A Better 2010!

We just found out that my employer is changing our Insurance Plan to another company and elected to include Autism benefits in the plan, not knowing what all is going to be covered and how much therapy we can have coverage for, this is a GIANT step and great relief going into next year. We are extremely excited that Brucie will soon be able to get the much need physical and occupational therapy he needs. With Insurance coverage of ABA, Speech, PT and OT we can now explore more bio-medical intervention and homeopathy options. I never thought this day would be here, we struggled so hard to give what we could afford to pay for Brucie’s therapies. Our new Insurance plan and coverage will be great relief of the financial burden and the “what if Brucie had every opportunity in therapy”  we have faced for almost two years. This is the best gift we have ever received!!!!

Halloween

 

Trick or Treat!

Brucie had a great time during Halloween this year. He actually went door to door ringing doorbells and getting “approved” treats for Halloween. At one house he actually rang the doorbell and then just opened the door, trying to make himself at home. He dressed up as a pirate minus the hat and eye patch. Good luck getting those on, but it was so exciting as he really enjoyed it.

 

Health Care Reform – Another Step Closer to Ending Health Insurance Discrimination

Autism Votes announced on November 9th that the U.S. House of Representatives has passed a health care reform bill that includes behavior therapy for people with autism. We are another step closer to ending health insurance discrimination against children and adults affected by autism. Hopefully, the Senate will soon pass the bill, too.

Please go to www.autismvotes.org to send a thank you note to Rep. Mike Doyle, who introduced this legislation to Congress in July 2009.

“You Bake Cake NOW!”

This evening, while I was doing the dishes, Brucie went to the pantry and started looking around.  I thought he was looking for his usual chips, but as I was washing dishes, I felt little Brucie shoving something at my back.  He was pushing a muffin tin at me and saying, “You bake cake NOW!”  He demanded I bake him a cake…now!  I did it and he was in heaven!  He supervised me the whole time.  He got mad when I added only two cups of his rice milk.  He thought it should have three, and he let me know it.  He licked the spatula and ate some cake.  He hasn’t eaten anything outside of his four foods in so long. I was so excited.  I still can’t believe he asked me to make him a cake.

Fall is in the Air

Over the last few weeks the weather has been great. To facilitate sensory integration (e.g., vision, balance and movement through space), we recently bought a bounce house with a slide, and we put a ball pit at the end of the slide. Brucie and Samantha play on it all the the time and really enjoy it.

Brucie has had a slight fever the past few days, and Samantha and Darby now have the runny nose and fatigue that Brucie had. Everyone in the family seems to have caught this little bug.

We’re gearing up for Halloween. We’re excited about it this year, as Brucie has made so much progress with his ABA therapy that he will actually be able to enjoy the trick-or-treat experience. We’re debating on what Brucie’s costume will be, but Samantha will be Minnie Mouse. I’m going to be Mr. Incredible, which is my favorite; all those muscles and I don’t have to work out.

Sensory Friendly Movies

REMINDER

“Where the Wild Things are” is this month’s AMC sensory friendly film. It will be shown at participating theaters at 10 a.m. on Saturday, October 17th.

To reduce anxiety, the sound is turned down, the theater isn’t completely dark, and children can get up and walk around, dance, shout or sing. You can even take your own gluten-free, casein-free snacks!! For more information, go to http://www.amctheatres.com/promos/sensory/.

Autism Every Day

This YouTube video is Autism Every Day.

Wow! We could have been telling this story about our life. Please check it out. This is what families with autism endure on a daily basis. Click the play button and then click “Watch on YouTube.”  Thanks!

In 2007, the Centers for Disease Control (CDC) reported that 1 in 150 children (1 in 94 boys) in the United States are affected by autism spectrum disorders. A study published October 2009 in the American Academy of Pediatrics’ journal Pediatrics shows it to be 1 in 91 children (1 in 58 boys). That is about one percent (1%) of the population.

Please also take a look at our August 14, 2009, post about things you can do to help families living with autism.

Health Care Reform – One Step Closer to Ending Autism Insurance Discrimination

Today the Senate Finance Committee passed the Health Insurance Reform Bill, this Bill along with the House Bill passed earlier by Congress will be merged with each other. Both Bills have amendments to mandate that medical insurance pay for behavior therapy and other services for children and adults affected by autism. People with autism are one step closer to being able to get the care that they need.

Fluorescent Light Bulbs

Who would have thought that going “green” and buying fluorescent light bulbs to save energy was actually doing more harm than good? All of those compact fluorescent light bulbs we bought last year contain trace amounts of mercury and are toxic and are responsible for putting more toxins in our enviroment. So we got rid of all of our compact fluorescent light bulbs and went back to regular old-fashioned light bulbs.

Amazing Race TV Show

Zev and Justin finished first in the last leg of the race that aired on October 11th but, unfortunately, they were eliminated from the race when Zev could not find his passport. During the race, they misread a clue and mistakenly entered a temple at the place where team members had to imitate monkey movements. It was dark inside the temple and they think Zev’s passport fell to the ground when Justin pulled a head lamp out of his backpack to help them find their way out. When they went back to search that area, they didn’t look inside the temple; but, fortunately, somebody found the passport and took it to the embassy.