“Back in the saddle again, out where a friend is a friend!” A golden oldie phrase which gives us thoughts of yesteryear. September is birthday month in our family, and we have many days to celebrate! September means the end of summer… Tagging us with birthday days. First Tina, then Grandma and next Candace. Then it seems like birthdays just come round again! Truly we are blessed as these total years for the three add up to 142 years. Now there has to be some wisdom in all of these many years. Totals of beginnings and endings, of heartaches of sorrow, of accomplishments and learning to deal with a messy (ie) world.

Years come and years go, we are so thankful that there are people out there that care and share within the lives of those that struggle with the in’s and out’s of living. Much to learn, to be thankful for and certainly become aware of! If you really want to see what we are about go to rdiconnect.com. rewiredat75

Understanding, seeing and believing in RDI.  It has been a long few weeks.  When new places or changes are part of the day or even the month we see that our days and lives can be upside down.  When we see things happen in our lives that cannot be explained,  we as parents do the best we can and do our best to help normal children “get it!” Totally different is a child with autism.  Change is never easy when we are on our own turf.  When staying with various family members this summer we have not been making the correct connections, rdi comes and goes… tonight was one of those nights.  The downstairs freezer had ice pops in and Candace did not close the door after taking one out to eat!!  The door was left slightly open, and the door to the laundry room where the freezer is located was closed.  We left for town and a number of things melted. A mess to behold.  There was much said,  and it ended up a night of talking with my son.  It is one o’clock in the morning and the conversation was honest but …. They don’t get RDI and understand that this next year is wind down time and a true picture of Candace will emerge.  All they can see is older parents and “what do we do” with Candace if something happens to you.  This has been a stressful summer for both of us… not the usual with RDI twice a day and without the structure we are seeing things that would not have happened … things have been said and then because we are the grandparent factor in her life… hmmm, what if, what happens, I totally understand concerns and need for a plan, but some other things have not been factored into the equation of this… Remembering, “I know the plans I have for you ( and Candace) and not one of fear”… a paraphrase we need to remember in our youth and old age.  Rewiredat75!! goodnight!

Learning to share and put things in perspective come easy to some people.  For our autistic Granddaughter this has been a hurdle to cross, seemingly as wide as an ocean.  Skills that are usually learned early on in life by most children, yet do not always make sense to her. It is when we slow down and allow enough time for her to think about the subject or objective at hand is when progress comes.  Confusion comes into her life not only with the autism right brain inability to understand social and people skill problems but her inability to assess what is being said to her when we don’t really know how much she hears.  It seems such a long wait until October when we will find out “the rest of the story.”  An anxious, rewired Grandma.

Life is puzzling and time flies!  Soon the pieces will fit together and then….

So goes our world and hers.  Many times the puzzle pieces fit and then there are the days that …. well come and go.  Expectations are not met, accomplishments are not realized, yet the pieces fit here and there and then we see the whole picture.  In autism there is self talk.  I hesitated a bit before going in to say goodnight.  In her self-talk mode she was giving a sermon to all that would listen.  Her mode was to tell others about Jesus and share with them the good news.  Her goal is …. to work with young people (children) and help them to learn (working in a church setting in daycare) then… Emulating her idol, Pastor Eli is very important to her and wow, she was doing just that.  Pieces do fit together and someday we will know “the rest of the story!” as said by Paul Harvey

Now to continue with her education, to get her appointments done, especially get her hearing checked.  With the edges filled in, then the puzzle will be very evident to all of us.  What a revelation!!

rewiredat75.com and smiling.

Summer is fast a-fleeting … time for many greetings – yet finding myself in all the hurrah – living here and there – confusion is there, yet …. we need to see  progress. ” I am learning that some things must be done each day.  That even though it is summer – work does not go away …  The goals set by me and Gram – Sometimes I say NO – when I know I can –  Gram teaches me rhymes just for fun – helps me to listen – even though I want only fun – things to do – go here and there – finish the school work – Oh, me – Oh my – where!!  Travel is good and yet … I would like to just be ME in all of this!  When I see progress – happiness comes …  Then we will have fun!”   (Listening and rhyming has been part of our RDI communication this summer … we throw a ball and make up rhymes… The above quote is an example of  thoughts we say as we throw a ball to each other and say crazy things in a sort of poetry fashion which we have been doing this summer.  This gives you an idea of our  communicating  in different ways.  rj

It has been a stretch this summer and the “sort of litany” of words written above sum up feelings that come and go with the tide in finding out who, what, why and when in the life of our granddaughter.  She had an awesome day yesterday and finished the first 6 lessons in Earth Science.  Felt that sense of accomplishment.  Today we take the test.  Have a Demolition Derby to go to cause her cousin will drive his truck at a county fair.  It will be interesting to go there and see how she handles the noise and crowd.  There have been so many new things this summer.  She knew that school would be part of her summer. It is not easy but accomplishments are forthcoming and she feels great when she finishes something.  RDI is ongoing and a necessary part of her life … it does not mean she always likes to participate but we see a change in her ability to learn and stay connected when we do more activities together.

Our balance in all of the above has to be there each day.  Hopefully she will know and remember that it is all part of the plan in finding herself!!

A zany rewired Grmma!!

A word for the times.  In all things (autism) we have such a need for continuity! Many days and times ever changing in the lives of those that need changes and or continuity to survive.  The why of some things remain a mystery when facing autism.  Even though there are learning processes, where O where is the social process needed to survive in an ever Messie World!! How do we get there? Certainly not any tried and true answers.  ”Getting the brain to change and understand is a very technical part of growing up with autism, understanding what is needed to survive when others around do not think like I do! Frustrations appear and without continuity in my day I really begin to melt down and not understand.”  Aaaargh!  then add a hearing loss to the mix!  Appointments do not come fast enough to see a specialist!!  ”I need it now because I don’t get what others say to me, I am plainly frustrated.”  The whys have it today!  Going from here to there is so confusing and aggravating in our busy every day world, then add autism and hearing loss in the mix!   We are backing up and have more than ever a need for RDI. During this time RDI is most important and guiding me through things is going to help change me!  ”The more I interact in doing the simple things, then continue with Grandma through the guiding part of RDI somehow life starts to make sense!”

Running through life pell mell does not suit those with autism.  Back to the drawing board and continuity is the cry of the day! Words and days are a challenge. Thinking about how my granddaughter is feeling about her life right now and the confusion in not really hearing what everyone says is a challenge to both of us.  ”Staying in my room makes the best sense to me, I feel safe there watching my videos of writing about things that make me happy!  Where are we going, how do I get  there fast enough!!  Trying to make sense of life, especially just today!!”

Rewiredat75 can use a bit of this technique today!  Smelling the Roses helps all of us  have a bright, happy day change of pace for the day! rj

Living our lives, changes, autism and my Red Bear.  This journey has taken many turns in the last 10 years, since our granddaughter was diagnosed with autism.  Many turns in the roads to cover, much to learn and the list goes on and on. The journey started when our oldest adopted daughter had a child.  People with disabilities have yearnings as we all do to have a fulfilling life.  She wanted to be like her oldest brother.  She wanted a family and a baby.  Choices and understanding were not always forthcoming in her life.  Looking back those many years ago and knowing what we do now there might have been a different outcome.

In 1968 there was not a lot of information about autism.  Personal Computers and the information highway we have today certainly was not available to us. When a child did not have the ability to converse but only point and say a few words at age five, we were told that there was little to be done. That this little five year old placed in our care would more than likely never talk, live on her own or understand enough to hold a job. We somehow thought that just by living with us we could somehow “change things. We did not think then that there would ever be a diagnosis.  There was no help locally and Special Education was almost an unknown in small town North Dakota.  We were fortunate through our system of searching that we found a place to turn to for speech help.  So began years of  summer camps in a place called Camp Grassick, a place designed to help those learn to speak and located  next to a small lake in the middle of North Dakota was where much of her early speech was learned.

Before the story continues further we will recall the many months of trying this, that and third thing to enhance this smiley little girls life and continue the growth of understanding in that life. Certainly we were undaunted by the challenges ahead and more than that, a bit naive.

During a period of many years, this author has acquired  a collection of bears of various size color and hue. There are many sayings about bears and quotes found in a variety of publications that make us smile through tears!! ” Bears are like cars, they arrive disguised in different shapes and colors, rather a nonentity yet … only time will reveal just who they really are.”  Johnnie Hague

A bit like those who face the hurdles of autism in their lives , the analogy of the bear and our children is:   as they are loved, guided and nurtured  ”time will reveal just who they really are.” A rewired Grandma who loves Bears!

Stories are meant to be told.  Many times when we are trying new things they do not work out the way we would like to see them happen.  One of those items is bringing together RDI and the video or pictures into the blog.  If there is anyone out there that has knowledge and will give guidance to this rewired grandma aka: Grandmaredbear… it would really be appreciated.  Hopefully with more patience as we navigate new things into our blogs we will see an easier way of doing things… a tired but rewired Grandma.  Introducing this redbear tonight is part of our lives in the rewired household.  A quote from a small book of Bear Quotations… “There is no bear, like an old bear.” They are to be loved at all times even when electronic things like uploading pictures into this blog and not remembering how I did it the last time, just don’t come to this Grandma Red Bears mind!!  Smile at that story as even C knows that this RDI thing is a good thing.  A quote: “Grandma, I think we need to do more RDI today, maybe we can!”  Meaning she is thinking what will give her those things that seem to make sense in “all things” needed in her life today!! Will try again tomorrow!  rewiredat75

Rest and Concentration is necessary for changes in autism.  Finding the right answers through the many types of activity put forth in our efforts to complete an RDI  event.  Rest comes in slowing down so we can accomplish communication skills.  In working with C we many times may make videos that she then can view.  It helps to communicate in a variety of way.  Here is a list of ordinary things we may do as we work together.  Throwing a ball. folding clothes, doing dishes, hanging clothes, etc.  Ordinary things in life in which she can communicate with fewer words.  I will try to attach a video yet today which will give  a picture of our activities together. rewiredat75

Exactly where is the future of autism if we don’t try.  Choosing to guide, to study again and again, change then comes.

Remarkable things happen.  No there may be no cure … how about improvement through diet, RDI, continued study then Bingo! we see change.  There is a need for continued education.  When does it stop? Certainly not at five or fifteen or twenty years!! Beyond the point in and of all things, education is necessary.  Guiding those with autism is necessary and hills are waiting to be climbed.  Understanding the connections of the brain and diet, even though we see small baby steps we begin to believe that with “God all things are possible.”  Never, no never will we give up!

Life’s changes are always happening.  Whether an apprentice is young or old we need to realize that the basics of a meaningful life are available when we immerse ” all things available” to those with autism.  We may have to circle the barn a few times longer or farther as we travel the road in our autism journey yet… we gain and build memories that are lasting.  Go to rdiconnect.com and start seeing connections happen!  Blessings on your journey too!               rewiredat75