Framed Photos by Miggy

Miggy created these framed pictures. First, he selected a frame, then he picked a photo from an album, inserted and adjusted it into the frame. Last, he downloaded it. Voila!

Counting in his Sleep

Just now, I checked on him:

"One, two, three, four, five, six, seven....." up to seventeen, he counted.

It's okay, you're not in the classroom. Go back to sleep, I whispered.

Lego Fortress

Forgive

In today's Responsorial Psalm, Miggy reads:

"Lord, forgive not seven but seventy-seven times."

Mainstreaming

Miggy in grade 2, mainstreaming in Ridgeview Academy of Baguio:

This is proof that children with autism could be mainstreamed in a regular classroom. Just like their regular classmates, they could perform academically. They could likewise maintain their attention and regulate their behaviors and emotions in a regular classroom setting.

Image 1 and Image 5 show "accommodations for the child's difficulties". This is what the developmental pediatrician means when he/she recommends a small population classroom setting (small pupil-teacher ratio) that accommodates the special needs of the child.

In this case, some test instructions and words were modified to a language that could be understood by the "special" child.

Miggy and his bestfriend, Blessy.

Hi, readers! My book will be out hopefully before the year ends. This will feature real heartbreaking stories on Autism, ADHD, Asperger Syndrome, Cerebral Palsy, Down Syndrome, Hearing Impairment, Traumatic Brain Injury, Mental Retardation, Hearing Impairment, Global Development Delay, and Arthrogryposis.

This book is not just about filling words into every page so as to come up with a thick book. This is about fitting the exact words to describe one’s anguish, letting out emotions, venting out frustrations, surviving in the most trying of times, marveling at even the littlest of victories, and believing in miracles.

Witness how these individuals attempt to penetrate what seems to be impenetrable. See how they reach the unreachable and make possible the impossible.

Small to Big

Miggy's experiment:

Two expandables (a little princess and a tiny dragon) were left to soak overnight in a bowl of water..... and voila!

What happened to the little princess and the little dragon? I asked.

"Became big," he answered.

"Win a Prize!"

Yesterday, he went home (from school) with a pad of stickers. Thinking that he might have taken it from his teacher's drawer or it might have been grabbed from a schoolmate, I asked: Where did you get that?

"Win a prize, mommy. Win a prize."

This morning, I was surprised to see his 3 artworks displayed on the school's bulletin board. Oh, so that was how he earned those stickers. Stickers for a job well done!

"Miggy is the winner!" he told his daddy.

Lego Dream House

Shown here is Miggy's creative Lego play this morning.

"Not the Disney Channel"

For more than a year, Miggy has been watching only one television channel: the Cartoon Network. Last night, he and his sister watched the "Up" movie on Disney Channel. Good! A change of routine, I thought so. Wow, he's ready for a big change. Well, he's not.

Last night, he woke up at 2am and didn't sleep until 5am. He kept on saying: "Not the Disney Channel. Only the Cartoon Network. Do not watch the Disney Channel."

And over and over again, I assured him and whispered: Okay, okay. Not the Disney Channel.

This morning when he woke up, near tears he said: "Mommy, Miggy will not watch the Disney Channel. Only the Cartoon Network."

It wasn't until I hugged him really tight and said yes that he stopped.

Holy Miggy

Project-Making

What are you doing, Miggy? I asked.
"Cutting the pictures."
Complete sentence, I prompted.
"I am cutting the pictures and making a project."

Lesson of the Day: PRAY

This was posted by Miggy's tutor, Teacher Louella on Tots' Thoughts Tutorial Center homepage.

Miggy and I were reading words with the long a sound today when we came across the word pray, I asked what he says when he prays and he said "Thank You" I asked what else, he said "thank You God".
Sometimes when we pray all we do is ask we forget to say thanks. Thank you Miggy for the reminder.

Turtle Art

Hi! So sorry, I haven't blogged for quite some time. I'm saving all my entries for my book. It's coming out soon.

Share your story

Hi, readers!

I invite you to be part of my upcoming book. Share your experiences in raising your children with special needs. We are not alone in this battle. There are many out there wanting to hear our stories.

Send them to my email ad: yolette_cuevas@yahoo.com

Thank you very much. I would love to hear from you.

The Japan Tsunami, as viewed by the Autistic Mind

Yesterday, Japan was hit by a magnitude 8.9 earthquake which triggered a massive tsunami. We watched it on CNN News the minute we got home from Miggy's school.

That night:
Mommy: Miggy, can we turn off the dvd? Let's watch the news.
Miggy: "Not the news! Only the Dragon Tales!"
"Mommy, remove the earthquake. Throw in the garbage can. Remove the big wave and the flood. Make sand castles on the beach."

Again, I was dumbstruck. He knew what was happening. He saw the relation between what's evil and what's not, what's supposed to be and what's supposed to be not. Recovering, I grabbed my pen and wrote it down in my diary. Another milestone.

In the future: a chef

This post is lovingly dedicated to all of Miggy's classmates: Blessy, Syzzle, Kaychelle, Johann, Allen, and RJ, who at a very young age show compassion, understanding, and responsibility toward their "special" classmate. It always leaves a smile on my face every time I see them together. Cheers to their parents too for raising such wonderful kids.
And of course, to Teacher Tina who never tires of teaching Miggy social behavior and academic skills, and always bringing him out of his self-imposed seclusion with her powerful voice as she calls out "Miiiigggggyyyy!!!"

In the future: A chef
I will be designing the layout for the school's yearbook. My theme for the grade 1 is: What do I want to be when I grow up? All parents of Miggy's classmates probably already know what their children aspire to be in the future. Now, I wonder if my Miggy has any dream at all. I'm thinking that this is a mistake. How can I ask him a question so meaningless to his autistic mind? How can he envision himself as a grownup when he does not even know what "future" means? The very simple "tomorrow" took him almost forever to discern, how much more with a vague and a broader "future"?

Uncertain if I could push him for an answer, I tried.

Mommy: Miggy, you listen. Johann wants to be a soldier. Blessy wants to be a teacher. Syzzle wants to be a nurse. Allen wants to be a doctor. How about you, Miggy? What do you want to be?

Miggy answered quickly, "a chef!"

Oh, probably too inspired by the movie, Ratatouille.

Old Man

Using his grandmother's walker, "Miggy became an old man," he said.

Finally.... an Emotional Attachment

Night of January 25, 2011:

Reading homework.

"No homework! I don't like homework!"

No choice. He read the poem, frequently pausing and looking elsewhere :

"Everybody says

I look just like my mother.

Everybody says

I'm the image of Aunt Heather.

Everybody says

My nose is like my father's.

But I want to look like me,

Why can't they let me be?"

Mommy: Everybody says I look just like my.....?

Miggy: "Father."

Miggy: "Aunt Heather."

Mommy: No, you think. Read the poem again.

In all the 4 poems he read, he gave me only 50% correct answers. Why? He was upset that I turned the dvd off while his most current favorite (Veggie Tales) was playing. But when before the questions, I reminded him to answer properly so that I would give him a surprise, he answered correctly.

Mommy: Next time we do your homework, you answer correctly, huh Miggy?

Miggy: "Yes, answer correctly."

Dear readers, I know the following may sound cruel, abusive and traumatizing. Condemn me, curse me, I'll accept. But please let this moment be mine. Forgive me, this was my only way of checking. Believe me, I felt so bad. But in the end, I was rewarded. Well, it went like this:

I am not your mother anymore. Naty (our maid) is your mother, I said to him.

He looked at me, tears poured down his chubby cheeks, "Yolette only, not Ate Naty! Ate Naty is not my mother! My mother is Yolette!"

Pushing for more of this new emotion he displayed for the first time, I added: Your daddy is not Gerry. My son is RJ, not Miggy.

All the more he cried. Face all red, tears pouring non-stop, liquid dripping from his nose, he said: "My daddy is Gerry! Your son is not RJ! Miggy is your son!"

I hugged him tight, and savored the moment.

I have long waited for this. Finally, after 8 years, 5 months, and 21 days! That was his first display of emotional attachment to me.

Dinner Surprise

One late afternoon, I found this on my work table after I woke up from a quick nap.

Wow! What is this?, I asked.

Miggy replied, "A fish dinner." (which he made out of clay, just for me! Just for me!)

Not a schoolday

Yesterday, we were not able to attend the Sunday mass which broke Miggy's routine.

This morning:

Whining, Miggy said, "Today is Sunday, not Monday. No school! It's not a schoolday. It's a churchday. Miggy wear civilian clothes, not the green uniform."

Apology

Miggy tossed his sharpener at Kaychelle and accidentally hit the corner of her eye.

"I am a big boy."

Sept. 14, 2010

Mom: Come here, my baby.
Miggy: "You're not a baby."
(He still has difficulty with pronouns.)
Mom: Huh?
Correcting himself, he said: "I am not a baby. I am a big boy."

*****************
Miggy, you are very cute, I told him.
"Miggy is not cute. Miggy became ugly. Cutie became ugly."
He disagrees with anything I say when he doesn't get what he wants, like a show on tv. I do not allow him to watch the Power Rangers and Kamen Rider on Cartoon Network because of their violent content.

Torotot

"Mommy, close the window. Stop the fireworks," cried Miggy.

He didn't get up for the media noche and didn't witness the fireworks display by Camp John Hay and Baguio Country Club. Miggy and I stayed in bed, with my hands covering both of his ears. A little later, his dad and sister joined us.

* A week before the New Year, I had already taken out these horns (we call them Torotot here in the Philippines) from the cabinet. Ready and waiting for the event. But then I was hesitant to give them out to my family minutes before the clock struck twelve. Why? Miggy never liked the "Big Bang." Maybe for now and the years to come, these torotots will have to remain quiet...... until Miggy is ready.

Developmental Assessment Dec. 11, 2010

Date of Evaluation: December 11, 2010

Date of Birth: August 4, 2002

Chronological age: 8 yrs / 4 mos.

- Mainstream education at Ridgeview Academy, grade 1

- Once a week speech therapy at Play and Say Therapy Center

- Once a week tutorials at Tot's Thoughts Tutorial Center

Present Developmental Profile:

Locomotor 6 yrs level

Personal / Social 7 1/2 - 8 yrs level

Hearing and Speech 5 1/2 yrs level

Eye and Hand Coordination 7 yrs level

Performance 8 yrs level

Practical Reasoning 6 1/2 yrs level

No mental retardation.

Clinical Impression: Autism Spectrum Disorder

Recommendations:

1. Continue speech therapy.

2. Continue present school placement with accommodations.

3. Behavior management - firm kindness.

4. Social skills training.

5. Developmental review after 1 year.

Assessment made by Dra. Millicent Mae Fronda - De Vera (Developmental Pediatrician, Notre Dame de Chartres Hospital)

Longest Christmas

Play and Say Therapy Center's Christmas Party, December 18, 2010

The longest Christmas which won him a prize:

Miggy: "Merry Christmaaaaaaaaa............ ahhhhhhhhhhhh.............aaaaaaaaaassssssssss!"

Ridgeview Academy 2010 Christmas Party

Stencil Art

Educational Videos

These are just a few of the educational videos that helped shape Miggy's language skills. At first, he was only echolalic. He repeated every word from each video with the exact intonation used by the characters. The accent used was likewise mastered by Miggy (which was how he acquired an American accent). Everyday, he would watch the same video over and over again for at least two months from morning until night. Every now and then , I would pause the video and repeat some words or ask what-is-this-questions to test the effectiveness of the input. As the video played, Miggy and I acted out some scenes.

I felt ecstatic that even though all his language were merely copied from videos and from everything he heard around him, still, I was extremely proud that he could talk at least. He wasn't non-verbal at all!

One day, I said to myself, he would learn to use this copied language appropriately. This borrowed speech would later become his own.

And I was right! Absolutely!

"Time to decorate the tree"

"Time to decorate the tree," Miggy sang.

"ra ra ra ra ra ra ra......... shiny and shimmery,

sparkly and glittery,

all because it's Christmas time."

Note: All ras stand for Miggy's lyrics incoherent to me because of his strong American accent.

Mommy: What do you want for Christmas?

Miggy: "Open the presents."

Lego truck and trailer

What are you making? I asked.
"A truck and a trailer," he answered.

Open the presents

This morning upon waking up:
Miggy: "Merry Christmas!!!! Today is December 25."
Mommy: No, yesterday is November 26. So today is only November 27. It's not yet Christmas.
Miggy: "I want to open the presents."

Miggy with his sister

Plurals

Miggy: "Oh look, Mommy! Mice!" pointing to the 2 mice Tom was chasing on the Tom and Gerry Show.

Mommy: If it's one only, is it mice?

Miggy: "No. Mouse."

Mommy: What is this? (showing him a toy)

Miggy: "A toy. One toy."

Mommy: If there are two?

Miggy: "Two toys."

Mommy: And if there are three?

Miggy: "Three toyses."

Seek-and-Find Books

Where Is Waldo?, Where Are They, and Look and Find materials helped increase Miggy's concentration and attention span. These books encouraged memory skills and the use of logic. Pointing (the use of finger to point) was a big plus too because "pointing" is not natural in some children with autism.

He started using these books at age 5 (old enough to be careful not to tear the pages). Up to the present, he still finds these books interesting and entertaining.

* The mastery of pointing was a long and difficult process for Miggy. I always had to close his fist and pull out his index finger. His first pointing trial was waving his hand with all fingers aimed at an object or direction. Next trial (after a very long time) was better: the index finger and middle finger, though slightly bent, were somewhat pointed to the object. Finally, at age 4, he had mastered the correct way to do it.

Honestly, I never thought this day would come that he would say, "Look, mommy!" with his finger pointing to his object of interest. Now, these words I hear more than a dozen times each day. Moments, such as:

-Miggy proudly showing me that he could read titles of Tom and Gerry tales on Cartoon Network;
-that he could build structures from his Lego toys;

-that he saw a bird perched on the roof;

-that he saw a tv advertisement of a newly introduced Argentina deli burger or a toy at Toy Kingdom that he wanted me to buy: "Mommy, you buy.";

-that he saw an insect that he would like me to get rid off (to kill, actually, with my slipper: "Kill, mommy! Kill! Get your slipper!" accompanied with a scream at the top of his lungs).

* Note: He took this picture of his pointed finger.

Barbie Cake

Sept. 5, 2010
Seeing Miggy so intently watching a television advertisement of Barbie cake, I asked him:
Miggy, do you want a Barbie cake?
Looking at me, he said "Yes!" Then, "No!"
I asked why and he answered: "Because Barbie is not for boys. It is for girls."

Analogies

Speech Therapy at Play and Say Therapy Center,
Sept. 24, 2010

At the starting point were the pieces of a vehicle puzzle. Upon instructions from Teacher Justin, Miggy took one puzzle piece, pedaled the bike to the finish line where the puzzle board awaited. After fitting the piece into the board, Miggy was again commanded to pedal back to the starting point. This time, Teacher Justin was ready with some analogy cards. Miggy read and filled in the missing answers.

"Bone is to dog...... as .........Carrot is to rabbit."
"Sun is to yellow ........as .........Apple is to red."
"Teacher is to school........as ......... Doctor is to hospital."
"Spider is to web......... as .......... Bird is to nest."
"Police officer is to patrol car ........ as ......... Fireman is to firetruck."
"Bed is to bedroom ......... as .......... Stove is to kitchen."
"Car is to road ........ as ......... Train is to tracks."
"Book is to read ........ as ......... Milk is to drink."
"Green is to go ......... as ......... Red is to stop."
"Straw is to drink ......... as .........Fork is to eat."

Skip-Counting

Ridgeview Academy, Sept. 24, 2010
I eavesdropped.
Teacher Tina: Miggy, skip-count by 2's.
Miggy: "2, 4, 6, 8, 10, 12, 14, ...........................100."
Later:
Teacher: Miggy, skip-count by 5's.
Miggy: "5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, ...........................100."
(With minimal cues from teacher)

Teacher: Okay, class. We are done with skip-counting by two's and by five's. Now we will move on to skip-counting by ten's.

Later that night, I tested Miggy.
Mom: Miggy, can you skip-count by 10's?
Miggy, probably too tired of the subject, complained:
"No skip-counting! No numbers! I don't like skip-count."
Then again he protested:
"No 10! No 20! No 30! No 40! No 50! No 60! No 70! No 80! No 90! No, no, no 100! That's enough!"

"I love you, mommy."

Sept. 22, 2010
Mom: Miggy, do you love mommy?
Miggy: "Yes."
Mom: Tell me.
Miggy: "I love you, mommy."