Accomplishments of the Summer
Written by Shane L. Nurnberg

Summer lasts only a few months but it seems like it lasts forever. The unbearable Northern California heat coupled with wildfires around every corner has made the summer of 2008 one for the history books. Sometimes I need to remind myself to sit back and see all the good things. And my son made HUGE strides forward during the summer. Let me tell you about a few of 'em!

1. I made this accomplishment number 1 even though it should probably be number 2... because it's about number 2! I can’t overstate how thankful me and my wife are that Braden is going number 2 in the toilet now. Wow! After changing poopey diapers for 6+ years we didn’t know if this day would ever come. I feel moved to buy Braden a solid gold toilet. A couple months ago me and my wife Anne basically decided that we weren't putting diapers on him anymore during the day. We knew he needed to poop because half way through the day he would ask for a diaper. Well, we got tired of enabling him. At first, he had a fit. Then he had another fit. Then he had yet another fit and he walked around stiff-legged for a while. We expected all this and we came to the battle mentally prepared. We weathered the storm and within a few days he had to poop so bad that he knew the toilet was his only way out (pun intended). Glory, glory, hallelujah! Now we just have to teach him to wipe without putting his hand in it.

2. Braden has begun feeding himself at dinner time. Admittedly, we were enabling him because we wanted to avoid any melt downs and we wanted to make sure he ate well. He's a tall skinny kid. For quite some time he's been feeding himself breakfast (Honey Nut Cheerios) and lunch (PB&J followed by a Cottage Double and cookies). But for some reason, when the evening came around, he refused to feed himself. So we spoon-fed him. Just like we got tired of putting diapers on him, we got tired of sitting there at the table with him spooning food into his mouth. We knew he was capable! So we stopped doing it. And after a few fits, a couple missed meals, and asking us to feed him he reluctantly began feeding himself. Another victory!

3. HO scale trains fascinate Braden. Actually, any scale of train fascinates him. His uncle gave him a nice HO scale train set around Christmas 2007. Initially when I set it up I was skeptical. When the trains derailed I had to be there to put them back on the track. Do you know how many tiny wheels trains have? I'll let you know when I finish counting. But HO is a pretty small scale train. Braden had enough interest in the trains that before long he was placing the engine, gondolla, box cars, caboose, and passenger coach on the track all on his own. That's great for his fine motor skills! The train is small, but the accomplishment is huge.

4. Speech and language is often a big deal for children with autism. During the summer Braden has begun speaking a lot more. I'm talking about sentences here. "I want some water please!" and "I want to go on a bike ride, PLEASE!" are commonplace now. Until this summer he hardly ever put "I" on the front of his sentences. He has always tried to skip as many words as possible and "I" was a popular word to skip. Maybe he has a distaste for pronouns. He still tries to skip it once in a while. Anne and I just ignore him until he says it right. We know he's at a stage where he can get out a full sentence and he doesn't need prompting at all. But if we let him off easy he'll take the easy route every time. The summer of '08 saw big steps forward in Braden's speech and language.

5. Gross motor skills; Braden has a basketball jones. He's very tall and very skinny for a 6-year-old but he loves shooting baskets. Basketball is the only sport his Dad (me) pays attention to. I don't think I've ever pushed him in that direction, but I guess he just noticed that it's a game I enjoy and I react to. Braden loves watching college basketball with me and he surely loves shooting hoops with me. He used to have one of those plastic Little Tikes hoops. This summer his Grandma bought him a real hoop and we got rid of the plastic one. As of August '08 he can easily make baskets with an NBA ball on a regulation hoop set 8 feet high. I'm told he makes baskets at school where they have regulation hoops set at 10 feet up. 10 feet is the height the pros use. 10 feet is waaaaaaaay up for a guy that's only 4 feet tall. When he's shooting baskets you can see determination in his eyes. I love it! The boy can shoot!

6. Anne and I own a Jeep Liberty. It's a small 4x4 SUV. Braden has been getting into it for a while without assistance. He opens the door himself and climbs up and in. This summer I decided to show him how to pull the seat belt around and buckle himself in and also close his own door. After a few trials he picked it up. Now he gets himself into and out of the car on his own. It's just a small hill, but it's another hill he has conquered.

Braden accomplished all the above during the summer, with the help of virtually no services. He was enrolled in a program here at Rowell to help him with his social skills. That was our Get SET program. Other than that it was just his Mom and Dad staying on task and keeping him moving forward. Parents make a big difference in every child's growth. As Braden's parents, my wife and I look to have the biggest impact possible. We're his main teachers and that's a role we take seriously. Unlike summer, which quickly passes by, we'll be his parents for a very long time. I think we'll see lots of good things in the future. Just like any other child, Braden can achieve! And we need to notice his achievements and celebrate them! ▪