Finding a Preschool

Well over a year ago, while I was pregnant with Hank we looked at some preschools for Goldie. I did this as part of the transition process when she turned 3. I didn't see a place that I loved, so we decided to utilize some community programs this year and revisit the preschool options when she was turning 4.

I began my search anew in February when I saw that a Montessori school was having an open house. It was nice, but it seemed like there would be a lot of rules for Goldie to remember and the room had a lot of furniture for her to navigate around. Goldie also learns best in an environment that is free of visual clutter. I spoke with the teacher and explained what Goldie's strengths and weaknesses were. I did not tell her my daughter has Down syndrome. In my experience, it brings up too many stereotypes.

The school's only tuition option was for 5 days a week, so I decided to keep looking. It would cost us a fortune in gas to make 10 trips a week! My next call was to my neighbor. Her kids went to a Montessori school that was 5 minutes away, but only advertises by word-of-mouth. She was happy to call the owner and talk to her about Goldie.

The owner, Miss M, has really exceeded all of my expectations. She has met Goldie one-on-one twice and has had me observe the classroom one morning by myself. Before I sat in on a class, she told me "I don't want you to get overwhelmed and think that Goldie can't do this, because she CAN." Miss M. has asked me to bring Goldie once a week for 1/2 just to get her used to the classroom and allow them to get to know her. I must have looked a little nervous because she assured me that Goldie will be going to school there as long is that is what I want. The plan right now is for Goldie to attend two mornings a week in the fall and maybe add a third day after the Christmas break.

A couple months ago I was asking myself, "Am I crazy to think that my child with Down syndrome can go to a typical preschool without an IEP and supports?". But, after seeing Goldie in the classroom and feeling the kindness of the students and teachers, I know Goldie will just blossom at school next year. She is already requesting "school" on a daily basis.

This is my first post using a blogging app. If it works out, I may be able to post more often than once a month!

Free Kindergarten ABA Apps for Autism Awareness Month

Kindergarten.com is offering all of their ABA apps free for the month of April in honor of Autism Awareness Month. I was actually going to purchase some this week after hearing about them over at Unringing the Bell. Really, I bought an iTunes card at the grocery store this weekend so I could get my fuel discount. Glad I didn't have time to use it!

FYI: The ones listed under the heading Flashcards were always free and the rest of them were 99 cents.

I would recommend the receptive language ones and I downloaded the Action Flashcards for Goldie because verbs are something she has been working on in speech.

Goldie Knows the Alphabet

One thing I've learned is that Goldie is not a performer. She does not like to be tested on what she knows. A couple nights ago, Goldie got out her alphabet letters, so I grabbed the camcorder on the off chance that she would show off for me. I got lucky! Her are a couple videos of her identifying the letters of the alphabet. Part 2 includes some lowercase letters. You'll notice that instead of naming a couple of the vowels she tells me what sound they make.

Warning: the lighting is poor, her pajamas mismatched and the slip cover for our couch was in the laundry, but this is real life with 4 kids!

Homeschooler with Down Syndrome Signing "It's About the Cross"

This video is from a mom on my "local" homeschoolers with special needs email list. She is graciously letting me share her beautiful daughter Abigail signing "It's About the Cross" by The Ball Brothers.

Sometimes it is hard for me to imagine Goldie's future, both near and distant, because there are so many possibilities on a path that is always changing. Just when I was lamenting over Goldie's lack of fine motor skills in relation to her signing, this popped up on my screen. Watching Abigail reminded me to just be patient and that there are bigger things than how well my daughter can sign.

Homeschool Preschool - Color Sorting

Goldie has been keeping me very busy this fall doing all kinds of preschooly things. (I've been heating my kitchen with my laminator!)  Goldie's latest achievement is sorting by color.  Sorting is an important part of an early math curriculum. We started working on this around her second birthday at the urging of her vision therapist. I didn't think she was ready for actual sorting so I focused more on just learning colors. Once Goldie was able to sign her colors (thank-you Signing Time) I was able to know how well she could identify and label her colors.

First I tried having her sort with Busy Bugs. But, she was so distracted by all the different types of bugs that she didn't care what color they were. Spider, caterpillar, fly, etc...

Then I had a lightbulb moment when Swatcho left her Sorry! game on the kitchen table.

Sure enough, without the distracting bugs, Goldie was able to sort the red from the blue and place them on the correct squares. Another important math concept is one to one correspondence.

After this, I gave Goldie red, yellow, and blue buckets with a pile of colored cubes.  She shocked me by immediately sorting them out. I had to run and get green and white bowls. If more than one color was stuck together she would pull them apart and place each cube in its correct container.

Moments like these just blow me away. I find myself thinking back to when Goldie was born and being told she had Down syndrome and then at a year old when I was told she was legally blind. I wondered then if these days would ever come. Now, I see her love of learning and how she wakes up one day and just does something she's never done, but acts like she's always known how to do it. And my heart overflows.

Fall Sensory Tubs

I always keep a tub of dried beans around for sensory play. Goldie and my second daughter are the ones who love to play in them the most.

I decided to change it up for fall. There was a 4 lb bag of popcorn sitting in my pantry for the last 18 months, so I switched beans for popcorn. We've been hiding farm animals in it, but you could also use acorns or small pine cones.

Goldie is doing well with pouring, so I added these small bottles to give her more of a challenge. FYI: She only plays with these on our enclosed porch where her baby brother is never allowed.

Then I found some Halloween inspiration at No Time for Flash Cards.  I decided to put the black beans in a plastic orange pumpkin and use some counting bugs we already had.

Goldie wasn't very impressed. I think it was hard for her to see into the pumpkin and it didn't give her enough room to really play with them. I'm going to put them in plastic tub, unless she like my next idea.

That was to make and eye-spy container. I took a large plastic container that used to have almonds in it. Have I mentioned how much Goldie loves almonds? I had to start buying them at Sam's Club. I put the beans, bugs and some other toys in it. This will allow both Goldie and Hank to play, since the beans are safely inside.

If you have any great ideas, please share them. Once fall is over, we have a long winter ahead of us. Its always good to have a few tricks up my sleeve.

Inchstones

Goldie has met some little milestones, some call these inchstones, that I need to document before I forget the details. She is 3 1/2 and moving full steam ahead toward 4!

- Goldie can dress and undress herself, even in her brother's clothes. She mastered this skill completely on her own, all I did was leave baskets of laundry around for her to practice. BTW, she can also fold washcloths, handtowels, and diapers.

- Last night, upon noticing that her sisters were dressed for bed, she walked upstairs, got her pajama top and matching bottoms out of her drawer, came back down and threw them at me.

- At dinner, she served everyone salad, with tongs. Weeks of climbing on the table to get second helpings has finally paid off.

- At Children's Hour, they ran out of tiny plastic cups for snack time. So the kids had to drink out of regular styrofoam cups. I just knew that Goldie would need help. She told me to go away and drank two servings of apple juice without spilling or choking!

- Before snack, they had a visit from the fire department. When they asked for a volunteer to demonstrate "stop, drop, and roll" Goldie walked up to the front of the group, dropped to the ground and rolled. She was saying roll the whole time, then she stood up and clapped for herself. All the volunteer fire fighters knew her name before they went home. ;)

- Wishes do come true, I have another little girl who loves Madeline. My oldest was all about Madeline, so I've been saving all the dolls and books hoping they would get some more love.

- When I was reading "line", as Goldie calls her new favorite story, I stopped several times (leaving off the last word) and she was able to complete the rhyme! Another first!

- Goldie is really into learning her colors. She loves to sign and say them. She can sort red, blue, yellow, and green. 

Wordless Wednesday - Fall Art

Wordless Wednesday - Hank's First Field Trip

IEP Evaluations

I thought I should take a brake from my babymoon for a quick update. The last 4 weeks have been fabulous. Hank is such a sweet and, dare I say, easy baby. My husband and I both agree that everything has just been way too easy this time around. For example, baby Hank was nursing within 30 minutes of his birth. He knew exactly what to do. And when to do it. No pumping, no finger feeder, no syringes. My first two were also very sleepy babies and I had a hard time keeping them awake to eat. Not this guy. The best part is that we know to appreciate all these little things. Part of me keeps waiting for his therapists to walk through the door. I keep reminding myself that our new arrival didn't come with an IFSP. Ha!

Speeking of Early Intervention Goldie's evals for her IEP are today. My husband was supposed to be home, but he has a new schedule and has to work. So, Grandma is watching the big girls while I take Goldie and Hank. And to make it even more fun, our appointment is the same as Goldie's naptime. She's asleep right now and she refused to eat lunch. This is the problem with scheduling things so far in advance.

I tried to get out of it by canceling last week. Let me explain why, Hank Sr. and I have been talking for the last couple months about what we want for Goldie next year. This included observing an inclusion preschool classroom. I was less than impressed. After discussing our various options, we have decided not to send Goldie to preschool next year. Originally, we were told that if we waited until September to send her that they would not provide her services and we would have to get them privately. Soooo, I thought if we weren't sending her to pre-k she wouldn't get services from the county. But, I got a phone call yesterday saying they would still provide. Funny how things change. When I gave my husband the new information he said "It feels like were dealing on a new car."

Giving credit where credit is due

Goldie had her quarterly eval this week. I have to say it was fabulous! She has made so much progress in the last 3 months. She now knows over 100 signs and her speech is increasing slowly and steadily. Her fine motor skills have taken off and she is completing puzzles on her own along with beginning to draw. I could go on and on!

So, I was bragging about Goldie to a family member and their reply was "Are you going to do something in March, so she doesn't backslide, since you aren't sending her to preschool?"

Well, that caught me completely off guard. I explained, again, that our immediate family, has helped Goldie get to where she is today and we will continue to do so. And when I say we have helped Goldie, what I mean is that we give her opportunities and encouragement. Like you would with any child.

Goldie is the reason for her own success. I'm so tired of this idea that she would just be happy to sit and stare at the wall if it wasn't for Early Intervention. I remember reading books on DS when she was born that gave the very distinct impression that children with DS were not motivated to meet milestones or learn new skills on their own. Then the IFSP meeting came and the echoed those same thoughts. 2 1/2 years later I can say: what a bunch of BS!!


Here is our star! If you're wondering, she is putting cupcake picks into a pegboard to make a flower garden. Cute, huh?

Measuring Up

We've been humming right along the last couple weeks. Putting food in the freezer for next month and going on a couple field trips. Like these replicas of the Nina and the Pinta we toured last week.



I've been feeling pretty good, just a little uncomfortable by the end of the day. Which is to be expected at this point,especially with a 2 year old. I have no problems gaining weight, 5 lbs in 3 weeks. I think I'm as big now as when I delivered Goldie. So, I was not expecting to hear that my measurements hadn't changed since my last midwife appt. I measured 33 cm 3 weeks ago and again at 35 weeks. I'm worried about the lack of change more than anything. It is in the normal range to be 2cm smaller or bigger than the number of weeks.

I have to admit that I was pretty freaked out when we left. And into the next day. This wouldn't have bothered me 3 years ago. I should say didn't bother me. I measured small when I was carrying Goldie. Looking back it was the only concrete sign that something was up with her. But, now I know so much more. I'm not worried that this baby could have DS. That I can deal with. I am worried that he's not getting the nutrition he needs to grow. What if something is wrong with the cord or the placenta? I just want to get him here safe and sound.

The good news, he is moving almost constantly and his heart rate was good. The previous measurement could have been wrong and he has also changed position and is sitting lower than before. For now I'm making sure I drink enough water and taking it easy. I go back on Monday and if there is still no change I'll go in for an ultrasound. Until then, prayers are always welcome.

Transition - Getting Ready

Next week is the first meeting in the transition process for Goldie. She won't be 3 until March and right in the middle of now and then I'll be having a baby. I've been dreading this since our first IFSP meeting. Honestly, I would like to say "no thank-you" and go back to having a "normal" life where I don't have to deal with THE SYSTEM. I think part of the reason I find this so daunting is that none of my kids went to preschool. I was the lone mom in my circle of friends who didn't believe in preschool. I do believe most parents provide all the enrichment any preschooler needs. They have many years of school ahead of them, why let them get burnt out before kindergarten? Childhood is short and I want my girls to have as much of it as possible, TOGETHER. The day will come when they don't share a roof over their heads, let alone a bedroom and these years will be what bonds them for life.

I was all set to send Goldie off to school when she turned 3, sort of. Then, sometime in the last year I started thinking that everything I believed was best for my other children could still be what's best for Goldie. Does she deserve less time chasing chickens and making blanket forts because she has a disability? Is there anything preschool will teach her that I or her siblings can't?

Of course, she does have different needs than her sisters. Can I meet them? Yes. But, I know when I need help. Hank and I talked and (as of now, plans may change as we get more information) we will not be sending Goldie to pre-k in March. Our plan is to send her to a typical pre-k, twice a week, in the fall, following her 3rd birthday. I don't think its wise to send her off to school less than 12 weeks after getting a new sibling. I know from experience that can be a rough time for the youngest.

This plan means we have to decide how Goldie will get her speech and OT services. I thought I had that figured out, until the Service Coordinator was telling me the laws changed back in January. I've been told we can bring her to the school, just for her services. I've also been told the state doesn't allow any one-on-one therapies. Her current OT and ST both feel that all of her needs will not be met by the school district and that she would need private therapy in addition to what the school provides. Fortunately, a pediatric therapy center opened up a mile and a half from our house. Still, my head is swimming with the different choices and if they are even choices we will have. I hope to have some answers next week and a clearer picture of what will happen when she turns 3.

On another note, Goldie met an OT goal this week. The one were she learns to remove her pants. She even went above and beyond and took off her diaper. Sorry, no picture! But, here's another cute one I had to share.



I should add that is a water baby in the sling. It is much heavier than our other baby dolls and is a sneaky way to help Goldie with her arm strength!

New Routines

Thank-you to everyone who has been thinking about Goldie! She is doing much better. Actually, I think she's trying to make up for lost time (and weight) by eating non-stop. I still have to remind her to drink most of the time.



The only time she stops eating is to sleep.

I've spent the last week getting the big girls into their new school routine. I am homeschooling all of them again. Fortunately, the oldest takes online classes through a cyber school, so I only have to teach her math. We have been working very hard to make up the days missed while I was taking care of Goldie. With the baby due in December this is not the year to fall behind!


Mini Me's first day of school!

Little Things

Goldie's done some really cool things this today and yesterday. They actually aren't so "little" to us.

1. She can not only climb the ladder to the slide and go down by herself, but she climb the slide. It was hysterical! She made the funniest noises as she worked her way up and we cheered. I got the camcorder and of course the battery was dead.

2. We went for a walk tonight and ran into the neighbor (about 30 ft from her house- this is important later) whose little boy also has DS. Goldie has not been to their house since fall. We decided to walk with her back out to the end of the road, almost a mile. On our way back, when we reached her house, Goldie looks at her and starts waving and telling her bye-bye. She knew it was her house! The thing is, she wasn't stopping at her house, so there was no talk of good-byes. Either Goldie knew we were in the general area where we met her or she has picked up on who lives where from our conversations in the van. Makes me wonder what else is going on in her head that I don't know about!

3. She put 2 signs together for the first time. I started teaching Goldie her letters by using the Starfall website. B is her favorite. I like the large, easy to read type for her. I knew the letter C had some nice big pictures that would be easy for her to see. Well, the cat page has a little cat that runs around the screen at the end and she just couldn't get enough of it. She kept signing "more cat"!

Wordless Wednesday

More On My Mind

I hope I don't look like a "labeler" after that last post. It's really not my thing. I also don't mean to minimize Goldie's Down syndrome in any way either. Its just that...as their mom I worry about all of them. Mini Me's math struggles are on my mind just as much as Goldie's learning to drink from a cup. kwim?

This is Mini Me's first year in public school and up until now I've placed a lot of blame on myself. For the first time, I've been able to step back and see that I've done so much with her and maybe there is something else going on. I went to the school to ask for extra help for her and was told they already have an aide in the room. She helps all the kids. It wasn't until I suggested my child could have a learning disability did they offer to do anything. Do I think she needs an IEP? Probably not. But, unless I'm willing to speak the Special Needs language, she isn't going to get the help she needs. After talking to the principal for 2 hours (!) he tells me "parents don't usually ask for help for their child" She still hasn't mastered concepts that wre introduced at the end of 2nd grade and she's half way thru 4th! How far behind were they waiting for her to get? This is the only subject she needs support in, so it looks to them like she's just slacking. But I see the tears of frustration at home.

Before Goldie, I don't know if I would have sought help from the school. I would have been too proud. But now that I have a child whose diagnosis includes mental retardation, I don't care what people think.

Aaah. Its nice to get all of that out.

Now, why its really bothering me...

I keep thinking about inclusion. If they can't meet a "typical" child's needs, what will they have to offer Goldie? The Special Needs classroom is at a school on the other side of town and the Autism class is also at another building. I may be new to all of this, but I don't think inclusion means having a seperate class in your district. Then there was the comment to me by one of Mini Me's teacher suggesting that she just doesn't think my daughter is very smart. I wanted to puke. Where did she get that idea? Please tell me its because of the math anxiety and not because she has a sibling with DS. Will I fight for inclusion for Goldie so she can have this woman as a teacher?

I shouldn't even be thinking this far ahead. I have to trust that it will all work out. I'll have the wisdom when the time comes to decide what is best for Goldie.

Now, when I'm not bitching about my kid's school, I'm actually doing things with her. This weekend we made a 3-D version of the North Eastern states to help her learn the landmarks. Mini Me reports that the teacher was way impressed :)

Sensory Science

Swatcho is my sensory seeking child. I always thought she was just sensitive to her environment, until I had Goldie. I first heard of sensory integration through a special needs message board I visited, then I did some reading on my own. I've been lucky that Goldie's OT lets me "pick her brain" when I have questions. As an infant, Swatcho would reach out and feel the fleece of my/her sling and always enjoyed toys and books that were tactile. This has worked out good for Goldie because we have a stack of Usborne touchy-feely books.

So, when we picked up a recipe for Goo at Mini Me's school science fair, Swatcho was bound and determined to stir up a batch of her own. Here it is:





Want to make your own?

Step 1: In 1 large bowl mix together
2 cups glue (Elmer's)
1 1/2 cups warm water
(I added the food coloring to this step also)

Step 2: In another bowl mix together
1 1/3 cups warm water
4 teaspoons Borax powder

Step 3: Pour step 2 into step 1. Mix it around until it solidifies. Not all water will be used. It is okay to lift out and knead.
Store in an airtight container. Should last 6 weeks.

While tearing and stretching her goo we talked about the properties of liquids and solids. Another gooey activity is just cornstarch and water. It changes from a liquid to solid over and over while they learn play.