April ~ Day Thirty

Well, here we are. The very last post for April. I have enjoyed my daily ramblings, although I'm not sure I will be able to keep it up for May! :)

Speaking of May..... Nick has a big birthday at the end of the month. He is turning 18. It doesn't seem so long ago that he was the size of the wee boy in the photograph below. Time has zipped by quickly.

We ended off our month with an adventure. A friend invited us to go for a spin in his Foxbat and we jumped at the opportunity. Nick was happy to wait for us all to have a turn. That iPad sure comes in handy!

We are off on another adventure in three sleeps time. This one involves a much larger plane and Nick will be traveling with us. Thank you, RDI, for giving us a better quality of life.

Travel and the Autistic Teen

There is much excitement in our house. We are off to New Zealand next week to spend some quality time with my side of the family. As you can imagine, the trip is a big deal for us because Nick is also coming along. Fingers and toes crossed that the flights (three of them to NZ) go smoothly without any stress. The different time zone is going to be a challenge but let's not think about that just yet!

Nick's most favorite sign of the moment is 'plane'. If I pretend that I don't know what he is signing, he will write it on my phone or his iPad.

Now, I am not a Social Stories kind of gal. I prefer to expose Nick to different experiences, slowly and mindfully. Each adventure we have, whether it be a trip to the dentist or some form of travel, I am very mindful of how much 'challenge' Nick can cope with (edge +1). I know when Nick hits his tipping point, how much further to encouragement him and what accommodations will help him.

For sure, I do prep him a little bit about future events. However, it will be a simple comment made a few days in advance and/or I may use some sort of visual prop. A prop could be something like a basic calendar on the door of my fridge or the suitcase sitting in his bedroom.

Although I don't feel the need to create a story about what is going to happen in the future, I do like to create visual memories of past experiences. Nick can then look at those memories and share his adventures with others and (hopefully) call upon his previous knowledge during a new adventure.

Anyways, a very quick post from me as I have a 101 things to do and am running out of spare time fast..........

Adventure Journal ~ Oh My Nerves!

Two years ago I took Nick to Cape Town. The trip involved a two hour plane trip and all that went with it. We were away from home for three nights and Nick coped exceptionally well. I was elated.

Nick has now been on a few more trips to the Cape and one to Zimbabwe. He has been carted here, there and everywhere! Since that initial trip he has become familiar (and comfortable) with long queues, waiting patiently, noisy airports, crowds, small spaces, going to new places, meeting new people, visiting restaurants AND eating restaurant Spaghetti Bolognaise.

The fact that he has been so flexible with each new adventure is huge. That memory bank of his just keeps growing and with it comes confidence and increased resilience. I am sure that it isn't easy for him, however, he is very aware that he can look to me (and the rest of the family) for help and reassurance. The iPad is always on hand for sticky moments or chill time.

This week we are pushing out all the stops and taking Nick overseas. I have been very relaxed about the 'idea' of it all, although now that the trip is imminent I am feeling a little nervous. Here we are, taking a severely autistic teen on three plane rides to get to our destination, one of which will be an overnighter. My wine consumption has already increased! :)

We have chosen to have a very low key holiday. We are based in one place and will take life very slowly. There won't be any pressure to get in all the sights and if Nick spends extra time on his iPad, so be it.

Wish us luck!