Jonah's Journey

Walk!

The very next day (Sunday), Andy and I took Jonah to the park and he was fine!

He went on the swingset and I talked with a mom whose son was swinging next to him. Turns out her son has speech and language difficulties and they had seen the same developmental pediatrician that we did. She was very kind about Jonah, and we kind of stuck together while our kids played and Andy shot some hoops with a friend who'd come by.

Jonah explored the play equipment with confidence -- it was swarming with kids and he navigated the wee human tide well, if a bit impatiently. (A child on the slide in front of him will, more often than not, get a little push.)

But it made up for the day before quite nicely.

Then today I spent the day at Jonah's school. First I went to a PECS (Picture Exchange Communication Systems) class, where I learned more about how to use the picture cards at home. They also gave me two PECS cards to use in the bathroom, like this, with cartoon-like pictures:

Pull pants down --> Use Potty --> Pull Pants Up --> Wash hands

At school they always change the kids in the bathroom, and they put the children on specially designed, close-to-the-ground toilets every time they change them.

Anyway. After the PECS class, I went down to Jonah's classroom to be a 'parent helper' for the day. My dad asked if he could come along, and they didn't mind, so he was there, too. (My mom came too once, on Jonah's birthday in March.)

While we were there, the kids had cooking (they made "Purple Cow" milkshakes with soy milk and sorbet), outdoor playground recess, quiet time with a video, and a walk outside. Jonah was a regular expert at everything and acted just a little bit uncertain about me & "Pa" being there. But he did not want to come back inside after the outside times. Both times, he wanted to be carried -- and they do not carry the kids, so I wasn't about to either!

His head teacher, Lois, gave me a large PECS card with a picture of a kid walking and WALK printed above it. She told me to show him the card and say "walk" every time he won't walk. So I put the card in my back pocket and used it both times today, remaining patient each time while resolving not to pick him up.

And he walked. Oh, he wasn't happy about it, believe me. He cried and shreiked and whined and pouted. But he walked!



Last of all was a birthday party for Morgan, this adorably smiley long-haried red-head who was turning 6. In september they'll move her to room 2, probably, with the next-older age group. The kids all ate cupcakes that Morgan's mom had made. Each kid has his/her own chair that has his/her picture and name on it.

Of course the cupcakes went over big. Jonah loves yummy sweet things, and most of the other kids were on board with that. Glee ensued!

Jonah walked to the car at the end of the day, and clapped his hands happily to the Guster I played for our ride home.

Now he is napping like an angel. My child hath redeemed himself!







"Whenever I'm caught between two evils, I take the one I've never tried."
         ~ Mae West (1892 - 1980)

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