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6.5.17 Update:
Let's Do It Again!
As many of you know, last spring we had an amazing yard sale for Dax. With the numerous donations of items from friends, family and even a few strangers, we were able to provide him with an enormous amount of assistance to get him where he is today (more on his advancement shortly). The sale last year even prompted a news paper article that led to a benefit for him put on by the great men and women of The Avenged Riders MC. These two events provided Dax with his Service Dog (Bella), training with a master trainer, many therapy co-pays, SMO's for his feet, an alarm system to alert us when doors open in the house, a GPS tracker he wears to school and visits friends/family, and provided enough for Sarah and I to attend the National Autism Association Conference. We can't adequately express our gratitude and appreciation for the help we've received, and based on how Dax has progressed in the last year, it makes the assistance mean that much more.
So let's get to the good stuff! Dax had an amazing year. We moved to Munster last fall based on the reputation of the special education system. He began the school year last January, in the Structured Preschool Program and thus far his progress has been great. He is now able to approximate (mostly the vowel sounds) many more words, recognize and "say" all of his letters, numbers (1-20), shapes and colors. He understands more ASL signs and has been learning how to communicate on an AAC device (imagine a tablet that talks for him - like Stephen Hawking - but with a better voice). He has done so well that his Therapists and Teachers have recommended a transfer to the regular special ed preschool class for him in the fall, so we are both very excited and nervous about that! We couldn't be more proud of him. In our year end meeting with his teachers (last year and the new ones for this upcoming fall) they went over the details of his progress and were excited about his proclivity to work. He wants to learn, which based on their reactions to this drive of his, is uncommon in kids with Autism. We're lucky to have such a sweet boy and we're going to keep pushing him to over come this "ism".
So, here we go again! Each year, month, and even week, Dax's need for certain services, items, or attention to different stims and triggers and needs change. His development is a constant ebb and flow. Dan and I are constantly having to consider both present and future needs for him. Based on his amazing progress, we've decided Bella is to become a companion dog for him, so the need for additional training for the service certification isn't on the docket for this year. One of the things we would like to provide for him this year is a compression vest. This boy LOVES to be hugged and squeezed, and the weighted vests are just too uncomfortable for his little 3 year old body. We're also looking at getting him a dedicated AAC device for him to use to communicate with us better at home. So often he tries to tell us what he wants and we can see the frustration building when we start naming items or activities and he has to keep telling us "bo" (his version of no that is way cuter than should be allowed for a toddler to say the word "no" to an adult). Of course there are still the ongoing therapies, services and the costs and co-pays that go along with them, and we're going to try to attend the National Autism Conference again this year.
Saturday, June 17, 9am - 6pm - Yard Sale to help us pay for all of the above. If you want to lend a table, a hand, or share this post, that would be great. We have furniture, toys, exercise equipment, holiday crap, games and clothes galore. And as always, if you don't want to buy our crap but would like to help anyway, his gofundme page is still up. https://www.gofundme.com/daxthedestroyer
Original Post:
This fund is for our son, Dax. At 12 months of age we began to wonder if he had a hearing impairment, then at 18 months we started the long road of testing and evaluations which finally led us to a diagnosis of Autism. Dax is non-verbal, fairly non-responsive to verbal language and cues, non-responsive to his name, and non-social. He lives in his own little bubble.
Now, on the eve of his second birthday, we are delving into multiple therapies, doctor appointments, and the possibility of a service dog for him. Our primary insurance does not cover any Autism therapy. We are waiting to see if he is approved for Medicaid, but that still wouldn't cover all of the costs associated with his care and safety.
One of those significant costs is that of a service/therapy dog. Dax is a potential danger to himself in that he needs constant supervision due to the fact that he is non-responsive to verbal commands, drawn to water and has absolutely no fear. He could be running towards a cliff and we could be screaming his name and to stop and none of that would register with him. We can never put him down outside of a contained, safe space and it is difficult to take him out in public due to this. We believe that a service dog would be a great help to him in this regard.
There have already been mounting medical bills which are only being added to. These costs will be ongoing for at least the next few years, if not longer. We are asking friends and family that may wish to gift him for his birthday or holidays to, instead, contribute to his fund. We are always and forever grateful to anybody that lends us aid in any way - be it financial, emotional, practical or otherwise.
Let's Do It Again!
As many of you know, last spring we had an amazing yard sale for Dax. With the numerous donations of items from friends, family and even a few strangers, we were able to provide him with an enormous amount of assistance to get him where he is today (more on his advancement shortly). The sale last year even prompted a news paper article that led to a benefit for him put on by the great men and women of The Avenged Riders MC. These two events provided Dax with his Service Dog (Bella), training with a master trainer, many therapy co-pays, SMO's for his feet, an alarm system to alert us when doors open in the house, a GPS tracker he wears to school and visits friends/family, and provided enough for Sarah and I to attend the National Autism Association Conference. We can't adequately express our gratitude and appreciation for the help we've received, and based on how Dax has progressed in the last year, it makes the assistance mean that much more.
So let's get to the good stuff! Dax had an amazing year. We moved to Munster last fall based on the reputation of the special education system. He began the school year last January, in the Structured Preschool Program and thus far his progress has been great. He is now able to approximate (mostly the vowel sounds) many more words, recognize and "say" all of his letters, numbers (1-20), shapes and colors. He understands more ASL signs and has been learning how to communicate on an AAC device (imagine a tablet that talks for him - like Stephen Hawking - but with a better voice). He has done so well that his Therapists and Teachers have recommended a transfer to the regular special ed preschool class for him in the fall, so we are both very excited and nervous about that! We couldn't be more proud of him. In our year end meeting with his teachers (last year and the new ones for this upcoming fall) they went over the details of his progress and were excited about his proclivity to work. He wants to learn, which based on their reactions to this drive of his, is uncommon in kids with Autism. We're lucky to have such a sweet boy and we're going to keep pushing him to over come this "ism".
So, here we go again! Each year, month, and even week, Dax's need for certain services, items, or attention to different stims and triggers and needs change. His development is a constant ebb and flow. Dan and I are constantly having to consider both present and future needs for him. Based on his amazing progress, we've decided Bella is to become a companion dog for him, so the need for additional training for the service certification isn't on the docket for this year. One of the things we would like to provide for him this year is a compression vest. This boy LOVES to be hugged and squeezed, and the weighted vests are just too uncomfortable for his little 3 year old body. We're also looking at getting him a dedicated AAC device for him to use to communicate with us better at home. So often he tries to tell us what he wants and we can see the frustration building when we start naming items or activities and he has to keep telling us "bo" (his version of no that is way cuter than should be allowed for a toddler to say the word "no" to an adult). Of course there are still the ongoing therapies, services and the costs and co-pays that go along with them, and we're going to try to attend the National Autism Conference again this year.
Saturday, June 17, 9am - 6pm - Yard Sale to help us pay for all of the above. If you want to lend a table, a hand, or share this post, that would be great. We have furniture, toys, exercise equipment, holiday crap, games and clothes galore. And as always, if you don't want to buy our crap but would like to help anyway, his gofundme page is still up. https://www.gofundme.com/daxthedestroyer
Original Post:
This fund is for our son, Dax. At 12 months of age we began to wonder if he had a hearing impairment, then at 18 months we started the long road of testing and evaluations which finally led us to a diagnosis of Autism. Dax is non-verbal, fairly non-responsive to verbal language and cues, non-responsive to his name, and non-social. He lives in his own little bubble.
Now, on the eve of his second birthday, we are delving into multiple therapies, doctor appointments, and the possibility of a service dog for him. Our primary insurance does not cover any Autism therapy. We are waiting to see if he is approved for Medicaid, but that still wouldn't cover all of the costs associated with his care and safety.
One of those significant costs is that of a service/therapy dog. Dax is a potential danger to himself in that he needs constant supervision due to the fact that he is non-responsive to verbal commands, drawn to water and has absolutely no fear. He could be running towards a cliff and we could be screaming his name and to stop and none of that would register with him. We can never put him down outside of a contained, safe space and it is difficult to take him out in public due to this. We believe that a service dog would be a great help to him in this regard.
There have already been mounting medical bills which are only being added to. These costs will be ongoing for at least the next few years, if not longer. We are asking friends and family that may wish to gift him for his birthday or holidays to, instead, contribute to his fund. We are always and forever grateful to anybody that lends us aid in any way - be it financial, emotional, practical or otherwise.