll hijack it if I want!

Too late, we already did!

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

Granddaughter Katie, who will turn 13 on Monday (can you believe that, @bruceha2000?)

NO!!

For instance, she smells “Ch” as oranges. “St” smells like cherries.

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.

With typical Katie wisdom (and again I rely on Bruce to back up how wise she is) she replied, “I could, Gramma. But I have my own quirks to finish sorting out. I think if I read any ‘self help’ or ‘this is my story’ books, my brain would mix what I’m reading with what my sensory issues are and get all tangled up. I might never get through it all then.”

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

Eye contact (which I’ve always considered a load of hooey diagnostically anyway) can still be problematic. We don’t care - shoot, I have trouble with staring at somebody’s eyes when they’re talking to me - but the “experts” set great store by it.

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!!!!!!

All Katie - “Watch out World - I don’t know for sure where I’m going yet but you’ll damn sure know when I get there!!”

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

 

[Bamabexchicks]

If you’re looking for a short post after the topic of Autism has come up, you might try a different thread - this ain’t gonna be it! See, it’s my thread and I’ll hijack it if I want!

I don’t have to imagine....I live with it two-fold. Granddaughter Katie, who will turn 13 on Monday (can you believe that, @bruceha2000?) has high- functioning Autism. She has worked harder than anyone I know to claw her way out of the label, and in fact won a Masonic award last night based on part on her openness about her battle and her work with other kids with disabilities. She went from camper to camp assistant at the camp for kids with disabilities she has attended for years. This summer her little sister had summer school at her elementary school, and Katie was one of her aides. She has told me how certain letter combinations for her are not only heard, but smelled. For instance, she smells “Ch” as oranges. “St” smells like cherries.

As recently as a year ago, she could not have articulated that to anybody, and she has told just the family because she didn’t want people to think she was crazy in addition to being Autistic. I asked her about reading this book. With typical Katie wisdom (and again I rely on Bruce to back up how wise she is) she replied, “I could, Gramma. But I have my own quirks to finish sorting out. I think if I read any ‘self help’ or ‘this is my story’ books, my brain would mix what I’m reading with what my sensory issues are and get all tangled up. I might never get through it all then.”

Her little sister, our granddaughter Kendra, has Spina Bifida, more severe Autism, developmental delays, is non-communicative, has hydrocephalus, neurogenic bowel and bladder, hyperscusis, and seizures. But Katie has been incredible with her. No lack of empathy here....Katie made her a beautiful quilt because with no feeling in her feet, Kendra can be cold before she actually feels cold. Katie was about 9 or just going on 10 then. Just this year she learned how to catherize Kendra, which we have to do 5x a day. Funny, for years Kendra wanted nothing to do with Katie - pushing her out of “her space”, kicking her even when her legs were encased in plaster, and taking whatever Katie had away from her. Yes, it hurt Katie, physically and emotionally. She wanted to be a true big sister. But Katie and I seemed to be the only two who held Kendra accountable - making her get things for herself instead of waiting on her, expecting her to pitch in with chores, cleaning up her own messes, and teaching her that Katie WOULD get into her space and if Kendra didn’t like it, SHE could move. Now they are devoted to each other and Kendra will spontaneously climb up on Katie’s lap, give her hugs and kisses, sing and play little games with her. Katie will sit on the floor working with Kendra on her flash cards. They’ve both blossomed.

Katie still exhibits a lot of Autistic behaviors. If she has some sensory overload she no longer flaps, but needs to use her sense of taste to center herself. Eye contact (which I’ve always considered a load of hooey diagnostically anyway) can still be problematic. We don’t care - shoot, I have trouble with staring at somebody’s eyes when they’re talking to me - but the “experts” set great store by it. She
also has hyperacusis and has her sets of headphones available at home, school, and our house and with no fuss smply reaches for them as needed.

She’s been in dance class for a few years, despite not being able to do some of the moves due to poor balance, asymmetrical hips and a missing rib. She’s active in school choir, band (clarinet) and has been on the honor role all through Middle school - every quarter of 6th grade last year and so far every quarter of 7th this year.

Yes, I’m bragging. Those kids are my heart (“and you’re my gizzard”, Katie always retorts) and once you get me started, I don’t shut up. Katie doesn’t need to read the book on climbing up from the darkness of Autism - she could write her own!

A couple of photos from last night’s ceremony - Grampa choked up more than once getting through that, I’ll tell ya, while Gramma was actively blubbering.

View attachment 1614731 View attachment 1614733 View attachment 1614734

And Katie with little sister Kendra:

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Splash park.

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Their dance recitals.

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Play time. We always believed we’d see this - we just didn’t know when.

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A hug for Katie after she successfully did a catherization on Kendra for the first time.

View attachment 1614778
Social situations in with s big crowd are now easily handled with skills she mostly taught herself. She’s been attending formal and informal events since she was 5, has been on a cruise with us, and proudly got up in front of everyone when Grampa was installed as Grand Master of Wyoming and presented him with his gift on behalf of the grandkids - speech and all!! This was just a couple of months ago.

View attachment 1614773
All Katie - “Watch out World - I don’t know for sure where I’m going yet but you’ll damn sure know when I get there!!” This was on our cruise in 2017.

Autism doesn’t scare this family.

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