Happy Birthday Alexander

As I began preparing the post on Alexander's birthday party, I realized that an update on his life is long over due. So here is a quick summary of what has happened in Alexander's world over the past year.

While living in Cambridge, we hired a lawyer to help us navigate the school district. She advised us to have him reassessed so that we would have a starting point and some ground to stand on when disagreeing with his school.

The new assessment showed that he does still qualify as having Autism Spectrum Disorder and that his developmental average is that of a 3 year old. His speech and communication fell between 18 months and 2 years, his gross and fine motor skills were around the 3 year level, and his problem solving skills were in the 4 year range. Unfortunately, none of these results were surprising, but it was nice to see the improvement that he has made since his last assessment.

Due to our pending move, we settled with Cambridge Public Schools (after an 8 hour settlement mediation). We didn't receive all of the services that Alexander deserves and qualifies for, but we did end up with a very specific and much improved IEP (individualized education plan).

When we arrived in Brea, California, I registered him at the local elementary school, and handed them a copy of his IEP. The next morning, I received a phone call from the Special Education director for Brea Public Schools, explaining that the school district is much too small and would not be able to accommodate all of Alexander's needs. She was recommending a regional school for special needs children and promised to get back to me as soon as she had more information.

To our amazement, she called the very next day (in the past we have always had to call multiple times and leave very direct messages in order to receive a reply from previous school districts). She was very excited to let me know that she had found the perfect fit for our son. A small private school in Orange, that is run out of a woman's home. We visited the school and knew right away that this was the answer to our prayers. All of the hours spent fighting Cambridge Public Schools, was well worth it and was all for the purpose of getting him into this school.

Since mid-September, Alexander has been attending ECE. Ms. Irene (his teacher) is an amazing woman in her 60's who has been working with children with Autism for over 40 years. She bought a home and renovated it with the specific intent of opening a school for children with Autism. There are currently around 16 children (ages 5 - 18) who attend. The school day is from 8am to 4pm, she requires them to wear a uniform and runs a very tight ship.

She also provides them with breakfast, snacks, and a hot lunch (that she prepares from scratch) every day. Whenever we visit, the house smells so good with whatever she has on the stove for the day's meal. She requires all of the kids to eat what she serves (and doesn't allow for "picky eaters").

It all sounds very strict, but Alexander loves it, and it's amazing what she has been able to accomplish with him. First of all, they play outside every day that the weather allows for it. Alexander has learned to ride a Razor Scooter and has become a pro with his Roller Blades. They celebrate every holiday and have large parties (today they are having an all green lunch and doing crafts for St. Patrick's Day).

Ms. Irene came and did a home visit with us the other day and shared with us all of the progress that Alexander is making. She commented on how smart and athletic he is. He is also a stubborn and sneaky little boy, who tries to get away with things when no one is looking. She firmly believes that after a couple of years with her, he will be able to transition back to a normal classroom in a public school. She also asked us about our long term hopes for Alexander, which are for him to live independently, hold a job, and have friends. With all of her experience and years of working with people with Autism, she agreed that these goals are very realistic for him as long as we all continue to work together to keep him from getting lost in his own brain.

Now, back to the birthday story....on March 13th, our little boy turned 7 (oh Alexander, couldn't you just stay 6 years old for a few more years!)

A few days before his birthday we took him to the mall, where he picked out a green baseball cap at the Vans store. As Alexander is allowing his true personality to show, we have discovered that he prefers bright, bold colors. After we paid for it, the cashier cut the tags off and gave it to Alexander. Unprompted, Alexander told him, "thank you" threw the hat on and began to run around the mall with excitement. He also picked out a Hello Kitty stuffed animal as his birthday present.

On his birthday, we took him to the playground for the afternoon and then had family over for dinner. We thought that it would be fun to have an entirely Alexander friendly meal. By the way, Alexander is currently on a grain and sweetener free diet. In case you are wondering what a grain and sweetener free meal looks like, here is the menu:

-sugar snap peas, green beans, and carrot sticks (Alexander's favorite veggies) with hummus

-grilled hamburgers and toppings

-homemade french fries

-mini cupcake bites with strawberry sorbet. These were all homemade using almond flour, sweetener free chocolate, and frozen fruit.

Everyone had a great time and Alexander really enjoyed the low key event. The hardest part of it all is trying to convince him that he is 7. Whenever you ask him how old he is, he still wants to say, "6!"

Cousin Penelope.Present time!
Alexander's new skateboard (which he loves).