The Birthday Boy

I can't believe he is 9 already! Time goes by so fast and now I have two "tweens". He had a small birthday party at home and then we had a bigger party at the rink. He had a lot of fun with his team friends. We didn't have anyone from school come. His teacher has a rule that if you invite one you have to invite all, well I couldn't do that so oh well. Nate didn't seem to be bothered by it. He is more comfortable around the team kids anyways. His skate coach challenged him to an air hockey game and Nate won but the coach demanded a rematch and Nate lost the second game. He was happy that grandma, grandpa, nana, and papa all drove up to celebrate with him.
He is doing well and is ready for summer and lots of hours playing outside again. This winter has been too long for all of us. He has been playing a lot with his legos and video games. We got Guitar Hero and he is getting really good at that. School is going okay, some problems with reading and spelling but overall he is behaving himself. He got into trouble a few weeks ago and got sent to the principle because he wouldn't listen to the substitute. It isn't a surprise he acted out, he hates when things get changed and he acts up, it's nothing new. The school updated his 504 and everything was kept the way we had it, seems to be working for him and his teacher follows it like he is supposed to.
Nate started soccer a couple of weeks back and he is having fun with that too. He has scored a goal in both games he has played so far. He is really good at scoring goals but the running is still a challenge for him. He gets out there and tries. He has Regionals next weekend so we have another trip, this time to Portland. He is doing his Juvenile division, an elementary two mix relay and an elementary two boy relay. He has been getting faster as time goes, and he really seems to be happy he decided to get back into it instead of taking the season off. He's a busy kid and as he is getting older he is becoming a much easier boy to be around. He seems to be calming down quite a bit as far as the hyperactivity goes. He has his quirks but overall the behavioral problems we had there for awhile have calmed down. I just hope he gets as good of a teacher next year, who is patient and all will go well.

Meets and Other Stuff

Nate and his 1st Place Juvenile 4 boy relay team.
He raced with the boys who are in green and the one to his right in blue & silver (his old partner from CDA).










Nate & the castle he built





Auburn Meet
Juvenile Boys = No Placement but he tried hard and says he still had fun.
Nate didn't have any relays this meet

Bremerton Meet
Juvenile Boys= Made it out of heats into semi-finals for the first time.
Elementary 2 Mix with Ericka = 3rd Pl in heat and 5th Pl overall in final.
Juvenile 4 Boy Relay= 1st Place

Nate skated very hard and he is getting faster each meet. He is in a fast group of boys but he gets out there and does his best to keep up (4 of the boys in his division have placed at Nationals). His coach told him he is one of the best passers on the team. If we could just get him to get some stronger starts he would have a better chance but his legs give him a challenge in this area. If he sticks with the sport he has one more season and he'll be able to skate novice division. He won't have to skate against the boys who have placed at Nationals anymore and he will be in a group more his speed. He has been doing so good at practice that the coach let him skate in the older kids group the other night, made Nate's day and helped his confidence.

Besides skating he is doing really good. We just had his conference last week and he is getting good grades in everything except spelling and reading. He is "at risk" for reading but they are keeping an eye on him. His behavior is good because his teacher is very structured and seems to know how to handle him. He is at a table with another ASD child and a boy from Russia, they get along well and Nate likes them both.
He has been spending a lot of time playing with his Legos and Transformers. We got the family a Nintendo Wii for Christmas and he is loving that, him and Troy play games together all the time. We took him off the meds again, they were making him sick. He can be a handful but those medications change his personality too much and I don't like that. We have to take him in to talk to his doctor to try and figure out something else. He does do better at school and gets in less trouble while on meds, but they make him so tired and moody. He is old enough now to know that they help him in some ways but not in others so he gets frustrated. I wish we could help him without all the side affects but that just doesn't seem to be possible so far. Anyways, he's doing well and he is always busy.

Faces

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Autism Awareness Video

I finally found a program that allowed me to do what I have wanted to for a long time. I was actually able to add video which makes it so much better. I can't believe how far he has come since those early days. I thought the song fit perfectly. Let me know what you think.

BEEN AWHILE

It's been a month but not too many things have really happened. Nate enjoyed his Christmas vacation and was very happy with all his presents. He has been playing the Nintendo Wii a lot and putting together lots of legos. He was bummed to have to go back to school but he's doing good. He has been skating like a mad man at practice and is getting much faster. He actually almost beat Ericka at a race during session a few days ago. She had to start way back but he still made her work for it and she only got him at the last few feet. He was quite proud of himself. Today he had to race the adults at session and he kept up with them so his confidence got a boost.
Yesterday he went and played with his little school buddy (a fellow autie kid :) and they had a good time building legos and playing with trains. He really likes being around this other boy so it's nice to see him showing interest in others. He is also warming up to some of the kids on the team, many of which also go to session. He takes a little while to let people into his "bubble" but once he figures out who he can tolerate he's really friendly. We have a few older boys who are really fast who help him and cheer him on so that has made skating more fun too.
School seems to be going well for him. He is getting better at reading but his writing is still a touchy subject. He is still doing well in math but those story problems are sometimes tricky for him. He absolutely loathes school but I'm happy he behaves while he is there, for the most part anyways.
He has been on his new medication (strattera)for a month now. He tried it before but the doctor in Kennewick didn't dose him right. This doc is really good at what he does and starts them much slower, it has worked wonders so far. We have had some appetite problems and some times of emotional outbursts which are normal at first but it's getting better as time goes. He says they help him concentrate and we notice more social interest in other people. The doctor says he noticed after the first two weeks that Nate was making much more eye contact. The doc was also happy that Nate was more verbal with him when he asked Nate questions. At his eval Nate wouldn't look at him and didn't want to talk much. He says that he has noticed the same social changes in some of his other patients who are higher functioning. We are just glad the side affects aren't causing anything too difficult to deal with. He seems much happier overall and we don't have to constantly get on him about not listening so he doesn't feel like he is always in trouble.
He has his first meet of the season in a couple of weeks up in Seattle. This will be his first year as a Juvenile skater ( he was Primary) so he's going to have to race harder and faster but he says he is excited. Wish him luck!

CHRISTMAS TREE BOY

Here are some pictures I felt like sharing. Nate is doing good and keeping busy as usual. He is very excited for Christmas. We went to Wal mart yesterday to get some lights and he got a picture with Santa, which I will add once I get it. He asked Santa for a Nintendo WII, typical boy! Anyways, he is counting down the days until winter break. He has been having fun playing in all the snow we have. He says he wants a White Christmas, maybe he will finally have one.

Dr Appointment

We took Nathan in to see his new developmental pediatrician (considered one of the best in the state for autism spectrum disorders:). He asked us a bunch of questions and looked at Nate's school and medical history. He also spent a little time asking Nate some questions to see how he communicated and socialized. He told us that he agrees that Nate is definitely on the spectrum. He says that Nate can be considered Aspergers (because of high IQ) but also falls under what is called PDD-NOS. The autism spectrum consists of different labels to describe the severity. Aspergers is considered the mildest, then PDD-NOS (most often called Atypical Autism), and then Autistic Disorder. PDD-NOS basically describes a child who has symptoms of autism but has milder delays than what is seen in Autistic Disorder. He says that kids with Aspergers usually don't have any history of developmental delays (they walk, talk, etc on time). Since Nate had what he calls "significant developmental delays" he feels Nate is more affected than what he usually sees in Aspergers. He feels it would be better to keep the dx of Aspergers though because Nate is now showing an interest in other kids (he now plays with another boy at school who is also autistic :) he is doing well in school without special ed, and because he has been able to handle skating and soccer (team sports).
The doctor says that he is dropping the label of ADHD because the dx of autism covers those same behaviors. He decided it would be a good idea to try Nate on meds again but to approach it much slower. He is now on Strattera again (non-stimulant) for a trial run of 3 wks, he is also going to have a more thorough EEG where he will be sedated and have some newer tests than what they did when he was younger. There is a possibility he will be put on an anti-seizure med soon too. He is also being referred to a pediatric Neuro at Children's to deal with the hypotonia and the seizures. The doctor also said he is going to see what he can do to get Nate more help at school for his social skills and physical delays. He hasn't been on the medication long so we don't really know if it will help. We'll keep you updated on what happens.

NATE'S SOCCER GAME

Nate had a soccer game today, the last couple of weekends they were canceled due to holidays etc. He was excited to be there and scored two goals. He went to kick the ball and ended up colliding with another little boy. We could hear his knee pop from across the gym and he was down. He tried to go back out and play but he said it hurt too much so he watched the rest of the game from the bench. He was bummed he couldn't finish the game but stuff like that happens, he'll have to learn how to toughen up. The end of season soccer bash is next Saturday and his last game will be on the 15th. He seems to really like soccer and it is something he seems to be good at so I hope he continues to play. His knee is sore but it's only bruised, he's done worse at the rink but it definitely messed up his game, oh well. Other than that not much is going on. He has been out playing in all the snow we've had over the last couple of days. He says he hopes it keeps snowing so that we have a "White Christmas". I hope so too!

Conferences

We had Nate's conference today and his teacher says he is doing good. He needs a little help with spelling and writing but he's getting his work done and trying hard. His teacher has him sitting in a group with two other boys who have similar personalities, so they are working well together. This teacher seems to have a lot of patience with Nate. He is willing to make the few changes to make it easier for Nate to get through the day without too much trouble. Most people figure out on their own that as long as he is kept busy and knows what to expect he does really well. If he has a job of some sort and feels like he is helping he is much happier. Shaun knows this and has made him the official cone kid at skate practice. He is in charge of setting up all the drill cones and making sure they are put away after practice. The other kids have to ask him first if they can help, so now Nate is called Nat-han the cone man. The only problem though is that sometimes he will be in the middle of a drill and he will notice one get kicked out of place, he so wants to fix it but can't. It's good for him to learn he can wait and that it's okay that things don't always have to be in a perfect line. The second the drill is over though he makes a bee-line right to the misplaced cone and fixes it, it's funny to watch him having his OCD moment, some things never change!

Thanksgiving, A Trip To Seattle etc

Nate had a fun but long holiday weekend. He got to eat and play at Grandma Cindy's. Then he got to see his "girlfriend" K, a girl he knows through skating. They are the same age and they have fun running around chasing each other through the house. The marathon wasn't as fun for Nate, he ended up taking off and getting lost in the crowd. He panicked but had been told that if we got seperated to follow the crowd to the end where they have a booth. He did exactly that and we met up with him there. It was beyond scary for mom and dad but he's smart and actually did what he was supposed to when it mattered. He still tried to take off several more times throughout the day so we have to constantly tell him to stay with us and physically hold his hand or he gets excited and just goes.

He loved the dinosaurs and the space center at the Science Center, it was definitly a hit. He really liked finding out how much he would weigh on each planet. There were so many things he wanted to do but just not enough time. He got to see the majority of the center so he was happy either way.

We got home and went to practice. He and Ericka both crashed today. Nate was goofing off and ran into the wall. I know it hurt but we all got a good laugh at his expense. Sometimes he does things that just leave us scratching our heads, he got up and was fine. He came home and like Ericka fell asleep the second his head hit the pillow.

We have his conference this week so we will find out how he is doing. They are going to do some hearing tests, he has been getting frustrated lately because he is constantly asking people to repeat what they say. We have to practically scream his name. He has failed two other hearing tests before but they always said it was borderline and not something to worry about. I guess they think it's easier to tell us he needs medication rather than finding out other possibilities as to why he may not listen, wish us luck!

FIRST SOCCER GAME

The pic on the left is of him kicking the ball back into play from the sideline. Then his team and his two coaches. They play their games at the Fairchild AFB Youth Center.
Nathan had his first indoor soccer game this last Saturday. They don't keep score but there were some good goals made by both teams. Nate made one goal and he was really happy. All the kids were bunched up on one side of the field and Nate kicked it through some legs, it rolled across to his team's goal. The look on his face was priceless. There are only 5 kids on his team and only three play at one time. This team has three 7 year olds and two 8 yr olds. You can see in the team picture the size difference. Nate has shot up a lot the last couple of months. He is all legs and his clumsiness has increased but he was out there trying his best. He tripped several times while running, poor kid. They did some exercises before the game and he was the only boy who hadn't learned how to skip yet. It didn't seem to bother him and the other kids didn't seem to notice so that's good. He had fun and did well so it was a great game for him. He says he is going to play outdoor soccer this spring, as well as skate. He hates being bored so maybe having these two things to focus on will keep him out of trouble.

NATE AT PATTISON'S HALLOWEEN PARTY

Nate getting "wrapped" by Ericka for mummy wrap game

OPTIMUS "NATE" PRIME

We were actually able to find a transformer costume. He loves the movie so it wasn't a surprise this is what he would dress up as. He wanted to be Bumblebee (the corvette for those of you who haven't seen the movie) but he couldn't find that one. He had fun at the party, lots of sugar which made for a crazy kid.

SOME FUN STUFF

If you click on the music play icon twice you can hear some of Nate's favorite songs. If a song comes up you can't stand just hover over and click the right side of the music box and you can go to the next track. We thought we would add some of his skate pictures and baby pics too.
He has decided to give skating another try. He is tired of getting beat at session and realized the only way to keep getting better is to go to practice. He has a few friends who skate on the team now too. He isn't in the same group as Ericka so that helps keep them from bickering. He seems to be having fun and it's great to see him actually enjoy being around the other boys. They are session skaters too so they all know each other and they all get along.
His soccer practices have also started and he seems to like it so far. Soccer only lasts 6 wks. His games start on November 3rd and will be every Saturday until December 16th. It's indoor soccer so it's only 6 kids on a team and only 3 play on the field at a time. They don't keep score so there aren't any winners or losers, it's just mainly to give the kids a chance to learn the game and have fun. He loves to be busy so between school, skating and soccer he won't be bored, atleast for a few weeks anyways.

School Pictures Are Finally Here

Here is Nathan's 3rd Grade school picture. As usual he has battle wounds. I can't count how many professional pictures I have that show some type of scrape, cut or bruise. He had surface burn on his face from skating. He took a really bad fall during fast skate and the floor took some skin. I guess it's good that the picture was taken almost a week later. Anyways, we are just happy he smiled nice, the last three school years he made silly faces.

(we also just added Nate's Regional Picture if you scroll down you will see it)

September Update

Nathan has been doing okay. School has been a struggle but sadly that really isn't a surprise. He says his teacher is nice most of the time. He is getting frustrated, all the other kids are moving to new stations and he has to stay at the same one. We have found that as long as the math has no words involved (story problems) he still does really well. You can give him a number problem and he will get it right but the same question in word form and he has troubles. His writing needs a lot of work but he is trying. He says he has no friends at school and just follows Ericka around. I am going to schedule an appointment with the district special ed director. He needs to have another eval to see if he qualifies for resource room. The work is getting harder now that he is in 3rd and it has become clear he is falling behind. He tries so hard so we do what we can to help boost his confidence.
His soccer starts next month. They didn't have enough kids to have more than two teams, so he will compete against the same team the whole 6 wks. I think that since he doesn't like change it will be a big plus for him, he will know who to expect. He just wants to kick the ball around anyways.
He skated today at the beginners speed class. Shaun invited him to skate on the team when he is ready to skate again. He has known Nate since he was a baby and he knows the struggles Nate has had and is willing to help him get better at Nate's pace.
The few friends he has at the rink are all either in the class or have made the team, so they have been trying to talk him into coming back. We told him he has time to think about it and whatever he chooses is fine. He had a lot of fun and Shaun even allowed him to "help" a little by setting up the cones. He still likes to skate but it's just a lot of work and he isn't as competitive. He says he does really like relays though so we will see if that works out, if Shaun will let him skate those instead of his division he might be more willing to give it another try.
He is really excited for Halloween. He is going to be Optimus Prime from the Transformers. We just bought the DVD and it's his favorite. He and Troy had seen it at the theatre but now he can watch it at home. He saw the costume at the store and it was a must have.
He has been spending a lot of time building his legos and bionicles. He has been really bummed lately because it's been so cold outside. He just loves being outside, poor boy. Over all though, as long as he is home and with us he is a very happy kid.

AUGUST UPDATE/1ST DAY OF 3rd GRADE

Wow, I can't believe I haven't updated in forever. I'm bad at this.
Anyways, Nate is doing fine. He had a fun summer and wasn't happy about having to go back to school. He got to spend the last weekend with a good friend he has known since he was a baby. Our friends from Tacoma came to visit and Nate had a good time playing with his buddy. They played video games and made a "rock fort" out on the sidewalk. They spent a lot of time playing with Transformers. He is only one of two kids Nate will even tolerate so it's nice to see him actually playing.
We went and signed him up for indoor soccer today. They have a league on base that starts in November. It only lasts a few weeks but he seems to be excited. He decided he doesn't want to skate this season. I think it's probably for the best. He would be moving up to a harder divison this year (juvenile) and he really has no chance. I hate to say that but it's just the way it is. He just doesn't have the strength to keep up with the other boys. The motivation has to be there and he just doesn't have it. He could change his mind but I doubt it. Ericka has chosen to switch to a new team and even though Shaun is really nice, I don't think he would be as patient with Nate like Joe was so he is probably making a good choice.

Today was his first day of 3rd grade. He has another male teacher and is happy about that. He didn't get to meet him today though, Mr Curtis got food poisoning and had to stay home. He didn't say his first day was terrible but he wasn't happy knowing he has to keep going back. He is not like his sister at all, she loves school and he loathes it. We told him that he might really like 3rd grade if he gives it time.
We have to go in to update his 504 here in the next couple of weeks. We found out that 29 percent of the kids at Sunset are special needs so if he ends up having trouble he'll get more help. Maybe if they actually follow his 504 he'll start to enjoy school. We can only hope it turns out that way.

CRAZY CHILD

Nathan is very happy to be out of school. He is a whirlwind of activity. He started off the summer being grounded, for not doing his chores and talking back. I don't know if he is going to survive the summer if he keeps this up. We really need to find something for him to do but the stinker doesn't want to do anything but sit and play video games. I wonder who he could have gotten that from ;). He has been antagonizing poor Ericka every chance he gets. We are constantly hearing "I'm bored" but when we come up with ideas he's not having any of it. He was playing outside for awhile but that no longer seems to be his thing either. We have more kids in the neighborhood now and he doesn't want to deal with them so he stays inside. He gets easily annoyed by the other kids so unless he knows he'll be left alone he won't go out. He has been spending a lot of time building with his legos or listening to music. He will sometimes read along side Ericka or ask her to read to him. He loves to read about dinosaurs or anything that is science. He isn't one for fiction but if it has a dragon on the cover he might give it a try. He spends a lot of time just jumping, running and spinning around.
We got his report card on the last day of school and he got all high marks for his school work. He got minuses for all behaviors though, no surprise! He's so smart but WOW this kid is wild!!

Dr Appt and Other Stuff

Nate is chomping at the bit for school to be out. He only has about a week and a half. He is so ready for summer and long days of playing in the water. He's just happy when it's warm because it means no socks. His idea of being comfortable is running around in swimtrunks and bare feet.
Tomorrow is Jelly Bean Field Day at school. They get jelly beans when they win the games, yummy. Nate has a big sweet tooth so maybe that will motivate him to listen. I just hope he can keep up enough to get atleast some candy. He hasn't been complaining as much about school. It probably has something to do with everything calming down. He hasn't had any homework, that has made us both happier. It's a fight getting him to finish it so it's nice not having to deal with that for a while. I hope next year they help him more with his writing. If he could type instead of using a pencil things would be so much easier. I think next year he'll probably qualify for more. He'll be going to a different school with better programs. We will be reviewing his 504 plan and making changes. I just hope that next school year treats him better than this one did.
We took him to meet his new doctor yesterday. This doctor specializes in ADHD and ASD's. The first thing he sees when he comes into the room is Nate hiding under the chair. We had to tell him a couple of times to come out and say hi. The doctor had to go do something real quick and came back to Nate spinning the stool. He wouldn't make eye contact and then when the doctor asked him questions he got all goofy and made silly faces. Let's just say the doctor doesn't question his diagnosis. He was a little confused as to why Nate isn't getting more help at school. He says that even though he might not qualify for academic help he definitly should get some for behavior and social skills. He asked what school he goes to and if he will be going there next year. We told him that Nate will be going to Sunset up by our house instead of Betz. He says that Sunset is one of the best schools around here for autism programs. I just hope that they do a better job working with him. Next school year will be the first time he'll be taking the WASL's. I remember Ericka's 3rd grade year. They focus on writing a lot more and that's his worst subject. I won't be surprised if they end up having to change his 504 to an IEP instead.
We will worry about that in a few months, right now we are just going to enjoy summer.

NATE AT REGIONALS

Nate didn't make it to Nationals but he skated really good. He tried but the other boys were just too fast. He was a little sad but there is next season if he decides to skate again. He had fun watching Ericka kick some butt. He is happy for her and kept cheering her on.
His favorite part of the trip was getting to go on all the fun rides after the meet. They hold Regionals in Portland Oregon at Oaks Amusement Park and skate rink. Every year after the first day they have a big picnic and the skaters all get to hang around and have some fun at the park. Nate wanted to go on everything and I spent a lot of time chasing him down. He was really excited and worked up so he was a challenge to say the least. He gets really hyper and goofy and pays no attention to whats going on. I can't count how many times he ran into people because he was busy looking at all the flashing lights etc.
Kids from all different teams were hanging out together and having a good time. There were a couple of other boys in his division who found him and asked him to go on a ride with them. He actually went and they were laughing when they came out. He is starting to make more friends at the meets and they stick together. It doesn't matter to them that he isn't the best skater. They never make fun of him. The faster boys try and tell him things to help him get better. They all pick up on the fact he's a bit different but they are patient with him. The thing we like most about this sport is that the same people go season to season over several years. Some of these kids have been skating together since they were tiny tots and stay in it for years. They grow up together. There are some families where they are 2nd or even 3rd generation skaters. It's kind of like a big family. We have been part of it now for over 2 yrs and it's the one group that has been the most accepting of him. There are several kids in this Region who are really talented skaters who at school are outcasts. Like Nate they may not always be the best by any means but they get out there and try. Even though Nate never places in his division he does place in relays and it has helped his confidence. At several meets they let kids from different teams group up and relay together. Nate has been lucky and has been put on some good relays. He's smart and knows when to go out and he does his part well. He knows the other kids are counting on him to do it right so he tries hard to pay attention. They see that and respect him. It's good because then when he's goofy off the floor they are more forgiving. It also helps that he follows around his sister who makes friends easily. She is his navigator and explains him to the others.
He is SO ready for school to be out. I am too just so I get a break from the homework fight. I wish that he could just tell the teacher the answer. He hates to write and it is a battle I am tired of fighting. Next year he'll be in third and they really start focusing on penmenship. He is going to struggle with that for many years to come, hopefully they figure it out and help him.
He is happy that the weather is finally getting warm. He goes out and plays any chance he gets. I think we are all looking forward to summer and having some fun.

Birthday Boy

My baby turned 8 yesterday. I can't believe it! He is growing so fast. We took him out to dinner and then came home and watched Barnyard. He got to open a couple of presents but the rest will wait till Saturday when we go to grandma's. We got him a remote control helicopter that he's very happy about. He's wanted it for awhile so he was pretty excited when he unwrapped it. He spent the afternoon terrorizing the poor dogs with it.
School is going okay I think. He says that he has been getting in trouble and missing recess. He says that he isn't getting his writing done on time so he gets sent to study hall. I feel sorry for the person in charge there, Nate+boredom = chaos. His papers come home with high marks except his writing so we are working on that still. I think that is going to be an issue for a long time. He absolutly hates to write and can't stand holding the pencil. He loves math but when he has to actually write the answers rather than say them he gets frustrated. It's a battle every day to get him to do his homework. He fights and cries and whines and it turns into a tantrum but he eventually gets it done. He keeps asking how many more days he has until school is done. Lucky for him there is only about a month left. We've got some fun stuff planned for the summer so he'll be a happier boy we hope.