How I Got My Son with SMS Off of the School Bus, Part II

Transitions are difficult for my son, Garrett, who was born with Smith-Magenis Syndrome.  I found a solution for getting on the school bus by luck (see this blog post here), but getting him home again has not been so easy (see Part I here).

The box with a prize worked very well for a couple of school years.  But when it started to go bad, Garrett’s behavior went downhill quickly.  It got to the point where he would just refuse to cross the road.  I would have to half drag, half carry him.   The bigger he grew, the less control I had of him. It wasn’t just embarrassing.  I was afraid that he was going to get hit by car. 

When things escalate to that level, it is best to completely change the routine.  Fortunately for me, we live across the street from our local high school.  And luckily, Garrett’s bus driver was sympathetic as was her supervisor.   So she started to turn around at the high school and pull in front of driveway. 

I still had to man-handle Garrett into the house, but I was able to threaten him whisper sweet, loving words of encouragement without the threat of getting run over. Once we got over the threshold, he turned the SMS off.  I just need to get him IN THE DOOR!

In those days, Garrett was still receiving physical and occupational therapy at Children’s Hospital.  At the end of these appointments, he was allowed to pick a sticker from a basket.  It was a huge motivator for him and I decided to try it with the bus transition.

We started with just a sheet of cheap stickers, like these that come free in the mail.

And hallelujah, it worked!

Jenny, the bus driver, started buying the stickers.   The fancy Hallmark store, holiday theme kind.  And Disney.  And Curious George.  And probably whatever else Garrett told her he “needed.”  

He was really excited for those!  Jenny would hand him a sticker, or sometimes he would want it on his shirt, and he would run up to our house to show me.  I didn’t even have to meet him on the bus steps.  He started “saving” them on his bed, dresser, closet wall and bedroom door.   

These Disney Easter ones are still stuck on the door 

almost six years later because 

stickers on beds, dressers and doors last forever. 

I would say this SMS Trick was good for about a year, maybe two. 

Then Garrett started having a problem deciding on which sticker:

                 “I want the Dora kite.  No.  The Map.  No.  Boots!  Give me Boots!”  OR

                                                     

                            “I want that one.  Two.  Can I have two?  Three.  I need three!!”  

It was time to mix it up again.  I went and bought envelopes and boring stickers.   I cut the stickers apart and put one sticker in each envelope.  When Garrett got off the bus, Heather or Mandy  (the new bus driver and aide) would give him an envelope that he had to open inside the house.   He could not wait to get in the house and open it.

And, like Jenny, they had to go get fancy –smancy stickers. 

Then Mandy started addressing the envelopes with Garrett’s name…eventually adding artwork…

soon to be on the front AND back.  

                                                                                                                                                                       

(Seriously, where do the transportation angels come from?!  I have visions of 30 year old Garrett hanging out in the bus garage soaking up undivided attention from the entire staff.)

The stickers were wonderful.  

Until they were not.  

Which leads us to “Getting off the Bus, Part III”, coming soon.  

You Know You Are a SMS Parent...

…if you roll your eyes at a mother whining about her baby’s nighttime feedings.

…when you spend all day cleaning and your house is still a mess.

…if you plan your vacations (or holidays!) around the location of other SMS families.

…when you snort loudly at a father grumbling that a storm woke his child during the night.

…if your conversations contain more acronyms than a military SOP.

…when you kick yourself for not inventing Clorox bleach wipes.

…if you roll your eyes and snort loudly at a mother complaining about how long her teething baby cried.

…when you find yourself using sign language and you are not driving in rush hour traffic.

…if most of your friends are your child’s former teachers, aides, bus drivers and therapists.

…when you never leave home without a Plan B, or Plan C; and sometimes even a Plan D.

…if you roll your eyes, snort loudly and shake your head at a father moaning about his child’s bad dream waking up the household.

…when you have watched three generations of Barney kids grow up.

…if you know that white vinegar gets “the smell’’ out of clothes, carpeting and pretty much everything. And you really, really love white vinegar.

…when you have locks on your refrigerator and pantry doors, but you are not on a diet.

…if your retirement plans include three, not two.

…when you have completed more home repairs than Bob Vila.

…if you funded a Christmas with Huggie points, remember when Barney’s picture was not on Luvs and were the first to try Pampers cruisers because you have been buying diapers for more than a decade.

And, finally, you know you are a Smith-Magenis Syndrome parent when you roll your eyes, snort loudly, shake your head and start a tirade at parents who have the audacity to insinuate that they have any idea what it feels like to be tired!