October 2010 - Posts

The Ups and Downs of Halloween
October 31, 2010 8:31 PM by Devon Alley

Halloween has definitely been a mixed bag this year -- no pun intended. First of all, we had a great deal of success with A.'s costume this year. She wanted to be a Pokemon trainer -- specifically, Dawn, the character that trains the Pokemon Piplup. I Read More...

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A.'s First Week in CDC
October 30, 2010 4:46 PM by Devon Alley

A.'s first week in the full-time CDC classroom has been quite a success. Of course, we've all been warned that this may just be a "honeymoon period," that A. may just be excited to be out of the mainstream classroom she hated so much. I am, however, cautiously Read More...

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Invisible Issues: When High Functioning Is Hard
October 29, 2010 12:22 AM by Devon Alley

In many respects, the "high functioning" descriptor of A.'s autism diagnosis has been a bit of a godsend. Until very recently, A. had been able to manage herself quite well in a mainstream classroom with neurotypical peers. She is very intelligent and Read More...

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One Step Back, Two Steps Forward
October 27, 2010 11:18 PM by Devon Alley

Sometimes, you have to take one step back in order to take two steps forward. At A.'s long-anticipated and much-needed IEP Meeting this past Friday, the team decided that A.'s behavior issues needed intense monitoring and guidance, the sort of attention Read More...

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The Power of Community
October 25, 2010 9:59 PM by Devon Alley

I know that it goes without saying and that it's an incredibly obvious statement, but -- it's good to know you're not alone. I have watched my child struggle to understand language, nuance, facial expressions, puns, plays on words, sarcasms, and simple Read More...

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Thomas the Amazing Math Tutor
October 21, 2010 10:25 AM by Devon Alley

Last week, I received one of those all-too-familiar emails from A.'s teacher. This one was informing me that A. had suffered a very intense meltdown at school that day, a meltdown that was so intense that A. was removed from the classroom for the rest Read More...

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Family Visitations & Chimney Rock
October 18, 2010 10:56 AM by Devon Alley

I really could not have asked for a better-behaved A. over the duration of Fall Break. Despite the fact that we completely messed up her routine from day-to-day, and despite the fact that we spent an incredible amount of time in the car, A. remained in Read More...

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Preparing for Fall Break
October 12, 2010 5:27 AM by Devon Alley

It's been difficult to find time to sit down and blog, lately. It's rather unfortunate, too, because I actually have a long list of subjects that I definitely want to tackle and discuss, but each one of them will take a certain amount of time, effort, Read More...

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Hot Air Balloons and Kindred Spirits
October 4, 2010 10:38 PM by Devon Alley

Every year, Pellissippi State Community College -- where my fiance is currently employed -- hosts a Hot Air Balloon Festival, where several different pilots show off their balloons to the public on the PSCC campus lawn. There are tethered balloon rides, Read More...

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