Son Rise for Nick

And so, today, our wonderful journey beguins with Son Rise Program

Let's go into Nick's World !

After knowing the "Joining" part, I've come to realize that I already did that with Nick, by instinct. Maybe this is why I got my son to look me in the eye earlier than most people I know.. Eye contact.  I remember that we almost lost Nick's eye contact, when he was about 2 years...
Today, the challenge is to mantain Nick focused, to manage his meltdowns, and to convince him to do somenthing that he is not up to.  His motor skills are very low (he can't hold a pencil, brush his hair, and several other things that demands fine motor skills). Also, Nick , now with 5 years old, is still on dypers, and have difficulties to say and express himself. Although he is capable of asking simple things, he struggles to show feelings and to deal with frustrations.

Now, I am planning and organizing things to take Son Rise's courses and trainings, so I can be more helpful to Nick.  Of course that we can't afford it, but I won't give up. I will find a way... and also stat a fundraising specific for Nick's Son Rise. Meantime, I am organizing my home and Nick's playroom.

I will do EVERYTHING I can so my son can be all that he is capable of.

Wow! So much has happened!

Its been quite some time since my last post. And a LOT has happened!
 After 2 years doing his horse therapy treatment on Walking Equoterapia, we decided to find another place for Nick, because the staff changed and it became forbitten to watch our son's sessions -- after this I found out that his horse therapy wasnt being done properly. So, without wasting any time, he started his hippotherapy in another place, called Gati Equoterapia. It worked perfectly, but after a few months, a friend got a Tuition for Nick on the best place for horse therapy in Brazil - the Clube Hipico de Santo Amaro. Also, his therapist is nonetheless than Mr.Fernando Guimaraes, the Brazil's paralympic official coach (sitting volleyball). Nick is very happy and says that he want to be an equestrian athlete, or a cowboy, or a knight, but he hasnt decided it yet...hehehehehe Nick is awsome!

                Nick at Gati Equoterapia - Very beautiful place and we are very thankful for everything.

Nick on Recanto dos Cavaleiros, a place that he loves until today - it was here that he had the first contact with horses... 

Nick today, at the Clube Hipico de Santo Amaro 

But Nick also developed interest to owls...thats right, OWLS ! So me and my husband trained an barn owl to interact with NIck. We won Gandalf (the owl) from a certified breeder, who wanted to help NIck somehow.

Homeschooling Nick

Well, this is very complex, I know, but I am only starting homeschooling my son. Even though my scheduling and materials are not perfectly structured yet, Nick is being very receptive and he is learning!  He associates shapes and numbers correctly (no mistakes at all) and counts from 1 to 10.
About colours, he gets a little confused about red, and green (I will take him to the oftalmologist soon, cause I think this might be daltonism).

Below, there some of the materials that I've made to work with Nick.

This is a memory game, but first, Nick is maching equals. 

This is "lets get Peppa and George dressed" activity.

and.. 

A year passed...

And Nick is still doing his horse therapy treatment, thank God and the people who is helping us paying for it.  He evolved so much!
Now, he can ask for juice, water, food (pizza, meat, potatoes and popcorn are his favorites!) and he says that he want to sleep. His motor coodenation is improving, and he already knows the numbers ( 1 to 10). I am homeschooling him - at the present time, I am teaching him about shapes and colours. Also,  Nick began demostrating interest towards music. I am teaching him hou to play the musical keyboard too.
About homechooling, I am trying to use the TEACCH system and ABA, as supportive tools.

At Walking Hypotherapy (where Nick is doing horse therapy), the speachtherapist (Andressa Serpa) has bought the Dysney Planes activities book, and Nick loved it. He LOVES airplanes! As much as horses.

Now, a new challenge to be faced: we need to change Nick's diet to a free gluten/casein. The thing is that Nick only eats a few things, and this kind of change will be quite hard for him. I read several articles and cases that shows the influence of a free gluten/casein diet on autistics. So, as always, I will face this change side by side with Nick! 

Soon, more news! 

.After 6 months of horse therapy...

When my son started his treatment (hippotherapy/ horseback riding therapy) he couldn't talk a single word, nor understand anything...because of those things, he was always nervous, angry, and he could not sleep either -- shortly speaking, he had autism-like behaviors. 

One month after Nick's hippotherapy started, he was already speaking a few words like "daddy", and " horse". After two months, he started to attend when called by his name!  I was really amazed!

Now, after six months of doing hippotherapy and horseback riding therapy, Nick improved his social skills, his speach skills and vocabulary is improving week by week and his motor coordination is also much better!

Soon, I will post a video from his first day and a lattest one, so you can see his development!

Nick's treatment is provided from Walking Equoterapia, in Brazil -- the payment is done every month and this is possible thanks to our dear friends's help from U.S.A. 

If you want to see the institution where Nick's treatment is done, visit their website (it is all in portuguese) http://www.equoterapiawalking.com.br/index.html

6th day of hippotherapy

May the 14th was Nick's sixth day of hippotherapy. His interaction with the horses is growing and he is becoming more confident. 

5th day of Hippotherapy

May the 10th, was Nick's fifth day of hippotherapy. This was also his first day with his psychologist monitoring the hippotherapy session, and making a bound with Nick as well. The sessions with the psychologist will be always on fridays and with the speach therapist will be on tuesdays...
Well, on this 5th day of hippotherapy I couldn't take any pictures because Nick was upset... so I had to be beside him all the time. 
But when we got home, he came to me with a his little spoon and said "yogurt". Then, he ate his yogurt by himself!!! I was stunned! After 5 sessions of hippotherapy, he is now capable of eating by himself.... Before the hippotherapy treatment started, Nick couldn't eat alone, nor speak, nor even understand his name.
Each day now, I see a bright future for my son.