Theater Class - NISRA

This theater class was provided by NISRA.  It’s focus was on simple choreography, singing, speaking on stage, and working together as a full cast.  Everyone get a role in the show based on their ability and interest.  Everyone has to learn the script and practice at each rehearsal until the night of the show.  The year that Aiden participated was for the production of Shrek.  Aiden got the role of Donkey. I wasn’t sure if Aiden would like this class but he really did.  When he tried out for “auditions” he did so well and had no problem singing on a stage in front of everyone.  I admire him so much for that! He learned his lines well and what he was supposed to do on stage but I think what he really enjoyed the most from this class was not so much the actual show in the end, but all the rehearsals.  I think he just really liked playing and interacting with the other kids.  Even though, if you saw them in rehearsals it wouldn’t always appear as if they are “interacting” with each other, but I think he does it, or appreciates it, in his own way.  Aiden is a fun and a funny kid, so is the character he was playing as Donkey.  Aiden knew all his lines by heart but when it finally came down to performance night in front of an auditorium full of strangers he seemed to have gotten a bit distracted and went off script, talking to the audience, asking why they were laughing at him.  He looked so cute in his donkey costume, and because the show was a comedy, the audience didn’t know if that was just part of his act and so they laughed even more.  But like with most difficult or unusual circumstances in his life, he just rolled with the punches. What a trooper!

Chicago Trolley Holiday Lights Tour

This was a cool “wintery” thing to do.  I wanted Aiden to get to see the holiday (and downtown) lights from the warm, non-stressful, passenger seat of someone’s else’s vehicle so this seemed like the perfect thing to do.  We boarded the trolley at the John Hancock building and Aiden and I lucked out and got the only seat up front next to the driver on a platform.  

We had a great view from there and of course Aiden wanted to talk to our Santa Claus driver.  He was great too.  He told us the history of some of the buildings we’d pass, and he had us singing Christmas carols as we sat in traffic.  The sights on the tour were the Magnificent Mile, Macy's Holiday Windows, the John Hancock Center Tree, Daley Plaza and Millennium Park.  It also made 3 stops.  The 1st was at Sprinkles bakery where they gave us complimentary red velvet cupcakes, the 2nd was at the Christkindlmarket in Daley Plaza, and the 3rd was at Lincoln Park Zoo to see their two million holiday lights.  The Christkindlmarket was a bit much for us.  It was so tightly packed and the lines were really long at each booth so we just did a quick walk through and then got back on the trolley and waited with our Santa driver.  The zoo lights were cool but we weren’t given a whole lot of time to go through it all, and it was freezing cold, so we saw what we could then got back onto the trolley. It was a good time.  I think Aiden’s favorite parts were singing Christmas carols on the trolley and eating the cupcakes.

Field Museum - Chicago

Aiden is in absolute love with dinosaurs so we took him to the Field Museum to see Sue the T-Rex and the rest of their dinosaur exhibit.  He enjoyed it but I had a feeling that he would have preferred to see all the dinosaurs with skin on their bones.  All of his dinosaurs at home have flesh and skin so I think he missed that familiarity. But we didn’t  just see the dinosaurs.  We visited as many of the exhibits as we could. This place is huge.  We weren’t able to see everything but I would happily go back at his request.

Voting

I took Aiden with me when I voted in both the 2016 primary and general elections.  For the primary election we went to the West Dundee Village Hall.  It was during the early voting period and I guess the timing was right because there were only about 2 people ahead of me.  Aiden stayed in line with me just long enough to ask the volunteers there what their names were and how they were doing that day.  They loved him and gave him a sticker.  Aiden wanted to sit and look out the window across the room since we were on the 2nd floor. The room was small enough that he wasn’t very far from me, and I could see him clearly from the voting booth, so I let him stay there.  When I finished he made sure to say goodbye to everyone before we left.  That kid makes everyone smile.

For the general election we went to the Carpentersville Fire Department Station #3.  Again we went during the early voting period and right after Aiden got out of school.  This time there were probably about 7 people ahead of us.  The voting room was very small there so we spent most of the time just waiting in the hallway.  I didn’t want to leave Aiden there out of my sight so he was with me in the voting booth.  Not a lot of chatting was going around at this place so we came and left without Aiden ever introducing himself to anyone.  I think he was a little disappointed. LOL

Bowling - Brunswick Zone

We’ve been to this Brunswick Zone bowling alley in Algonquin a few times.  It’s nice and big and also has an arcade.  Aiden picked up on the purpose of the game fairly quickly but still needs to gain some patience while waiting for his ball to finally get down to the pins.  He also really liked the arcade area. He doesn’t really know how to play the games, he mostly just enjoys the ones you can ride or have to be physically active with. Update: This Algonquin Brunswick Zone has now changed to Bowlero.

Halloween Party - Dundee Township Rotary Club

Every year the Dundee Township Rotary Club has a special Halloween party for children with special needs.  There are about 4 rows of tables in 1 room that are each decorated by the rotary club members with different themes like cartoon characters, superheros, etc. and the special kids (and their siblings) get to walk around to each table and trick-or-treat.  The candy givers are all dressed up and usually take pictures with the kids.  When you finish all your trick-or-treating you can walk into the cafeteria which is right next door and have a free hot dog, chips, and drink.  

We have gone the past 3 years now and Aiden loves it.  It is always such a relief to go to places like this where I don’t have to worry about my kid being, or feeling, left out or too different.  It feels really good to see my child being accepted and appreciated for exactly who he is.  I am super grateful for all the work the Rotary Club puts into this!

Nightmare on Chicago Street - Elgin, IL

I wasn’t really sure if Aiden would like this event.  He does like Halloween and whenever I watch a scary movie on tv he wants to join me, but only for the really scary parts, so I thought we’d give this a try.  I think Aiden would give it a mixed review if he could.  He seemed to be amused by a lot of the costumes he saw walking around but I think he was scared of a lot of them as well.  I think the staged scary scenarios that we would pass like flipped cars and spilled blood made him a little nervous too.  He’s a trooper though. He just held my hand tight and continued the tour.  I’m not sure if I would take him again though.  Not just because he was kind of scared but because as time went on we were starting to come across more and more drunk people acting like idiots.  That was starting to scare him and it really annoyed me, so we left.

Halloween Trick or Treating - Spring Hill Mall

We’ve taken Aiden a couple times to Spring Hill Mall for some trick or treating.  It seems like such a good idea, indoor trick or treating.  It’s warm inside, no need for coats, so everyone gets to show off their full ensembles. And if you get tired or hungry there’s a place to sit and eat.  But in reality it’s not that nice.  It’s not warm inside the mall, it’s hot!  There are so many people and the lines are so long, the kids start sweating in their costumes and the lucky parents holding the coats are burning up. This last year we went but didn’t stay long and we were warned as soon as we entered the mall.  A dad was walking out with his kids and he advised us not to go in.  He said the lines were crazy long and that not all the stores were participating.  He was right. After only a couple stores we left and we were so relieved! So was Aiden.

Brunner Family Forest Preserve

This forest preserve features woodlands, wetlands and prairie along a 3.5 mile stretch of the Fox River.  It has a picnic shelter, fishing access, bathrooms and 5 miles of trail. 

It also has a little farm store that sells food from their farm like eggs, meat, vegetables, and honey. 

We walked there on a super hot day and were so relieved to take shade in the picnic shelter.  It would be a nice place to have lunch with a very pretty view. 

Air & Water Show 2015

The Chicago Air and Water Show features naval and aviation demonstrations from military and civilian teams. This is a 2 day event lasting the weekend with a practice run on Friday and no admission. We got there early Saturday morning, parked in a garage not far from Navy Pier and set up camp at Ohio Street beach.  Getting there early was the smartest thing we did.  We got the early bird special at the parking garage and we nearly got first choice at the beach.  We found a spot under the shade of a big tree on the cool sand, which was great because it was super hot that day! We came prepared with a blanket, chairs, and sandwiches.  Ohio Street had a decent view of the air show and so it got packed quickly. Aiden liked the show but I think he mostly enjoyed lying down on the cool sand, eating snacks and just chilling with one of his BFF’s who showed up later. It was definitely a good day.

Art At Glen Tower - Glenview, IL

This is an art show in Glenview with over 100 artists in different mediums.  There’s also food vendors, live music and a designated kids area for games and activities.  I, of course, enjoyed the show but Aiden was only interested in some things here and there. He probably would’ve enjoyed it more had he participated in the kids area but some tables had no one running them and others were just too crowded.  I never know where or what will pique this kid’s interest so I just keep trying to expose him to as much as I can.

Art & Soul on the Fox - Elgin, IL

This is a free, fine art fair in downtown Elgin.  There is music, food, and lots of art.  This trip was really for me since, of course, I am the art lover in the family, so I didn’t get much feedback from Aiden.  He did have at least one positive experience while we were there.  A balloon artist engaged in a conversation with him and made him a dog balloon while they talked.  Aiden thought that was pretty cool. We didn’t stay long because I didn’t want him touching any artwork.  I’m hoping this is something he’ll appreciate later.

Dinosaur World - Plant City, FL

Dinosaur World has lots of huge life sized dinos in an outdoor natural setting.  You walk around checking out all the dinosaurs and stopping at the interactive exhibits you come across.  There are boardwalks that wind through natural areas shaded by centuries-old oak trees, and there’s also a playground and huge gift shop.  Aiden absolutely loves dinosaurs so we just had to take him to this place.  We all really liked it, but it was so unbelievably hot that day that we were relieved to finally end in the big, cool, air conditioned gift shop.  

Gatorland - Orlando, FL

Aiden loves alligators so of course we had to take him to Gatorland.  He got to see lots of alligators and got to watch them getting fed, which was a show in itself, but there were other things to see as well like flamingos, pelicans, and he got to go inside a bird sanctuary and feed lots of birds.  He was a little nervous in there because the birds tend to land somewhere on your body.  He had one on his arm and another on his head, but he really enjoyed it.  They also have a petting zoo which he went in and fed the animals, and he got to hold a snake around his neck while holding a baby alligator in his hands.  He did it like a pro! This stop was an absolute must for him.

Disney World - Orlando, FL

If you ask Aiden what are his favorite things in the world, Disney World is usually his first or second answer.  Thanks to wonderful family, we were able to visit all 4 kingdoms: Magic Kingdom, Animal Kingdom, Hollywood Studios, and Epcot.  Aiden really loved it all.  The rides, the shows, the characters he met, just everything.  I don’t think we’ve ever come across a ride that Aiden was too scared to try. I’m guessing it’s probably from all the sensory input he receives from it. He’s always been more receptive to stronger stimuli rather than lighter. He definitely enjoyed the rides the most but he really liked meeting all the characters from TV too.  He carried around an autograph book for signatures and photos. 

The lines for the rides were very long but Disney has a helpful option for guests with special needs. It’s called Disability Access Services. This service allows guests to schedule a return time for the ride that is comparable to the current queue wait for the given attraction.  So it’s basically like making a reservation for a ride so that you don’t have to just stand there for 2 hours or however long it may take.  This was very helpful.  We all had a really great time at Disney, but no one enjoyed it more than Aiden.

Fourth of July - Carpentersville, IL

The fireworks display held by the Village of Carpentersville was located on the big patch of grass across the street from the police station.  They had a band playing and some people walking around selling glow toys.  We brought chairs and a blanket and Aiden bought a light up sword.  It was a good show and we had a good view.  Aiden enjoyed it.  He didn’t have a difficult time with the loud noises like in years past so that was great.  I know he really did appreciate moments of the display but I also caught him paying more attention to his light up sword from time to time.  Was the sword more interesting or were the fireworks becoming too much? I don’t know.

Hip Hop Dance Class - NISRA

I signed Aiden up for this dance class because he loves to move! He loves being very physically active and when the music’s good, and loud, he likes to dance.  This class wasn’t as physically active as I thought it would be but that was because learning choreography is difficult so it takes a lot of time and a slower pace.  Also, the kids in this class were all on different levels so there was a lot of waiting for those that needed to catch up. Still, in the end, Aiden did enjoy it.  And the dance recital was very cute.  He did very well remembering all the moves.  I was so proud of him and the rest of the class.

Tri-Cities Little League - Challenger Division

I learned about this little league from one of Aiden’s teachers. The Challenger Division is just for kids with special needs.  The goal of this division is to give everyone a chance to play.  Each player is assigned a buddy who stays by their side throughout the game and helps them with every aspect of the game.  The kids are assigned teams, get uniforms, and play on regulation baseball fields.  There are no strikes, outs or points.  Every batter swings until they hit the ball.  Sometimes this means using a batting tee or getting help from their buddy, but one way or another everyone gets to hit the ball.  Every year Aiden gets better and better.  Hitting the ball, running to the bases, catching and throwing, in every aspect of the game he keeps improving.  At the end of each year they have a jamboree.  They play a game and then afterwards there are different activities to do. There are prize games to play, craft areas, face painting, a raffle, hayrides, petting zoo, food, basically just an overall good time.  Aiden loves it and we do too.  There’s no feeling like an outsider here.  Everyone can just comfortably be themselves.

Superbounce - Spring Hill Mall

We used to take Aiden here a lot when he was younger.  He’s always been very active and loves jumping!  This place is nice. It has 2 rooms and I think about 5 or 6 bounce houses total.  We hadn’t been there for a really long time until about a month ago and although he had a good time, I could see that he had clearly outgrown this place.  I had never realized how small those bounce houses actually were.  I guess that’s because he used to be half my height.

Blue Man Group - Chicago, IL

Blue Man Group is performance art set to music.  I had seen this show 2 or 3 times before without Aiden so I knew what to expect and thought he would probably enjoy it because of the cool effects, the music, and the fact that the blue men don’t don’t speak any particular language or have complex facial expressions to figure out.  I think it was a good choice.  He seemed to enjoy it but we should have brought headphones for him because sometimes it was just way too loud for him.  I think a couple times it may have been a bit overstimulating for him but not enough to ruin it.  It was fun and funny and he seemed to get a kick out of it.

Karate - NISRA

Aiden used to take karate classes at Focus Martial Arts in Lake In The Hills, but the program was run by NISRA. I think he was here for 2 or 3 seasons.  The purpose of this class was to gain strength, coordination, self-confidence, respect, focus and control while learning self-defense.  Aiden enjoyed this class because he enjoyed any opportunity to be physically active and to be around other kids. This was a huge group! Infact, I felt it was just too big. There just wasn’t enough assistants to really help all the children learn the moves.  Everyone was on different levels and different belts.  If the class had been smaller or they had more help available then I would’ve been more motivated to stay. Maybe he’ll be back one day..

Metra & 2 Toots

I try to introduce new things to Aiden as much as possible.  Especially when he shows even the least bit of interest in something, or just familiarity.  That why I decided that we should take him on the Metra train.  I didn’t want to do a big thing like go all the way to downtown Chicago so I found a restaurant in Bartlett that went along with our train theme for the day and decided to make that our point of destination.

The restaurant is called 2 Toots Train Whistle Grill.  It’s a little place right across from the train station and its different because when your order is ready it is delivered to you via train. The food is placed in a basket train car and the train travels on a track that runs throughout the restaurant eating area. We got a kick out of it.  I also liked this place because their menu also offers gluten free options and grass fed hot dogs.  We had driven alongside trains plenty of times and Aiden had seen them plenty in movies so I thought he should get to experience it for himself.  It was a good day.

Randall Oaks Library - West Dundee, IL

Aiden absolutely loves going to this library! This is one of the few places he’ll actually take it upon himself to ask me to take him to pretty much every week.  And when he asks I always try to comply. His love affair with this library began when we started walking on the track at the Randall Oaks Rec Center.  The library is in the same building, downstairs.  This is a pretty small library, very basic, no huge frills, but it does have a little play area for kids near the kids books section and to Aiden’s delightful surprise there were dinosaurs there.  There’s only a few, probably around 6 or 7, but they’re a good size and they’re not the cheap kind.  I know this because he has some of the same ones at home and I had to buy those online because they’re more collector-ish than toys so they’re not just sitting on the shelves at Walmart.  I was pretty surprised myself that the library had these. Anyway, I got my books and Aiden wanted to play with the dinosaurs so I sat at a table nearby to read. It turned out to be as good an experience for me as it was for him.  He loves dinosaurs and I love books.  I just never seem to have the time to really sit down and enjoy one so he gave me the opportunity to do just that.  After that day he was hooked. UPDATE: This last, most recent, trip we made to this library nearly broke my heart. They made some changes to the kid’s area and the dinosaurs have now gone extinct! Aiden was confused and disappointed but he handled it a whole lot better than I expected.  He played with some of the other toys instead

but really what saved the day was that he went into the actual book section to find his newest addiction, How Do Dinosaurs… books.  I don’t know if he’ll still ask me to take him here now but at least he’s actually interested in some books.

Royal Oak Farm Apple Orchard - Harvard, IL

What really interested me about this place was the apple orchard maze where you can pick your own apples.  I thought it would be a great opportunity for Aiden to see how apples grow. I didn’t want him thinking that they (or anything else) is just magically born at the grocery store.  But it turned out to have more to offer than just apples. Along with the apple orchard maze, there are additional orchards where you can pick your own apples, a hay ride tour of the farm, a small petting zoo, playground, carousel, and kid’s train.  There is also a restaurant, gift shop, and snack shop where they make everything themselves. We absolutely loved their taffy apples, caramel apple corn pops, and apple cider donuts! There is no admission to this place but any activity that you want to do like the maze, train, carousel, etc. you will have to pay in tokens so the first thing to do when you get there is buy your tokens.  Aiden had a good time.  I think he mostly liked the play area and the petting zoo. Although he was incredibly scared of the ducks he could not stop watching them.  Even though they were behind a fence he still made sure he was at least about 4 feet away at all times.

TOPSoccer - Cary, IL

TOPSoccer, is a community based program for young athletes with disabilities to learn and play the game of soccer.  It’s open to any child age 6 and up with a cognitive or physical disability.  I found out about TOPSoccer through a Village of Carpentersville newsletter.  Aiden has been in this program for a few years now.  I think this was the first recreational program that Aiden belonged to.  I really like TOPSoccer because everyone there really seems to enjoy working with our special kids, and it’s affordable!  Aiden likes it because he gets to run around and enjoys working with his “buddy” (high school volunteer assigned to stay with him the entire time). Over the years his soccer skills and understanding of the game has really improved as well. This is one of those little gems that I am so grateful to have found.

Congo River Golf & Exploration - Hoffman Estates, IL

We took Aiden to this mini golf place a few years ago.  It was a little difficult to get him in at first because there was a group of ducks near the entrance.  They really freaked him out and he started crying.  Once they finally left he calmed down but remained anxious about their possible return so it was a little difficult to get him to pay attention to the game for awhile.  When he finally forgot about the ducks he seemed to enjoy the game but I think it was still a bit difficult for him to focus on what he was doing or trying to do. He’s older now, so I’d like to go back and see how he does this time around.

Movie Theater

The first time I took Aiden to the movies it didn’t go so great. We sat in the back row incase we had to emergency exit, which we did.  He couldn’t stay focused on the movie, only on his immediate surroundings. Trying to get up and leave, being loud, crying, etc. He just wasn’t ready for such an experience.  When we tried again it was at Randall 15 IMAX in Batavia and we only went because they were doing a special “autism friendly” screening.  They are starting to do more special autism or sensory friendly movie screenings now, but back then it was unheard of.  A sensory screening is when they show a movie with the lights on and the sound turned down significantly. Getting up and talking or making sounds is welcomed and acceptable.  That show was more comfortable for both him and I (no worrying about people’s comments or staring) but we still only made it to less than halfway through the movie.  He just didn’t show any interest.  I was surprised because he had a ton of tv shows that he really enjoyed but I guess a movie theater and all its elements were just too unfamiliar and unpredictable for him.  So sometime later, on my third attempt at taking him to a movie, we actually made it through the whole thing!  I took him on a Friday right after school so he still had his art project with him, a wild looking face mask with feathers that he had made out of construction paper.  He refused to let it go so he wore it throughout the whole movie.  He also wore headphones to muffle the loud noises.  He did very well, although he would lose interest whenever there was more talking than action.  Especially if it were humans talking instead of animals.  Now he’s a movie going expert.  

If he knows when a new movie is coming out he will write it on his calendar and will remind me everyday of how many days are left until we go to the theater.  He still has some trouble with the human dialogue parts but he no longer takes headphones with him, just 1 toy, usually a dinosaur.