OMG Yay!

I know it seems like the only thing I talk about lately is Jackson and his diagnosis but it's a major event in our life and we are figuring things out. Anyway, this is what happened this week. Tuesday I left my wonderful residency of South Dakota and took up residence in Michigan (all my Michigan friends are very excited about this fact). I was happy that the process went smoothly to get my new license since so many things have not been easy for us lately. In addition to changing my license I also was responsible for calling Blue Cross Blue Shield and trying to get Jackson set up with supplemental health insurance. Since I changed my residency we qualified for a major life event and were able to submit an application for coverage. On St. Patrick's Day I received an email saying that our application was approved and that we now have coverage for Jackson to get ABA therapy. It was a major weight off our shoulders. I know now that there is a wait for all ABA programs and we are willing to wait, it's just nice to know that we finally had something go our way!

Jackson had a great St. Patrick's Day. He had a class party which had a lot of treats for him! That evening we went to our friends house for dinner and of course some March Madness watching.

Jason has been off the past few days enjoying the first two days of the tournament. We were very excited when SDSU made the tournament, but then sad when we saw they were matched up against Maryland which is Jason's team. Sorry Jackrabbits we had to cheer for Maryland but are proud of how close the game was!

Jason and I are very excited to say that we were finally able to schedule a trip home where all three of us get to go at the same time! The past few trips have been Jason and Jackson or Jackson and I. So yay we are going to be going home in May for a whole week!

All in all things are going very well this week in the Lehr household!

Progress and Setbacks

This last weekend Jason and I had a very successful workshop on ABA therapy, some techniques and skills that we can use in our daily life to help and support Jackson. We were very lucky that Jackson's teacher at KinderCare was willing and able to come with us both Saturday and Sunday (6 hours each day!) to also see what she can do in the classroom. Jason and I left that workshop feeling really good about the direction that we are wanting to take with Jackson's therapy and what we have planned for our family.

Unfortunately like all things you make plans and you get attached to them and then the setbacks come into play. Jason and I recently found out that our wonderful (dripping with sarcasm) insurance will not cover any ABA therapy and that they don't do mental health coverage so therefore they will not cover therapy period. Ok so Jason and I then thought fine we will get supplemental insurance to just cover Jackson and his therapy....but we missed the open enrollment for that. We can enroll sometime in October and then coverage will start in January, but then with the 6 month wait list at most therapy centers that puts us pretty much to the move to Fargo.

Ok that makes this new plan (Plan C) the current plan. I am officially leaving my South Dakota residency. For those of you who know me this is a big deal! Jason and I have kept our South Dakota residency close to us through all these years because we never stayed in a place long enough to have to change everything. Well I have now contacted our school district to see what services they can offer us. However, to receive services from the school district I have to be a Michigan resident. So now I'm going to switch my residency over to Michigan get Jackson into what they call the SPICE program with the school. They will be able to do his speech therapy there, as well as, direct instruction which is similar to ABA but less evasive. The program is 4 days a week from 9:30 -11:30, they have a busing system that can take him to and from the childcare centers in the area so we may have to switch him out of KinderCare.

This process for us has already been very frustrating and long, but we have to keep in mind that we have some time and getting Jackson some therapy now is better than getting him no therapy at all. We also have to just power through the setbacks. Like I said earlier this is Plan C there may be a  Plan D, Plan E and Plan F who knows. We just know that we have to do our best.

Ground Work

Well now that we have our diagnosis we have hit the ground running! Jason contacted our insurance yesterday after work to get some information from them. Today the weather was so bad I called in to work and I took the day to make some calls/emails/research autism and ABA.

So far we have one ABA therapy location contacting our insurance to see if they are able to help us and then I have emails out to two other locations. I have heard back from the Autism Alliance of Michigan and have a phone call into Easter Seals of Michigan. I've read the 100 day tool kit from Autism Speaks and ordered a few more books... I feel like I have had a very productive day. Now if that therapy location comes  back and says our insurance isn't going to work with us I think I might deflate a little bit. For now though I'm feeling very positive.

I am a little worried about the time commitment this is going to take. I have to work tomorrow my normal shift and I know the whole time I am going to want to be checking my emails etc I have a feeling that until Jackson is in the therapy that he needs this will be my full time job and my full time job will become my part time job I can see now how some people quit their jobs when their child is diagnosed due to appointments, phone calls etc. it's going to be very challenging keeping everything together. Wish us luck!

I had a nice little set up today!

Finally! Four of Four!

It's been a long time coming but Jason and I finally had our final appointment for Jackson. We have found out that Jackson does have Autism. The assessment was scaled on a 3 point scale 1 being mild and 3 being severe, Jackson scored a 1 on social interaction and behavior and then a 2 on language. Which the language category was not anything too surprising. What this means for us now...it was recommended that he start ABA therapy which is Applied Behavior Analysis therapy at 25+ hours a week, he will also need to continue to go to speech therapy.

Jason and I have already started looking into options as far as ABA therapy goes and we are thinking that center based therapy would be best for us. This means he would go to a center for a half a day and work one on one with an ABA therapist opposed to having one come to our home. However, as always there is a waiting list for most ABA therapy locations. So we are going to contact our insurance and see what they cover and who they work with and hopefully we can get on a waiting list soon. In the mean time Jason and I are going to attend a workshop on ABA therapy in March in hopes that we can start to incorporate some of the techniques into our home now and get a better understanding of ABA therapy and what it all entails. Of course I have already started doing my research online (I honestly started doing a little before diagnosis). Also, our doctor gave a list of 4 recommended books based on his assessment that may also help.

Jackson will have to be reassessed every few years because since he is so young his score may change on the scale and it is also a time for us to reevaluate his therapy and make changes if needed. Right now we are not sure what the future will look like for our little man but with each assessment we will be able to compare his progress and as the years go on we will have a better idea on what to expect. Right now we are going to take it one step at a time and hopefully do what is best for him.

The Birthday Boy

Well it's official my baby boy is now 3. We had a very fun weekend of celebrating and when I say a weekend I mean it was a whole weekend! On Friday it was his actual birthday so Jason and I had decided a while ago that we were going to take the day and spend it with him. Grandpa and Grandma Mettler flew in the day before and we all went up to Frankenmuth to the Splash Village which is a big indoor water park. I think that may be a mini tradition for our little family because Jackson had a blast as did Grandpa and Grandma. When we got back Grandpa and Grandma Lehr had flown in and so we were able to have a little family celebration with cake and presents.

I was nervous about him touching the candles!

 

 

On Saturday the boys had a boys morning at Home Depot at one of their kids workshops and then they just hung out while us ladies did a little shopping and running last minute errands for the party. Which Sunday was the big day (I know it was Super Bowl but it was in the morning so no biggie). We had Jackson's party at Bounce U which is an indoor inflatable place and all the kids had a blast, as did most of the adults. 

All his buddies after an hour of bouncing!

Jackson and his favorite babysitter Larissa

 

 

 

 

A party wouldn't be complete without cake!

 We had a great time and Jackson was of course spoiled rotten! We then took Sunday afternoon to rest, play with some new toys and watch the Super Bowl. 

Jackson loves his trains from Daddy and Mommy

I am still adjusting to the idea of having a three year old. It seems like every year goes a little bit faster than the next, and I know the next 18 months are going to go even faster as we prepare for the next phase of our lives. However, I am grateful for our family and friends near and far who were able to help celebrate our little man's special day.

Three of Four

I know I know I'm sorry to all our family and friends who have been coming on our site to check on Jackson and I haven't been posting anything. Having his third appointment on the week of birthday palooza and then getting a cold has made doing anything but the essentials impossible. But, I'm here now. Jackson did have his third appointment on the 3rd with the Pediatrician. I am not exactly sure how this appointment went because I didn't know what to expect. I am currently still picking apart moments in his appointment and analyzing them, which is driving me even more crazy. Anyway, we started out the appointment much the same as the previous one. Jackson was asked to do a few puzzles, he played with a few wind up toys and she was watching him to see if he would see help etc., he was asked to color/draw, stack blocks like I said a lot of the same activities from his first appointment.

After that portion of his evaluation she turns to me and asks about his gross motor skills, I think the direct quote was "Can he run?" I chuckled a little to myself  and thought aww that's cute because anyone who knows Jackson knows that he is a runner! We then went out into the hallway and he showed her how he could run, jump, go up and down stairs, throw and catch a ball he even at one point dribbled the ball like his soccer ball at home. She was watching how he was walking which recently he has been going up on his toes which is a little bit of a concern because of how it can tighten his Achilles tendon resulting in stretches and/or pt so she said that we should just watch him and encourage him to walk normal.

When the gross motor portion was done we then went back to her office for a physical exam. She took his weight and height (of course doing very well there). She then tested his reflexes and his range of motion (especially in his ankles since he has been walking on his toes), she also checked his ears and eyes. Poked around his belly, listened to his heart, which he loved because he loves stethoscopes. Then we just talked about his medical history.

I have to say the whole process is a little frustration because they don't give you any clues as to how he's doing, stone faced is what I've been telling people. I know they probably can't because the two doctors have to meet together and make a well rounded diagnosis and they don't want to say something and then contradict themselves later but it feels like they have secrets and they aren't sharing with Jason and I. It's so irritating. Anyway, done with that little rant...Jason and I were supposed to go to our final appointment on the 19th to receive the diagnosis but one of the doctors has to go to a conference so we are rescheduled for the 23rd. Then we will finally have some answers and hopefully some direction for our little man.

When I have some more time I will post about the birthday weekend for both Jackson and I! However, this new little 3 year old is demanding his Mama's attention.

Two Down Two To Go

Well Jackson had his first appointment with the Speech Development Specialist yesterday. I went in pretty much knowing what to expects since we have been in speech therapy for about a year and I am not oblivious to his speech delay. Jackson did pretty well, or as well as I thought he would, during his evaluation. We started in her office and he was very easily distracted by the computer and all the chairs etc but he was able to complete almost all of the activities that she had requested of him. There were only three that he really didn't want to do. We then moved the meeting to their play room where she set out a lot of toys and then we just observed him playing for 5 minutes on his own. She then started to interact with him again and they played with play doh, had a snack, played with a push button toy, jack in the box and then ended with playing with bubbles and an airplane. Which Jackson's new favorite things are airplanes (we are very big fans of Dusty Crophopper), I say that because giving the toy back at the end of the session went as well as taking a toy from any 3 year old would go. The doctor and I then had a short mini meeting and she asked if it was typical behavior for him and I had to tell her he was a lot cranker today then he normally is, but other than that no it was about average. So one appointment down and two to go.
Our next appointment is going to be next week Wednesday and we are meeting with the behavior therapist that time. I am not sure what all that meeting is going to involve or even how long it lasts so I guess it will be a surprise to not only Jackson but for me as well. I am really ready for this whole process to be over with so that way we can move on and start getting him the help that he needs. Jason and I are pretty sure already what the outcome will be, but we could always be surprised I guess.
Things that we have to look forward to though that are not doctors appointments are: Jackson was bumped up to the Junior 1 class in swimming lessons so Jason and I no longer swim with him. H will have his first lesson in his new class this weekend! Jackson's 3rd Birthday! I cannot believe that this much time has passed already and that he is going to be three! Jason and I took Jackson's birthday off from work and we are going to head up to Frankenmuth on his birthday to the indoor water park. Then, we are having a big party at BounceU which is and indoor inflatables place here in Michigan. We have 9 kids going to his party and a lot of mine and Jason's friends from work are going to be coming too. Also, both sets of grandparents are going to be coming early and spending sometime with us and they will be there on the big party day!   Last but not least of course is the Super Bowl, we will have the grandparents here and it should be quite the event since my Mom is a Broncos fan.

One Down Three To Go

Jason and I had Jackson's first appointment out of four for his autism screening. I think that it went very well. I felt really prepared and did my part to help the process along. I had evaluations printed from his speech teacher and preschool teacher, the parent packet was filled out and all Jackson's medical documents were faxed over in time. Yay!

Jason and I didn't really know how this meeting was going to go or what to expect but mainly it was just a chance for us to go through the parent packet and discuss any concerns we had, have any questions answered and give a little more detail into Jackson. I asked if we go through this process and it turns out he does not have autism if they are able to guide us in the right direction or give a diagnosis if something else is there and they said that they would be able to do that which was a relief for me. I don't know if anyone knows but we were on a waiting list for 3 month before even being able to schedule our appointments then it was about 3 weeks before we could even go in for our first appointment. Needless to say it has been a long process already so I didn't want to get to the end of it and be left with no clue if something else is wrong with my child or what I should do next.

Now that the first appointment is done Jackson will be going for the next two appointments. His first is on Jan. 29th and that is the speech and language development. It sounds like it is very similar to his speech sessions with Emily which is play based so I was relieved to hear that. They will also be having a snack and do a few other things during the evaluation. I was nervous that since he still has some separation anxiety from me that it wouldn't go well, but I get to be in the room so I can observe and let her know if this is typical behavior for him and also to help with some of the language difficulties. Also, I was worried because the session is an hour and a half and I don't know how well he will last during that in one small room.

This process has been very interesting for me since I've read about it and semi-studied it during my teaching courses, but there is nothing like going through it with your own child. Fortunately for us Jackson continues to grow and be happy through all of this and isn't getting very frustrated. He is continuing to make progress with his speech and surprises us all the time. (Last night he wanted to read me his bedtime stories and he did very well with Little Blue Truck and part of Max the Minnow). I get excited as he continues to try new words and continues to practice stringing together two word and some three word sentences because he has the cutest little voice and it's so fun to hear. He is also starting to make more of an effort with the kids at school to make and maintain his friendships. Ellis and Arya are always going to be his go to buddies and it takes us extra time to leave now due to hugs and fist bumps. We will continue to keep everyone updated as things progress.

2016

Happy 2016 everyone! I hope that everyone had a very safe and Happy New Year! I was just looking back through my old posts and I saw that I haven't really been on here since Jackson turned 1! Which is crazy since we are closing in on his 3rd birthday next month. Here's a little cap on our family and then I will give you a brief overview as to why I am back.

Jason: Jason is in the middle of his third year of residency! Yay we are moving a long and can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. Jason recently accepted a contract from Sanford in Fargo, ND starting in the summer of 2017 and we cannot wait! He's still plugging away though and has recently started studying for boards although his senioritis (which shouldn't even be kicking in yet) has gotten a lot worse since he got his contract. 

Me: I am still working at KinderCare in the Pre-K classroom. The group I have this year is keeping me on my toes for sure. I am still plugging away at getting them kindergarten ready and I think that by the summer we should be good to go. I also am keeping very busy with Jackson since he is a very very active little boy!

Jackson: has recently started swimming lessons and loves being in the water which is great since his Dad isn't the biggest swimmer. He also started music class at school this last fall which has been a great way for him to get a break during the long school week and it has been so fun to watch him with his new instruments. Jackson still loves to read books and really loves to watch movies. We have to remind him that he doesn't get movies often which sometimes breaks his little heart but he of course like most kids gets over it quickly and moves on. 

Some things you may already know or may have suspected is that our little family has been dealing with some small bumps along the way with Jackson. He is like I said a wonderful, outgoing and active child but he is non-verbal. Shortly after his first birthday we noticed a gap forming between himself and his peers in language development. As a paranoid parent that I am I requested an appointment for his hearing to be tested and of course that turned out normal. As we approached his second birthday and noticed a wider and wider gap growing in his language skills we requested an appointment with his pediatrician for a referral for a speech evaluation. I took him in and after the evaluation it was recommended that we start speech therapy on a weekly basis to try and catch him up.

We have noticed over the past few months that Jackson has made a lot of progress with his speech and continues to try and imitate (which I am so excited for because he has the cutest little voice), however he isn't progressing as quickly as his speech therapist had hoped. So, back to the pediatrician we go and now we are going to be visiting with a developmental pediatrician to have him evaluated for autism. Now although the results of that evaluation will not change anything for Jason and I, we will always love our baby boy and we will continue to support him and challenge him, I worry about the future. I worry about the therapy that he may need to help with his little quirks, our move to Fargo and how that will interrupt our little family routine and how Jackson will handle the changes, how new people and kids will interact with him, how friendships will work in the coming years, how school will go for him. I am now worrying all the time about him even more than I did before. As it is with every parent I just want my son to be loved and accepted as much as I love and accept him. I know I am getting ahead of myself because we could go through this whole evaluation and it could come back that he is just slower at speech, who knows. 

I guess I just wanted everyone to know what our little family is going through and I am going to keep you posted as things develop. We have our first appointment with just Jason and I Jan. 15 and then it's  2 other appointments with just Jackson and 1 final one with Jason and I before we get the diagnosis sometime in Feb. 

Coming into the New Year I have a lot to be thankful for that my family is HAPPY and healthy. Jason and I have a strong foundation in our relationship and are prepared to face whatever comes our way as a team. Wishing you all a wonderful 2016!