Dis and Dat: a Crazy Week Back
What a week! It has been a great week on a few levels but it has also been a bit of a difficult week with the Kid. Last Sunday he had an epic freak out that lasted 45 minutes. It was horrific. After it, I cried and the Kid saw my face, and looked incredibly sad and then crawled into my lap and hugged me. That was an amazing moment and a screw you to anyone who says that people with autism don't have empathy. He had another freak out on Wednesday night but it only lasted a few minutes and at therapy on Thursday, he had another one. Ugh. He keeps grabbing at his feet and touching his mouth so I think that he is growing and his adult teeth are coming in. Let's hope this phase passes quickly because my heart can't take it. And also the Husband is heading on holiday in about 2 weeks and it will nightmarrific to deal with it on my own. The Nanny is also off for the next week or so. She had knee surgery and is recovering and so the Husband and I need to figure out a schedule.
I thought things would slow down but of course not. So what happened this past week? A lot! One amazing thing is that the Filmcasino will now be hosting some sensory friendly movie afternoons. Back in December I rented out their theater so that we could have a sensory friendly movie viewing and it was great! And I was poor. But now they are on board and now officially the first theater in Austria to be doing this. This is a huge step for inclusion and great news for my shopping budget! The guy who runs the cinema is lovely and has done a lot to make sure this happens. So support the independent theater Filmcasino! It's amazing and actually gorgeous inside and I am wondering if I can maybe host my 40th Gatsby Party there in about 4 years. Yasss. Tis possible. Right?
In other news, I have an intern! A few weeks ago I posted on Facebook that I was looking for a teenager for the summer to help out with the Beacon Beach House. I need someone who speaks German and English, needs volunteer hours and can help out with social media and communication. I finally heard from someone and I will be meeting her this weekend. It will be a huge huge huge help and maybe I can also find out what all the teenagers are into these days. I am going to be so cool!
In addition to an intern and the movie news, I also had a meeting at a Vienna museum with a really lovely gentleman and I think we both wished we had had more time to just sit and talk about everything. The meeting was about trying to create an autism friendly hour at a museum. It is hard to do "normal" family things in this city without being stared at and I think that if museums start offering a safe space for kids, this would be amazing! It still hasn't been confirmed but I really truly hope that it works out. If it doesn't, I will have to turn our apartment into a museum. On the left are the shoes that Tova purchased when she used to watch Keeping up with the Kardashians. She no longer wears them because she is almost middle aged. On the right is the dress Tova is saving for when she loses those remaining 8 kilos. It might have shoulder pads but that won't stop her. Yes. This would be a fantastic museum. Will do hair like this.
On Thursday night, after my meeting, was the therapy networking evening at the Beaver Brewing Company. It was great as always and since summer is around the corner, I will probably take a little break until September. And of course, whenever I think of these evenings, I also get a little riled up when I hear of stories... about bad "therapists". So please bear with me and this following rant:
As parents we know our kids best. Sure, I don't know how to do therapy and so when an expert comes along, I put a lot of my trust into that person. There will be times that you might not fully understand some of the things that the therapist is doing but if they are unable to explain their reasoning, that is definitely a red flag. If you feel that they are not providing the right therapy or being abusive to your child, don't be afraid to speak out or stop the session immediately. You are the caretaker of your child and you need to go with your gut. A professional and experienced therapist will not be upset if you decide to go a different route. A professional and experienced therapist will not berate you, cause you distress or make your child scream consistently. In our case, the Kid is always happy to see his tutors. He literally takes them by the hand, brings them to his room and shuts the door. A child will not magically show improvement immediately but after a couple of sessions, there should be some evidence of growth, however minor it may be. Taking notes is also a big part of a therapist's job and since you are paying for evidence-based therapy, there should be evidence. No therapist should be condescending and try to ignore your concerns. Therapy is adaptable and specific to the child. An experienced and qualified therapist will never push your child beyond their limitations. After a couple of years of meeting many different qualified and experienced therapists, there is always one thing that they all have in common: they truly aren't in it for the money. Therapists deserve to be paid for what they do, no question. It is a job, but the best therapists I have ever met are genuinely a fan of children and don't count every single minute of work that they do. If you start to feel unsure about the support you are getting, please research their references and also feel free to ask me. I have a pretty good network here in Vienna now and I can let you know about their background or if they are actually properly qualified. Child abuse is something that riles me up and taking advantage of families with children with special needs is a close second. So again, if you have any concerns about the support you are getting, drop me a line. I have access to some great therapists who can verify qualifications and experience. Take back the power, parents!
So now I have to go back to the sofa and watch Baywatch re runs. There isn't much planned for today besides laundry and getting some food for the picnic tomorrow. I am meeting a friend for a drink in the afternoon and then heading home to make dinner. Tomorrow is the Autism in Vienna picnic and I am looking forward to it. It will last a couple of hours and we will see how it goes. This might happen again in July and in August if there is a big turn out. Don't forget, tomorrow is European father's day so go out and buy that tie! I wish you all a fabulous weekend and stay tuned for more craziness! Toodles!
I thought things would slow down but of course not. So what happened this past week? A lot! One amazing thing is that the Filmcasino will now be hosting some sensory friendly movie afternoons. Back in December I rented out their theater so that we could have a sensory friendly movie viewing and it was great! And I was poor. But now they are on board and now officially the first theater in Austria to be doing this. This is a huge step for inclusion and great news for my shopping budget! The guy who runs the cinema is lovely and has done a lot to make sure this happens. So support the independent theater Filmcasino! It's amazing and actually gorgeous inside and I am wondering if I can maybe host my 40th Gatsby Party there in about 4 years. Yasss. Tis possible. Right?
In other news, I have an intern! A few weeks ago I posted on Facebook that I was looking for a teenager for the summer to help out with the Beacon Beach House. I need someone who speaks German and English, needs volunteer hours and can help out with social media and communication. I finally heard from someone and I will be meeting her this weekend. It will be a huge huge huge help and maybe I can also find out what all the teenagers are into these days. I am going to be so cool!
In addition to an intern and the movie news, I also had a meeting at a Vienna museum with a really lovely gentleman and I think we both wished we had had more time to just sit and talk about everything. The meeting was about trying to create an autism friendly hour at a museum. It is hard to do "normal" family things in this city without being stared at and I think that if museums start offering a safe space for kids, this would be amazing! It still hasn't been confirmed but I really truly hope that it works out. If it doesn't, I will have to turn our apartment into a museum. On the left are the shoes that Tova purchased when she used to watch Keeping up with the Kardashians. She no longer wears them because she is almost middle aged. On the right is the dress Tova is saving for when she loses those remaining 8 kilos. It might have shoulder pads but that won't stop her. Yes. This would be a fantastic museum. Will do hair like this.
On Thursday night, after my meeting, was the therapy networking evening at the Beaver Brewing Company. It was great as always and since summer is around the corner, I will probably take a little break until September. And of course, whenever I think of these evenings, I also get a little riled up when I hear of stories... about bad "therapists". So please bear with me and this following rant:
As parents we know our kids best. Sure, I don't know how to do therapy and so when an expert comes along, I put a lot of my trust into that person. There will be times that you might not fully understand some of the things that the therapist is doing but if they are unable to explain their reasoning, that is definitely a red flag. If you feel that they are not providing the right therapy or being abusive to your child, don't be afraid to speak out or stop the session immediately. You are the caretaker of your child and you need to go with your gut. A professional and experienced therapist will not be upset if you decide to go a different route. A professional and experienced therapist will not berate you, cause you distress or make your child scream consistently. In our case, the Kid is always happy to see his tutors. He literally takes them by the hand, brings them to his room and shuts the door. A child will not magically show improvement immediately but after a couple of sessions, there should be some evidence of growth, however minor it may be. Taking notes is also a big part of a therapist's job and since you are paying for evidence-based therapy, there should be evidence. No therapist should be condescending and try to ignore your concerns. Therapy is adaptable and specific to the child. An experienced and qualified therapist will never push your child beyond their limitations. After a couple of years of meeting many different qualified and experienced therapists, there is always one thing that they all have in common: they truly aren't in it for the money. Therapists deserve to be paid for what they do, no question. It is a job, but the best therapists I have ever met are genuinely a fan of children and don't count every single minute of work that they do. If you start to feel unsure about the support you are getting, please research their references and also feel free to ask me. I have a pretty good network here in Vienna now and I can let you know about their background or if they are actually properly qualified. Child abuse is something that riles me up and taking advantage of families with children with special needs is a close second. So again, if you have any concerns about the support you are getting, drop me a line. I have access to some great therapists who can verify qualifications and experience. Take back the power, parents!
So now I have to go back to the sofa and watch Baywatch re runs. There isn't much planned for today besides laundry and getting some food for the picnic tomorrow. I am meeting a friend for a drink in the afternoon and then heading home to make dinner. Tomorrow is the Autism in Vienna picnic and I am looking forward to it. It will last a couple of hours and we will see how it goes. This might happen again in July and in August if there is a big turn out. Don't forget, tomorrow is European father's day so go out and buy that tie! I wish you all a fabulous weekend and stay tuned for more craziness! Toodles!
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