Creative Play

Pic 1: "It's a tea party," Miggy said.
"Miggy is pouring tea."

Pic 2: "Miggy is cooking in the kitchen."
"Hmmm. Delicious hotdog. Add some salt."

*Miggy still addresses himself as a third person. He has difficulty using "I".

*Miggy loves doing girl-stuff. It is actually included in his therapies: self-help skills. These skills teach him independence and coping with daily life.

Fun Day at Mc Donalds!

Ridge View Academy Pre-schoolers supposedly would go on a field trip to an eco-park here in Baguio City. However, during the teachers-parents meeting, it was unanimously agreed to just end the schoolyear with a kids' party at Mc Donalds where everyone would surely have fun.

March 12, 2010
Mc Donalds, SM Baguio

Joking

Jan 28, 2010
Miggy: "Mommy, say give-me-a-kiss."
Mom: Give me a kiss.
He hugged me and laughed hard. That's a hug, I said.
Miggy: "Mommy, say give-me-a-hug."
Mom: Give me a hug.
He kissed me and laughed even harder. That's a kiss, I said.

Miggy: "Miggy is joking."

* Autistics are literal. Every word to its literal meaning. They do not know how to make jokes. Luckily, Miggy now knows how to make jokes. With autistics, everything has to be taught, including facial expressions and emotions. They do not learn things naturally. They do not learn on their own. Everything has to be mechanically fed to their brains. No input, no output.

* My strategy (Being very animated is a must and a plus!)
- I show exaggerated facial expressions, such as reactions when someone is happy, sad, excited, surprised and scared.
- I repeatedly play jokes on him and afterwards I tell him: That's a joke. Mommy is joking.
- When we watch cartoons (Tom and Gerry Show), I explain to him: Tom is playing jokes (tricks) on Gerry. Tom is joking. or Gerry is joking.

Friends at New Sinai Educational System

Warm greetings to Mrs. Lilia del Barrio and her students at New Sinai Educational System in Santa Rosa, Laguna, Philippines, particularly the graduating class of Practical Nursing 2 and students of Caregiver Course.

I have 65 posts here. If you can't find everything you need here, please feel free to ask. You can find my mobile number and email address at the left side bar.

Thank you very much.

Useful Books

Photo 1: Search books, such as Look and Find, Where Are They and Find Waldo, increase Miggy's attention span, at the same time, improve his "pointing".

Photo 2: Sticker books; Coloring books; Spelling, Math, Science, English, & Writing Books. These are just a few of the books that challenge Miggy's intellect. He can do most academic activities that any regular student can perform.

* One hallmark of some children with autism: They do not know how to point (with their fingers) and share their interests with others. (I am not even sure if Miggy had any interest in anything at all when he was just a baby because he never shared it with me and he never looked at me, or if he did, it was only accidental. I may have only gotten in the way of his passing glance.)

"Dear Jesus...."

Miggy's Prayer when he was 5 years old:

"Dear Jesus, bless Mommy, bless Daddy, bless Ate, bless Miggy, bless Lolo and Lola, bless Inay and Tatay,
bless animals, bless butterflies, bless flowers, bless cars, bless Sponge Bob, bless Winnie the Pooh, bless Superman, bless Spiderman, bless Simpsons The Movie, bless Barney, bless Smiley face, bless Dumbo, and bless Jesus. Amen. I love you, Jesus. Thank you."

* And I later found out, he was looking at his stickers on the cabinet doors.

"Out of Egypt"

Jan. 3, 2010
"This is a pyramid. This is 'Out Of Egypt'," he said.

* He learned it on the Discovery Channel documentary of Egypt, entitled 'Out of Egypt' (November 2009 Episode). He was able to associate a pyramid with Egypt.

I am Miggy's friend!

Tonight, Miggy watched the Garfield Show on Cartoon Network. After switching off the TV and while getting him ready for bed, I had this very brief yet most revealing conversation with him. It went like this:

Mom: Are Garfield and Odie friends?
Miggy: "Yes."
Mom: Who is the friend of Mickey?
Miggy: "Minnie."
Mom: Who is the friend of Donald?
Miggy: "Daisy."
Mom: How about you? Do you have a friend?
Miggy: "Yes."
Mom: Who is your friend?
Miggy: "MOMMY."

* Wow, I am Miggy's friend! See, I told you I can break down his walls.

Last week, Miggy and other special children were featured twice in Baguio newspapers, namely Sun Star and Midland Courier, to stir public awareness and acceptance of autism. "Many mentors marveled at the depth and perspective of the pictures taken by the participants, others commenting that the children took even better pictures at angles that even mentors didn't see."

What can I say? I'm a proud momma!

"That's a monkey..."

Dec. 23, 2009
While I was folding Miggy's t-shirt,
Miggy read the words on the shirt and said the names of animals printed on the shirt:
"San Diego Zoo. Children's Zoo."
"That's a monkey, a parrot, a elephant, a horse, a pig, a tiger, a turtle, a panda, a koala, a bird, a rat and a beaver."

SM Photo Exhibit

In time with Panagbenga Festival and Autism month, photography artworks of 19 children with autism are showcased at SM Baguio. Exhibit runs from February 5 - 25, 2010.

* Miggy with Baguio City Mayor Reinaldo Bautista Jr.





* Miggy with Speech Therapist/ Owner of Play and Say Therapy Center, Justine Palou

What animal?

Oct. 2, 2009:
In one of my sessions with Miggy:
Mom: What animal has a shell on its back, green color and moves very slow?
Miggy: "It's a turtle."
Mom: What animal says arf-arf and loves to eat bones?
Miggy: "It's a dog."
Mom: What animal has brown spots and has a long neck?
Miggy: "It's a giraffe."
Mom: What animal is very big, has long ears and colored gray?
Miggy: "It's a elephant."
Mom: What animal is also gray but is very, very small? (I was referring to a mouse)
Miggy: "It's a very small elephant."
Mom: No, it's gray, it's very, very small and it says squeak.
Miggy: "It's a gray, small elephant .... that says squeak-squeak."

Alvin and the Chipmunks 2

Last Saturday, Jan. 30, 2010, my family, together with all these families watched the sensory-friendly movie, "Alvin and the Chipmunks, The Squeakquel." This was a joint project of ShoeMart, Play and Say Therapy Center, Autism Society of the Philippines (Baguio Chapter) and PMA Bantay Laya.

I posted this event to show everyone how big a family we are in our SPECIAL KINGDOM. All these families came out in the open, full of courage and pride, unmindful of shame and the insult of society.... altogether joining our little voices to shout to the world that we may not be perfect (well, no one is) but we are unique, maybe not in society's standards but in the eyes of the Maker.

*To everyone:
Please know that we too have feelings. Sometimes we get a little too sensitive and defensive. Why? Because we just couldn't stand it when other people look at our SPECIAL children with disgust. Their so-called disabilities are not at all disabling. They are not a burden to society. Like everyone else, they are also God's children, with equal rights to God's glory.

"Wow, it's spring"

Oct. 30, 2009: Miggy at 7 yrs/2mos:
Looking out the window, he said:
"Wow, it's spring."
"The birds are singing, the grass is green."

Note: We live in the Philippines and we don't have spring here. However, Miggy learned the four seasons: winter, spring, summer and autumn in one of his educational videos.

*Miggy has an American accent which he learned from educational videos. Anybody who hears him talk would think that he grew up in the U.S. Oftentimes, we are asked if he is a "balikbayan". The only Tagalog words he knows are pandesal, lumpia and butong-pakwan which he says in a funny way.

Reading

Miggy: "The yellow cat is playing the piano. The brown cat is playing the accordion. The gray cat is playing the trumpet and the blue cat is playing the big guitar."
Mommy: And what are you doing?
Miggy: "I am reading a book."

Bonding Moments

Photo 1: Inside Miggy's new tent (a Christmas gift from Ate)
Photo 2: Playing with Troll dolls
Photo 3: Miggy and Clarisse: studying and having fun. Hi-fives!
Photo 3: Miggy tickles his Ate. He loves it all the
more when he hears his Ate shout and laugh.



*These are moments that I thought would never ever happen.

Photography Workshop

Yesterday, Miggy and 16 other special children attended the Colors of Autism Spectrum Photography Workshop (a helping hand project of Autism Society of the Philippines, Play and Say Therapy Center and Baguio Photographers Club), held at the Botanical Garden, Baguio City.

My deepest and sincerest gratitude to Mr. Boopsie Erana who sponsored for Miggy, Mr. Martin Valeriano for being very kind and

patient in teaching Miggy the art of photography, Mr. Cess Garcia for the soulful prayer (he made us cry), Mr. Nelson Alavanza for generously lending his expensive and delicate camera to Miggy, Mr. Lino Tabangin for his support and warm acceptance, Mrs. Belette Viscocho,

Baguio City Mayor Reinaldo Bautista Jr., ABS-CBN Baguio Newscaster Pia Guttierez, and all other photographers, "special parents" and their very, very special children.

Of course, this event could not have been possible without the endless help and unwavering support of

Play and Say Therapy Center and the Autism Society of the Philippines. You have all made us very proud of our SPECIAL CHILDREN.
Thank you very much.
May God continue to bless you always and in all ways.

A big thank you is not even enough for what you have made of my son... perhaps a future photographer? Why not?

Photos of Nature Taken by Miggy

These pictures were taken by Miggy with the guidance of Mr. Martin Valeriano.

Create an Animal Magnet

Out of bits and pieces, Miggy created this animal magnet without any assistance or guidance from me. He is becoming more independent, discovering and creating things on his own.

End of the Holiday Season and all our visiting relatives had gone home:
Miggy said : "Miggy look at the bedrooms."
He checked every bedroom: "Oh, no! What happened? The bedroom is very empty. The cabinets are empty. The people are gone."

*Although the Holidays had ended, it left Miggy a social experience that he will carry on through the rest of his life. Enjoy these pictures as much as I did when I took them. Miggy engaged in social interaction with Yanni and Tamtam.
"Baby, throw me the ball."