Co-regulation

My fellow blogger Zoe wrote the following informative post on co-regulation!  She couldn't have timed it better because this is what I am working on with Nick!!  Zoe forms her blog around RDI (Relationship Development Intervention) both as a mum of a boy with ASD and as an RDI Consultant in training.  My blog tell the story of Nick and how ASD affects him and our family life.  I will also blog on our involvement with RDI, although it will only be from a parent perspective!  For all the 'correct' information, I suggest you look to Zoe! :)


http://notnigellanotjamie.blogspot.com/2011/02/communicative-dance-co-regulation.html?showComment=1296905306438


Most parents don't have to think about co-regulation with their children, however, when you have a kid like mine it is a whole chunk of development that he missed out on!  This is a tough one for my boy and one we really have to practice.  However, because it is a difficult concept for him and I don't want to stress him out, I will (try to!!!) only spend a short time on each interaction (activity) that we do.  I also don't want what we are doing to be task driven - it needs to be about 'us'.


The following clip shows Nick giving me an item from the dishwasher which I then put on the counter.  He is happy and feeling competent with what he is doing, we have a good thing going on.  It took a lot of practice for Nick to understand this pattern - it also took me a lot of time to learn to slow down and guide him!!  It is very easy to treat this interaction as a task, which it isn't!!!  It is all about setting up a pattern and Nick feeling competent with the pattern. It is also about Nick trusting me and learning that I am there to guide him to his level of competence before adding a 'little bit more' of a challenge! It is about co-regulation! 

In this next clip I am still using the dishwasher theme, however, we have changed our pattern.  We are now taking turns to remove an item from the dishwasher.  I am taking a turn and then Nick is taking a turn!  When we first started with this Nick was still stuck on the original pattern of passing me the item, although it didn't take him long to understand the change in pattern. (Next time I am going to make sure that he is wearing his clothes not his pyjamas - that whole boy thing can be rather distracting!!!)

This last clip shows that the pattern has changed again.  This time I am trying to get a simultaneous pattern going.  Now, this is a brand new concept for Nick and he doesn't have a clue what to do!!  You will see that I am holding his bowl and preventing him from putting it on the counter........ I am trying to get him to 'feel and see' that we are both moving the bowls at the same time and placing them on the counter at the same time.  What I got from watching this clip was that Nick was happy to be with me and allow me to guide him.......YAY :-D

Food issues!

The beauty of having your own blog is that you can write what you like, when you like!!  I have been mulling over my next post on Communication (part two) but the subject hasn't really grabbed me this week.  I was starting to worry that I was getting 'writers block' hahaha!!!  Anyway, for the past few days I have been feeling out of sorts and couldn't figure out why - until I woke up on Monday morning with the realisation that Nick's food issues are really driving me quietly insane.   I am sure that Nick wouldn't care if he ate cereal and apples for every meal,  but for me this is a huge concern.


Nick has always been a picky eater and this can be contributed to sensory issues, low tone, the need for sameness, the lack of confidence in trying new textures and tastes and of course the 'control issue'  (I promise that I have never force fed him, therefore, he shouldn't have built up a store of negative memories!).


I took myself off to the Hypermarket on Monday morning to do my BIG shop (very boring - I really must get the hang of this on-line grocery shopping!).  Whilst trawling the isles I was trying to think of anything that Nick may be interested in eating and I came up with............. strawberry yoghurt!  He used to eat this many moons ago, in fact he was extremely capable of taking a pot out of the fridge, peeling off the lid, munching away to his heart's delight and then putting the pot (and spoon!!) in the rubbish bin!  OK, I don't think this particular brand of strawberry yoghurt is particularly healthy but if I can introduce an old favourite then I can think about other options at a later stage :)

Day One

Wish I had videoed this one!!  I told Nick about the strawberry yoghurt, although I waited for him to finish  his lunch before bringing it out.  His body language/non verbal language and signing was very definite, as in NO, NO, NO, get that horrible stuff away from me!  However, with a little gentle encouragement he took two tiny spoonfuls...... and then escaped! 

Day Two

The video speaks for itself!  

Day Three
I placed the yoghurt on the table so that Nick could see it as he ate his lunch! He wasn't upset that it was there, although he did glance at it rather a lot! I also let him play his music during both the previous video clip and this one (I think we both needed something to ease the stress!).  

Life can be so tough for this boy of mine and I have found that if I take the time to guide him gently..... and stretch him just a little bit past his level of competence then he does progress. Looks like I can now add strawberry yoghurt to the menu (fingers crossed!!!!)