I am killing myself. My long overdue blog post just disappeared from the web. I don't even know where to start. So much has happened since Zoé 's 7th birthday.
What is in the works?
Cranio-facial clinic, waiting fro the sleep study scheduled for March 28th.
Bye bye SMO's Hello AFO's
Wedding in NYC, there and back
School back in session
Early morning teeth extraction (2 of them), $2 from the Tooth Fairy and thank you laughing gas!
I don't know where I was, I think I had started mentioning the self talking as a means for Zoé to self regulate. It is hard to address and when we are in a public places, I tend to remind Zoé that a conversation is between two people and that we should avoid the self-talk. Keep it in your "thought bubble". A dad I see regularly at our group session gave me the idea he uses with his son: "I have him write all his thoughts on a piece of paper, then throw it away."
I guess it would enable Zoé to free her mind of all these thoughts and it would perhaps enable her to jumpstart the "normalcy" of how one exchanges and talks with other people.
Reading Life Animated by Ron Suskind, whose autistic son can only communicate through Disney characters showcases the power of imagination.
Right now Zoé is into the Villains, any Disney villain, forget princesses and prince, we are all into Ursula the sea witch, Jafar the conniving magician, Cruella De Vil, the puppy killer monster and above all the Mean Queen who is betrayed by her mirror!
Speaking of villains, Zoé is now slowly enjoying movies, as opposed to animated ones.
Her all time favorite is Matilda the screen adaptation of Roal Dahl's novel where fantasy and dark humor bring to life this little girl who is emotionally and almost physically abandoned by her parents. Isn't it funny how kids just love to be scared, testing the boundaries where fear excites them and leaning to cope with their own defense mechanisms.
Upcoming appointment: ENT clinic at UC Davis to see how Zoé's high arched draping palate functions and how and why it impacts speech and breathing.
Like these second opinions...
The new concept we have been working on is how one can be a "we player" as opposed to a "me player". Zoé has a hard time being a "we" player, always wanting to control play dates, so I have to scaffold and come up with plans for the girls to play cooperatively. One board game then play school, one card game, then dress up or karaoke.
Social skills are still in the works and I need to prep Zoé before any social event. It is all about scaffolding and perspective taking. Putting oneself into other people's shoes...
The last birthday party was challenging. I had decided that I would leave Zoé there...oh well, she was so nervous, she feigned a stomach ache, then we went back and I told her I would stay 10 minutes, and she cried.
I decided that it was over, on the way home Zoé cried so much that we decided to go back and I stayed for the party.
I really need to let Zoé understand that she needs to mingle, to open up to others, to broaden her circle of friends...
Her best friends' sleepover birthday party is this coming weekend.
I will work with her on the one goal she has for the party: "I will play one game with a few new friends..." Understanding that her best friends have a lot of space in their heart for other friends."
The highlight of the month is that mom is coming from France. We haven't seen her in 7 months, it is way too long.
I am posting this post before it disappears on me...
Enjoy the pix!
Sending love and Valentine wishes to you and yours.
Cranio-facial clinic, waiting fro the sleep study scheduled for March 28th.
Bye bye SMO's Hello AFO's
Wedding in NYC, there and back
School back in session
Early morning teeth extraction (2 of them), $2 from the Tooth Fairy and thank you laughing gas!
I don't know where I was, I think I had started mentioning the self talking as a means for Zoé to self regulate. It is hard to address and when we are in a public places, I tend to remind Zoé that a conversation is between two people and that we should avoid the self-talk. Keep it in your "thought bubble". A dad I see regularly at our group session gave me the idea he uses with his son: "I have him write all his thoughts on a piece of paper, then throw it away."
I guess it would enable Zoé to free her mind of all these thoughts and it would perhaps enable her to jumpstart the "normalcy" of how one exchanges and talks with other people.
Reading Life Animated by Ron Suskind, whose autistic son can only communicate through Disney characters showcases the power of imagination.
Right now Zoé is into the Villains, any Disney villain, forget princesses and prince, we are all into Ursula the sea witch, Jafar the conniving magician, Cruella De Vil, the puppy killer monster and above all the Mean Queen who is betrayed by her mirror!
Speaking of villains, Zoé is now slowly enjoying movies, as opposed to animated ones.
Her all time favorite is Matilda the screen adaptation of Roal Dahl's novel where fantasy and dark humor bring to life this little girl who is emotionally and almost physically abandoned by her parents. Isn't it funny how kids just love to be scared, testing the boundaries where fear excites them and leaning to cope with their own defense mechanisms.
Upcoming appointment: ENT clinic at UC Davis to see how Zoé's high arched draping palate functions and how and why it impacts speech and breathing.
Like these second opinions...
The new concept we have been working on is how one can be a "we player" as opposed to a "me player". Zoé has a hard time being a "we" player, always wanting to control play dates, so I have to scaffold and come up with plans for the girls to play cooperatively. One board game then play school, one card game, then dress up or karaoke.
Social skills are still in the works and I need to prep Zoé before any social event. It is all about scaffolding and perspective taking. Putting oneself into other people's shoes...
The last birthday party was challenging. I had decided that I would leave Zoé there...oh well, she was so nervous, she feigned a stomach ache, then we went back and I told her I would stay 10 minutes, and she cried.
I decided that it was over, on the way home Zoé cried so much that we decided to go back and I stayed for the party.
I really need to let Zoé understand that she needs to mingle, to open up to others, to broaden her circle of friends...
Her best friends' sleepover birthday party is this coming weekend.
I will work with her on the one goal she has for the party: "I will play one game with a few new friends..." Understanding that her best friends have a lot of space in their heart for other friends."
The highlight of the month is that mom is coming from France. We haven't seen her in 7 months, it is way too long.
I am posting this post before it disappears on me...
Enjoy the pix!
Sending love and Valentine wishes to you and yours.
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| NYC weather and the gear |
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| On our way to the wedding |
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| The bow queen |
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| I love M&Ms |
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| That's my new horse |
