Comments on: Not the Fine Motor Achievement We Had In Mind – UPDATED (with the most bizarre twist ever) http://www.bothhandsandaflashlight.com/2008/09/27/not-the-fine-motor-achievement-we-had-in-mind-updated-with-the-most-bizarre-twist-ever/ Parenting, Autism, and the Pursuit of Being Awesome Thu, 09 Feb 2012 01:51:42 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: Tim http://www.bothhandsandaflashlight.com/2008/09/27/not-the-fine-motor-achievement-we-had-in-mind-updated-with-the-most-bizarre-twist-ever/comment-page-1/#comment-10770 Tim Sun, 13 Sep 2009 01:01:21 +0000 http://www.bothhandsandaflashlight.com/?p=301#comment-10770 @Jennie - Wow, I think if the J-Man did that, I'd have a heart attack! His fear of heights has its good points in that he won't jump out of his crib. It'd really escalate things up a bunch of notches if he could get out and run around during the night. He'll on rare occasions try to throw a leg over the crib side and even kind of ease the other up, but then he'll swing his legs back in the bed. We suspect it's that he can't do all the motor planning needed to climb out like on a ladder and his sensory issues prevent him from jumping. On the one hand, it'd be celebration-worthy if he achieved getting out on his own, but it'd create a lot more challenges for us! @Niksmom - Glad you made it here and are enjoying looking around our blog. Thankfully we haven't had any of the dreaded 'writing' on the wall. We thought about duct tape, but we imagine he'd become so focused on what on earth the tape was doing there that he'd never fall asleep! @Jennie – Wow, I think if the J-Man did that, I’d have a heart attack! His fear of heights has its good points in that he won’t jump out of his crib. It’d really escalate things up a bunch of notches if he could get out and run around during the night. He’ll on rare occasions try to throw a leg over the crib side and even kind of ease the other up, but then he’ll swing his legs back in the bed. We suspect it’s that he can’t do all the motor planning needed to climb out like on a ladder and his sensory issues prevent him from jumping. On the one hand, it’d be celebration-worthy if he achieved getting out on his own, but it’d create a lot more challenges for us!

@Niksmom – Glad you made it here and are enjoying looking around our blog. Thankfully we haven’t had any of the dreaded ‘writing’ on the wall. We thought about duct tape, but we imagine he’d become so focused on what on earth the tape was doing there that he’d never fall asleep!

]]> By: Niksmom http://www.bothhandsandaflashlight.com/2008/09/27/not-the-fine-motor-achievement-we-had-in-mind-updated-with-the-most-bizarre-twist-ever/comment-page-1/#comment-10759 Niksmom Sat, 12 Sep 2009 14:18:15 +0000 http://www.bothhandsandaflashlight.com/?p=301#comment-10759 Poking around in your archives (as I just found you today courtesy of Bonnie S.) I have to laugh. Your son sounds very much like my son! Right down to the Houdini routines. We've gone through lots of duct tape in our house. And lots of those "what's on the WALL" moments! Looking forward to reading more of your adventures and thoughts. Poking around in your archives (as I just found you today courtesy of Bonnie S.) I have to laugh. Your son sounds very much like my son! Right down to the Houdini routines.

We’ve gone through lots of duct tape in our house. And lots of those “what’s on the WALL” moments!

Looking forward to reading more of your adventures and thoughts.

]]> By: Jennie http://www.bothhandsandaflashlight.com/2008/09/27/not-the-fine-motor-achievement-we-had-in-mind-updated-with-the-most-bizarre-twist-ever/comment-page-1/#comment-10734 Jennie Fri, 11 Sep 2009 19:58:05 +0000 http://www.bothhandsandaflashlight.com/?p=301#comment-10734 Not sure why I stumbled upon this post today, but it gave me the laugh I really needed! Our little bug loves standing on his head by looping his feet through the slats in his crib. No hands :) And although he is in OT for balance, core strenght, etc. etc. I often find that he's climbed up and is perched somewhere quite precarious. Not sure why I stumbled upon this post today, but it gave me the laugh I really needed! Our little bug loves standing on his head by looping his feet through the slats in his crib. No hands :) And although he is in OT for balance, core strenght, etc. etc. I often find that he’s climbed up and is perched somewhere quite precarious.

]]> By: Tim http://www.bothhandsandaflashlight.com/2008/09/27/not-the-fine-motor-achievement-we-had-in-mind-updated-with-the-most-bizarre-twist-ever/comment-page-1/#comment-1483 Tim Sun, 28 Sep 2008 04:31:59 +0000 http://www.bothhandsandaflashlight.com/?p=301#comment-1483 One thing I keep meaning to write a post about is his hyper-flexibility. I hear people talk about this being a trait common to some subset of autistic kids. I haven't looked much into it, though, to see if there's any real scientific basis to it. It's sort of like core muscle weakness. I honestly don't know how that relates to autism, but apparently it does. Anyway, if I can get pictures of J-Man doing his noodly/pretzely stuff, I'll post them. It's amazing. It's like he has no joints, tendons, or ligaments sometimes. Some things he can do (and by no means an exhaustive list): * Perform a downward facing dog (only much more vertical than it's usually done as his legs are often close to perpendicular to the floor - like he's folded in half), rest his head on the floor, and reach his arms back and put his hands over his head. Sometimes he watches TV like this, looking through his legs. * Watch TV on the couch while sticking his big toes in his ears when the volume gets too loud. * Sit on the floor with his legs straight out in front of him, then fold himself in half, put his face on the floor while still seated, and lick the floor. (thankfully he leaves the last step off usually) His current OT is very pro-yoga for kids. She was completely bowled over by him. Related to the whole core muscle thing - even with all this, he's struggled for a long time to do a sit-up without assistance. Fascinating. One thing I keep meaning to write a post about is his hyper-flexibility. I hear people talk about this being a trait common to some subset of autistic kids. I haven’t looked much into it, though, to see if there’s any real scientific basis to it. It’s sort of like core muscle weakness. I honestly don’t know how that relates to autism, but apparently it does.

Anyway, if I can get pictures of J-Man doing his noodly/pretzely stuff, I’ll post them. It’s amazing. It’s like he has no joints, tendons, or ligaments sometimes.

Some things he can do (and by no means an exhaustive list):

* Perform a downward facing dog (only much more vertical than it’s usually done as his legs are often close to perpendicular to the floor – like he’s folded in half), rest his head on the floor, and reach his arms back and put his hands over his head. Sometimes he watches TV like this, looking through his legs.

* Watch TV on the couch while sticking his big toes in his ears when the volume gets too loud.

* Sit on the floor with his legs straight out in front of him, then fold himself in half, put his face on the floor while still seated, and lick the floor. (thankfully he leaves the last step off usually)

His current OT is very pro-yoga for kids. She was completely bowled over by him.

Related to the whole core muscle thing – even with all this, he’s struggled for a long time to do a sit-up without assistance. Fascinating.

]]> By: Mary (MPJ) http://www.bothhandsandaflashlight.com/2008/09/27/not-the-fine-motor-achievement-we-had-in-mind-updated-with-the-most-bizarre-twist-ever/comment-page-1/#comment-1482 Mary (MPJ) Sun, 28 Sep 2008 04:08:21 +0000 http://www.bothhandsandaflashlight.com/?p=301#comment-1482 Wow. Forget preschool, can you see if he can start training to become an acrobat? Wow. Forget preschool, can you see if he can start training to become an acrobat?

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