Day 221 – Grayson’s Journey

Dear family and friends,

We keep reminding ourselves that our daily reports are only based on feedback from 3:00 in the afternoon until bedtime. So we really don't know how he is doing with the therapy programs at the clinic. We assume that progress at the clinic is reflected in progress in his daily living skills at the residence.

In balance Grayson had a good afternoon and evening. According to his RA he was very cooperative and showed good improvement in several areas. Upon suggestion he referred to his picture check list to see what activities were on his schedule and immediately grabbed the mop and took it down the hallway. Regardless of whether the mopping was effective or not is immaterial. He initialed the task based on the checklist. That's a good thing.

During dinner preparation he stayed in the kitchen (another good thing) and used the can opener, stirred the food in the pan, and generally was quite cooperative. He needed several cues to keep focused on the tasks but all in all did pretty well.

He was able to remember his address yet not his phone number. He was able to remember his case manager's name when given the hint of the first initial. When asked for the date, Grayson immediately check the calendar. Knowing how to depend on tools will be critical skills for Grayson's daily living.

One of the exercises tonight was to listen to a paragraph and answer three or four questions about the paragraph. Sometimes he had to be directed back to the paragraph but he was able to search the paragraph and find the answers.

After dinner he went to the recreation center for art therapy. He was working to finish up a project started on a previous day – painting a jewelry box. Unfortunately, the TV was on in the recreation center so I'm afraid the art project was probably a distant second for attention.

When they returned to the apartment after art therapy, Grayson cooperated by taking his medications and brushing his teeth. After his shower, however, something triggered a negative reaction and he started punching his RA and trying to hold the RA's arm down. Encouraging him to stop just increased the behavior. The most effective RAs use a couple of different strategies when these behaviors surface. One is to back away so the behavior does not escalate. The other is to negotiate. For example, "Once you calm down (or stop hitting or pinching) we can go back to watching TV". One of these methods usually works and the negotiation worked tonight.

Brant and I know that life with Grayson will never be the same. We thank God that we have the opportunity to participate in his care and rehabilitation. We also treasure each new skill that we learn to help him along this journey – we have much to learn.

Thank you for your continued prayers and support.

Grace and peace,

Regina