ebarrelracing.com forum
General Category => Ben's Diary => Topic started by: Tamet Gould on August 14, 2006, 05:52:23 PM
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Well I have finally decided to sit down and catch up on Bens story. As you know from my last update Ben had a bout of pneumonia the first weekend in July and that set off some yeast problems which led to some behavior problems. But, when we got him on a anti fungal he turned right around.
Now, he has been doing nothing but getting better every since. He is saying hi and bye with a lot less prompting now and he will even do it some when someone just says hi or bye to him when they come or go.
Joyce and I attended a Potty Training Seminar the last week of July so we could finally get him potty trained. Well you had to set aside 2 weeks to conduct these discreet training sessions so we werent able to start it until last Monday Aug 7th. It is very intensive. He had to check his pants every 15 minutes during the waking hours and go to the potty every 30 minutes and we collect data on all outcomes. Well Friday night he finally self initiated going to the rest room (for all you laymen - he went to the potty on his own!!!!!). What you take for granted in your children and their restroom habits has been a chore for us the last 11 yrs. So, now we are into day 4 of self initiation and we are very excited.
Ben is starting to say the mmmmm, and ppppp sound with correct articulation (he has been able to do the bbbbbb sound for a long time) and he is replicating a lot of words I ask him to, and we are practicing his vowels. I am so excited that he will say these things when I ask him to.
I ordered a program called Sign and Say and have been teaching him to mand or sign and say (request) the things is wants most in his world (called motivation :yes: ) and he is really enjoying it a lot. It helps him communicate with us and you can just see the happiness in his face.
Hopefully I am going to be able to get some funding for the therapy that has helped him so much in the last few months because what we need right now is LOTS of that to get him rolling.
He is sooooo smart and I am really enjoying him learning how to say and do things. Of course it is so nice not to have to take him to the bathroom all the time now, because that is his responsibility to monitor his behavior of going to the restroom. He hasnt had a mistake/accident since he started self initiating and I dont look forward to when he does because it is going to be a battle. He has to clean up his accident, then we do practice runs 5 times to the restroom and then he has to change his clothes. Sounds simple but I can assure you last week the 4 times it happened he wasnt happy even with the abbreviated version.
Anyway I was thinking today I am going to have to start working on teaching him to read soon. Cant wait until he starts reading!!!!!!!!!!!!
He is understanding sooooo much of what is going on around him now, it is very exciting <ROCKON> <ROCKON>
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Oh, forgot to tell you that Ben has now learned to sign "shoes" and he is going and getting them and almosssstttt putting them on by himself. He also has a favorite blanket that Karol made him that he will set around and stim on if we leave it down all the time. So, I put it up and have taught him where we keep it and how to sign for it. Last night (Monday) he jumped off of the couch as we were watching TV and went trotting down the hall and came back laughing dragging his blanket. We get comfy on the couch and cover up with it in the evenings! Anyway, it is so funny to watch how proud of himself he gets now when he does stuff like that. <HI>
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Thanks for the update! Look forward to every post about Ben and his progess!! Such an inspiring story!!!!
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I can't wait. Some day Ben will learn to write. Then he can tell us how happy he is for himself. <COLOR GRIN>
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I am so glad that everything is going so well...and also that Ben loves he blanket. I kind of thought he would like the tractors.
Please keep us posted.
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thats great! im soo excited for yall... :()&
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I am thrilled to hear how well everything is progressing.
I hope to see you guys at Waco again this year. I'm sure I Ben won't be anything like the last time I saw him.
:()&
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>PEACE<Tamet and Bob,
This post was sooo exciting to read and I could hear the excitment in your typing! I'm so happy he is over his pnemonnia, poor guy. (:((( I have learned so much from Ben, it just amazes me! We will see you soon!
Cori and Troy