LAURA

HI MY NAME IS BRAYDEN.  I AM 8 YEARS OLD.  I AM SO LUCKY TO HAVE SUCH A WONDERFUL, KIND HEARTED FRIEND, LAURA.   I HAVE HAD THE PRIVLEAGE OF HAVING LAURA IN MY LIFE FOR 5 YEARS.  I FIRST MET LAURA AT A MOMS ADDRESSING AUTISM SUPPORT GROUP.   MY MOM ATTENDED THE SUPPORT GROUP AND MY OLDER SISTER AND I ATTENDED THE KIDS GROUP.  I WAS SO NERVOUS TO GO TO MOMS GROUP, BUT THERE WAS A VOLUNTEER NAMED LAURA THAT MADE ME FEEL MORE COMFORTABLE AND AT EASE.  SHE TALKED TO ME LIKE A REGULAR PERSON.  SHE MADE KIDS GROUP FUN.  LAURA THEN BECAME MY RESPITE WORKER.  WE WOULD GO TO THE PARK AND TO THE POND.  I LIKED TO HANG OUT WITH LAURA.  SHE WOULD TREAT ME LIKE I DIDN’T HAVE AUTISM AND THAT WAS IMPORTANT TO ME.  I NEEDED A FRIEND AND SHE BECAME MY FRIEND.  LAURA THEN BECAME MY IBI THERAPISTS.  I HATED IBI THERAPY BUT HAVING LAURA COME TO MY HOUSE 3 OUT OF 5 DAYS MADE IT BEARABLE.  SHE KNEW I WAS SMART, FUNNY, KIND AND I HAD SUCH A HARD TIME SHOWING WHAT I KNEW.  SHE WAS ALWAYS SO ENCOURAGING AND POSITIVE.    NOW SHE IS MY RESPITE WORKER AGAIN.  I AM THRILLED THAT WE CAN STILL SEE EACH OTHER.  I FEEL SO LUCKY TO HAVE A WONDERFUL FRIEND NAMED LAURA.  A PERSON LIKE LAURA DESERVES TO BE HAPPY ALWAYS.   I WISH HER ALL THE HAPPINESS IN THE WORLD.  MAY GOD BLESS YOU AND ERIC A LIFETIME OF JOY AND HAPPINESS.  LETS RAISE A GLASS AND TOAST TO THE NEWLYWEDS.  CHEERS. 

 

DEAR CLASSMATES

DEAR CLASSMATES

MY NAME IS BRAYDEN.  I AM 8 YEARS OLD.  I HAVE AUTISM.  I CAN'T TALK WITH MY MOUTH BUT I TALK WITH LETTERS.   SO IF YOU ASK ME A QUESTION I CANNOT NOT RESPOND BY MY MOUTH.  I WILL HAVE TO RESPOND BY MY LETTERBOARD.  I ALSO HAVE VOCAL STIMS THAT I HAVE A HARD TIME CONTROLLING.  I MAY SOUND FUNNY AT TIMES.  PLEASE DON'T STARE AT ME OR LAUGH AT ME.  I FEEL BAD ALREADY ABOUT MAKING THOSE NOISES AND STARING AND LAUGHING MAKE IT WORSE.  I WOULD LIKE TO BE YOUR FRIEND SO PLEASE PLAY WITH ME.  I AM A FUNNY AND GOOD FRIEND TO HAVE.  DON'T BE SHY AROUND ME. I LIKE TO PLAY TOO. 

SINCERELY YOUR FRIEND
BRAYDEN

Question from a reader

Brayden received a question from one of his readers.

Brayden, I remember when you were a bit younger and your mom registered you for a group with our Therapeutic Recreation programme on a P.D. Day.  It was in a room with lots of equipment and you ran around the room for parts of it.  I think sometimes when that happens, people think you may not want to do the activities, or that you maybe just need an activity break?

I guess I have two questions.

If you do remember that day, do you think disinterest in the activities was part of it?

If you did actually want to participate, but had a hard time controlling your body, how could we have helped you to focus, or calm down or ……

Thanks in advance!! C

DEAR C
THANK YOU FOR TAKING THE TIME OUT OF YOUR BUSY DAY TO READ MY BLOG AND RESPOND WITH SOME QUESTIONS.  I LIKE TO HEAR FROM MY READERS.  UNFORTUNATELY I DON'T RECALL THAT PD DAY AT K.A.  I HAVE BLOCKED A LOT OF THOSE EARLY ABA DAYS OUT AS IT WAS A VERY DEPRESSING TIME IN MY LIFE.  I WILL TRY TO ANSWER YOUR QUESTION TO THE BEST OF MY KNOWLEDGE.
NO I DON'T REMEMBER THAT DAY.  WHEN THIS HAPPENS I HAVE A HARD TIME CONTROLLING MY BODY.  IT FEELS LIKE YOUR SPINNING AND CAN'T STOP.  YOU WANT TO STOP BUT YOU CAN'T.  IT IS SUCH AN AWFUL FEELING TO NOT BE ABLE TO STOP.  THERE IS ALSO ANOTHER REASON WHY I GET UP, THE ACTIVITY IS TOO SIMPLE AND DEGRADING TO MY INTELLIGENCE.  IMAGINE SOMEONE GIVES YOU BABY WORK WHEN YOU ARE AN ADULT.  THEN THEY START TALKING TO YOU LIKE YOU ARE A BABY AND THINKS THAT YOU DON'T UNDERSTAND THE ENGLISH.  BUT YOU CAN UNDERSTAND EVERYTHING THAT IS GOING ON BUT YOUR MOUTH DOESN'T LISTEN TO YOUR BRAIN AND ALL THESE WEIRD SOUNDS COME OUT OF YOUR MOUTH INSTEAD.  YOUR LIKE WHAT THE HELL IS GOING ON WITH ME.  WHY CAN'T I TALK WITH MY MOUTH WITH THE WORDS THAT ARE IN MY HEAD?  IT IS SO FRUSTRATING.
DO YOUR BEST TO DO INTERESTING ACTIVITIES ON INTERESTING TOPICS.  WE KNOW OUR NUMBERS AND LETTERS, LETS MOVE PAST THE BABY WORK.  WHY MUST WE SHOW OUR TEACHERS EVERY LITTLE THING WITH ABA DRILLS?  IT IS ANNOYING AND NOT NECESSARY.  HOW WOULD YOU LIKE TO SHOW A SKILL THREE TIMES RIGHT IN A ROW IN ORDER TO MOVE ONTO THE NEXT SKILL?  WHAT IF YOUR BODY WASN'T WORKING THAT DAY AND YOU COULDN'T SHOW YOUR SKILL?  SO YOU ARE STUCK ON THAT SAME SKILL FOR A LONG TIME, THEN YOU GIVE UP BECAUSE YOU ARE FRUSTRATED AND BORED.
ABA IS INSULTING TO OUR INTELLIGENCE.
WHY CAN'T WE ASSUME COMPETENCE AND TEACH WITHOUT TESTING EVERY LITTLE THING?  THAT WOULD MAKE ME HAPPY TO KNOW THAT EVERY AUTISTIC WOULD HAVE A EDUCATION, TO LEARN RPM AND BE HAPPY.
SINCERELY
BRAYDEN