Proud of Our Conor

Conor looking cool, calm and composed in his grandparents' yard in 

Nova Scotia's Annapolis Valley in November. This morning he showed  just 

as much calm while enduring an early morning blood sample needle.

We were, once again, very proud of our Conor today.  Not for demonstrating some special "autism" skill, not for anything that would be featured in a sensational media story.  We were proud because Conor had blood tests scheduled again at the DECH, the local hospital where Conor spent 2 weeks in hospital last year, including 6 days in the Intensive Care Unit.  He had blood tests scheduled to help establish baseline measurements.  He handled them with as much cool, calm composure as actor Steve McQueen portrayed in "the Great Escape" movie. 

Giving blood samples can be a challenge for many adults.  For Conor the blood tests this morning meant he had to fast for 8 hours before the tests and had to start his day at the local hospital before heading off to the school he loves (Leo Hayes High School, Fredericton).  

He had expected to be in school yesterday, like most Mondays but we had forgotten to check his school schedule until the last minute when we were tipped off by a neighbor.  Monday school had been cancelled because of Teacher Development Days so Conor was very anxious to get back to school today.  Conor handled the early morning hospital visit and the blood sample needle with great calm.  He didn't fuss or fidget, whine or whimper and his Mom and Dad were happy to treat him to 2 Tim Horton bagels for a post hospital visit blood test.  Conor made us proud and we were happy for him ... and relieved ... and we got him back to school ASAP.

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Conor Countdown Continues In Support of FLEXIBLE, EVIDENCE BASED Inclusion

The Conor Countdown continues, as Conor gets up each day at 6 am and changes the number reflecting the number of days until school resumes.

My son Conor, and his autism disorder disability,  have been well accommodated in schools here in Fredericton, New Brunswick, Canada.  He has benefited both from the assistance of education aides and resource teachers trained in the UNB-CEL Autism program and by placement, at our request, outside the regular classroom for his ABA based instruction.

 His placement is not segregation in the sense of the racial segregation which once prevailed in the American south.  His placement reflects the fact that Conor's autism based sensory sensitivities and need for predictable routine, coupled with his individualized learning style and instruction methods require a quieter learning environment. 

In the regular classroom, early in Conor's education,  he bit his hands every single day until he was removed to a quieter location where the self injurious biting ceased. Now in high school his individualized instruction continues but he has many, many opportunities for socialization at the Leo Hayes High School Resource Centre with other students with special needs, in common areas and activities like school outings, visits to the cafeteria and ... Conor's favorite by far ... in weekly visits to the Nashwaaksis Middle School swimming pool. 

Conor loves his flexible, evidence based schooling so much that the summer, with no school, is a difficult time for him.  We do our best to help him during this period and Conor does his best to help himself.  One of the activities that helps him get through the summer break is the "Countdown".  Each day, every day, at 6 am Conor gets up and changes the number on his board under the question "How Many Days Until School?"  He can see the number getting smaller each day, he can take steps each day to make the number smaller reducing his anxiety and frustration.

Conor's self injurious biting while placed in the regular classroom was a vote against the extreme, non evidence based "regular classroom for all students" philosophy. Now, during the school year Conor packs his lunch bag every night and puts it in front of the side door to the driveway and Dad's car. During the summer Conor does his "How many days until School" countdown.  Both activities are strong compelling statements from Conor in support of the flexible, evidence based, inclusive education he has received at school since being removed from the regular classroom.

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Autism and Education: Conor Votes For FLEXIBLE Inclusion

UPDATE: Conor had a great day at school today!

Conor got up at 6 am today, as he has for the last 2+ months to mark down the number of days to school. He started doing this with 65 days to go and today he was very happy to mark 0 days to school! He also placed his packed bookbag and lunchbag at the front door to make sure we went to school.

Conor has severe autistic disorder with "profound developmental delays".  He was removed from the regular classroom, at our request, early in his education when we realized that the self inflicted bite marks were happening because of his placement in the regular classroom where he was overhwhelmed.  The biting declined, and disappeared completely, once he was placed in an individual learning environment to receive his ABA based instruction.  Since then adjustments have been made so that he starts his day and spends breaks with other challenged students in a resource center at the Leo Hayes High School. It is an important and valuable resource where Conor has been very well received and where he has made friends.  He also socializes with other students in the halls and in a variety of settings in the school and on expeditions. He receives his primary ABA based instruction outside the mainstream classroom in a quieter, less overwhelming individualized environment.

Conor's flexible model of inclusion works for him and many other students who require accommodation of their disability based challenges. The rigid ideological everyone in the classroom philosophy for learning did not work for Conor and does not work for ALL students with autism and other challenges.  Some students with autism can prosper in the classroom some can't.  

It is necessary, in an evidence based, humane and lawful education system to look at the needs and strengths of each child and accommodate those who require accommodation.  In some cases that means outside the mainstream classroom. 

Conor voted against the rigid inflexible model of full inclusion for all when he came home each day with bite marks on his hands. Today, once again, he voted for FLEXIBLE inclusion when he marked his board to show ZERO days to school.  Conor is going back to school, flexible inclusion and all, and he is very happy.

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Autism & Real Inclusion: Conor Counts the Days (40) to School

My son does not receive what many would consider an inclusive education. Those who subscribe to the philosophy that all children benefit from learning in a mainstream classroom  would be horrified to learn that my son receives his individualized, ABA based instruction outside the classroom in individual environments in the local high school.  He also begins and ends his day and spends time in a resource center with other children with challenges and interacts with other students to the best of his limited abilities in the common areas.

When Conor began school he started in the mainstream classroom and came home each day with bite marks on his hands and wrists.  That self injurious behavior declined substantially and has been almost non existent in the years between then and his first year in high school last year. For Conor the individualized learning area working with an autism trained education assistant and interacting with other students in the resource center and in other common areas of the school represent real, evidence based inclusion.  This is the inclusion that works for my son and the evidence is crystal clear.  

It would be nice if the ideologues who insist that all children must be educated in the mainstream classroom would break free of their ideological chains and look at the evidence. Some children require individualized learning environments for all or part of their day.  When learning is provided based on what works best for the child that is real inclusive education.  

Summer is tough for Conor.  He looks forward to going back to school, to Leo Hayes High School, and talks about school on a frequent basis.  One of the things we do to provide encouragement is to just ask him each day "how many days until school".  Conor provides the answer and in doing so feels better by knowing he will be going back sooner with each passing day.  Today Conor's answer was "40 days until school". I am sure he felt better than yesterday when the answer was 41.  Conor loves school, he loves a real, evidence based learning experience.  

To paraphrase one of autistic children's greatest friends, Dr. O. Ivar Lovaas, Conor is being taught in the way he can learn and part of the proof is in his eagerness to get back to school.  The way Conor learns is in an evidence based inclusive education that accommodates his learning needs and autism based challenges. 

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Conor's Apple Picking Education

Conor receives instruction, including ABA based instruction, at Leo Hayes High School, a neighborhood school. He interacts with other students in the Resource Center and in common areas of the school. He also gets to go on school outings to places like the pool at his former middle school and recently went apple picking with other students and with a Teacher Assistant who was kind enough to take, and forward,  some excellent pictures. And, oh yeah, Conor loves apples. We go through a lot of them at home.

 

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Autism and High School: Conor's Final Preparation

Conor has been anxious to return to school; literally counting down each day and telling Mom and Dad how many days left until school. Today was ONE DAY left!.  Last year we did some transition planning for Conor's move from Middle School to High School.  Together with Middle School, High School and District 18 representatives we prepared Conor, as best we could, for the transition to High School.  The planning included actual visits to Leo Hayes High School and work with the UNB-CEL Autism Intervention trained  Teacher Assistants who will be working with Conor this year. They also visited Conor at Middle School and spent some time working with him there before the end of the year.  Hopefully that familiarity with the place, and with some key people, will help ensure a smooth transition. Today, with more fine weather, I took Conor for a visit to Leo Hayes High School just to see the building, one more time,  where he will be attending school tomorrow.  

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