An End To A Very Long Week

I don't know what it was about this week but it sure seemed long and Friday didn't come soon enough. I am so looking forward to what will hopefully be a restful weekend. Next week is Thanksgiving Break so there's no school. I'm actually looking forward to that, too.

Raquel ended the week on pretty much a good note. The teacher is still challenged by her "attitude", but is making progress. I found out today that the majority of her behaviors occur when she doesn't want to participate in what the class is doing - or, primarily, wanting to stop before the activity is done. The teacher requires Raquel, as she should, to sit there until the activity ends, to stay attended to what the rest of the class is doing. And we're not dealing with a task being a long period of time. Raquel continues to want to do things when she wants, how she wants - PERIOD. I think the only way the teacher is going to get past that is to continue to hold her own.

Last year in the orthopedic class, Raqi could wander around and do what she wanted. If she through a fit, they would take her to the sensory room and she could play in the ball pit. Not the same thing going on here. Now it's about following rules and instructions.

Here's a couple (blurry) pictures of Raquel in her Thanksgiving hat they made at school today. She humored me and kept it on the entire way home. I loved looking at her in my rear view mirror when I had to stop at the red lights.

This week has brought back a bunch of ABA memories for me - when Raquel was seen every day for in-home therapy. Just today when I was picking her up, she started to get aggitated and I said, "Oh, knock it off Raquel. I'm talking to your teacher." She immediately stopped and went off to the other kids. Another parent that was picking up her child said she wished she could do that, but she's just a softy. I told her it was because of the ABA - they taught me how to learn when Raquel was just "working it", and to not reinforce that behavior. I am truly grateful for my ABA Team and I miss them very much.

I've posted a lot before about how music really helps soothe Raquel - especially Jason Mraz and what I call her song - "I'm Yours." Almost a year after the in-home therapy has ended, I still get calls, emails, text messages from her former therapists saying for the most part, "I just heard her song on the radio! How's she doing?"

I have been very fortunate to watch Raqi's song played live many times and not once have I ever not thought of her - or the ABA therapy - when the song starts. It's amazing to see so many people sing every word and having such a good time about a happy song about love. And it's funny because no one would ever know why it's so special to me - what it's gotten us through in therapy and in life. I don't think anyone would believe it unless they have actually seen her reaction to it.

Here's how Raquel's song was played a couple days ago in Brazil - on one of Brazil's biggest talk/variety shows called Faustao, with an average viewing audience of 40 million people!! Sure wish I was at this one. Brazil knows how to put it on! Great job you guys!