Josiah requires assistance to do most everything. He needs help with eating. He needs help with bathing. He needs help with dressing. He needs help in the bathroom. Basically, he needs alot of help. We use a prompting sequence to guide him. We use verbal prompts and physical prompts to encourge him to do as much of a task as possible.

Sometimes it is so much easier to do something for him than to WAIT for Josiah to do it. The prompting sequence can take a while. Josiah can take even longer. We don’t always have time in our schedule to wait. So sometimes, we just do things for him. We know it doesn’t help him though. So, as often as possible, we allow Josiah to do as much of a task as he is capable of.

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I look like my dad. People have told me that all my life. I have a picture from around age 10. I used to put my fingers over the hair on the picture to hide it completely. That’s when I first noticed they were right. If I were bald, I’d look exactly like my dad. But, I’m not the only one. My dad is an idential twin. I always thought that was so cool.

My father is a great story teller. He has a memory you just wouldn’t believe. He can recall to this day the names of his teachers and fellow classmates in grade school. He can tell of events as they unfolded with explicit detail. My dad tells great stories of the pranks he and his twin brother pulled when they were just boys. He always has us laughing.

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I just hung up the phone from talking with Melissa. She is the woman behind the Puzzling Piece iPad challenge. She called to tell me Josiah WON! What a huge blessing this is.

Melissa said her phone would ‘ding’ when new orders came in. It kept dinging and she and her husband would jokingly say to one another, “Guess who that one is probably for?” figuring it was for Josiah. And it was. In l3 days, 60 orders were placed to help Josiah win his ipad. That’s lightening speed. WOW!

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We just received a status update on Josiah’s FREE iPad. In just 10 days he has received 53 orders towards the 60 he needs to win! We are so unbelievably excited and grateful! My heart is full. It’s amazing to me in such a short time there has been an overwhelming response to help my son.

I know Josiah will receive his new iPad in a short time now. It won’t be long before we cover it with an otter box which will render it virtually indestructible. The otter box manufacturers have never met the likes of Josiah, but I am reasonably sure it will help. Otter boxes are said to provide extreme protection. Extreme protection is what we will need.

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Today, when the bus pulled up after school, I was ready. I had a new strategy. Since Josiah apparently has been very distressed about walking off the bus and up the sidewalk, maybe he just needs a little help. I do not want to carry him. I know that’s what he wants. If he could jump into my arms or ride me piggy back up the sidewalk, he’d be very content. But he is getting bigger. He’s already too heavy for me to carry for very long. I can’t imagine starting a habit I would not be able to continue for long. Besides, how many 9 year olds do you know who are carried around by their parents?

I needed a better option. One that would appease Josiah and one that would work for me. All I needed was a short term solution. I wasn’t sure it would even work. Sometimes something works one day and not the next. But so far nothing else has fixed the problem, so this was worth a try.

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