" I'M SPECIAL BECAUSE THEY ARE SPECIAL": THIS IS ALANIS

This is Alanis my middle child . She was born 12/29/01 she is now 6 years old . Many things have happened sine she was born , She is a hand full . A very olorfull hild from above . Here you see her being who she is at 4rth of July 2007. Just a year after David was diagnosed with AUTISM so was she on 2/6/2008 .

Alanis was always very advanced for her age . This is one of the reasons why we never even considered her to have any type of disability . For eample Alanis spoke in ompletesentenes by one but started talking at 6 months then walked at 7 months . But there was something different about Alanis for the first year 1/2 . She could not stay still and cried for no apparent reason . Everything bothered her and since we ride the bus Alanis would cry the whole bus ride and then stop after getting off . c ould not stay in a car seat while riding with a friend , she would climb and make herself fall and would laugh at her own fall . We couldn't go out to eat because she would not stay in the high hair at a restaurant . If we tried she would start to scream it was very embarassing so close to 2 years we just took the food to go !!

When Alanis was 3 years old the babysitter would all me at work and she was worried about Alanis all the time . She loves Alanis very much but was wondering why she was sooooo active and would cry for no apparent reason too often . A few times she recorded Alanis tantrums to me and she showed them to me and would tell me something was wrong . Yes I DIDN"T LISTEN TO HER!!!! just like many moms live in denial cause their child is too smart ..

Anyway we decided that my husband would stay home and work evenings and I would work during the day . We did that schedule for a year . Then Alnis went to pre-kinder . She loved her teaher and the shool . But the teaher would tell me even though she was soo smart she was not communiating during the time she needed to , She said she was tooo shy and introverted .Something that stayed in my mind is the fact that the teaher said to me that Alanis would benefit from a MAGNET program and that I should consider it in the future.

In 2007 I left my Job of 13 years to attend to David . But as well to attend to my other 2 children . Alanis and Deshey , I will write of her later , . As Alanis started kinder I was at home volunteering and taking david back and forth to all of his appointments and what not . a hard year 2007 . But a blessed one since the relationship with GOD grew bigger. Many economical neessaties where cut from my home but we made it .

Now going back to Alanis . While I was at home I started notesing all of the things her sitted was seeing . I was living what the sitter was trying to let me see and wasn't seeing . Then my mom said to me that perhaps there is something going on with Alanis . So I told her I had been keeping an eye on her at that I had indeed mentioned it to the shool but becasue she is sooo smart they did not want to do an assestment . So I decided to do the net best

thing . Which is what every parent should do if the distri or any ageny isn't listening to ya . That is go and have a personal individualized assestment with a private doctor. Behavioral specialist , Psycologists ETc.

This photo was taken 2003.

So basially after the diagnosys the school took charge . But it wasn't that eazy eaither . I had to make some phone alls and had to sit and send some emails till I got the name and number and e mail address to MR> Arreguin LAUSD distrit 6 representative for special education. And I basically esplained my situation and he Helped me to get a letter for my school to listen to me .

After about a ouple of months of testing my poor child I had her first IEP ( Individualized Education Program)

I was happy to find out that the LAUSD after all the tests they find her as a child with AUTISM in her case she has the following as a diagnosis : Aspergers Syndrome(High futioning Autism) / Aniety / HD (Hyperactivity disorder).

Now the problem came when we spoke about placement . The tests show that Alanis doesn't just qualify as a child with Autism but as a GIFTED!! child in academics . So I was like Oh my goodness now what????. her score in the IQ test came out to 130 for her age it should be 90 is normal so she is in the gifted range. But is in the Soial emotional where she failed . This is typial of Aspergers children .

The goal of course is to have her in the GIFTED classroom with kids of her own intellect . So slowly she will be main streamed in to the classroom . What did they end up offering her :

Pull out everyday 2 1/2 hours with a gifted resoure teaher who will teah her one on one everyday for 6 months .

Phsyco therapy 3 times per month to address her aniety attacks and social behaviors .

therapy once every week where I take her to a district facility for more therapy .

currently I'm waiting on a hearing where I will fight the LAUSD so like my son she can also have a BI (Behavioral Specialist) during lunch time and recess time everyday . This is one thing they did not wanna give me . But in the name of Jesus they will . A behavioral specialist works on many things . In the case of alanis she will work on negative behaviors and will teach her how to socialize appropietly with her peers at play time.

Out side of shool I as well am working with medical who has agreed to pay for OT (Ocupational Therapy ) at hildrens hospital Long Beach and

(Physical therapy as well ).

Alanis has alot of sensory issues with food and clothing and many other things .

Just a year apart my 2 small kids have been diagnosed with AUTISM . I sometimes have asked myself why didn't I listen to those people about my daugther . But we go bak to time . The Lord knows why and I will leave it at that . All I know is that in the year 1993 I was trained to work and worked for 1 1/2 year at a home where I cared for AUTISTIc kids . HUMMM! I wonder why the Lord made that happen right???. Very interesting . LOL

I tell you the Lord works in misterios ways . Now Alanis has the same Dotors as david and I work with both of them. I'm not done fighting yet . My net fight . will be the regional center in LA and in the nameo of Jesus I will come out victorious !!!. But first things first . LAUSD hearing here I go !!!.