First Parent Training Session

Yesterday, Wednesday, was my FIRST PARENT TRAINING SESSION! I was so excited for this and had been wanting to do it for so long!!!!! I just never thought the day would come, and since i was really hoping therapy would cover it because i mean WHY WOULDNT they right? well no, many insurances DO NOT COVER AUTISM SERVICES!!!!!! We are lucky our insurance will cover some Autism Services, and that is because Kaitlyn is enrolled in an extended program for family members with a disability, and because Dad is Active Duty. She is enrolled through the state program for therapy services for her, but parent training TEACHES YOU to be her therapist! how exciting is that right? No other provider that I have called that is covered by our insurance really provides parent training. I feel so lucky that now I have the opportunity to not only be my child's first teacher, but also one of her therapists that will help her get to where she needs to be. and of course it will also benefit my other children as well :)

Yesterday, was so exciting! I couldnt believe I was actually there going to go get services for my little girl! I decided I wanted to take all three kids, so my sitter can see how far therapy really is (this is in San Diego) and so she wouldnt think I'm just really trying to leave her with my kids for hours even though the therapy session is only an hour, it takes more than that to get to and back from the location. So I took the kids and well everything was great until it was time for me to go to the back with Kaitlyn and her therapist. Emily started crying saying she wanted to go to and wanted to go learn and play with Kaitlyn, you see if you read my other post, this wasnt Emily's first time going there, we had been there once so she can be her friends social partner and so I can see what parent training was all about and meet my friends therapist (who is now our therapist) so when we showed up yesterday, Emily kept saying "Mommy remember when we came here? Remember when i played play dough with my friend?" she didnt understand why she couldnt go to the back room with us. as I was going in I felt a little worried because I know her feelings had been hurt, and I kept thinking about it through out the session, specially when I heard someone crying out in the waiting room, later I found out it was some other little girl (also a sibling) who was fighting with my little boy, and being the bully that he is, he didnt let her get away with it.

We went over goals with Kaitlyn and what I was going to expect, how she would teach me to do everything, and she even showed me a few things to start off with! i was so excited, and I still am! for once since the diagnosis I felt like this is really going to be some of the answer and the help I have been wanting for so long! someone that can help me help her! of course I do have my friend, who has been here through out this whole journey but of course, she also has her daughter who also has autism and is a very very busy mom. I was so excited to be there and she told me that it looked like I was already on the right track, I was excited to hear that, because a lot of it has been help from my dear friend, who I wont post her name on here, she is a very private person and I havent asked if I can post her name on here yet ;) Then she also gave me so much more hope! I have always heard that Kaitlyn is really smart and is able to learn real fast, and is a child who is easy but hard to work with because she catches onto stuff quick, but when it comes to me and her doing it, it doesnt seem as fast? and all these are from professional people, not just a random person who says "Autism is a gift" "She is a special gifted child" and soooooo on.... These have been from people who have been her therapist, or have done evaluations for her, and of course my friend :) You know what for now I will call her Kay, since her name starts with a K.

There was one time during the session where Kaitlyn would look at me and say "what do you want?" and so I would ask "What do you want?" and Kaitlyn would then reply "Buzz, or Strawberry, Hero" These were all toys that were put up in a high place for her to have to request them, I thought i was doing a good job, UNTIL the therapist said, "we really are changing what parenting was all about when we were growing up, this is far more different than what we all use, this one is going to be the thoughest BUT we are going to stop asking questions, its just confusing for her at this point. Did you see how she asked what do you want? when she wanted something?" at that moment oh man i felt so dumb lol but I knew that it wasnt the first time she had explained that to a parent, so I was glad she told me and now I think about it a lot, like instead of now asking her "what do you want" I start talking about what she can possibly want, like she is looking at a toy, and I know she wants it, I just start talking about it, and hopefully I am doing it right at this point. We are going back 2 weeks from now, since next week she is on vacation. and I will do an update most likely every session. I might not, depends on how I'm feeling. She also does a lot of other therapies, (speech, occupational therapy, she will soon most likely start physical therapy, does an ABA therapy program, and will soon possibly start an in home program that is also available to do outings with us, and help me handle situations while on the go) <<<< Boy are our days super busy!!! I hope to put Emily in Pre-school SOON as well. How will i ever survive ;)