Visiting the Lotus Group

Well we went to the Lotus Group last night and met with a therapist named Janis. She had worked with children on all ends of the autism spectrum. She thought Cassidy was very high-functioning. I told her that is what makes her more difficult because she seems normal at some points and others she doesn't. She doesn't fit the stereotypical profile of an autistic child.

I told her that I wanted to find a way to help Cassidy cope emotionally and pull herself out of her fits and to correct her insomnia issues. I told her about my "Stop a Fit" technique. She thought I was on the right track. She had some "assignments" for us.

1. Keep a journal of every fit.
a. Time
B. Date
c. Trigger or Possible Trigger
2. Brushing Her Arms and Legs...(she suggested a baby hair brush but I am using different paint brushes and a make up brush)
3. Use a box of tactile objects to calm her (feathers, felt, velvet...)
4. Do a series of predictable things when a fit is coming on
(ex. "stop a fit technique")


5. Log times and days of insomnia in journal.

Basically right now we are looking for patterns to try to decipher what is bringing on her outbursts.

I am so sick of getting ways of DEALING with this disorder. I want a way to make her better. To make her FEEL BETTER! It is like she has a disease and instead of curing her we are just trying to learn how to deal with the outbursts she has because she is miserable because she is ill.

Imagine if she had cancer and instead of trying to cure it they just tried to teach us all to behave when she screamed in pain. I will do the things suggested but I think it all sucks. I want answers and I want HELP! HELP! Not "give me $125 and I will tell you some bull-shit you could look up on the Internet for free."

SOMEBODY HELP US!!!!

Can I take off this stupid hat? 

Look what I got. 

Cassidy and Karma graduate. 

With Diploma. 

Macarana! 

She looks so happy here as she gets ready to join the Bethany class. She is smiling and the other kids are smiling and this is just inside the doorway. I think this is probably where the smiling ended. 

First day at Bethany Preschool. She was only 3.  

Graduation!

Well tomorrow it graduates from pre-school. I cannot believe we have finished 2 years of DIFFICULT pre-school. She has grown and learned a lot from it all.

I almost didn't send her anywhere. I had originally sent her to Bethany Christian Church preschool where I sent her brother, Nathan. He loved it so much.

Well after less than a week I had to remove her. Bless the hearts of the wonderful teachers there. They tried to work with her and had long talks with me about it. But they just did not have the training or the help that they needed to deal with her. She hadn't even been diagnosed with autism at the time. We were still guessing as to what her problem was.

I thought about skipping it altogether but I was so disturbed by her behavior there that I started my quest. The elementary school in our town hooked me up with a special preschool program and I thought she wouldn't even be able to do that.

Her first month or so she was a terror to the class and I think they were just tollerating her. I have praised the heck out of Jill Jereb for changing all of that when she started working there so I am not praising her again! FORGET IT JILL! :-)

(ok praise for Jill again)

So here we are nearly two years later and my Tiny Baby Princess is graduating. Maybe I should let her backpack accross Europe with her best buddy, Karma before starting Kindergarten? Congratulations Cassidy!

So how does Deaner play The Blarney Stone? 

She looks like and angel doesn't she? 

Cassidy is teaching herself guitar by watching Dean Ween. I had to cut her hair a few weeks ago because she would pull it out if I put it up in "dog ears". 

STOP THE FIT!!!!

Dear Somebody:

Please help me. My daughter is making me CRAZY!

My father is fond of telling Cassidy, "it's a good thing you're so cute!" It's true. It's a good thing.

I get so discouraged. After the Riley Hospital visit I felt as though I had just hit a wall. The list of referrals they gave me was nearly useless. Everyone on it were either not taking new patients or were no longer at that number and so forth. I have been so doubtful about even sending her to another therapist. What will they do? I was not WOWED by Riley and kids come from other states to get help there.

Well the first person on the referral list was Patrick Hall. I finally found out that he was now at a place called The Lotus Group. So I looked them up and found their web site. http://www.lotusgroup.biz

I still waited to call. I guess sometimes I just hope she will get better on her own. Anyway lately she has been having almost violent fits. She also has started hurting herself, as in pulling out her hair and scratching her face.

I couldn't leave her at school yesterday because she had such a fit before we left and put big scratches on her cheeks because I would not stop the car and tie her shoes. (she was the one that had untied them) She was a freaked out mess by the time we got there so I dropped off her poor traumatized brother and took her to Mom.

I have been trying to get through to her during her fits by having her look me in the eye and I say "Stop the Fit!" She will say it back to me. Oddly enough it seems like since I started this experiment, her fits have become more angry and frequent.

I was told that they had to RESTRAIN her today at school. She was a perfect angel when I dropped her off. This isn't the first time.

I emailed Lotus Group:

-----Original Message-----From: Sparkle125@gmail.com
[mail to:Sparkle125@gmail.com]Sent: Wednesday, May 11, 2005 12:25 PMTo: info@lotusgroup.bizSubject: LotusGroup.com Contact


My five year old daughter was diagnosed with high functioning autism over a year ago. Riley Hospital referred me to Patrick Hall and I have been told that he now works here. I find your group very interesting and would love to set up a time for someone to see her. She is very smart but her behavior is becoming more and more difficult and I need help.

Please respond,


Kim Atkins




Info
to me
More options
2:32 pm (58 minutes ago)

Kim;

We would consider it a privilege to be of help. Based on what you wrote, I believe the best thing to do would be to set up an initial assessment with Janice Sanders, LCSW, and allow Janice to determine the direction of your daughter's treatment here at Lotus Group. Janice specializes in work with children who struggle with special circumstances such as your daughter and her autism. She might encourage you to have her seen by our child psychiatrist, Dr. Sheila Irick, if you would like to coordinate the care in one place. You might discuss that with Janice when you see her. Feel free to call and schedule an appointment by calling our office at 317.595.5555.Let me know if there is anything else I can do.

Take Care.

Patrick J. Hall, President/LMFTLotus Group11950
Fishers Crossing DriveFishers, IN 46038ph.317.595.5555


So I called them. I didn't want to call just to be told they couldn't /wouldn't help me. So I emailed them first. They were the nicest people. It seems that this Patrick Hall is the founder of this group. They don't accept Cassidy's Hoosier Healthwise Poorfolk Insurance so I may have to get her back on John's insurance or get another job. All I know is I hope they can help.

Initial visit will be $125. Follow ups will be $95 and $225 to see the psychiatrist, Sheila Irick...help.


Janice Sanders will be seeing Cassidy on Wednesday, May 25th at 5:30 pm.

Fear of Dogs

I have heard that one autism characteristic is fearlessness. While only 15 months old she would climb the slide either up the ladder or up the slide itself, get to the top and slide back down using any number of styles, forwards, backwards, on her belly... All the while her 3 1/2 year-old brother was still terrified to go up the steps and required his hand to be held as he went down. It was very odd.

I recall a trip to PetSmart with her when she was about three. We went to pick up some crickets for our frogs. In front of us in the check out lane was a very large German Shepard. Cassidy broke my grasp and ran for this critter. She threw her arms around him and hugged him. Luckily the dog was very gentle and the owner was paying attention. I got her off of the dog and told her not to do that again. Of course she would do it anytime she got a chance. To her, a dog was just a large stuffed animal that moved.

I was curious how she would respond to dogs after the attack. It was a nice coincidence that we had already planned a visit with Jill and Opie before this had happened. We showed up at Jill's place and instantly Cassidy began to talk to Opie but would not touch him and would run away when he came near.

Jill and I got down on the floor with her and reintroduced her to Opie. She warmed up to him and began playing with him. But, at one point Opie yawned, showing all of his tiny teeth. She cried out and said something about his teeth and the inside of his mouth. She pushed herself into a corner and shook. We explained to her that he was yawning and she finally relaxed.

Ironically we had already planned to go to a pet show at the Munice Fairgrounds. We went ahead and went but she was very scared of the dogs and seemed to be only interested in a very large bunny and various stuffed animals in the booths.

I am saddened by her trauma but also very glad to see that she was able to develop a fear of dogs. I was concerned that she would still be fearless around them. This actually encourages me. It shows that she is having a natural emotional reaction to this situation. I did not want her to be numb to it.