CODE NEMO

  Remember in Finding Nemo when Nemo is swimming out to touch the boat and his father says, “Nemo!  If you put one fin on that boat Mister…”?  And, do you remember how Nemo defiantly locks eyes with his father as he swats the boat with his fin as his peers watch in awe as he just “touched the butt”?  This is Ethan.  Ethan IS Nemo.  Today we definitely had a Code Nemo. 

I know his day has been bad at school when I get “the look” from Mary that he had a Code Nemo day.  She was walking out another student when she told me not to leave because we needed to discuss the day.  Ethan, Ethan, Ethan…

Certain behaviors kicked in to overdrive today.  I think that they have been building up all week, but he hadn’t been feeling well, so that’s what we thought it was.  Who knows, maybe it still is, but today he would not walk unless HE wanted to.  Mary is trying to find certain reinforcers for him, but it seems each time we find something that we both feel will work, he loses interest and then the whole point of using that object as a reinforcer goes down the toilet.

I can deal with the slacking off on walking because it is almost showing his independence- he’ll do it when HE wants to.  The problem with that is that he needs to learn that everyone is not on Ethan time, contrary to what he thinks (ask anyone who has been in the car with him or on the phone with me when I am at a red light- he will typically scream until we start to go again.  I can’t get it through to him that if I were to go, we would go SPLAT!). 

What I cannot deal with is the pinching, kicking, pushing, grabbing, and pulling of hair.  Apparently, he did quite a bit of this at school today.  And, it continued on at home too.  Tonight, I had him on my lap and we were having a little chat- a chat that he wasn’t at all interested in having, so he proceeded to pinch my neck and face.  Then, he decided it would be a grand idea to pull my hair.  I kept my calm, said “no sir” multiple times, and began stroking his hands and arms.  I figured, this is sensory.  So, I scratched his arms and hands and he almost immediately stopped.  Interesting how all that sensory mess works. 

My quick fix worked for a little while until he decided that he wasn’t done being Nemo.  We went through the cycle of “no sir” and providing input quite a few times. 

It is extremely frustrating when your child does not communicate properly.  I have to remember to keep my calm because it is so easy to just want to yell, “WHY DON’T YOU LISTEN!?!?!?!?” 

I agreed with Mary to call in a behavior team for school.  We want to do our best to nip this in the bud before it becomes an issue that we can’t fix as easily.  (Ha, easily)  I am so afraid that he will become a behavior problem.  He is such a sweet boy and I just fear that he will be forever branded. 

In true Nemo fashion, I will continue to… 

(even if  barely above water some days!!!)