Visit To Butterfly Park & Insect Kingdom Jul '14

We are now half way of learning journey through Term 3, there have been great happenings for him.

Family never fail to capture some memorable photos where they matter to exercise our gratitude of each moment being captured. Beside these, he has made several new friends in his social group class, attended a friend birthday party.

Every moment I have with him is a moment I learn from him, selfie is one excuse I use to engage him and exercise joint attention to maximize our moment together and it certainly works for us as we true enjoy it.

A feeling of growth very often requires constant rallying with him and encouraging him to follow good work habits and social rules, teach him with right support whenever a hidden agenda unfolds, so he can maximize his potential where it matters, kudos to his teachers in this on going collaborative effort. I am just thankful that he has come this far but also balance with some play times or even get him to help granny or mum with simple house work when opportunity arises.

Yesterday, we brought him to the butterfly park & insect kingdom at Sentosa to let him explore nature and also in conjunction to his coming show and tell activity in school on the theme "Insect".  He was delighted to have gained some real life experience with the live butterflies.

 It was cooling & beautiful Sunday morning, adult butterflies have large and brightly colored wings. They grow from caterpillars.

We also get to see the insects and butterflies of the world exhibits on display.

He likes butterflies because they have beautiful wings

Out in the nature, he had a chance to feed the parrots and Iguana too.

The butterflies are popular among collectors as an object for art and jewlry, we bought home 1 toy butterfly model and 2 other butterfly souvenirs for him.

At the end of the visit, the joy over the ROCK top it all for an enriching outing.

We left the place for lunch and return home, we will love to bring him around the island for further experience but it was clearly not in his agenda, and we have learnt to be like water and go with the flow to conclude another successful trip.

For 5 days in July, people in our community got to know him and how his deficit means more to others when everyone celebrate his ability to show case what he CAN.

Very soon we shall celebrate Nation 49th birthday, is time to hang out the flat and rejoice in our independence, our only hope is for a more gracious and inclusive society where Love and Peace can be amplify every where within this little red dot.

Come 2nd August, we also look forward to A Very Special Concert to raise fund for a good cause to help benefit more people in this special communities.

We look forward to a positive finish to his remaining Term 3 learning journey.

Winner's Statement:

Term 2 Highlights

It is time to share some updates on my little super hero.

There was this instant happened just few days back, where I called home from work place and my mum picked up the phone, I asked for him. He took over the handset and we start conversing:-

He: Hello daddy
Me: Hi Fabian
He: Whats the matter, daddy?
Me: Oh daddy just call to check if you have done your home work assignment?
He: Yes, its done.
Me: Good for you, what are you doing now?
He: I am playing minecraft
Me: Alright, see you later.
He: Ok, bye..
Me: Daddy love you, bye.

Yes, he has come this far, really happy to see him transform gradually in his learning journey, sure there are more challenges to come as the demand increases from language, social, and communication. aspect of learning when he progresses up the educational ladder.

Sometimes, when I try to remind him or redirect him on certain behavior which yield unexpected results, he will reply "yes I know...the problem is...I don't know how / it is difficult"

Really his reply often gives me a mix feeling of whether to laugh it off thinking that he actually knows but just that he chooses to switch off his thinking brain or I may get emotionally upset that he can meet some of the minimum expectation to our world but does not seems to mind being out of the game. After reflection, then it is another cycle of re-calibration from a new perspective taking, with hope of doing better next time to encourage him to do it right with praise or token of reward if he does well..

Main highlight for April was the 7th World Autism Awareness Day, we attended the road show with him at ION Orchard to celebrate and embrace their special abilities, Light It Up Blue was spread across various part of the island creating an ocean of amazing sight seeing view for many around.

We enjoyed the various joint attention opportunity with him, and I occasionally will play selfie with him too with my smart phone.  Many times, we are our own worst enemy. Happiness is really dependent on perspective. If you think something is a problem, then your thoughts and emotions will be negative. But if you think it’s something you can learn from, then suddenly, it’s not a problem anymore. Inner peace starts from self, once you have inner peace and be thankful, happiness will find you, he taught me so in my journey with him.

When he is by himself, he enjoys his me time watching youtube video clips of MRT, Minecraft, Disney Channel programs. 

During playtime, we let him choose what he feels like to play at that moment, I enjoy playing WII games and mini table soccer with him where the joint attention is maximize. His WII games skill to some of  sports has improved over the years but playing minecraft game on PC is still his main passion. I will remind him to play calmly, quietly and tell him that it is just a game to reduce his obsession of being immerse himself too deep into the game, glad that he has been able to regulate as instructed and rest himself when it is time to stop.

As the saying goes "All play without work make him a Dull person", he still need to work hard to complete his work books or work sheets where it matters from time to time. At night, I will schedule him to read story book with me and review grammar or vocab to comprehend the story to improve his English.  One can be happy if one chooses not to be angry and see every darkness as an opportunity to glow bright again and thinking others in positive light. It is gratefulness that make us happy...every moment is a given moment to be grateful, be thankful of the present moment, a gift of happy opportunity.

We had registered him for 3 programs during his June school holidays and hopeful that he will find them useful in strengthening his deficit in term of follow instruction, social and functional communication.

It is a joy to see him grow and improve inch by inch, looking forward to more challenges and cheers in the 2nd half of the journey 2014. We must always remind ourselves to be vigilant and be constant resilience to make him enjoy learning with positive stamina and focusing on his CAN instead of what he cannot.

Winner's Statement:

HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY - 11 MAY '14

Take this moment to pay tribute and honour my wife, mother of our 2 children, as what the children say "Best MOM Ever!"  Happy Mother's Day.

Journal writing by my little hero for the great memories on this special Mother's Day celebration:-

Also to thank my mom for her unconditional support and love for me and the family. If for her sacrifice and care, my sister and I will not be where we are today. Her strength and courage has truely inspire me in my walk with my own children as both grow up.

Winner's Statement:

There's no way to be a perfect mother and a million ways to be a good one. ~ Jill Churchill

What makes him happy?

Before we know, Term 1 holidays will soon end and here's to welcome Term 2.

Each morning as he awakes and get ready for school, he is always looking forward to going to his school where he can be with friends to learn from teachers who understand with right support and teaching skill sets.  He is cheerful and most happy when the school bus arrives on time.  So far he had collected 3 sticker charts for his good work, conduct and follow teachers instruction in Term 1, kudos to his sped team for the encouragement and good teaching, he has been motivated to achieve more.

During weekend, he will be real happy if he can indulge himself with his favourite food during family lunch or dinner out, playtime on his favourite minecraft or simulation games or riding on his trikke bicycle.

 I had brought him to an outing at science center to look at the big big big brothers aka Dinosaurs in mid Feb.  He was happy but also scared at time with the loud roar from the exhibits. Nevertheless, I was glad that he had enjoyed himself.

There are occasions when he feels happy playing pretend game like a doctor attending to his patients.
His mommy will be kind enough to be one of his patient seeking his consultation. His happiness can be display from his engagement and serious expression attending to his sick patient just like a typical doctor. He will be proud to show case all his satisfied client waiting in the line to collect their medicine.  We will go with the flow to support his thoughts to convert every opportunities into positive learning and growing up whenever he requests.

Recently, he has somehow developed his happiness around instruments or musical related video from The Piano Guys, Adel, One Direction songs and some other educational related songs. His mum had brought him toy guitar and later also a ukelele as reward for good results in spelling and topical test for Term 1. He is also fascinated with the grand piano inner parts after watching The Piano Guys manipulating it on video 'What makes me beautiful?".

I drove the family to KL for a short staycation at brother-in-law's house. We visited some shopping places, enjoy eat their local food.. He was happy to meet his cousins, had some moment to bond with each of the in-laws members.he met.

He was most happy especially with the hair wash at his aunt's hair dressing salon by his eldest cousin.

When my car broke down mid way during the stay and had to tow back to Singapore, he was not only able to adapt well to this unforseen situation but also readily except the change in the mode of transport for our return trip back to Singapore.

 What appear challenging in the past has now become today's history, he was happy and enjoy his journey on board the express bus back. The eventful holiday ends on a positive notes, though the trip may be tiring but he still enjoyed the process.without any complain.

I recalled with him this short staycation in Malaysia into WH sentences before he transfer them the into his journal book to complete his school holdiay homework.  Understand his unique sensory and special abilities has help us find abundance of joy journeying with him in the past 4-5 years. Most importantly, we have come to embrace and love him for who he is, just like any child to his parents and nothing less.  We have learn to accept his traits as being normal to us for we know this is part of him and we in him as one.  

We now look forward to his Term 2 to unfold and convert more challenges in improving his academic results, work habits and independence living skill to continue & brings more cheers to himself and people who love him. There are also numerous events and activities coming up in the next few months, namely April World Autism Awareness Week, Light it up Blue, A Very Special Concert in August, The 2nd Purple Parade in mid Nov, not forgetting Autism Exhibition and Seminar in between months at the National Library and KKH.

Winner's Statement:-

New Year & New Start Of Another Learning Journey

The family had a good start for the year 2014 with a morning exercise, New Year lunch follow by play time with cousin at Bishan Park towards the late afternoon.

My little hero started off his new school term smoothly and was adaptable to the new school routine, we are thankful that the school bus arrives earlier than before and was very punctual almost to the dot.daily.

Within 2 weeks, he was able to recalled and tell me all his other 11 classmates in class not forgetting his form teacher and teacher assistant.  He was elated to complete 2 sticker charts thus far for cool behavior and follow teacher's instructions.  We were all so proud of him and rejoice with him in encouraging him to do better in the next opportunity.

January is also a month when his mom was borned, a simple celebration with love was organized after dinner with a cake cutting.  He took the lead to sing the birthday song for his mom and also rush to blow the candles for her after the song. I made a card for the children to pen a few words for their mom.

We had our Lunar New Year reunion dinner 2 weeks in advance, was a great occasion to dine together in a family, before we adjourned to my sister place to catch up further. It was a joy to see how he interacted with his cousin in a game of minecraft and taking turn to share experience. He is slowly opening up verbally in his expression and we need to follow through with the right sentence construction, correcting him and encouraging him to say in right context and socially appropriately.  Still there are challenges too, we can only go with the flow and over come them as each unfolds from time to time.

On the eve of Lunar New Year, we had BBQ dinner at home, where he pretended to be chef to cook for parents and sister for real.  He also went to the temple with us on the first morning of lunar New Year to offer his prayer of good health and fortune, great prosperity and happiness for himself and family.

This year we decided to celebrate the Lunar New Year in Singapore with my parents instead of travelling to my in-law home town near KL, unlike the past few years. Surely we will miss the different atmosphere at the in-law place but the change also help to maximize his awareness in this Chinese tradition through welcoming guest or visiting relatives and friends to wish them Cong Xi Fa Cai, Xin Niang Kuai Le with the simple pleasure and joy of receiving Ang Pow.  He truely enjoyed himself in each of the activities that we went through with him not forgetting the Lo Hei for Prosperity and Good Luck.

Simple moments of meeting up with his cousins and friends were some memorable time that matters to him as he begins to seek social to apply his expressive and receptive skills.

We are just thankful to have the opportunities to maximize his learning from these day to day during the Lunar Holidays

Aside from the festive moment, there are also time to do his school work and time to have fun on his own playtime.  Sometimes he will also like to kick soccer ball around and I can feel that he is developing his leg power from strength to strength with his kick when I play with him during weekend.

Always believe that this Horse Year is gonna be another awesome and energetic year of learning in progress for all of us walking with him.

While we continue to embrace more of what he is strong generally on the left brain focus, we must be prepare to teach him the goodness of right brain attributes which matter. Only then he can walk out of it slowly and surely to understand and integrate with us or society at large, more at ease and naturally.   we are into the Feb month and soon Mar will come, before we know it, Term 1 PCN, is around the corner. Look forward to more cheers while pathlighting forward.

Winner's Statement: