SATURDAY, 26TH FEBRUARY 2011

Emily has had a lovely half-term.  We have had a visit from Helen, one of Emily's volunteers in her home program. 

I am not sure whether Emily is being more communicative, or I am more used to her being quieter, but we have certainly spent the week chilling.  We have done lots of dog walking, bread making, cooking, reading, writing and generally having a fun time.


Emily played football with the boy next door and he said 'she is quite good for a girl' - praise indeed!!!!

Emily does not appear to be quite as 'stuck' as she was at the beginning of the week.

Next week Emily returns to school, so we shall see how that affects her.

WEDNESDAY, 16TH FEBRUARY 2011

Emily has had a really good couple of days!

Yesterday, after school, we spent a couple of hours in her Den.  We played dress up and lots of ball games and then she looked 'really' tired, so she half lay on the day bed and listened to Ronan Keating for a good hour.  You can see from the photo just how tired she is after school.

Today, I had a meeting at the school, and I have to say, I am very happy with the ways they are trying to help Emily.  They are also taking on board everything I say as well, which is really refreshing and makes for a very good relationship. 

They have added - aromatherapy massage, dance massage and one-on-one interaction and connection play to Emily's timetable and the lady from Autism Outreach spends some time playing with Emily each time she comes to the school.  The School is not a Son-Rise school, but it's approach and ideas are very similar.

Emily's light box arrived on Monday, so each morning now, I turn it on, while Emily listens to music, before she gets up. 

Tonight, at bedtime, Emily was very interactive, smiling and cheeky!!!

MONDAY, 14TH FEBRUARY 2011

Emily had a good day at school today.  She had her aromatherapy massage, followed by swimming!!!!!   I don't know, school is not what it used to be!!!

This afternoon, she made me a Valentine's Card - photo attached - I love it!

Started Emily back on her Eye Q oil today.  

Her light box arrived this afternnon, so I have put it together and placed it on her bedside cupboard - she will be quite surprised when it is suddenly daylight in her bedroom in the morning.  I did show her (and Robert) what it did, quickly, but I didn't want to leave it on.  If you use it within 4 hours of trying to sleep, it can disturb your sleep pattern.

The fantastic news today, is that Emily said the most she has said for absolutely weeks, completely unprompted ..... "Daddy, I would like more cheesie toast, please Daddy" - WOW!!!!  Of course, cheesie toast was handed over immediately!!!!!!!  Well done Emily - you are amazing!!!!

 

FRIDAY, 11TH FEBRUARY 2011

Emily's class celebrated Chinese New Year today and had their faces painted.  Emily actually allowed some-one to paint a rabbit on her cheek!

I was trying to think back to this time last year, as a way of working out if Emily is suffering from Seasonal Affective Disorder (Robert has it, so it is quite likely that Emily might!).  

However, last winter, Emily was doing her Son-Rise Progam at home with me in Cheltenham and every morning before we went into the playroom for the day, we took our dog Molly to the park for an hour or so.  This meant that Emily got a lot of daylight (when it was bright) first thing every day.

This year, Emily is at school, so she spends hardly any time in the daylight.   

Decided to buy her a light box and it should arrive in a few days.  She has to sit within arms length of it for 1 hour every morning, so I think for the time being,  I will put it on her bedside cabinet and turn it on as soon as she wakes.

During half term, I shall put it in her Focus Room, we have created, and have it on during the morning.

Watch this space ....!!!!  

Hope you like the photos of Emily's face painting.

WEDNESDAY, 9TH FEBRUARY 2011

When I dropped Emily off at school this morning, the Deputy Head asked me if I would like Emily to have aromatherapy massage at school!  If the reason for Emily's 'shutdown' is hormonal, this may help her!  Of course, I agreed, so today Emily had her aromatherapy massage and also 'dance massage'.  Apparently she was a bit surprised, but relaxed after a while.

After school, we went shopping, just to buy chocolate (dark healthy beautiful chocolate).  Then the hairdresser came!

We are trying everything to help Emily relax - our house now is full of the sound of Mozart from morning until night!!!!!  (don't know when I will get to listen to Radio 2 again!!!!).

I am also giving Emily Floradix Iron, just in case her iron levels are low, with the onset of her periods (apparently very common in young teenagers!).

Failing all this, she might have to have blood tests to check hormone levels, iron levels etc. (I don't envy the nurse that has to persuade her that putting a needle in her arm is a really good idea and she won't feel a thing!!!).  Hopefully, it won't come to that!!!?

TUESDAY, 8TH FEBRUARY 2011

The reason I have decided to do this blog is that after years of Emily becoming more connected with the world around her, something is happening to her, which is very worrying.

Emily is now 13 years old and appears to have all the hormones of a teenager, but the way they are manifesting themselves is profound.

Emily is very quiet and disconnected a lot of the time.  She still has times of complete connection and joy, but they are interspersed with periods of solitude.

I am in meetings with school, to see if Emily is overstimulated there (she only started school in June last year, after being helped at home since she was 3).

We are trying really hard to work out what the cause of this shutdown is.  I have typed every key word I can think of into Google for inspiration, but nothing - oh, apart from, she is a teenager - hormones are strange things and for some reason, autistic girls react to them more strongly!!!!!  

Well, that's some background!!!

Today, Emily did brilliantly in PE, and seems to really enjoy physical activities.

I told her I loved her at bedtime and asked if she loved me too and she said 'yes, Mummy' for the first time in weeks!!!!

SUNDAY, 6TH FEBRUARY 2011

Welcome to my new Blog.


I have a daughter, Emily, who is now 13 years old and has autism.  

I am going to create a journal, for the next 6 years of our journey with Emily, through those teenage years to adulthood.