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A Quick Note

This is just a quick note for my e-mail subscribers: there was a video and caption that lead into that post that was in the post that shows up on the website, but didn’t go out in the email version for some reason. It shows Tony typing “two,” you can go to the website itself if you want to see the video. Thanks for your patience 😀 Everyone else can continue on to this week’s actual post below…

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Two And Beyond

Tony learning to type the word “two.” A screenshot is posted at the end of this post, for those of you getting this in an e-mail version that might now show the video. Video and photos by Ariana

Tony, sharing a crash pad with one of his Autistic peers at school, with gen ed peer tutors behind them.

Ariana's Posts

April Gratitude & Some Reading And Viewing

Tony and I at school last week, photos by Ariana

My sweet Tony, I know impulse control is something you have to fight to improve every day. For you to remember without mistakes the kind of things you couldn’t do around me when I was recovering was a feat that many might not recognize, but I do. I know you don’t speak often of love, nor do you need to. Your actions show me how deeply you feel it. I am so grateful that from the moment it was explained to you that I had severe spinal cord compression, you were so careful with my neck. Not once during my recovery process did you wrap your arm around my neck to pull me into a hug as you used to do when we were sitting next to each other before all of this started. I am so grateful for your gentleness and that you worked so hard to accept as calmly as you could all of the changes this health challenge of mine brought to your routine and what we could do together. I love you always, Mama.

Tony playing catch with another kiddo at his school last week

Ariana's Posts

Arizona Legislators: Are You Pro-Life?

Tony, working on learning how to open straw wrappers during a recent habilitation session, a skill many take for granted and learn quickly but will take him many months to master. From his first outing practicing communication and other necessary skills for eating some place with a waiter. Photos by Ariana

Tony December 15th, completing a new to him 24 piece jigsaw puzzle by himself that had come as a gift from a Kiwanis club field trip for his class. This is a task to build recreational and sequencing skills we have been working on in habilitative therapy.
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“Put Out?” No.

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Mismanagement Probably Not: A Second Open Letter Regarding Arizona DDD/ALTCS Funding Shortages

A recent service denial letter I received for Tony’s speech therapy in January, photos and screenshots by Ariana

*For those of you who read this before Wednesday’s post, there is another post further down the page on this subject, so kindly keep on scrolling through to read it 😀

The teaching of this skill began in habilitative therapy (which is a medically necessary therapy type paid for by DDD and not by commercial insurances) with programming designed by Miss S, where he was first asked to give a solid item that he recognized out of a field of two. This is a foundational skill that transitions up to be used in the community for teaching reading to nonverbal individuals, being able to give a requested letter or word.
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Regarding Proposed Cuts To Services for the Developmentally Disabled in Arizona

Screenshot from google results, all photos by Ariana

Action Alert!” by Raising Special Kids

Funding for services to help people with developmental disabilities in limbo,” Zach Prelutsky, Arizona’s Family

Disability advocates call on legislature to close $122M funding gap at Division of Developmental Disabilities,” Colleen Sikora, Twelve News

Medicaid Matters: Tucker’s Story of Strength and Inclusion,” Raising Special Kids

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Just Like That UMR Happened…

Me, doing a skin check yesterday. Don’t worry Dr. J, I’m still wearing the collar all day except for skin breakdown checks.

Me, from a screenshot of an I love you video I sent my kiddos after the surgery, and with an allergic reaction to the adhesive on the waterproof dressing they were used as shown on Dec. 26th from a picture sent to the surgeon.

He still needs one to one support, I walked away to get my camera to take a picture of how well he was doing with this set of circles and he started scribbling in the last one, lol.
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Two Autistics Walked In…

Screenshots and photos by Ariana
Tony from last week. He has recently started expressing interest in using the hand dryers at school.
My eyes, which might not see this the way you do. And that’s ok.
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November Gratitude & Some Reading/Viewing

Photos by Ariana