Team Meeting

Denis woke me up for the Team Meeting. My cell phone alarm went off and I totally didn't hear it. I had 15 minutes before leaving the house. Nikko was awake but the other two were still sleeping. Denis suggested I take Nikko along and leave the other two, and that turned out to be a prudent idea. At the school, Nikko was sitting in a chair next to mine and at one point I told him to go play. He slid off his chair and went to the toy shelf, picking out a school bus. He took it to the road-patterned carpet, lay down on the rug and started running the bus along a road. It was very appropriate play, despite his face being mere centimeters away from the bus windows, studying the perspective through the bus windows.

I took some notes during the meeting, didn't capture everything, but this is what I jotted down:
Nikko will trace his name and try to spell it.
Body parts identification - still working on it
Stacking blocks - Did well, now needs to keep building w/blocks sideways or some variation of that.
Follows 1-step direction - mastered. HOORAY!
Can identify actions in pictures - now, make him identify the actions.
Shapes - mastered. HOORAY!
Say Yes/No. Do you want this? Yes, or no.
Function of objects - still working on it
Scissors - continue cutting vertical lines on index cards
Maze - still working on it
Numbers - NEW. Count in sequence (using number strip) and then add an object per number so he can learn to identify.
Faces - can make them, but seems to want to be done with the book
Imitate actions with objects - success!
Pretend with Nikko how to drink, how to be a snake.
Answering to Name - - still working on this. Ask "Who are you? What's your name?" Try to do this without prompting.
Different place - NEW.
Conclusions: Nikko has these isolated words; we have to help make them meaningful. Give him more objects and picture choices (PECs).

The meeting lasted an hour and was really good. Another thing I learned was that Nikko has been going to the bathroom, and actually peeing in the potty this past week. That's awesome! They also suggested that I put Nikko in pull-ups and sweats because it is harder for him to pull down his jeans. I guess I'll start his formal PT'ing tomorrow, give him an opportunity to pee on the toilet after Ronin, perhaps. My only problem is that Nikko is coming off some constipation problems and that stuff is messy during a diaper change. Imagine the pull-up change... Maria did mention the velcro-sides so perhaps when he poops I can lay him down vs. struggle on the toilet.

The rest of the day was uneventful until after lunch, when I got the kids in the Pilot and headed to Meijer. I wanted to get some grocery things but started us in the toy section where Ronin frustrated me with his wanting everything he came across. Nikko didn't seem entirely tied to one toy, except when we came across things in the Handy Manny section. Ronin ended up with a Thomas train called Diesel 10, and Audrey got a purple foam ball. She loves it, for some odd reason.

I have a lot of things to do for Nikko, including get a family picture schedule together. That's a left-over goal from the retreat, actually.

This evening I read a blog entry from a woman who had an IEP meeting today for her little man. The teachers had low expectations for him, even asked the parents, "What do you want him to do.... fail?" I was aghast. And I also felt so very lucky that Nikko's teachers are awesome. That they care enough about wanting Nikko to succeed that we could all convene this morning and collaborate on his goals [for his home ABA program] speaks volumes. We ARE lucky.