The following journal entries are from today's trip to the Woodlands Methodist Church for a conference on non-verbal types of autism. Let's just say that Brandy and I would have had a much better time taking the day off to do just about anything else.
April 02, 2007 11:47 AM
We're having lunch at Chipotle Grill in the Woodlands open air mall. The mall is pretty cool. It almost feels like a mini village. This is supposed to be the same design for the mall they are building near our house. Pretty cool.
We're up here to attend a conference on non-verbal types of autism which starts in a little under an hour. Hopefully we learn something or at least get a work book. I have always been pretty dubious about the impact of conferences and how they may initially change behavior but old habits kick in and most people revert to the way they were before attending. If we actually learn something that could help Rowan hopefully we can make it a part of our daily routine. If not, at least Brandy and I got the day off together.
12:41 PM
The conference is about to start and I'm already feeling a bit drowsy. I should have warned Brandy that I have a tendancy to fall asleep in these things, but, then again, she signed me up without asking me.
It took us awhile to find the right hall. The church is a series of mazes that reminds me of department stores trying to keep customers in. It's not surprising seeing how they both operate the same clientele with pretty much the same general type of merchandise. (items people really don't need yet feel they cannot live without). Brandy remarked that it felt like a museum and yet I thought it more resembled a fancy mall.
It seems everywhere I look people are spending tons of dough on unneccessary things but everyday we have to eek it out just to put gas in the tank to get to work. I need to find a better way to increase income and, at the same time, micro-manage how we spend it. Benefits would help tremendously. It seems as though we always get hit all at once. Last week we had three doctor visits and one dental plus medicine for all. It's not cheap. I know I made the right decision for the boys in leaving Universal but the income was triple what I make now and the benefits were excellent. Well, no sense pondering over the past. I need to move forward from this point on.
1:01 PM
I am one of only three men in a room filled with chattering women and that's not counting the fact that one of the other two looks girly enough to not count as a man. This is going to be a long three hours. At least Brandy secured us seats directly next to the coffee and snacks. Side note: unless I have an earth shattering experience, make sure Brandy deosn't sign me up for anymore of these estrogen extravaganza lectures. (deep breath)
Some lady informed us a few moments ago that the campus (as she referred to the church/mini-mall) is non-smoking. Like the words of some Methodist late 40's Woodlands soccer mom means jack shit to me. I would have to walk 3/4 of a mile just to leave the grounds. (At least I should be thankful that they didn't make us pay for parking. It wouldn't have surprised me)
1:35 PM
I have read the entire work book and the speaker is still on page 6. It is a mixture of listed procedures (for the first 10 pages or so) and worksheets for running clinical tests. (the last 20 pages or so) The most interesting aspect is in the first few pages where it breaks down forms of communication: how we communicate both verbally and non-verbally. That should give us an outline of ways to work on Rowan's communication. He is already doing many of them but not on any consistant basis, and then only for items he really wants.
If she doesn't go over material not in this book I probably won't sit in here for the entire lecture. It's been on for about half an hour and I'm already bored to death. All of this information should only take 30 minutes to get across.
2:37 PM
Taking a smoke break. I warned Brandy to wake me up if I start to snore when we get back in there. The speaker was going over procedures to get a non-verbal child to repeat simple sounds. None of which apply to Rowan. Brandy said that this was just a beginning procedure and I directed her to the handout/outline which shows that this simple procedure will make up the next two hours of the lecture.
It's too bad. I wish we were at a lecture more specific to Rowan's needs. I should just stay in the car and take a nap. It's too bad I left my book at home.
April 02, 2007 11:47 AM
We're having lunch at Chipotle Grill in the Woodlands open air mall. The mall is pretty cool. It almost feels like a mini village. This is supposed to be the same design for the mall they are building near our house. Pretty cool.
We're up here to attend a conference on non-verbal types of autism which starts in a little under an hour. Hopefully we learn something or at least get a work book. I have always been pretty dubious about the impact of conferences and how they may initially change behavior but old habits kick in and most people revert to the way they were before attending. If we actually learn something that could help Rowan hopefully we can make it a part of our daily routine. If not, at least Brandy and I got the day off together.
12:41 PM
The conference is about to start and I'm already feeling a bit drowsy. I should have warned Brandy that I have a tendancy to fall asleep in these things, but, then again, she signed me up without asking me.
It took us awhile to find the right hall. The church is a series of mazes that reminds me of department stores trying to keep customers in. It's not surprising seeing how they both operate the same clientele with pretty much the same general type of merchandise. (items people really don't need yet feel they cannot live without). Brandy remarked that it felt like a museum and yet I thought it more resembled a fancy mall.
It seems everywhere I look people are spending tons of dough on unneccessary things but everyday we have to eek it out just to put gas in the tank to get to work. I need to find a better way to increase income and, at the same time, micro-manage how we spend it. Benefits would help tremendously. It seems as though we always get hit all at once. Last week we had three doctor visits and one dental plus medicine for all. It's not cheap. I know I made the right decision for the boys in leaving Universal but the income was triple what I make now and the benefits were excellent. Well, no sense pondering over the past. I need to move forward from this point on.
1:01 PM
I am one of only three men in a room filled with chattering women and that's not counting the fact that one of the other two looks girly enough to not count as a man. This is going to be a long three hours. At least Brandy secured us seats directly next to the coffee and snacks. Side note: unless I have an earth shattering experience, make sure Brandy deosn't sign me up for anymore of these estrogen extravaganza lectures. (deep breath)
Some lady informed us a few moments ago that the campus (as she referred to the church/mini-mall) is non-smoking. Like the words of some Methodist late 40's Woodlands soccer mom means jack shit to me. I would have to walk 3/4 of a mile just to leave the grounds. (At least I should be thankful that they didn't make us pay for parking. It wouldn't have surprised me)
1:35 PM
I have read the entire work book and the speaker is still on page 6. It is a mixture of listed procedures (for the first 10 pages or so) and worksheets for running clinical tests. (the last 20 pages or so) The most interesting aspect is in the first few pages where it breaks down forms of communication: how we communicate both verbally and non-verbally. That should give us an outline of ways to work on Rowan's communication. He is already doing many of them but not on any consistant basis, and then only for items he really wants.
If she doesn't go over material not in this book I probably won't sit in here for the entire lecture. It's been on for about half an hour and I'm already bored to death. All of this information should only take 30 minutes to get across.
2:37 PM
Taking a smoke break. I warned Brandy to wake me up if I start to snore when we get back in there. The speaker was going over procedures to get a non-verbal child to repeat simple sounds. None of which apply to Rowan. Brandy said that this was just a beginning procedure and I directed her to the handout/outline which shows that this simple procedure will make up the next two hours of the lecture.
It's too bad. I wish we were at a lecture more specific to Rowan's needs. I should just stay in the car and take a nap. It's too bad I left my book at home.
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