Moving Forward - Focus & Build On What "I can" Rather Than what "I can't do"

Autism is a neurological disorder that severely affects a child's development. Its primary symptoms arise in the social realm, particular with language and social interaction. Many children have distinct problem interfacing with others, communicating and maintaining socially appropriate behavior.

People with Autism are not able to read emotions or facial markers as well as their peers and may tend to focus on an individual feature of the face(such as the mouth) in isolation, rather than seeing the global facial expression, with the many feature forming an expressive entity. The inability to correctly interpret facial expressions can contribute to communication and social interaction difficulties.

Social Interaction also the current challenges who my little STAR is facing in this critical juncture of his learning journey, many families and educators unwittingly and unhappily tumble into the swamp of unmet expectations and this could be deterimental to the child's learning potential if we as adults are not successful in detaching our personal aspirations from those appropriate for the child. For the past 3 weeks since the new Term starts, I had been working closely with the teachers at EIP to observe & identify some key behavior challenges, understanding why it may have trigger with trials and hypothesis, also to deploy some key actions and modify some changes to his routine in and out of the EIP to focus on what he can do to leverage his progress. It has been a great learning & enjoyable experience for all of us who have been working with the child trying to put 2 perspective thinking into one where both side of the world are able to reconcile and move forward.

When come to group learning in a big environment, my little STAR is constantly challenge to manage the overwhelming demand to balance task & social demand, on top of his communication needs. While doing work by himself, he now seems to be anxious of teacher giving split attention to other children and will saps into some inappropriate behavior to gain attention.

Several trials were taken at different places with differen environmental challenges and he seems to be able to do the task by himself without any similar behavior challenges observe in EIP classroom.

I had made several Social Communication Rules/Chains in the form of fresh card to help him understand what he can do where applicable, we may also reduce our verbal prompt to made him generalize and think for himself during independent work instead of always seeking for adult attention for comfort and feeling self secure. Other ways to explore possibilities could be to try re-arrange his table and chair at work by myself(instead of back facing teacher, now let him sit facing outward so he can feel comfort and secure in having a clear view of teacher to reduce his anxiety of unpredictability and wierd behavior of seeking attention from teacher.

I had informed the child care center our decision to withdraw our little STAR from child care with effect from 1 Aug so as to review & re-prioritize his needs for extra speech group social skill intervention. When he is free at home, I will try to create a structure environment with visual chart for him to choose his independent tasks/plays for the day and use it to recall with him as journal what he does that day at night before he rest.

We are hopeful that the OT will work out something for him to address some SI issues and that he got a second chance to make it to the social group to learn the skill of listen, look, do, wait and check in a small group format.

The new IEP for H2 2011 had just been finalized and we will be using his strength in visual to provide structure and clear instruction to interact with tasks at play by himself or with his peers, simple game such as snake and ladder could be a powerful tool to promote social learnings to take turn, ask question, commenting, check and sustain attention. I am always hopeful the special educators can capitalize on this opportunity/trial to profit from experience in their personal strive for sustainable excellence.

Back at home, we had taken steps to ready necessary logistic to simulate group learning.

July is also another AVSW, my little STAR apsires to be a Superman and I am hopefull that his dream can be materialized with the right support & consitent engagement in this path less travelled, he is already one super boy thus far since beginning his own very special walk. We are blessed to have been able to support him and working with a team of professionals in EIP & various Therapist Service Providers.

Taking this blessing to give thanks to a Team of Super Heroes & Heroines.

As a parent of child with ASD, I have learnt to remind myself to adjust to new challenges by doing following self dialogues:-

- You have some time, lots of time

- You have today, if not then tomorrow, else next week

- You have next month & next year and many years after that

With right attitude and spirit, every passing time brings new information and understanding for you to reduce effort and foster better connection with the child, which I am experiencing now in my own joy of living with my little STAR.

Just have to stay the course: therapies, strategies & all others that improvement matter. Results will come.

Winners Statement:-

Many of us start to do something because of passion. As time goes, due to many reasons, we forget in the 1st place why we start doing it. Think back and find that feeling back. If that's really your passion, stay focus and enjoy the process. You will find the joys again. Reality may be cruel but all things started because of a dream and the passion to pursue it.