Another day in a magical city!

Tomorrow is another day, Well it was, today I mean... another day! A better day.
To explain a little about what is happening for those who are interested! Noam and I are at the institute for 4 hours a day. There are four sessions a day, each one hour long! We are seeing a few different therapists each day. A psychologist , occupational therapists, speech therapists and special Ed teachers who have or are doing PHD's in Furenstein's approach! It can get a little overwhelming for Noam (an myself) to be changing therapists every hour but he is getting used to the idea! ( I think next week some sessions run for 2 hours with the same therapist)


  Some of you may think that 4 hours a day is not much considering we have come half way across the world. I felt the same until i saw the state Noam was in when we finished today. Lets just say Noam in the pram sleeping, mum drinking coffee trying not to sleep! The intensity of what happens in those four hours is amazing. 

It's a little hard to go into detail exactly what happens in each session and i am really hoping to be able to film some sessions (keep forgetting to ask)... I think i have learnt more in the past few days than i have in five years.
Mina if you are reading this, I GET IT!! Mediated therapy the importance of the the use of language between Noam and adults....Narration, explanation  I GET IT!! The speech therapist blew me away today. Mina you wold have been proud of this kid who used his words and learnt some more... learnt to ask and had a discussion about a book.
I have so much to learn. I am on an emotional roller coaster and didn't realise how hard emotionally this would be.


To finish  off the day We had a play in the park at the end of the street! Kezza it is fenced and brilliant!!! Noam made some friends his interactions were immaculate (if that makes sense).
i feel like this is the start some someone new!


Jerusalem really is a magical city! 

Life As A Documentary

I am sure that this experience is going to bring on many changes in both of us! Noam has been great but over the past few days has demonstrated behaviours i have never seen! He has begun yelling at me in a way that scares me. His frustration at his inability to effectively communicate verbally has over the past few years become more and more frustrating to all of us! If i could have one dream in life  it would not be to win tatslotto or to have the house i have always dreamed of. besides good health and happiness I also dream for Noam to be able to speak... I dream of the day i am able to know what he is feeling, thinking and knowing.. The psychologist today explained the about the importance of conversation. She explained the need to not talk for Noam but to narrate... consider his life as a 'documentary'  narrate what you do how, you do it, how your going to do it and why your gong to do it! I always knew the importance of narration in Noam's world of understanding and speech... today in watching a master at work the penny finally dropped! I hope that I too in time will have the skill to make narration apart of our every day life!

The big day

WoW! What a week, what a day! We arrived in Jerusalem today! after searching and searching the streets of Nahlaot we finally found the institute and the apartment! I don't think i will elaborate on the little adventure as it was a little stressful and exhausting.... lets just say we arrived and are now all settled!
Arriving at the institute all emotional from the trip here I think it was fate that we began with a visit to the child psychologist!  Between Noam throwing things and screaming and me crying she had a field day!! LOL... It all ended with a happy Noam and a happy mummy! She was inspirational. Her ability to calm Noam and redirect his negative behaviour to positive, beautiful and constructive interactions was something you generally only read about! I defiantly have a lot to learn and so far at least one great teacher to teach!

Got to put the boy to bed so for now! See ya

History repeats itself

As a little girl growing up I spent many weeks in Israel. My father came from a place called Kfar Bilu. Here we call it a mushav!  in english i have no idea at this time what you would call it! Many years ago there were chickens, cows, horses and orange trees. We used to come to visit the family and spend hours on tractors and playing with the animals. My uncle and aunty still live here and it is here that we are staying until we head to Jerusalem on Sunday to begin at the institute. Although there is not really much agriculture  left, there is still a tractor!! Watching Noam on the tractor with his cousin Motty ( or as Noam says it OTTY) brought back many amazing memories from being a child visiting Israel!

Not only is Noam's language and behaviour changing for the better daily ( and we haven't even gotten down to business yet) His life experiences are fascinating him and his reaction to what he experiences for me is a beautiful one to watch.

Shalom Israel

After lots of anticipation, nerves and excitement we have arrived in Israel!!
Noam was a star on the plane!!! Lots of WOW's lots of chit chat and best of all lots of SLEEPING!! YEY for Noam. The most exciting part for him was landing in Hong Kong! Once we landed we got a big AGAIN. In HK we spent and interesting 11 hours! walking walking and more walking! We had a ball but to be honest after about 4 hours i was ready to fly on. Noam took on a role of 'model' for the time we spent there, i am not sure i am able to count how many times he had his picture taken by random people! strange and a little nerving.
Then onto Israel with ELAL. One amazing part of flying into israel with ELAL for those of you who haven't been is when the plane lands there is applause from all aboard... Noam was no different just louder and topped up with many 'mummy' , mummy' WOW! He had everyone around him in tears of laughter!
I have to say that the help i received from Qantas was outstanding!! from ELAL, well lets just say welcome to Israel!!

I now find myself sitting at my family waiting for the next part of this amazing journey to begin... On sunday we head to Jerusalem. I can't wait!!

There is lots of buzz around our place at the moment! Getting ready to go is reminding me what it felt like to get married! So much preparation, talk and excitement and then the big day! Life changing, amazing and defiantly scary! For those of you who know Naish there is nothing scary about him. For those of you who know Noam, well the big flight and a change in routine blah blah blah for me is scary!

The internet has been my saviour since giving birth to this amazing child! Not a night has gone bye over the past five years where i haven't sat and 'google' something to do with Down Syndrome, Vitamins, special diets and lots more (admittedly i have been known to make a few purchases on ebay or buyinvite!) Tonight has been no different!  The good news is, thanks to google i am now aware that Hong Kong International airport has children's play areas and big big big television screens scattered through the departure lounges just for kids.

Bring on the the 11 hour Stop over......
Stay posted people as the big day arrives so will the exciting posts about flights, airports and Israel!!
more importantly 1st of May is our first day at the institute!!

till then
see ya!!