Welcome To The Future

Welcome me into the future because we now have DVR.  Yes, it's true, we went from dragging our knuckles last week to now having a dvr receiver in our home.  Who knew that life could be so good?



The dvr was originally supposed to be for me, but, of course, it is being dominated by Logan.  This is a good thing, though.  After receiving the dvr, I realized that I can record all of Logan's favorite shows and new episodes.  No more dvds and changing them out every 10 minutes.  This is revolutionary, although I am about a decade behind, I think.




Logan was also assigned a new service coordinator this week.  Let's just say I have been at a loss for words regarding his previous service coordinator.  Not to sound pretentious, but she was really a redneck, missing teeth, just very backwoods and was constantly telling me that Logan "ain't that badly autistic".  What does that even mean?  She came one day in 1984 acid washed jeans, a pre-pubescent, hot pink, skin-tight, athletic jersey-style t-shirt with the "14" on the front and a pair of rubber flip flops.  You know the flip flops...the ones that we used to get out of the bin at the dime store when we were kids.  Please don't misread what I am saying, I am not being condescending.  My point is this lady works for a state agency and comes into people's homes as a professional and this is just not an outfit or a persona that is screaming "trust me" or "you are in good hands".



Our Service Coordinator (ok...maybe I am exaggerating just a little)


So our new service coordinator came this week and to put it mildly, I wasn't expecting anything earthshattering.  I was pleasantly surprised.  His new coordinator was professional, articulate, and most importantly KNOWLEDGABLE. 

She was very concerned that Logan melted down for the entire time we tried to visit in my house.  We took him outside to try to divert his attention.  Going outside usually diverts his attention, but it poses other problems.  He runs away and won't stay in the backyard.  He kept darting off and I kept having to chase him down while she and I were talking.  Again...she was concerned.  She asked me how often did that happen and I told her frequently and told her how we have to put him in a harness in public places.  I also told her about 40 feet behind our house in the woods is a pond and that I am fearful of him wandering away and drowning in that pond.  I told her the only thing I felt good about was the fact that we live really far off the road where it would take him a long time to reach the highway.  She asked me why our other service coordinator hadn't offered us "fence service". 

Perplexed, I told her I had no idea what she was talking about.  She told me that we should have been offered a free backyard privacy fence for Logan due to his elopement issues.  She was visibly frustrated that I didn't have a clue about the program.  She told me that she would put it in the works for us to receive the fence.  She said that they have local contractors and donors that volunteer the material and the services to families in need with children with autism.  I was floored and ecstatic all at the same time.  She also told me that I could have received a weighted blanket from the agency she is with when I told her I had been shopping for one.  She agreed to bring me one next week.  She also told me that I am eligible for respite care, which I have never been offered.  She was very upset by the fact that none of these services had been offered to me by the other coordinator.  I bit back the urge to tell her that she may have offered them but I may not have heard her due to the snuff in her mouth.  I have a tendency to let my sarcasm get the better of me sometimes. 

So, we are super excited about some of the upcoming services we are going to be receiving for Logan.  I have heard lots of moms talk about respite and because it had never been offered to me, I had just assumed we weren't eligible.  Amazing.

Good things are happening in the Hill household this week.





Mommy gets to watch Young & The Restless after everyone has gone to bed.  Logan can watch new episodes of Yo Gabba Gabba uninterrupted.  I can now pause a television show during a meltdown (I am sure the inventors of the DVD never imagined it would be such a gem for a parent of a child with autism).  And last, but definitely not least, we are going to be receiving lots of new services that should take some stress off this family.