Hi everyone, Fred's mom here. It's spring break and we aren't going anywhere we aren't even having a stay-cation. We are just home like it's a regular day except Fred is home and not at school. Like a regular Saturday or rather, 7 regular Saturdays in a row.
Fred is a boy, all boy, from head to toe. He also has FASD and RAD and more... so unstructured days do not go very well for him. The following activities were either a Saturday or part of Spring Break. All fun with a little bit of learning added in.
One thing I do want to say is that as a RAD/FASD/ADHD/PDD-Nos child safety is number one concern due to the impulsiveness this child has. The only to ensure that safety is constant supervision, period. As a parent you know your child cannot make decisions with out positive support so don't expect it 100% of the time and don't get mad when you expect it and it doesn't happen.
Gardening
Fred planted garlic in a row in our little, brand new herb garden. Look at all the little garlic bulbs lined up in a row, didn't he do a great job?
We learned that garlic bulbs planted in the spring are ready in the fall and the garlic bulbs planted in the fall take a little longer and are ready in the early summer
Crime Fighting
Imaginary play is an important indicator of cognitive development. One of the skills and mile stones that Fred did not hit at an early age was Imaginary play. It has only been in the last year or so that he has started playing. It shows that Fred's cognitive ability is still advancing. I encourage it as much as possible.
For years, imagination was thought of as a way for children to escape from reality, and once they reached a certain age, it was believed they would push fantasy aside and deal with the real world. But, increasingly, child-development experts are recognizing the importance of imagination and the role it plays in understanding reality.
Imagination is necessary for learning about people and events we don't directly experience, such as history or events on the other side of the world. For young kids, it allows them to ponder the future, such as what they want to do when they grow up.
Fred want's to be a Super Hero and save the world. What could that translate into for an adult, in the real world, who wants to make a difference in the world? The possibilities are exciting and endless. I know Fred has cognitive disadvantages at this time but I hope and I dream that he will be a part of the 10% of the kids that grow up to be self sufficient.
At this point in his life I am his encouragement, his conscience, I am the one who keeps him safe and I am the one who makes him question himself on why he is doing something. Is this an impulse? Am I doing this as a task, am I having fun, am I doing this to the best of my ability, can I do better.
The imagination is absolutely vital for contemplating reality. As we already know, FASD is a spectrum disorder. When I found this quote it had deeper meaning to me; "
The hope is that understanding how children's cognition typically develops will also help scientists better understand developmental delays and conditions such as autism. For instance, there is evidence that imagination and role play appears to have a key role in helping children take someone else's perspective," says Dr. Harris. "
Kids with autism, on the other hand, don't engage in much pretend play, leading some to suggest that the lack of such activity contributes to their social deficits," according to
Paul Harris, a development psychologist and professor at the Harvard Graduate School of Education who studies imagination. This is exciting to me to see this connection.
It makes me believe that traumatic brain injury and alcohol damaged brain tissue can be healed. That could open so many new doors and avenues for treatments.
Then there is the fact that all that running around expends excess energy and helps budding Super Hero's sleep better.
1.
Playtime is important for cognitive development. A new report from the American Academy of Pediatrics (
AAP) says free and unstructured play is healthy and - in fact - essential for helping children reach important social, emotional, and cognitive developmental milestones as well as helping them manage stress and become resilient.
Despite the numerous benefits derived from play for
both children and parents, time for free play has been
markedly reduced for some children. This trend has even
affected kindergarten children, who have had free play
reduced in their schedules to make room for more academics.
A 1989 survey taken by the National Association
of Elementary School Principals found that 96% of surveyed
school systems had at least 1 recess period. Another
survey a decade later found that only 70% of even
kindergarten classrooms had a recess period
Currently, many schoolchildren are given less free time and fewer physical outlets at school; many school districts responded to the No Child Left Behind Act of 200137 by reducing time committed to recess, the creative arts, and even physical education in an effort to focus on reading and mathematics.
This change may have implications on children’s ability to store new information, because children’s cognitive capacity is enhanced by a clear-cut and significant change in activity.
A change in academic instruction or class topic
does not offer this clear-cut change in cognitive effort
and certainly does not offer a physical release.
2.
Playtime is important for social development. Cooperative play with other children develops creative thinking, decision making and communication skills, like listening, cooperating and negotiating.
Did you know that the United Nations has designated Play as a specific right of all children?
Cooking:
I don't have a pretty page showing how to make it but this
lady does and and her recipe is the same as mine. The only difference is that I cook mine in a cast iron skillet instead of an 8x8 pan.
Good and yummy.
Breaking eggs is a good small motor skill activity.
If a child has a problem with certain skills, the first thing to do is
ensure he gets more practice. We make sure there are a lot of things for Fred to practice using his motor skills.
Dad made fire with a
bow drill and Fred cooked
Bannock over the fire.
We love the great Outdoors. Teaches respect for nature, fire (it IS hot), and helps with patience.
It also opens up a child's taste and willingness to try new things.
Hanging Out:
3. Playtime is important for Physical Development.
Fred and I put up the tent in the back yard for him to hang out in. He had to use his muscles to help put it up. There was a bit of a breeze so the tent acted like a wind breaker
Fred hung out, relaxed, and had some snacks while listening to Rudyard Kiplings: Jungle Book on Digital format.
Listening to Digital books helps builds his ability to use his imagination.While teaching him to be calm and relax and to put his attention into it.
Children spend 50% less time in unstructured outdoor play now than they did in 1970. Not only does this impact all areas of development but also increases the likelihood of child obesity.
According to the CDC almost 20% of all children between the ages of 2 and 19 are obese, so intervening early with more physical activity is very important.
Here is Fred, helping me dig a hole for the bird feeders' pole in the new little flowerbed in the front yard.
Once he got the rhythm of the post hole digger he did really well.
One of the things Fred likes to say is, "I can't". In saying that he is trying to manipulate me into doing things for him. I called him out on it and explained why and what he was doing and when he'd say it again I responded "you are trying to manipulate me." We'd laugh and he'd say, "Oh, ya'" and do what it was he was trying not to do.... and after a few time of this I haven't heard much "I can't" out of him.
I love solving things.
Did you know kids spend an average of 55 hours watching TV, texting and playing video games?
How do you get High Quality Playtime?
Playtime doesn't always have to be scheduled or have a purpose. Given the opportunity kids will begin to play. With Fred we had to have purposeful play for a long time but this is paying off now in the fact that he is beginning to play on his own, to be imaginative and create situations in his play that he solves! I love it! Fred will grow and further develop his problem solving skills in this way.
We did so much that here are some highlights...
I gave him undivided attention!
CONCLUSIONS
Play is a cherished part of childhood that offers children
important developmental benefits and parents the opportunity
to fully engage with their children. However,
multiple forces are interacting to effectively reduce
many children’s ability to reap the benefits of play. As
we strive to create the optimal developmental milieu for
children, it remains imperative that play be included
along with academic and social-enrichment opportunities
and that safe environments be made available to all
children. Additional research is needed to explore the
appropriate balance of play, academic enrichment, and
organized activities for children with different temperaments
and social, emotional, intellectual, and environmental
needs.
Wow, we sure did a lot this week, and Fred loved every moment of it. I see progress and advancing. There is hope, the steps are small but we are moving forward. Free Range Childhood (within site of mom) seems to be working!
Go outside and Play!
Peace, Fred's Mom
Below is the description from Fred's facebook page. You can join us here to follow Fred's Journey.
I am Fred's mom. My goal in having this page is to build awareness of FASD: Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorder. How alcohol use, in any amount, can have drastic detrimental impacts on a child's life by causing permanent irrevocable brain damage.
This brain damage is different for each child. For Fred it means he struggles daily with the simple concepts of self management, understanding, cause and effect and many other abstract concepts. His brain damage is frontal lobe damage which has resulted in severe cognitive deficits in planning and regulating behavior, including the ability to inhibit the occurrence of unnecessary or unwanted behaviors, and now cannot support adaptive “executive control” skills such as goal–directed behaviors, good judgment, and problem–solving abilities with short–term memory loss, including such behaviors that are impulsive and inappropriate. This brain damage and deficits also create an increased risk of alcoholism in Fred.
This is scary stuff people, I cannot speak enough about how dangerous it is to a child for a mother to drink while pregnant. If these things were done to a child after birth it would be criminal. We need all people to be the voice for these unborn children. Knowledge is the key, spread the word.
Fred's exposure prenatally to alcohol has also caused in him;
(RAD) Reactive Attachment Disorder: caused by not having his basic needs met in the first months of his life.
(PDD-nos) Pervasive Development Disorder- not specified: which means he has a lower than normal IQ and had difficulty learning.
(ADHD) Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder: which causes his brain to work so fast that he can't comprehend any of the information that is flying by without chemical intervention.
Depression: caused by all of the above things which turns it into anger, sadness and emotions he can't verbalize.
Mood Disorder: the brain damage has caused an inability to regulate his moods, he is happy, angry, and sad all within seconds.
Hyperphasia: which is caused by damage to the hypothalamus and causes great hunger, all the time.
Any one of these is too much for any child to go through but all of them together create this complex human being that I fight for, advocate for, cry for, who deserves none of this... and that could all have been prevented by his bio mother refraining from alcohol and substance abuse while she was pregnant with him.
Fred is my hero, thank you for being here and supporting his triumphs over the horrible hand he has been dealt with in his life. #fredsmom
Do you love a child with RAD or FASD?
