lots of gabbing and jamming..we hope!

Yes that is a real electric guitar in Damian's hands and not a plastic Guitar Hero one.

Not that plastic ones weren't great. That's what got him exposed to his love of music and Van Halen. Plus the ability to blow all of us out of the water in Guitar Hero.

Sunday is Damian's first GUITAR LESSON! So Excited for him! We found a music therapist in East Sac and he sounds awesome. He was highly recommended by parents of a group I belong to.
He thought the electric guitar was a good pick for Damian since 1. his goal is to rock out to Van Halen and 2. it's easier to learn on.

So future jam sessions with his uncle? We can only hope.

The cutest thing is when Damian announced he wants to be in a band. His name for it? The Hailstones. Love it!!!

On another awesome note..

Damian and I visited the site of a potential social skills group he will go to 3 times a week. It's the ACE (Autism Center for Excellence) program at Sac State and again was highly recommend by his school and other parents.

How A.C.E. works

Through this structured after-school recreational program, kids with autism participate in large and small group activities where they:

• Practice their social and communication skills
• Learn about the inter-relatedness of the people in their lives
• Build friendships and social support networks
• Develop motor skills, balance and agility

Lessons are modified for different levels of understanding, and parents are instructed on techniques they can use at home. The program is highly successful due to its interdisciplinary approach. Program staff are supported by:

• Occupational therapists
• Speech therapists
• Adapted physical activity therapists
• Applied behavioral analysts

BINGO! Just what Damian needs.

As soon as we walked in he was swept away by his "buddy" who is a college grad and she had him playing baseball. BASEBALL! This is a child who likes sedentary activities. It was set up in the gym and he ran around those bases forever.

Next was snack and he joined some of the other kids and just really listened at first. I think once he gets to know them he may open up. Damian does well with adults that are high energy and engaging. She definitely was! The kids range from 8-12 so it's a perfect group for him.

Then tire swing time and he really enjoys that movement. These are huge inflatable tires.

His favorite? The foam block pit. He flew into that thing and announced he loves "gin-nastics!" Until a kid was about to jump in and join him. Later!

This is possible because I advocated and never gave up on him for 2 years with Alta Regional Center. They provide services to children with autism and because Damian is considered high-functioning it was a challenge to get him on as a client.

But it happened after an assessment from MIND Institute. I am forever grateful for that day.

Now Damian has a case manager who is in charge of all the services he can receive. Because of severe budget cuts a lot of services are not available anymore. We pay for the guitar lessons but I would pay regardless. Everything else is through Alta.

We also will have behavioral and adaptive skills therapy and training in our home for him.

Now the struggle is implementing more services in school. They really have stepped up since they learned I have an advocate through Area Board III. They serve children with special needs through school and Alta. Our advocate scares me. That's why I love her. She is coming with us plus our case manger on the 23rd to our next IEP meeting.

Homeschooling him through a charter school is looking more appealing to us. You can only put up with the walls the school puts up for so long. I have a meeting related to schooling alternatives this week so I'm looking forward to that one.

Things are slowly falling into place for Damian. It's going to be a busy and bumpy ride at first but we are ready for it. Anything that benefits the kids is always worth it.
...............
xo