Dh got a used hand-me-down ipod mini last year from a friend at work. The kids kept "borrowing" it (and fighting over whose turn it was to borrow it) to listen to music. So dh suggested this year that they each get their own used secondhand cheap old-model ipods. He gave me a dollar limit and the job of locating (through eBay and/or craigslist) ipod minis for the kids for Christmas...so I did. The kids do not have their own computers... We have no video games, no gameboys, no playstations, xboxes, or wiis. Well, we do have my 20-year-old black-and-white Gameboy (which may or may not work...who knows...it's been stored in the closet for 15+ years). The kids do not have cell phones (we do...mostly for dh to be able to call from work wherever he is in the country and for me to be able to talk to my sil because it's the cheapest way to do so). The kids got Webkinz last year from my sister but to them they are just stuffed animals...they do nothing on the computer with them. My oldest got a digital camera (again, a cheaper, older, used model purchased on eBay with a self-imposed dollar limit) for her 10th birthday. It is MUCH cheaper than a regular film camera and a good outlet. She enjoys photography and "posing" her pets and siblings. The kids use our family computer(s) are used for typing games or the "paint" program... Really until this year we were pretty technology-free. We have one television set, one VCR, one DVD player. We don't have cable television (actually, we get no reception of any kind) so the only television watching is of tapes or DVDs we own or borrow from the library. The ipods were our first foray into the world of techno-gadgets... The kids are excited to be able to have their music or stories in their rooms or the playroom. (We got clearanced ipod speakers for them). Other than the ipods, my kids got books, alarm clocks, sketchbooks, $1 Slinky toys from Target, Rubik's Ice Cubes, chocolate candy, straps for their swimming goggles, DVDs (movies for the family), and a few small stuffed animals for Christmas. They didn't even get new pajamas this year (well, my son got a "new" hand-me-down pair). They also got supplies for their pets. As "the kids" they received Wedgits. So I guess we "straddle" the world of "no techno-toys or gadgets" and the world of "techno-toys and gadgets."

Everything in my stocking was from myself and I had exactly three gifts under the tree. One was a beanie baby and a check from my mother (we are inundated with beanie babies...have thousands...but my mother will not stop sending them). One was an IOU for a set of headphones. The third was a piece of cloth with a sweet message from my oldest dd. This was by far the best gift. However, my Family Secret Santa did NOT come through (I posted about this yesterday and in August when the idea was first floated) and there was nothing under the tree, in my stocking, or anywhere from my husband. Two of my three children gave me nothing. Dh says we need to talk about my gifts (as in, that he didn't get any). Should we discuss the fact that he got everything he wanted (and is asking for more)? I KNOW (intellectually) that it's "not about the gifts," "it is better to give than to receive," and all those other cliches meant to smooth over hurt feelings when you get nothing. However, I spent hours and days finding the "right" gifts for my three kids, my dh, my mother, my grandmother, my nieces and nephews (little things--we actually have a "policy" of not buying for everyone because of the expense) as well as dh's and my Secret Santa assignments and three families we were helping to sponsor through the kids' swim team and dh's work...not to mention wrapping them.... And I just. feel. forgotten.:( So, yeah...Christmas 2008 will be forgotten (because I will forget my disappointment...I always do!) as the year I got virtually nothing for Christmas. On the other hand, I had a fabulous birthday last month...does that count for anything?? :tongue_smilie:

on the WTM boards... Why not? Balls and weenies... BooKs and other funnies. You might even have to post a recipe so we can get "Christmas Balls and Weenies" into the Well-Trained Kitchen. I gotta share this story with my sil...she'll totally enjoy the joke, particularly since it was inadvertent. :D

That's where I'm leaning...not say anything and later (after she gets back from visiting her family/holidays are over) ask if everything is okay. As for the $150...that's the number one reason dh and I didn't want to participate in the first place. We wanted it to be between $25 and $50. We also expressed concern that some family members (i.e. singles graduated from college with student loan debt and a first job...or the couple with less than $30k annual income and a severely handicapped child) wouldn't be able to afford it. We were assured that everyone was absolutely FINE with the amount (especially when we found out the less than $30k family had a budget of $650 for Christmas last year). So we decided to create lists of things we were planning on buying over the next year anyway (not a huge list of DVD sets or frivolities). The idea was to create lists above and beyond the dollar amount so that your Secret Santa could pick and choose and "surprise" you...but also that the "surprises" would be things people "actually" wanted or needed. Dh and I had a horrific time coming up with enough things to make the dollar amount! It was fun to see everyone's list and get a better idea of people's interests (by the book or movie they wanted, the clothes they needed, the hobby they wanted supplies for). It was helpful to get specifics (which book, what craft supply, the best place to buy it). However, I must admit that the whole thing was a LOT less fun and fulfilling than I had hoped. Something that was supposed to "create family unity" and "help us get to know each other better" has turned into more of a greed-fest (one of the rules was if you got a $50 item for $5 you still had to spend the entire $150) and a headache as well as opened up a huge potential for disappointment (I have another sil who, to the best of her knowledge, has not received any Secret Santa packages either--but it is possible they were all shipped to mil's house since they live in the same city). Yeah...I'm not so interested in doing this next year!!:thumbdown:

I know several (many?) people here have talked about Homeschool Tracker for homeschool lesson planning and tracking. We just got a Mac and I'm trying to figure out something similar to Homeschool Tracker to use. I went to the Apple website and did a search under lesson plans and found two available downloads (shareware type). They look like good possibilities. I wondered if anyone here could share experience/recommendations for lesson planning and/or homeschool tracking on a Mac... TIA

I had my little tantrum in private (to dh, who totally "gets it" since this is his family we're dealing with). I really did think that was the best response...just to complain out loud to someone who understands but with whom it would not go any further...and then proceed to get over it. This whole thing has just been a pain. The dollar limit was $150 (!!!) And we were NOT allowed to ask for cash, gift cards could only make up 1/2 of the gift, and you were NOT allowed to ask for things for anyone but your yourself (my first response was "Perfect, so I'll just make a list of things for my kids and I'll buy for my assigned person whatever they want" but that was nixed from the get-go). Dh and I thought the dollar limit was outrageous. Since it was $150 in, $150 out, we decided to ask for things we were planning on buying ourselves. For instance, on my list were things like a set of four glass drinking glasses to match my new-to-me secondhand set of dishes I bought off craigslist on August, some thick padded running socks (I don't have enough), a book for our homeschool ($30 on Amazon) that I've been wanting, and the DVD for a home-study course I want to take. So it was all practical and things I would get eventually (i.e. in the next twelve months). Dh's list included shaving supplies and cold-weather running clothes (i.e. leggings and a hoodie). My assigned person wanted video games and DVDs and a flashlight. So I bought those off Amazon and had them shipped to him. Dh's person wanted a new set of scriptures, a Zippo lighter (don't ask me why--none of us smoke!), How to Win Friends and Influence People book, and some jeans from Old Navy. So we bought those online and had them shipped. Part of the reason I'm annoyed is this isn't a $10 exchange--it's an outrageous $150 exchange. However, I'm trying to play nice because the person who sent me the email saying Secret Santa was trying very hard not to be late this year was my sil...so either she or her husband is my Secret Santa. She's normally a very organized, get-it-done-on-time type of person and so my initial annoyance has changed to worry... I hope her tardiness is not an indication of things going very wrong in her life! She has emailed and called (and responded to emails and calls) less and less over the past couple of years and it has been seven years since we've seen each other. All of this explanation to say...I had my private tantrum, decided it is a good thing my sil got me (it probably doesn't seem like it from my question here but I'm actually one of the few who would be able to take this situation "well"), and am trying to understand and hope that she is okay. If some other family members--those known for their unreliability--had had me as their person, I wouldn't be too surprised if they were late. But for my sil to be late (assuming it IS her, since she sent the email) is unusual and concerning. It is unlikely that she is doing this "on purpose" or "to show" me something (althought she might have considered it with other family members as payback!)...she is the least-liked of all the spouses and although I do not have a close relationship with her I am closest...if that makes sense. She does not get along well with my mil, fil, or siblings-in-law and they generally do not get along well with her. **sigh**

I posted about this issue back in August or so. The recap: 23yo sil who still lives at home proposed an idea to the family that instead of having the parents spend gobs of money on everyone, that all the adult children (eight of them plus four spouses) and the parents (my fil and mil) draw ONE name and do a Secret Santa swap. There was a dollar amount given so essentially what you spend on another is spent on you. Everyone was to make a wish list. There were lots of rules that are mostly irrelevant...except for the one that said all gifts had to be shipped by December 11 to ensure their arrival before Christmas. Dh and I weren't super thrilled with the idea (the dollar amount seemed extreme to us) but decided, in the spirit of family unity/doing something with the family (perhaps creating a new tradition) we would participate. So, ironically, I was the first to submit my "wish list" complete with links to actual products, etc. I helped cut and paste each person's individual list into separate emails so the assigned Secret Santas could easily find their person's wish list. I sent out "friendly" reminders on Thursdays (i.e. Christmas is only 9 weeks away...only 49 days left to Shop and Ship!) until one bil responded very rudely to my reminder. Dh and I shopped (online) for our assigned people (who live in two separate states), got good deals and free shipping as much as we could, and had everything done by November. All this to say, we totally played "by the rules" and tried to be helpful and fun about the whole thing. Weeks went by...no gifts arrived for us. Finally, dh received two packages. Three days ago I got an email (I figure it has to be from my Secret Santa because the coordinator of all this, my mil, was not the one who sent the email) that said "Secret Santa is trying very hard not to be late this year." In other words, it's Christmas Eve and I have NOTHING from my Secret Santa. I guess my Christmas will be next week or next year...??? Part of me wants to throw a HUGE tantrum (but I'm far too old to do that! :tongue_smilie:) and let everyone know that my Secret Santa fell through. (Tomorrow identities of Secret Santas will be revealed). The other part of me is thinking I shouldn't take this personally and maybe this other person just has problems in her life. I'm just disappointed...something I didn't want to do but tried to make fun has turned out to be truly lame for me. Bleah. Do I complain? Keep my mouth shut? Ever participate in this again?

A friend, knowing my daughter and my nephew, sent me the classic Twas the Night Before Christmas redone for families of children with autism. I thought it was cute and wanted to share... Twas the Night Before Christmas And all through the house The creatures were stirring Yes, even the mouse We tried melatonin And gave a hot bath But the holiday jitters They always distract The children were finally All nestled in bed When nightmares of terror Ran through my OWN head Did I get the right gift The right color And style Would there be a tantrum Or even, maybe, a smile? Our relatives come But they don't understand The pleasure he gets Just from flapping his hands. "He needs discipline," they say "Just a well-needed smack, You must learn to parent..." And on goes the attack We smile and nod Because we know deep inside The argument is moot Let them all take a side We know what it's like To live with the spectrum The struggles and triumphs Achievements, regressions... But what they don't know And what they don't see Is the joy that we feel Over simplicity He said "hello" He ate something green! He told his first lie! He did not cause a scene! He peed on the potty Who cares if he's ten, He stopped saying the same thing Again and again! Others don't realize Just how we can cope How we bravely hang on At the end of our rope But what they don't see Is the joy we can't hide When our children with autism Make the tiniest stride We may look at others Without the problems we face With jealousy, hatred Or even distaste, But what they don't know Nor sometimes do we Is that children with autism Bring simplicity. We don't get excited Over expensive things We jump for joy With the progress work brings Children with autism Try hard every day That they make us proud More than words can say. They work even harder Than you or I To achieve something small To reach a star in the sky So to those who don't get it Or can't get a clue Take a walk in my shoes And I'll assure you That even 10 minutes Into the walk You'll look at me With respect, even shock. You will realize What it is I go through And the next time you judge I can assure you That you won't say a thing You'll be quiet and learn, Like the years that I did When the tables were turned.......

We have one dog who is a pet. We are considering getting another puppy but this time the breeder would really like to show him. We are looking at setting up a co-ownership agreement where we keep/raise the puppy and she grooms/shows him. We pay for his upkeep (veterinarian bills, food, supplies) and she pays for his showing (entry fees, etc.). It sounds fun, educational, intriguing. If you have experience co-owning a show dog or showing a dog I'd love to know if there are any pitfalls we should consider!

on craigslist but it's 12-18 months (link http://fortcollins.craigslist.org/bab/852044302.html) My favorite costume every at a party was a mom who wore a floor-length white dress with the skirt waaay out (think hoop skirt). The dress was white with black yarn in a pattern all over it. Mama was the web and... Her babe-in-arms was the spider! It was adorable...black long-sleeve shirt or onesie and black tights and stuffed black socks sewn to the sides of baby's shirt to give him or her eight legs altogether. I know spiders aren't insects but do they count as a bug? Your name line says baby is 1mo...so do you need a babe-in-arms costume!?

Our kids' swim teams offer latex or silicone. Latex are cheap ($4) and silicone are more expensive ($13) but it seems the silicone are more popular. At our house we have latex allergy/sensitivity so we always choose silicone. My two little kids are using lycra right now because the silicone ones haven't come in for their team (and dd8 has sensory processing issues so even getting her to wear a cap is a big step...and someone told me that some kids wear lycra under silicone so we may try that before her first meet). The lycra ones are "slow" though...if you need speed in the water don't choose lycra!

Welcome back. I missed it--where'd you go?

I'm curious how many of us are or were certified teachers. I submitted my renewal application over the summer and just found out yesterday that my "Application has been evaluated and approved - Awaiting Issuance." Yay!! ETA: My teaching certificate is our "backup plan." If dh should ever become unable to work/support the family, then I could go back to teaching as a career. For the record, I don't think homeschooling parents have to or should be certified. Most of what I learned in my education to become a professional teacher has minimal influence on what I do in my homeschool! Most of the instruction I received was on how to teach large groups, how to use behavior modification techniques, and how to work within public school systems. I am just interested in how many certified teachers with public/private/charter/other school experience have chosen to homeschool. For me personally, my choice to homeschool has nothing to do with my experience as a public school teacher. I know others, however, who choose to homeschool because of what they experienced as teachers in public school.

My 6yo had to have a baby tooth pulled because the adult tooth came in behind it. It wasn't a big deal. My older dd had to have three baby teeth pulled (and will probably have to have more) because they were "ankylosed." The way it was explained to me is that there is a sheath or sleeve-like covering on the roots of teeth. Sometimes, for unknown reasons, these sheaths get a hole in them and then the root fuses to the jawbone. This means the tooth will never come out on its own and the permanent tooth will not be able to erupt. Our orthodontist doesn't like to pull any teeth until absolutely necessary. With my ds, he said the four in the front (top two and bottom two in the center) are inconsequential (this was one of the ones we chose to have pulled a few weeks ago) but not to pull any others without consulting with him. He prefers to keep baby teeth in for as long as possible for "place holders." My oldest dd has a couple more ankylosed teeth but because her permanent teeth are nowhere near ready to come in (she's only 11) he wants them left in until it's time to start moving her permanent teeth into position. (We also have to do some rearranging with her teeth anyway because two of her teeth are congenitally absent--so it is even more important that we hold that space until we can see what will be possible). I'd want to know WHY the orthodontist does or does not want the teeth pulled. One of the first orthodontists we consulted (and one we did not choose) wanted to pull some of dd's baby teeth--an ankylosed one and the one opposite it "just to be even" and then wait a year and see. He seemed much less thorough than the orthodontist we eventually chose. He was only interested in teeth and their alignment and not as interested in bone growth, upper versus lower jaw size, width of palate, or congenitally absent teeth.

In our area we have a department (within our city recreation department) called Adaptive Recreation. I have NO idea if the Y would have a similar department, office, or coordinator. However, Adaptive Recreation has been SO helpful in assisting my undiagnosed, labelless dd in getting the extra help she needs in order to successfully participate in everything from swimming lessons to ballet class. Lately, we've been dealing with two different swim teams (that are not affiliated with the recreation department) and although one is clearly superior to the other (in terms of coaching staff, goals, low turnover, etc.) the other one seems to be a better "fit" for my autism-spectrum-y, language disordered, and sensory challenged dd. We just have to keep trying until we find the right fit--that's all I'm trying to say with this post. Sometimes the class for kids with disabilities is the right fit and sometimes it's the "regular" class (with adaptations, accommodations, or even *just* a supportive [and informed--by me!] teacher). And things can change; last summer dd was able to participate in regular swimming lessons without an aide but this summer we had to have help again. Great job keeping at it until you found the right one!

as being good for mixed-age groups and would probably work for Girl Scouts just as well... It is called Do You Love Your Neighbor? Here's how to play: Everyone sits in a circle and one person is "It." "It" approaches someone in the circle and asks, "Do you love your neighbor?" The person who is asked has two choices: If she says, "Yes," then everyone in the circle has to get up and switch chairs and It also tries to get a seat. The person left standing (because there is one less chair than there are people) becomes "It." If she says, "No," then he has to name a characteristic such as "necklace" in this way, "No, but I love people who are wearing necklaces!" At that point, It and everyone wearing a necklace (which may or may not include the person who was asked) gets up to switch chairs. The person left standing becomes "It." Does this make sense? Is there such a thing as "Googling" for game directions if I don't make sense? :tongue_smilie:

Aaagh. My 11yo dd swims on swim team. Last night was their first practice of the season back in the pool (which just reopened). This morning she woke up late, coughing and sneezing (mostly sneezing), complaining of sore throat and pain in her ears. She keeps tossing out the possibility that she's allergic to the chlorine (or whatever chemicals they're using in the pool). Please tell me it isn't so!!! Please tell me she's just caught some bug that's going around. This is the ONLY sport/exercise/athletic activity this child has been successful in, ever! :ack2:

:001_rolleyes: almost as much as I love the follow-up question, which is, "Do you like your teacher?" We get that one even more often. There is usually a huge, embarrassing pause while my dc consider whether or not they like me. It's just lovely. :rolleyes: As to why people ask such questions, I have no idea. And I think the counter-question about whether their kids "like" public school is a good one. What if they do? What if they don't? Does it matter!? Besides, surely whether or not they "like homeschool" (or public school) or "like their teacher" is irrelevant. Right!?

I am constantly multi-tasking. I used to enjoy reading while I ate lunch...now I end up using that time preparing dinner, washing dishes, making phone calls, reading and writing emails, or doing something other than just plain sitting down and eating! What do you do during lunch? Visit the boards? Eat with your children? Run errands? Come to the WTM board "teachers' lounge"? Read? Shower? Exercise? Walk the dog? Do laundry? The list of possibilities is endless... Please do share what you do during lunch/the lunch hour/lunchtime.

Whether you teach it or you assign it--I'm curious what subject your kids work on first.

I've read it here many times lately: "Homeschooling is a marathon and not a sprint." Okay. Deep breaths. I get it--logically. However, how do you "talk yourself down" when you do have a schedule, a game plan, an idea of how much work you can realistically accomplish...little mileposts, so to speak...and you never reach them on time? I'm not "in a race" to "finish the book" by the end of the year...but when the end of the year comes and we haven't finished the book, I must confess that I panic! I know that in public school we *never* "finished the book"--but homeschool isn't public school! We can and should be able to "finish the book." At least that's what I keep telling myself. Is it not true?? Aack. We just finished SOTW 1 from last year two days ago. We were scheduled to finish it in June. We should have already been a month into SOTW 2 by now. My life was full of constant, unplanned interruptions last year. This year it is constant, scheduled interruptions in the form of therapy appointments and home therapy programs for all three of my kids. (In case you were wondering, physical therapy for the oldest, and both speech and occupational therapy for the younger two...five therapies for three kids). When will we ever have time for academics!? Please share more advice and wisdom about homeschooling being a marathon and not a sprint!

I listened to the Biology of Behavior tapes and while there may be something to it, we haven't "gone there." There is one doctor locally who does lots of dietary interventions and supplementations similar to those Dianne recommends and it *might* be something we do someday. Dh is presently researching it... The premise of the reprogramming, as I understand it, is that in order for the brain to work efficiently, both sides (left side and right side) need to be communicating with each other well. This is why so many of the exercises involve crossing the body's midline. The fact that my dd's eyes "jumped" when tracking from one side to the other was an indication that she was having trouble crossing the midline and the two sides of the brain were not communicating effectively. After doing the weekly repatternings and the daily exercises (which helped to strengthen the connections between hemispheres) for a period of time (about a month) my dd's eyes no longer "jumped" when tracking. Just like reading is a crossing midline activity, so is handwriting. Both require the eyes and, in the case of handwriting, the hands, to cross the body's midline. This is where the writing eights were very helpful to my dd. She seemed to be "avoiding" (unconsciously) crossing her midline by slumping to the side. The writing eights is something that needs to be done for six months to a year just as a daily exercise. It helped her tremendously. Auditory processing requires the two halves of the brain to communicate, also, but it is not a process that can be readily observed. One side takes in the information and other makes a picture of it or translates it in some other way so it can be recalled. By the way, I strongly suspect that my dd is also a right-brain learner (as well as a tactile-kinesthetic learner) and I plan to take Dianne's course on Teaching the Right Brain Student as an independent study course. I just looked at the course description again and I will need to purchase her DVD http://stores.diannecraft.org/Detail.bok?no=53 as part of the course. I think the techniques and strategies she teaches will help me tremendously in teaching my dd, especially in areas of spelling and memorizing math facts.

I did BIT with my two dds; the oldest one is now 11.5 and didn't really need it much. The younger one is now 8.5. She really needed it and it really did make a difference. Are you the one who sometimes mentions the peeling an onion analogy? I feel like that's how it is with my dd... We see this onion, and we think there's something not quite right. So, we peel of the outer layer and sure enough, there's something lurking underneath. So we clean away the lurking something and think the onion is all right again. After a time (short or long, it varies), it seems something is again not quite right about our onion. So we peel back another layer and sure enough, there's something ELSE lurking underneath. We use a different tool or strategy to clean this new something away and the onion looks fine and good again. The scenario keeps repeating itself, with the onion seeming fine for a while and then we decide something seems a little off, so we go looking and sure enough, we find something new hiding in there. So far, we've gone from wild child to difficult child. Suggestions of ADD/ADHD were made. Next we went from possible high-functioning autism/pervasive developmental disorder/Asperger's Syndrome to anxiety and depression (in a 5-year-old). Visual problems appeared and were apparently corrected. Social difficulties persist. Language problems become more apparent. Auditory processing difficulties are suspected. Newly diagnosed with language disorder (not delay--not normal development of language at a slower pace but abnormal development and use of language) and sensory processing disorder/sensory integration dysfunction (don't have that label quite yet as the evaluation was just this week). It just goes on and on... Every time I feel like we've found and fixed the problem we discover three new ones! On the other hand, my dd has made tremendous progress and worked very hard thus far to overcome so many challenges and difficulties. We're just now learning that ds's problems go deeper than neuro-motor...we don't have the full report yet as he also was just evaluated this week. What started out as a visit to assess his fine motor skills as they relate to handwriting has ballooned into another type of sensory integration problems in addition to the known low muscle tone and intentional tremor and speech disorder (used to be classified as a delay, now diagnosed as disorder). I think I answered your question in my first paragraph and then got carried away. It's late and I'm still processing all we've learned about my dc and their problems this week! I think I'm on overload. :001_unsure:

I like to see how long other people have been homeschooling. I like to see how many kids they are teaching and what ages/grades. I enjoy reading people's nicknames or "code names" for their kids. I like to see if other people are teaching kids with disabilities and challenges. I like to read the quotes (I need to come up with a good one for my signature line!). I like to see what people are using for curriculum--especially if they are using different things for different children in some areas while combining the children and using the same materials in other areas.

I first learned about Brain Integration Therapy several years ago. With a struggling dd and a background/teaching certificate in special education, I decided to take some classes in BIT for my recertification and to help my dd. As part of the class I took (long-distance) from Dianne Craft, I used her BIT manual and did all of the repatternings and exercises with my dd. I found the manual difficult to use on its own, however, so before I started doing anything with dd, I took some classes that were offered locally by someone who had been trained by Dianne. I just visited Dianne's website yesterday and noticed that she has a new DVD http://stores.diannecraft.org/Detail.bok?no=5 which might help "decipher" the manual if you struggle with it like I did. Here is the paper I wrote for the class I took from Dianne: ~*~*~*~*~ My subject for Brain Integration Therapy for the Struggling Student was my six-year-old daughter, whom I homeschool. Although bright, she has struggled with learning in all areas of her life, from social and emotional skills to academic skills. Learning to read was a struggle because her eyes were not working together and prescription eyeglasses had not helped. She could not differentiate left and right and confused the letters b, d, p, and q (as well as the numbers 6, 9, and anything with two digits) which caused problems in learning to read and write. I observed that she formed her letters and numbers from the bottom up, intermingled uppercase and lowercase letters, and often "drew" her letters and numbers backward. I was deeply concerned that in addition to the social and emotional difficulties my daughter was experiencing that before long she would be having overwhelming academic difficulties as well. We began the Writing Eight exercise using an eleven-by-seventeen inch paper copy of the writing eight turned sideways and taped to the desktop. When we first started, my daughter was unable to complete the entire alphabet due to fatigue. She also required hand-over-hand assistance to complete the exercise fluidly and correctly. The first few weeks we did the exercise, my daughter kept leaning to the left so the middle of the paper no longer lined up with her midline; I had to keep propping her back up. I interpreted this as an indication that she really needed to do this exercise. We faithfully did Writing Eights as part of our routine in the morning before starting our regular school subjects. Her writing eight papers show evidence of her progress. The first ones (after I stopped using hand-over-hand) would be considered "wild" with the right side smaller and less round than the left side. The last ones show smooth and controlled movements and near-evenness of the circles on each side. As a result of daily Writing Eights for six months, I noticed my daughter's handwriting become much more automatic and the reversals in both reading and writing all but disappear. (I did leave the "Writing Eight Alphabet" taped to the wall in front of her desk for her to refer to anytime she was unsure). Because my daughter seemed to have needs in every area of Brain Integration, I did repatternings with her in all three areas as found in the Brain Integration Therapy Manual: visual, writing, and auditory. The first kind of repatterning we did was for visual processing. I knew my daughter had a difficult time with visual tracking (which I felt was partially responsible for her struggles in learning to read) and her eyes originally seemed to move more smoothly from center to right (they jumped when moving center to left and when crossing midline). During the Eye Eight exercise she looked quite groggy, yawned a lot, and later told me she had felt like she was going to throw up. Again, as with the Writing Eight exercise where she had difficulty, I took the grogginess, fatigue, and feelings of nausea as an indication that she really needed this repatterning and associated exercises. The Fencer exercise did not seem to cause her any trouble (except in deciding how to copy my example; not knowing left from right and having to decide if she was my mirror image or my opposite caused some hesitation). After visual processing repatterning and its associated exercises, I noted smooth tracking from each side, across the midline, and to the other side and less line-skipping during oral reading. The second kind of repatterning we did was for writing. As noted above, my daughter had difficulty with handwriting, especially with reversals. She had a tendency to form her letters incorrectly from the bottom up and by using clockwise curves where counter-clockwise circles were needed. She also intermingled uppercase and lowercase letters (possibly, I think, to avoid the difficulties with reversals; it is easier, for example, to "draw" [which is the word she used for making letters] an A than it is to "draw" an a if a person is struggling with remembering on which side to make the "stem" of a letter). My daughter's first writing samples of, "My name is ______. I like to write" show the large letters with uneven height and use of uppercase and lowercase letters that were typical in her written work prior to repatterning for writing. After repatterning for writing, as the later samples show, her letter height became smaller and more consistent, the reversed letter "s" was corrected, and the improper use of uppercase letters decreased. What is not evident from the writing samples is that her letter formation was corrected so that she produced the letters with proper directionality (from the top down and using counter-clockwise circles) and that her handwriting became more fluid and automatic. The third kind of repatterning we did was for auditory processing. My daughter had difficulty remembering and following directions, repeating what she was told, recalling events in order, and many other skills that require auditory processing. We worked on sounding out words, repeating instructions, and repeating short lists for the activities during the auditory processing repatterning. The Ear Eight exercises did not seem to cause the same degree of grogginess, fatigue, and feelings of nausea that the Eye Eights did although I did notice mild symptoms. The Toe Touch exercise was very difficult for my daughter; she tends to have tight muscles and to lack flexibility. She wobbled and struggled to remain upright during Toe Touches and even just standing with her ankles crossed was difficult for her. After repatterning for auditory processing, my daughter was able to remember and follow directions more easily and learning to read, with which she had struggled for so long (she was stuck for months at the consonant-vowel-consonant level), was finally possible for her. In addition to these positive changes that Brain Integration Therapy repatternings and exercises brought about, I noticed several other changes in my daughter's overall behavior and academic performance. First, her attention to learning activities improved. Second, although she was still "active" (and possibly a tactile-kinesthetic and/or right-brain learner—I'm still trying to sort out which are attention issues, which are sensory issues, and which are learning style issues) she was much more controlled during activities (whether school, dinner, or church). Third, her auditory memory improved and she could more easily repeat what she had been told, follow storylines, draw conclusions, attribute motivation to characters, and remember details from day to day. Fourth, she ultimately finished the phonics program I use to teach my children to read (after many false starts and delays) and is a fairly strong reader now. While her spelling is still weak I expect it to improve over time as she receives instruction and spends more time reading. Fifth, after four summers of requiring an aide in swimming lessons (to help teach her to swim but mostly to keep her on task, paying attention, and responding to instructions in a group setting), she no longer needs an aide. Socially, emotionally, and academically, brain integration therapy has had a major positive impact in my daughter's life. ~*~*~*~*~ Now, it has been two years since I wrote this paper and my dd is struggling again. While I believe the BIT did help her, I also think that she needs more and that it is possible that her brain is now actually more "receptive" to more traditional therapeutic interventions than it would have been previously. In addition to the BIT we did in-home vision therapy as prescribed by our pediatric ophthalmologist. This was a computer program that dd did with my supervision. The data collected from the program as she used it show that it helped. Subjectively, I can say that it didn't hurt but I didn't see any huge changes from it. At this time, I am pursuing other therapies with dd. She is in speech therapy for her language disorder and occupational therapy for her sensory integration problems and associated feeding issues. At home, I am going to use "Reading Pathways" (which just arrived last week) to hopefully help her improve her reading fluency. I may need to look into a different spelling program than what I currently use with my other dc. Before I go there, however, I plan to take Dianne's class on teaching the right-brain child because I believe some of the strategies she uses could be helpful for my dd. I noticed yesterday she now has a DVD http://stores.diannecraft.org/Detail.bok?no=53 on that topic, too. (So now both of her DVDs are on my Christmas list!!) Just to be clear, I am not a friend of Dianne's, I don't work for her, etc. etc. etc. I have just used her products/strategies/programs and found them useful for my dc (I did the BIT with my dd with "issues" and my "neurotypical" dd and am considering doing them with my ds this year now that he's older).