New vacation plans! New Braunfels here we come!

Well we decided to vacate for Gustav, just changed the venue. We are going to stay with friends in New Braunfels for a few days- have a safe trip everyone!

Arkansas, here we come!!! Road trip!!!

Well it is an impromptu, hurricane induced road trip, but road trip none the less. Lucas, myself, his Aunt Jan, cousin Emma, Yaya, Mimi and Sissy are all headed to spend a few fun days with my mom's friend Deb who lives in Arkansas. We warned her that an entire colony is coming and she said to come on up, so here we come!

With Lucas and Emma we are too worried about evacuations later in the week so we are leaving early enough to beat the craziness- we will be leaving Sunday and be back?????? God only knows- we are hoping that it will turn to LA and we can make it a short trip and come home Monday or so- I will be off here for a few days, so everyone stay safe and happy hurricane!

Another good day at school...... so far so good!

Well let's keep our fingers crossed........ when he started school in January he did great for about a week then the meltdowns began; let's hope that doesn't happen again this year! He spelled "be yourself" today- good to see Lumberton school district is teaching him things at school!

Lukey = amazing!

Today, well everyday, Lucas amazes me........ but today even more than usual. I was on the phone with my mom this afternoon and he said "Mommy, mommy" and I looked at him and he spelled the word "phone"! I was floored that he not only said my name twice to get my attention but he spelled out what I was doing! That boy............ wonders never cease.

The answer to the poll question: Most kids are diagnosed between 3-4 years of age. This is unfortunate as most early intervention needs to occur well before age 4. Sadly, I have met many families who do not have their child diagnosed until much, much older than 3-4 years. Early intervention is the key!

First day of school- yeah!!!!!

Ah, the first day of school- mothers rejoice, kids....... not so much! As you can tell from the first picture we are pretty happy- then we leave the house and throw a little fit on the porch........... he wouldn't budge! After luring him to the car with a lollipop, all was well.

After we arrived at school he immediately covered his ears and handled the noises pretty well. He learned something new today- he spelled Lumberton after he arrived home today. His teacher said he did great at school today- no problems at all. Yeah Lucas!!!!!!!!! Mommy is so proud of him.

We have discovered recently that Lucas' amazing ability to read and write has a name- hyperlexia. Click here to read more information on hyperlexia: http://www.brighttots.com/Hyperlexia.html

Basically it is when children younger than 5 display the ability to read, spell and phonetically sound out words, even before they can talk. They often are autistic, but not always- but they overlap a lot in similarities. We believe Lucas does have PDD (Pervasive Developmental Disorder) with hyperlexia as well. It is a great skill to have and we are hoping that he will utilize this in the future to become a great success.

Lucas met the teacher :)

Well Lucas met the teacher today and he starts school tomorrow. He enjoyed playing in his new classroom and did not want to leave- we will try and post pics of his first day tomorrow.

Here are some more words that he spelled over the weekend- Krylon???

My Dr. Jekyll, Mr Hyde surfaced yesterday!

How can this angelic, sweet baby boy be such a nightmare you ask??? One answer- autistic meltdown. Are they different you say than a normal tantrum....... OMG yes they are! He started out yesterday in a great mood, but once we arrived at his cousin's home, the @#$% hit the fan and he screamed and cried until my sister and myself had to force him in the car to put him in the car seat to leave and settle him down.

What set him off? God only knows for sure- it does not take much when he is in those moods. He acted like we were going to kill him- it makes me so very sad and frustrated when he loses control like that. Thankfully he cheers up after it is over and acts like nothing ever happened- like he was a different person while the out lash was occurring. It is so bizarre to see him so sweet one minute then screaming, kicking, crying the next.

If you ever see a child out in public act that way- don't pass judgement- I have learned that there may be a hint of autism out there and not so many brats after all! Hopefully I will be more calm and better able to handle these situations myself next week after he spends a weekend with daddy- Lord knows I need the break!

P.S. I have made it easier to post on here- no need to log in any longer- so feel free to leave comments

Lucas and "Ebba" (aka Emma)

Lucas hates to admit it, but he secretly adores his younger cousin Emma- the way he says it sounds like Ebba- too cute. Right now he is at a phase where everytime he sees the precious 27 month old, rather chatty cousin of his, he covers his ears and cries. Great, huh? My sister and I are hoping that this is a phase and that he learns to love Ebba's company.

They both love to rock- especially in these small wooden rockers that Jan and I played with as children. They sit and rock together at YaYa's house all the time watching their favorite shows. It is so cute that they like the same toys and shows right now- they are both into Yo Gabba Gabba, Sesame Street, and Baby Einstein videos. When Emma wants to see one she says "shows" and Lucas says (after a lot of bribing) I want videooooooooooo!

Home of the next Einstein

Well here is a picture of our new home in Lumberton and some of the many new words Lucas has been spelling in it! Lucas and I moved in here about 6 weeks ago from a small apartment and it has been so nice to have more space, a washer and dryer, as well as a yard! We need some grass planted, as you can see, but it is a new home so there is a lot of yard work left to be done!

The story with the letters (the larger ones pictured in the first two word pics) is they are made for the bathtub- they cling to the wall. Well he got a set last summer (at 2.5 years) and started lining them up in order A-Z and we thought- he is brilliant! He is only 2.5 years! Then he spelled Lucas at 2.5 years with these! It has just multiplied from there- he now spells things he hears, not good, and things he sees on TV, in books, at the store, etc.

When he spelled Enterprise he became very upset because he had only two "E's" to use and he needed 3! That is why it is spelled wrong, but he knew it was wrong. He has also spelled things like Embassy Suites, Everlast, peoples names like Julia, Lucas, YaYa, Emma, etc., and way too many other words to mention.

I will keep yall posted when he spells new things- they happen almost daily!

Cha cha cha cha, changes..........

My life certainly has changed a lot over the past year. I recently got divorced, (6 months ago) and started dating this wonderful man, Mark. S. He has a 13 year old daughter, Sarah, and she is wonderful as well. They are both a big part of my life and they adore Lucas. We all blend well and enjoy each other's company- we often spend Sunday's together swimming and eating lunch at Mark's parent's home. Getting to know his family has been a wonderful change in my life and one that I am grateful for.

Information about Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD)

Here is a picture of Lukey at about 7 months old- a few months before we started seeing symptoms of autism.

Here is a review of autism spectrum disorders (Or also known as ASD)- Lucas has the mildest for of autism known as PDD (Pervasive Developmental Disorder).

Autism- Pervasive Developmental Disorder (PDD)

A psychiatric disorder of childhood characterized by marked deficits in communication and social interaction, preoccupation with fantasy, language impairment, and abnormal behavior, such as repetitive acts and excessive attachment to certain objects. It is usually associated with intellectual impairment.


All children with ASD demonstrate deficits in 1) social interaction, 2) verbal and nonverbal communication, and 3) repetitive behaviors or interests. In addition, they will often have unusual responses to sensory experiences, such as certain sounds or the way objects look. Each of these symptoms runs the gamut from mild to severe. They will present in each individual child differently. For instance, a child may have little trouble learning to read but exhibit extremely poor social interaction. Each child will display communication, social, and behavioral patterns that are individual but fit into the overall diagnosis of ASD.
Possible Indicators of Autism Spectrum Disorders
. Does not babble, point, or make meaningful gestures by 1 year of age
· Does not speak one word by 16 months
· Does not combine two words by 2 years
· Does not respond to name
· Loses language or social skills

Some Other Indicators
· Poor eye contact
· Doesn't seem to know how to play with toys
· Excessively lines up toys or other objects
· Is attached to one particular toy or object
· Doesn't smile
· At times seems to be hearing impaired
· “Stims” often- repetitive behavior that prevents learning

Some children diagnosed with ASD remain mute throughout their lives. Some infants who later show signs of ASD coo and babble during the first few months of life, but they soon stop. Others may be delayed, developing language as late as age 5 to 9. Some children may learn to use communication systems such as pictures or sign language.
Many ASD children are highly attuned or even painfully sensitive to certain sounds, textures, tastes, and smells.

Autism is a neurobiological disorder that makes children behave in ways that most people don't understand. People with autism are often confused and upset and react in ways that are socially inappropriate, such as a tantrum. Please be patient while we teach our child how to function appropriately in the community."

Gross motor skills are notably delayed in many autistic children in many cases.

1 in 150 children are diagnosed with autism every year

Lucas showed a lot of these symptoms early, from 12 months on. He lost speech at 12 months, started groaning and yelling rather than talking. He started spinning wheels on toys, spinning anything actually that he could get his hands on! He started lining up objects, acted deaf, and had a lot of difficulty eating. He would often vomit on solid foods, so he ate baby foods until he was almost 3 years old.

As most of you know, he started therapies at 17 months of age including ECI, OT, ST, and ABA (Early childhood Intervention, Occupational and Speech therapy, and Applied Behavior Analysis therapies). He has made remarkable progress- he is talking some, knows about 50 signs, can read at about a kindergarten level and is spelling words! Here is an example:

at the top of this post is a picture of Lukey spelling "original"- he spells different words that he sees all day long with these letters. Some other words he has spelled are fajitas, certified, satin, fabric, bankrupt, and pharmacy. He sees words on TV, in magazines, at the store, etc. and goes home and spells them- amazing he is!!!!!

Welcome to my blog!!!!!!!!

Hello everyone! I have been meaning to do a blog for the longest time- so here it is! Check in here often to see updates on my little world, but mostly about Lucas- I tend to brag on him a lot in real life, so why not on a blog???

For those of you who don't already know, Lucas is 3 and 1/2 and growing like a bad weed! He is 42 inches tall and weighs about 40 pounds. He has autism- PDD (or Pervasive Developmental Disorder) which effects his speech, communication, and social behaviors. (I will post more on autism in some future posts). Lucas is my pride and joy and he is doing great!

Please leave comments on the blog or email me with comments- thanks for looking!