Welcome to Hunter Gale's Home Page :)

"Hi" I'm Hunter Gale!
You Can See My Picture Link Below!
Thanks for Coming By :)

Gramps Updated this Webpage
August 2008

This is My Family
October 2007
Grandma, Gramps & Hunter
October 2007

This is me in a Boat
Fall in 2006

Mark "Gramps" Meinhart holding Hunter
at Grant Hospital in Columbus, Ohio

His birthday is September 15, 1997






BEFORE I GO TO SLEEP
by Sally Meyer (Copyright-Used by Permission)

Dear Mommy, don't you cry now and Daddy don't you weep.
I want to whisper in your ear before I go to sleep.
I know that when I came here I seemed perfect in every way
and you were so proud Daddy when you held me on that day.
And Mommy when you kissed me and wrapped me up so tight,
I felt as if I belonged here, and everything was right.

When things got really scary and I began to slip away
I saw your face dear Mommy as you knelt by me to pray.
And Daddy, I always notice when you wipe away a tear,
or watch the other little boys as they run and laugh and cheer.
I may not be able to tell you how much I love you so,
or even show you how I feel and what I really know.

But when you hold me Mommy at night when all is still
I hear your dear heart beating and I know that all is well.
And Daddy when you take me to the park to run and play
I know that you still love me though the words I cannot say.
So Daddy don't you cry now and Mommy don't you weep,
I want to tell yousomething before I go to sleep.

I may be sort of different, and you may not understand.
I know that I am not that child that you and Daddy planned.
But I love you both so very much and I know you love me too
and one day when this life is done you will feel my love for you.
I know the future is unknown and you will always have to be,
the one's that love and listen and take good care of me.

The road we walk is rough sometimes and you cry alot of tears,
but one day we will turn and laugh as we look back o'er the years.
So Mommy don't you cry now, and Daddy please don't weep...
I want to say,
I LOVE YOU!
before I go to sleep.



To all of our friends,
Over the past year, several of you have kept in direct contact with us regarding our son Hunter's diagnosis of agenesis of the corpus callosum (ACC). I would like to update everyone, and am also enclosing a question-and-answer sheet that I myself made up for people interested in learning more about ACC.


FACTS ABOUT ACC

*definition: ACC (Agenesis of the Corpus Callosum) is a rare congenital abnormality involving a partial or complete absence (agenesis) of an area of the brain made up of 200-800 million transverse fibers (the corpus callosum) that connect the two cerebral hemispheres. The two hemispheres function properly; they just cannot communicate between each other. Information is absorbed by the person, but the brain cannot process it.

*symptoms: problems with neurological processing
problems with vision
problems with hand-eye coordination
seizures
problems with feeding
developmental delays
memory impairment
high pain tolerance
difficulties with math
reading problems
macrocephaly/microcephaly
mental retardation
heart defects
literal interpretation of speech and events
speech problems (slow)
other midline defects (i.e. cleft palate, kidney problems)
sensory integration disorder/ sensory dysfunction
dysmorphic facial features (flat nose, low-set ears, close- or wide-set eyes)
---a person with ACC may have zero, one or all of the above symptoms, as ACC varies from case to case. In Hunter’s case, for example, he has never had a seizure and has no eye problems so far, but he does have developmental delays and sensory integration disorder.

*estimated incidence: 3 in 10,000 in the general population have ACC. Among all children, the incidence is 0.0005 % to 0.7 %.

*diagnosed via an MRI or a CAT scan

*cause: associated with more than 50 other syndromes and disorders, including Cerebral Palsy, chromosomal deviations, and Fetal Alcohol Syndrome, but can occur for no apparent reason

*spectrum: at one end, affected people are severely retarded and have physical disabilities, and at the other, people appear to others as completely normal, but may have learning disabilities or developmental delays

*according to the National Organization for Rare Diseases, ACC is diagnosed in approximately 90 % of patients during the first 2 years of their lives.

*the corpus callosum begins forming at six weeks gestation, and can be viewed via sonogram by 20 weeks. It cannot form after birth, but the brain CAN create its own pathways/fiber network later on.

*information: Gary and Kathy Schilmoeller
The ACC Network
5749 Merrill Hall, Room 18
University of Maine
Orono, Maine 04469-5749
(207) 581-3119
Email: um-acc@maine.edu
Webpage: www.umaine.edu/edhd/research/accnetwork.htm

---November 1990= 1st Directory of Families published with 45 families
---today= Directory is updated yearly and has 465 entries
---over 100 families belong to the ACC Listserv and offer support and information to each other on a daily basis via e-mail
---websites of interest:
*"Our Angels" Homepage: a listing of biographies and photos of many of the children whose parents subscribe to the Listserv:
http://www.fortunecity.com/millenium/scooby/195/
*ACC Listserv Welcome Page:
http://www.geocities.com/HotSprings/Villa/2648/accwelcome.html
*Angels Around the World Page:
http://members.tripod.com/~scenicbeauty/AngelsAroundTheWorld.html



MARCIE ON SEPTEMBER 15, 2002

Hi everyone,

Every so often I like to write the listserv and update everyone on how my son Hunter is doing. I've been a member of the listserv since April 3, 1998--the day after Hunter was diagnosed with complete ACC (he was 6.5 months old). Today Hunter is FIVE! I can hardly believe it myself! I just measured him and he is 42 inches tall exactly--he's about 42 lbs., too!

Rather than say everything that my son cannot do on his fifth birthday, today I want to celebrate all that Hunter is able to do. Hunter, at age 5, is able to walk, "run" (in a VERY clumsy manner), walk up and down ramps, climb up and go down a slide, climb up stairs using a railing, scoot down stairs, and go down ONE step while standing up (without having to sit down and scoot). He is able to put a spoonful of food into his mouth when he is given a spoon. He can brush his teeth. He can sign "more," "my/mine", and "eat." He sometimes will shake his head "no" if he doesn't want something. He recognizes his name when it is typed (knows it from other words). He falls asleep on his own in his own "big boy" bed, and sleeps 10-12 hours a night. He goes to school every day for 6 hours a day, and has lunch in the cafeteria. He is able to follow a photo schedule. He understands basic one-step commands such as "come here". He understands a LOT of words and ideas. He is able to show his feelings--he cries when he is scolded, and gives kisses and "love" (hugs). He is such a hard worker, and a beautiful little boy. He is truly an angel that God has sent down to myself and my family. Although the past five years have been anything BUT easy, I am blessed that I have been chosen to be the mother of such a special boy.



MARCIE ON OCTOBER 27, 2002

A brief Hunter update for you all who know us (we've been on this listserv ever since Hunter was diagnosed at 6.5 months of age)... Hunter started his 3rd year of preschool in a special class for chlidren with autism. He did okay his first year (going half-days), and wonderful last year (going full days). This year has been a struggle. He has the same teacher, but they moved the class to a new school---strike one for Hunter (he HATES change and really liked his old school). We also took him off of the gluten-free, casein-free (GFCF) diet, which quite a few autisitc children are on, and which we didn't think was helping him--strike two for Hunter (we didn't realize how much it WAS helping him until we took him off it!). Hunter is really struggling with being frustrated; we think it's the terrible two's--strike three for Hunter (again he is nonverbal, so he's really getting upset about not being able to communicate with us).

Hunter has shown us how upset he is about everything by lashing out... biting and hitting, specifically. First it was just the other kids in his class at school whenever they got in his space. Now, they're all autistic, and last year he was hit/bit more than once by other children, so we didn't overreact... well, now it's totally unprovoked. He'll approach a child and hit/bite him for no reason whatsoever. He's also started doing it to adults--especially those who are trying to work with him or get him to do something.

We recently took milk out of his diet again, and we're already seeing a positive change... which has told us what we had hoped all along--that the GFCF diet really DOES help him. I'm hoping the school will start seeing more of a change in him as well.

That all being said... we are starting an in-home ABA (applied behavior analysis) program with Hunter. The county in which we live is putting all of the autistic children on a waiver program, and a large sum of money will be allotted for families who do ABA at home. So, I'm in the process of hiring therapists right now, and we should have the waiver next month sometime and be able to start our program full-force by Christmastime or even sooner, hopefully. So far his ABA consultant comes over 1x/week to work with him and show me drills to do, and I work with him daily for a small period of time after school. However, even in just the little time we've been working with him, I'm AMAZED at how well he's doing... he is able to match photos with 100% accuracy, and pictures of random objects almost as well. He is also doing great with matching letters (about 75% accuracy right now). Just yesterday I taught him to "touch head" and "touch nose", and it only took about 20 minutes--he's got them both down cold :) What ABA is showing us is just how much Hunter DOES know.. and it's SO exciting to see!!!



GRAMPS ON DECEMBER 16, 2002

It's been way too long since we put any updates on Hunter. I did pull the October one off the archives. Marcie's been busy applying for ABA waiver money from the county/state. Looks like it will be late winter/early spring before the money kicks in. In the meantime, we are using previous money collected to start up his ABA program, also to help pay for his appointments/medicines for Dr. Seigel.
Please feel free to email me for a Meinhart 2002 Newsletter, which includes information on Hunter and I will also include Hunter's Information Document that is being giving out in front of house during the Christmas Season.
meinhartstock@yahoo.com



MARCIE ON FEBRUARY 17, 2003

I apologize for it being so long between updates about Hunter. He is now a robust 5 year old... school continues to be a struggle for Hunter this year. He lashes out at anyone and everyone, especially his teacher, aides, and therapists. He doesn't like demands to be placed on him, and will react by hitting or biting anyone within range. Hunter usually has 5 or 6 "bad days" in a row, and then a sudden "good day" (no aggression whatsoever at school), which we can't explain. His teacher has enlisted in the help of behavior consultant, who is observing Hunter at school to help us figure out what's going on. Possible explanations right now are biological (diet issues) as well as environmental factors (for example, fluorescent lighting).

The shining light in Hunter's life right now is his home-based ABA therapy program. Hunter is absolutely excelling with the team that I hired. Led by Jen (our ABA consultant), the three college-age girls who work with Hunter are helping him to realize his true potential. We only recently (mid-January) started Hunter on a scheduled ABA program (10 hours per week), and his progress already is astounding to all of us. Hunter has mastered several programs already. He can receptively identify letters A through I. He can receptively identify the colors red, blue, green, yellow, and orange. He can receptively identify the animals dog, cat, cow, bird, sheep, chicken, and mouse. He can receptively identify photos of myself (Mommy), his grandfather (Gramps), and his grandma (Grandma Dee). He can receptively identify the articles of clothing shoes, socks, jeans, shirt, coat, hat, dress, boots, and shorts. He can receptively identify photos of TV, computer, cup, spoon, and mirror. He can scribble a line on a piece of paper with NO assistance whatsoever. He has learned to put shapes in a shape sorter, to take shapes out of a container on command, and to roll a toy car back and forth (even taking turns!). He will play on a toy piano, and he will bang on a toy drum.

ALL of these were unimaginable to us just a few short months ago. He is continuing to learn the letters of the alphabet, more animals, more people, more articles of clothing, more colors... we are working hard on matching pictures, more non-verbal imitation programs.... he is also starting to learn his numbers. All I can say is, WOW! Typing it all out makes it that much more REAL... how truly far he has come.

The best part? Hunter is not aggressive toward his ABA aides!! He uses a token-based reinforcement system, where he earns stars for perfoming his tasks. After 3 stars, he gets his "reward" (usually either PlayStation or his computer game). He loves to work for his stars, and smiles when you ask him about it. On occasion, he will get upset and try to lash out. However, while Hunter is working, his Blue's Clues cassette tape is playing. If he chooses to try to bite/hit his aide, the aide simply turns off the tape player, and then hands Hunter a small photo of the tape player. When he is ready to have "quiet hands" (no hitting/biting), he hands the photo back to the aide (a la the PECS system of picture exchange). This system has worked REMARKABLY well...during a typical 1.5 hour session at home, Hunter will become aggressive 3-4 times at most (as compared to 3-4 times in a 10 minute session at school), but at home it stops as soon as the tape player goes off. He has learned how to control his behavior.... this is AWESOME! We started the token-based system in late January, and Hunter picked it up almost
immediately.

The bad news is that the county has NOT came through with the promised waiver money. Right now we are financing Hunter's program with money that was previously collected (through the sale of CDs and donations from the Christmas lights display). I am so thankful that we do have this money, as there are other families who are also waiting on the waiver who are not able to begin their child's ABA program due to lack of funds. However, the money we have will only last so long, and with the Medicaid cuts that have been proposed, we are looking at the possibility of never receiving the waiver... or at least waiting another 1-2 years or more for it.

Please keep Hunter in your prayers as we embark on the journey to find a new school for him this fall, as he will be turning 6 and will not be able to attend the STACK preschool program any longer. Also, please continue to pray that we figure out what is making him so upset at school (and sometimes at home) that he needs to hit or bit those who love him so dearly.



GRAMPS ON MARCH 31, 2003

I added a link below to some pictures taken of Hunter.

I have uploaded 16 Pictures of Hunter taken the past 2 months. Hunter usually takes good pictures but these came out very well.

There are 5 pictures taken recently at my nephews going away party where Hunter is starring at his cousin and smiling a lot. For about 10 minutes, Hunter could keep his eyes off her while she was playing his computer game. These pictures says a lot, but if you were there is was unbelievable.

Enjoy the pictures and I hope the link works.



MARCIE ON APRIL 12, 2003

Shortly after Christmas, Hunter began a full-fledged home ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) program. We started with 10 hours a week, and we are now up to doing between 20 and 25 hours per week. With Hunter attending school 30 hours each week, we are unable to do a full, 40-hour per week program as recommended by most psychologists. This summer, we plan on adding to his hours and hopefully getting up to 40, as he will be off from school.

Hunter’s progress with the ABA program has been no less than astounding. Before beginning the program, we could only assume what Hunter knew. And according to the psychologists and doctors who had tested him, this was very little. Hunter’s IQ was tested at 48. His prognosis was poor. After just 3 months of intensive therapy, Hunter has accomplished the following things:

*Knows alphabet (all of the uppercase letters; we’re now starting on lowercase!)
*Knows numbers 1-10
*Knows shapes and colors
*Knows 70+ words receptively (using flashcards), including common objects, toys, people, emotions, articles of clothing, etc.
*Able to remove socks and shoes with only minimal assistance
*Has mastered several toys for independent and interactive play, including stacking 2 blocks, doing a shape sorter, and rolling a toy car

Currently Hunter is learning even more new things. We are continuing to add to his receptive vocabulary with more flashcards. He has started a “chores” program where he wipes off the table after spraying it with water. He has started a program where he is learning how to wash his hands (a multi-step process). We are introducing more new toys, such as a bowling set, and also water play. Even more impressive is his ability to work and behave appropriately. We use a token-based system where Hunter earns stars for doing various tasks. Upon receiving three stars, he gets a reward that he has previously chosen.

As you can no doubt tell, I am extremely proud of all he has learned! If someone would have told me a few months ago that Hunter would soon be doing all of the above, I would be beyond shocked, and would have thought that they were pulling my leg! While Hunter is still nonverbal and exhibits extreme delays in all areas, we are more optimistic about what the future may bring, due to the fantastic progress he has already made.

Because we do not have the Individual Options or Home Care waivers, we do not qualify for Medicaid, and thus must pay for Hunter’s ABA program out of our own pockets. ABA therapy is not cheap.



MARCIE ON MAY 26, 2003

Hi everyone,

Right now we are going through a very difficult time with Hunter. He started taking Risperdal about 1 month ago. We started at a very low dosage (0.25 mL 1x/day), and have worked our way up (still at a low dosage of 0.5 mL in the AM, 0.25 mL in the PM). At first we were seeing a mild improvement in Hunter's behavior. He was out of control after he was weaned off of the Prozac, but the Risperdal seemed to calm him a bit (although it's hard to tell with such a low dosage). For the past 1.5/2 weeks, he has been just awful. It started with his behavior at school (tantrums, crying, wanting to sleep all day long, refusing to do any work, etc.), and has escalated into the home. Last week I took him to the pediatrician, and he has left ear infection, with fluid in his right ear. So he's on amoxicillan. Usually the antibiotics begin to work by the 4th or 5th dosage for Hunter. He's had 9 dosages now, and he is (if anything) worse. I don't think it's pain from the ear infectoins, although I've given him Advil (which doesn't seem to help). He's taken a nap yesterday and today (he hasn't taken naps since he was 3, and he's almost 6!). He wakes up in a terrible mood, demanding that I put on his PlayStation football game. After a while of that, he just lays on the floor and cries (nothing will appease him). I tried just getting him out of the house; didn't help. All of his ABA sessions this weekend have been struggles, to say the least.

I am going to call his doctor on Wednesday (he is off on Tuesdays) and tell him all of this. However, I wanted to ask the "experts" here on the list for your opinions as well. Could Risperdal be causing this??? The bottle says it may cause drowsiness or dizziness... however also at night he seems very restless... I'm at an absolute lost. Nothing makes him happy right now. Also he's been awful in the car. Previously he loved car rides, but now he screams in the car. All this has occurred in the past 2 weeks (again we started the Risperdal about a month ago).



MARCIE ON JULY 16, 2003

This was a VERY long meeting and was filled with items that I didn't really understand, but I want to post what I BELIEVE to be true regarding I/O waivers. Other things were discussed as well regarding CAFS and other issues, but I am just going to post abou the I/O waivers.

DEFINITELY TRUE: The state MRDD has asked for 2000 I/O waivers, and this SHOULD be approved by CMS within the next 90 days.

ALSO TRUE: If all works out, and the county boards do their paperwork, the waivers will be available for distribution in October. (It goes county by county--so if Delaware for example gets their paperwork in, the state will not be waiting for Ross County--again just an example--to get their paperwork in before giving Delaware their allocated slots. However Delaware wouldn't get ALL of the available waivers just because they were first.)

ALSO TRUE: Only 400 of the waivers are designated for children. HOWEVER, if your chlid is on the emergency priority list (which I believe many autistic children are), they are not considered in the 400 count.

TRUE BUT MOST UPSETTING: Only every 1 out of 4 of the 2000 slots will be for new people... the rest will simple be reauthorizing existing I/O waivers.

WHAT I MAKE OUT OF THIS: If 2000 are available, and only 1 out of 4 (or 25%) are for new families, then that means 500 are available to those of us who do not have waivers. Take 500 and divide it by the 88 counties, and you get about 5 waivers per county (plus a remaining 60 waivers). Even if some counties do not use their allocated waivers, I honestly don't see how any one county could get more than 10 or so new waiver slots. This doesn't help those of us who are way down on the waiting list. I don't know where my son is, but I do know that many are far down and this doesn't help them at all.

Needless to say, I (and other parents present) were dismayed by this news.



GRAMPS ON JULY 17, 2003

What's going on with Hunter. He's not on any medication and/or special diets at this time. Hopefully he may go a different medication down the road. He has had several ear problems which seem to linger on.

He went to School this pass summer for 1/2 day and the second half of the day and more he has ABA instructors come in and work with him.

Hunter's interest has changed quite significantly again. He really doesn't enjoy sitting down with a computer anymore. He also doesn't enjoy watching me or others play 007 from Ninento 64. He really enjoys watching Joe, Marcie's boyfriend, play Playstation Football. He also has gone back and started watching the videos from a few years ago. He also seem to enjoy his bike rides with Dee and I. I attached one of those buggies on the back of Dee's bike this past summer. He really enjoys his small pool his home and even smaller at our place. He enjoys going in and out quite a bit. He loves to see his Grandmother Dee and his Grandpa Mark running around.

Hunter joined a special needs baseball team this summer. The picture shows him quite happy. Honestly this is all but true. He hasn't enjoyed any of it really. Also this past week he joined a special needs Cub Scout troop, I don't know how this went and will go.

Hunter will be going to another school program this Fall. Last year was the worst disaster of his life and we're hoping this year will be more encouraging.

I am currently working on an updated genealogy CD for Meigs County, Ohio that I hope will generate more funds for Hunter's ABA therapy in the coming year or two. It will be out in the 2-3 months.



MARCIE ON JULY 22, 2003

Have some free time (this is Hunter's last week of summer school; he only goes 9-11 AM due to ABA the rest of the day, but it's still nice having 2 hours to myself) so thought I'd update a bit...

Hunter's ABA program is going very well. We currently have 23 programs currently running (not including the ones in maintenance already). Hunter gets between 30-35 hours per week of ABA. It's amounting to about 25 "academic" hours (in his ABA room doing his programs and maintenance programs), with the rest being play outings and such. Here are his current programs:

ALO (Auditory Listening something... he is presented w/ 2 toys and the therapist makes one of the toys make it's noise--e.g. squeak, drum, play, etc.--and then he has to "find same"--find the toy that made that noise)

Alphabet (he's mastered all upper and lower case letters so we're now on matching upper case to lower case)

Associations (he is presented with 2 items and given a third one. SD is "What goes with ____". Example: "What goes with toothbrush?" and he is to put the toothbrush down next to the toothpaste (as opposed to the shoe for example)

Attending Attributes (he's mastered all shapes and colors so now we're doing a combination... e.g. "Touch red rectangle" from a field of 3 (red rectangle, blue rectangle, red circle, so he has to discriminate shape AND color)

Big/Little (e.g. "Touch big flower"; "touch little TV"

Block imitation (building a tower of blocks-- he can stack 5 blocks now)

Receptive Body parts (he mastered this program with Mr. Potato head, so now we're working on his own body in front of a mirror--he's not so good at this!)

Chores (he mastered cleaning the table so today we're beginning folding towels)

Drawing (tracing a horizontal line--he can draw one but has a lot of trouble tracing it)

Matching emotion pictures

Receptive emotions (e.g. "Touch happy")

Fine motor imitation (new program--isolating a finger to touch a stickeron his piano, and pulling off a tupperware lid)

Gross motor imitation (throwing balls in a basket from 3 feet away, jumping off a step, wheelbarrow)

Handwashing

Play imitation (water play--squeezing a turkey baster to make it squirt)

Matching photos of familiar people (he can receptively identify them all--he just HATES to match LOL)

NVI (Non-Verbal Imitation)--cover ears, put puzzle piece in, turn door knob

PECS (Picture Exchange Communication System) (YES!!! more below)

Phonics (e.g. "What letter says llllll?" and he touches the "L")

Interactive and Independent play

Self-help dress (he can now take off his shoes and socks with VERY minimal assistance, and pull his pants down AND up!)

Receptive commands (when he masters something via imitation, we move it to commands--e.g. once he masters covering his ears on the command "I do, Hunter do", it will go into receptive commands as "cover ears"

Receptive numbers (he's mastered #1-#10 and now we are doing matching the # to the correct # of blocks. He's up to 10!)

Verbal Imitation (new program using his current sounds)

For most of his programs, he selects from a field of 2 (a target and a distractor) until the program is mastered. Once it's in maintenance it's given in a field of 3 (except for programs like attributes where 3 must be presented from the start).

We started PECS with Hunter 2 weeks ago. Here is how we're doing it: We have a PECS book with velco on the front cover and on pages on the inside. Also on the cover affixed with a velcro strip is a purple strip (made out of tough binder material)--the "I want" strip. The "I want" PEC is permanently attached to this strip. We put the PEC he's working on, on a velcro strip above the "I want" strip. Here is what he has to do: he has to remove the PEC (step 1), put it on the "I want" strip next to the "I want" PEC (step 2), pull off the "I want" strip with the PEC on it (step 3), and finally, hand the therapist the "I want' strip (step 4).

The therapist then helps him touch each PEC, verbalizing it (e.g. "I want remote control"). We chose "remote control" for his first PEC because he knows it turns on the TV and it gives us a chance to also work on finger isolation (hitting the button). Plus he likes remotes :)

Anyway he's doing VERY well with this, according to his lead therapist. She assumed it'd take 3-4 months before he mastered his first PEC. To master it, he will not only have to do the above process, but also with a distractor PEC on the front cover. THEN he has to master it INSIDE the book (on one of the pages--so he'll have to move it from the inside to the strip on the outside), and then with a distractor inside. THEN and only then will it be considered a "mastered PEC". After 2 weeks Hunter only needs a light prompt to pick up the PEC off the book. He gets it on the strip without a prompt 90% of the time, can pull off the strip on his own 100% of the time, and hands it to you every time too. So he's definitely getting it! Once he gets the whole process down, learning the PECS will be easy.

We're going to start a potty-training program next week. We'll be taking data for 1-2 weeks to figure out his "excretion schedule" but while we do that we'll be introducing the "pottying routine" (35 steps in all!--almost all will have to be prompted 100% at first of course). I wanted to start after summer school finished, and I only have a month before I go back, so we're going to do all the pottying we can to get him going... and then hopefully his new school will be supportive in September.

Behavior-wise, things have been so-so. I think he's been better since weaning him from the Risperdal, but I still would like to try Strattera. Gonna chat SOMETIME SOON with Dylan about this. His pediatrician really wants him on it before he starts school, and I agree.

Hunter's greatest love (aside from his primary reinforcer--PlayStation football!) right now is pools. My aunt has a large in-ground pool. On Sunday we spent a few hours there with my aunts, uncles and cousins. He did SOOO great! He is tall enough now to stand in it without being
underwater (I think the shallow part is about 3'2" or so; so his chin barely hits the water), and he just loves to show off by walking around in it. He also loved getting out and then sliding back in on the sides, playing in the innertubes, etc. We put his TV/VCR with a video in it by the pool, and for the first hour he watched it occasionally. We didn't turn it on during the 2nd hour AT ALL and he didn't even notice! (HUGE for Hunter as he does not do well outside or around people without this on). Anyway my mom commented on how we hadn't seen him that happy in so long... and it's true, he was SO excited and happy to be there. After I got him ready to go home (it was getting late) he tried to get back in, shoes and all! He likes the smaller pools in my and my parents' backyards, but I do wish we had an inground pool closer by (my aunt lives about 25 minutes away, and car trips aren't Hunter's favorite thing right now!).

OK I guess that's enough for now... thanks for reading all this (if you made it this far LOL!).

-Marcie



MARCIE ON JULY 28TH, 2003

Potty Training -We started this morning... put on underwear (plus a diaper over top of them just in case of an accident). Put him on like clockwork at 8 AM, 8:30, 9 AM... no accidents but nothing in the potty either... well just now I put him on (9:30)... 5 seconds later he PEED on the potty!!!!! Took me TOTALLY off guard... but HOORAY anyway! I only wish it was this easy (I know I lucked into catching him)... just wanted to share the news!



MARCIE ON JULY 29TH, 2003

Potty Training-Things are still going pretty well here... yesterday Hunter urinated in the potty 4 times (with 8 accidents) and went poop in the potty 1x, with 3 accidents.

So far today, he has urinated 2 times on the potty (with 3 accidents), and went poop on the potty 2 times (with NO BM accidents yet today!). One of the times on the potty was even at Target!

He doesn't have a CLUE I don't think to WHAT he's doing, but hopefully that will come with time. For now, he's spending about 5-8 minutes on the potty every half-hour, and isn't TOO upset about it (singing, playing his Blue's Clues tape on the cassette player, or tickling him seem to
work the best at distracting him).



MARCIE ON SEPTEMBER 16, 2003

Hi everyone,

Every year, I like to write to the listserv and update everyone on my son, Hunter. We've been members of this listserv since Hunter was 6.5 months old; well, today he is six YEARS old! Time does fly! Instead of dwelling on everything that Hunter cannot do as a 6 year old, I instead want to focus on what he CAN do.

At 6 years old, Hunter is very healthy (MOST of the time--he happens to have a cold right now, though!). As of just now (I always measure and weigh him on his birthday for his growth chart), he is 44" tall and weighs about 48 lbs. Hunter is able to do many, many things. His diagnoses are the following: complete ACC (diagnosed via MRI at 6.5 months of age; confirmed via MRI at 4 years of age), autism spectrum disorder (diagnosed at 4 years of age--fairly severe), and sensory integration dysfunction (diagnosed at 12 months of age--MUCH improved in the past few years).

Gross Motor and Communication skills:
Hunter is able to crawl, scoot (on his bottom), walk, run (very clumsily, but it's a run!), walk up stairs and down stairs independently (needs to hold onto the bannister with one hand), and climb easily onto furniture and chairs. While he is unable to talk, Hunter is able to communicate on a very basic level using PECS (we are transitioning from stage 2 to stage 3 of PECS right now, for those of you who use PECS). He also uses gestures and hand-tugging to communicate very well. Even though he is not able to expressively communicate with us, Hunter understands most of what we tell him. We estimate his receptive language to be at a 2-3 year old level, if not higher at times. He can follow directions and do some basic imitation.

Cognitive skills:
Hunter knows SO much! We started ABA (applied behavior analysis) with Hunter less than a year ago, so each of these skills has emerged in the past year. Hunter knows (receptively) all of the upper and lower case letters of the alphabet. He knows the sounds of all of the consonants and is learning vowel sounds. He knows his colors, numbers 1-10, shapes, and a multitude of vocabulary words (including animals, articles of clothing, vehicles, common household items, etc.). He can identify all of his family members, therapists, and many close family friends by their photos. Hunter can identify the body parts on Mr. Potato Head, and we are working on his own body parts right now. He can respond correctly to about 15 commands, including "roll car", "brush hair", "put in", to name just 3 of them. Hunter can throw a ball at a target (up to 3 feet away!), kick a ball, bounce a large ball, and hit a ball off of a tee. With minimal assistance, he can remove his shoes and socks, as well as pull his pants down (we've almost mastered pulling them UP too!). He is able to build a tower with 6 or more blocks. Hunter can wipe off a table with a paper towel (and throw it away!).

Currently Hunter is adding to his repertoire, including learning to distinguish between big and little, other opposites (hot and cold, wet and dry), tracing a horizontal line, matching upper case alphabet to lower case alphabet, vowel sounds, verbal imitation, more attributes (color AND shape), imitate block towers, simple puzzles, play a keyboard with just one finger (instead of banging with his whole hand), throw a ball to a person, knock on the door, and various interactive and independent play programs (since this remains a very tough area for Hunter). We are also working on self-feeding with a spoon as well as finger-feeding (Hunter's fine motor skills are very low for his age).

In sum, I am SOOOO proud of my little guy! After attending preschool full time for the past 2 years (half time the year before that) with the county in an inclusive program for children with autism, Hunter just started kindergarten in a K-2 MH classroom in our district. He will begin inclusion with the typical kindergarten class in the coming weeks. He receives PT, OT, APE (all 1x/week) and Speech (2x/week individual; 1x/week group), all through his school. Hunter also is currently getting about 10-15 hours per week of ABA (evenings and weekends)--this summer he received 30-40 hours per week of ABA.

If you want to see some photos of Hunter, check out his website (the link is listed below). His 6 year old birthday photos will be taken at Sears later on this week, so stay tuned for the proofs of those!



MARCIE ON SEPTEMBER 26, 2003

Hunter started STACK preschool 2 weeks after his 3rd birthday. STACK was not our first choice for a school program. We sent him to Dr. Rebecca Morrison's school (then called Children's Center for Developmental Enrichment) the summer before he was 3, and we wanted him to ontinue attending preschool at CCDE upon turning 3 in September. Dr. Morrison knew we'd have a fight on our hands when it came to convincing our district to pay the cost, and told me that if they said no, to ask about STACK as a back-up option. Of course, our district said flat-out no, and so I brought up STACK. He was enrolled, and he attended 1/2-day preschool through STACK for a year, then attended full-day preschool through STACk for his 2nd and 3rd years of preschool. His first and second years went very well. He didn't DO much his first year, but we were happy to have him in a school setting, and we hoped he was absorbing some things. His second year, he made a lot of great progress. He learned to check his schedule and to do independent work--two things I honestly didn't think he'd ever be able to do! I was very excited! The work was very simple (stacking, sorting, etc.), but I was thrilled anyway.

We started a very limited home-based ABA program during the summer after Hunter's 2nd year of STACK. By limited, I'm talking I did programs with him for about 30 minutes at a time 2-3 times per day for about 3 weeks...and then both he and I went back to school, so that was that. Immediately a change was noted by his previous year's teacher (who was his teacher again)... Hunter had changed from a very reserved, very unaware child to a fiery, aggressive little boy! He was biting and hitting peers and adults. We had *NEVER* seen this kind of thing at home, and he did not exhibit this behavior during summer STACK either. After about 3-4 weeks of this occuring at school, the behaviors started transferring to home. Things escalated in the fall, and we had countless meetings to try to figure things out. At the same time, we were doing some ABA at home (only about 3 hours total per week, between myself and his consultant, after school and on weekends). Unfortunately, his behavior change was attributed to the ABA program by his teacher. This upset me, of course. He was doing wonderful work in ABA, and doing nothing at all in class (except aggressing towards his peers and teachers).

We hired 3 therapists and started a true ABA program in January, and Hunter took off. He was only getting about 15 hours per week, but it was amazing... he flew through programs. All the while, he continued having difficulties at school. He wouldnt work, and usually bit/hit someone at least once every few days.

Hunter "graduated" from STACK preschool in May. We opted for him to not continue in the STACK school-age program this fall for multiple reasons. One of the biggest ones was definitely that we felt his needs were NOT being met. This summer we did a more extensive ABA program (35-40 hours per week), and again he quickly mastered most of what we put in front of him. Receptively he seems to be on the level of most Kindergartners (as far as academic knowlege goes), which is just astounding to us.

Hunter is now a student at Fouse Elementary in Westerville in a K-2 MH classroom. He has a 1-on-1 aide (not one specific aide, but per his IEP he is always with someone--either his teacher, a classroom aide, or a therapist) in addition to receiving his therapies (PT, Speech, OT, APE). Soon he will start some mainstream time in a typical Kindergarten classroom. While his new teacher does indeed see aggression in Hunter, he has not been allowed to injure anyone. Safety is the #1 priority. They have recently put his aggressive behaviors on an extinction program, and after just 2 days they are seeing progress with the "hands down" command (yeah!).

OK this is much longer than what I meant for it to be... one other thing: when we started STACK, I knew next to nothing about ABA, and Hunter didn't even have an actual diagnosis of autism... it was just "autistic-like symptoms". He didn't get a true diagnosis till he was 4 years 2 months old (which was in his 2nd year of STACK). So, for us, at the time STACK was honestly the best option available. While I can now say that perhaps it's not the best option for everyone, I want to also say that I am thankful that we did have that option available to us.


Marcie on December 28, 2003

I last wrote on Hunter's 6th birthday (9/15). He's had a good few months. He continues to grow (up to 50 lbs. now, and is about 44-45" tall). While Hunter is unable to talk, he is on phase III of PECS, which is a picture exchange communication system that enables him to let us know what he wants by selecting a picture and handing it to us. He is also quite good at gesturing/pulling! His receptive language is quite good--he understands most everything we say to him! We are continuing to work on pre-K skills in his home therapy program, which is based on the methods of Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA). He receives about 12-15 hours per week of ABA at this time--too little, really, but with his school schedule, anything more is next to impossible!. His newest skill learned in ABA which I love is giving a "high-five" upon request. He loves to do it after someone scores a touchdown in football! School for Hunter continues to go well. He attends full time, and is in a K-2 MH classroom with partial inclusion in a typical Kindergarten classroom (he has 1-on-1 aide support throughout the day). The Christmas holidays and time off from school are less than desirable for Hunter (his "need for sameness" is a typical characterisitic of children with autism), so we're trying to keep things at least somewhat scheduled right now. Speaking of which, I need to get him changed before he has therapy today!



Marcie on January 21, 2004

Hunter (now 6 years old) had many issues when tranferring from a bottle to a cup (strangely, he had none whatsover going from breast to bottle--he found bottles MUCH easier!). We started out with just a regular cup, as he couldn't figure out how to use a sippy cup. Of course, liquid would go everywhere. When he was about 1.5 years old or so, he started using a Tupperware sippy cup. These are different from the "no-spill" cups that are popular today. The Tupperware lids do not have a valve of any sorts. There is just a sippy lid and a spout of sorts with an opening cut in it. The liquid would come out quicky enough to satisfy Hunter, and he learned how to use it. After a good 6-12 months (sorry, the dates are really fuzzy right now), he transferred to a Playtex "no-spill" sippy cup. He actually has to suck to get the liquid out. To transfer him to this cup, I simply removed the valve from the lid, so the liquid came out just as quickly as with his Tupperware lid. It was still hard for him, as he was stuck in his ways and wanted the Tupperware lid, but he eventually tried it and realized it was the same. I remember the day when he finally drank from a "no-spill" cup with the valve in place--a day of celebration, definitely! At 6+ years, he still uses this cup (or any other "no-spill" cup). I'm honestly in no hurry to move him into a regular cup. He'd make a mess... plus the no-spill cups are so transportable! Hunter isn't able to drink from a straw (he has VERY low oral muscle tone), so right now the no-spill cups are the best option for us. We go through them quickly, though... he likes to chew on the spout!



GRAMPS ON January 30, 2004

It's been 4 months since I updated this webpage so here's what has been going on with Hunter and his life.

First, I personally have been selling the Ohio Meigs Genealogy/Picture CD to raise some funds for Hunter ABA. You can find details on this project at:

http://www.geocities.com/meinhartstock/meigscd.html

Even if you don't have Genealogy Roots from this county, it has a Great Search engine worth $25 to help search documents in your computer or files.

We've raised around $8,000 to $9,000 this past Fall, so far, for his ABA.

Also, back in December we collected money in front of our house for Hunter and his ABA. It was just amazing is all I can say. For those who we weren't able to thank one-on-one we appreciate all that was left for him. This also added over $2,000 for his ABA.



GRAMPS ON MARCH 24, 2004

Hunter and Marcie received word today that they will be receiving Waiver Money from the County/State. We've waited years for this and thank all for you prayers and support on this happy day! Again thanks to the Governor, Franklin County Mental and Retardation center and all those resposible who made this happen!!!



MARCIE ON APRIL 4, 2004

However, I'm also an "old-timer", in that I've been on the listserv since April 1998 (6 years--has it really been THAT long?!). Six years ago (almost to the day, in fact), my son Hunter was diagnosed with ACC. He was 6.5 months old at the time. His pediatrician suspected a neurological problem and ordered an MRI. At the time, the only "signs" we were seeing were difficulties with gross and fine motor skills (at 6 months, he was at a 3-4 month old level). In hindsight, there were other "markers" (including his inability to latch on during breastfeeding as an infant). The diagnosis from the MRI was complete agenesis of the corpus callosum, with no other brain anomolies present.

Fast-forward to today. Hunter is 6.5 years old. He is a very active boy who, at first glance, seems to be a typical kid. He is able to walk and run (albeit clumsily). Most people see Hunter and say "hi", thinking he's just a normal little boy. However, Hunter is extremely developmentally delayed. He is completely nonverbal (although his receptive language is quite good--more like a 3 year old, we estimate). He can't feed himself (fine motor issues lead to this, although we're also suspicious that he just won't do it--he does have a bit of a stubborn streak!). He has a severe drooling problem (wears bibs that are changed 6-8 times per day). Hunter is currently in a K-2 MH (Multiple Handicaps) classroom in a typical elementary school, and he spends about an hour each day with a typical kindergarten class. In addition to having the diagnosis of ACC, Hunter was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder when he was about 3 years old.

Despite all of the things Hunter is unable to do, he is excelling in his in-home Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA) therapy program. He's been receiving ABA on a consistent basis at home since January 2003. During the school year, he gets between 14-18 hours per week, while during the summer it's up to about 35-40 hours per week. Because of this program, we have come to realize how much Hunter truly DOES know. He knows his alphabet (upper AND lower case). He knows his numbers. He knows TONS of vocabulary words (all through receptive identification). He is able to perform many tasks that we once thought he wasn't capable of doing, all because of the way we're teaching him. ABA therapy is a method which uses rewards to motivate the child to succeed. Hunter has been trained to use a token-based system. He receives a laminated piece of paper with a star on it when he completes a task. Once he's received 5 stars, he gets his reward--watching a videotape of PlayStation football! For tasks that have already been mastered and are being reviewed, he usually must do 3-4 tasks before receiving one star. I never would have believed that he would be able to function in this therapeutic environment before we started ABA. Hunter hated the school setting, and refused to do tasks. With ABA, he has learned how to do so much!

Hunter's program has been financed by my parents. We pay college students to work with him and do ABA therapy. Which brings me to our news... we received truly wonderful news a couple of weeks ago: Hunter has finally been selected to receive a Medicaid waiver, which means we will have money to pay for his therapists, as well as for diapers, medications, etc. We're so excited about the prospect of receiving the waiver! It should go into effect on 5/1/04.



MARCIE FROM APRIL 5, 2003 (JUST POSTED FROM DECEMBER)

One of Hunter's current ABA providers is a high-school senior. Jordan joined our ABA team in late August/early September, and has been a true asset. Hunter simply adores him (he loves all men, especially those between the ages of 16 and 25!). Jordan is mature beyond his years.

Below, I've cut-and-pasted an essay that Jordan wrote for one of his college applications. I was quite touched by it, and I wanted to share it with everyone. (By the way, Hunter's name has been changed in the essay, for privacy purposes.)

Enjoy!

When you ask a normal high school student the question, “So where do you work?” You expect a response like, “Oh, at Tim Hortons”, or “at Bob Evans” or some other menial job that people normally associate with high school students. However I am fortunate enough to be in a position to respond differently than most high school students. To the aforementioned question, I respond, “I am an ABA Therapist.”

Now, when I tell people this, they generally give me a blank stare that almost demands an explanation. So I must take them through the whole .lecture. as I am calling it. ABA stands for Applied Behavioral Analysis. Again, more blank stares from my listeners. Now in the most basic terms. I work with Autistic children within their homes as part of a team whose ultimate goal is to bring the child up to a functional level of behavior within our current society. The males I explain this to, generally give me another blank stare, the girls, almost always respond with that age-old female, “Awww!”

The question that inevitably follows is, “What kind of training did you have to go through to be able to do that kind of thing?” Zilch, zero, nada. All of my training was on the job, working with an adorable six-year-old child who suffers from Autism. But if you spend more than five minutes with Billy* and you will discover that the word “suffer” is quite inaccurate.

Billy is about 44” tall, around forty-eight pounds, with red hair and brown eyes, and most of the time he wears a grin from ear to ear. He enjoys watching people play video games and being spun around in circles. When he was only six and a half months old, Billy was diagnosed with a complete absent corpus collosum(ACC). The corpus collosum is the connection between the two halves of the brain. This diagnosis was confirmed when he was four years old, along with a new diagnosis; severe autism spectrum disorder and sensory integration dysfunction. He is also completely non-verbal. He can make a variety of sounds, but he cannot string them together into words.

However, as debilitating as those diagnoses may appear, Billy has taught me so much more than some medical textbook could, about the value of pure unstoppable resilience. Billy has every right to throw a temper-tantrum every five minutes or so, he has every reason to be mad at a world he can’t understand, but whenever things look abysmal, he grins that mischievous grin, and presses on.

During a session of ABA, autistic children must be motivated by something more than simply the knowledge that they are learning. They don’t understand that kind of thing. They must be working for something that they can see, touch, smell, or taste, something that stimulates the sensory portions of their brain. In Billy’s case, he is working for a set of stars. Once he has earned five stars that we place a reward chart, he is permitted to watch a video of his soon-to-be stepfather playing Madden 2002. When he gets an answer wrong, he quite predictably is upset, and sometimes he throws a little temper tantrum, but all we have to do is breathe the word, “football”, and no matter how angry he is, he will sit down and finish the program.

Billy has been a force for change in my life; he has shown me what the true essence of life is. A smile. A smile on the rainiest of days. Billy is autistic, yes, but he enjoys his life more than a highly educated corporate lawyer might. He is surrounded by those people who love him and would do any and everything in the world to help him.

If asked to sum up everything Billy has taught me in a single sentence it would have to be this: “No matter how bleak things appear, there’s always a new game of football right around the corner.”

* His name is not really Billy; I have changed it for the privacy of the
family.



GRAMPS ON JUNE 10TH, 2004

First and most important I want to thank all the contributers to the Meigs Cty, OH Genealogy/Picture CD and all who bought and support this great cause. I don't have exact figures but I think around $20,000 was raised, along with contributions for Christmas lights around $4,000 the last 2 1/2 - 3 years. Thanks isn't enough, but your thanks will be done after your lifetime has passed here on earth. Hunter was granted his Medicaid Waiver Money from the County a few months ago. This should take care of Hunter for quite a while, we hope.



MARCIE ON SEPTEMBER 14, 2004

Let me go back a bit. Hunter was diagnosed with complete ACC via an MRI in April 1997, when he was 6.5 months old. At that time, his pediatrician was seeing some slight gross-motor and fine-motor delays, and recommended that we get the MRI. The only diagnosis that resulted was the ACC (no other brain anomolies). Hunter began PT and OT at 11 months and Early Intervention classes through Easter Seals at 1 year. He began speech therapy soon after.

Fast-forward to the present. Hunter is turning 7 years old tomorrow. WOW--seven!!! I can hardly believe how quickly time has flown. Hunter's father and I joined the listserv the day after Hunter was diagnosed, after speaking on the phone with Kathy Schilmoeller. Hunter's father and I were very young (barely 19 and 20), and Hunter was a big surprise. We were so relieved to find others with children who had the same condition as Hunter.

Shortly after his 4th birthday, Hunter was diagnosed with autism spectrum disorder. We were aware that he had autistic-like symptoms since the age of 24 months, when Hunter retreated into his own little world of Blue's Clues. No longer was he interested in toys or books. It was a harsh diagnosis, as autism is a very difficult disorder to understand.

HOWEVER, all that being said, on his birthday, I like to dwell on all that my son is now able to do, rather than what he is unable to do. Because, while Hunter definitely has severe delays in all areas, he is able to do SO much!!!

At 7 years of age, Hunter is 46.5" tall and 55 lbs. (grew 2.5" and gained 7 lbs. since last year!). He is in perfect health! He has a mouth full of perfect baby teeth (no loose ones--YET!) and a head full of red hair. Hunter is able to walk, run, and has almost mastered a sort of a "skip"/hop that he only does when VERY excited! He can walk unassisted up AND down steps with or without a railing (last year he needed that railing--but not now!!!). He is able to self-feed himself using a spoon or fork with much assistance (although he's VERY lazy and would prefer his mom or grandma do it for him!), and has used a no-spill sippy cup for several years now.

Hunter can communicate fairly well using a picture-exchange communication system (PECS), where he gives us the icon for the item that he desires (most often it's "video", "TV", "remote control", or "football game"--meaning PlayStation football game!). He is very adept at getting his wants and needs across by either using PECS, handing us the item he wants, choosing the item he wants when offered a choice, or simply taking the hand of the nearest person and leading them to what he wants. Hunter is doing very well with potty training; he has 1-2 BM's a week on the potty, and will urinate at least once or more per day. He's "time-trained", meaning he isn't able to let us know he has to go--we "catch" him!

Most of Hunter's skills that he knows have been taught through his home-based ABA program (Applied Behavior Analysis), which we've been running for just about 2 years now. He gets about 15 hours a week during the school year (since he's at school full-time), and 40 hours a week during the summer months. We hire college-aged students as therapists, and train them in the methods of ABA. We were VERY fortunate this year to finally receive a Medicaid waiver, which allows us to pay for all of Hunter's therapy as well as any other care he might need (including respite), AND it covers his medical expenses--such as DIAPERS! This has been a lifesaver for our family. Hunter's maternal grandparents (my mother and father) were financing his program 100% before we received the waiver this summer. ABA is not cheap, but it's what has worked for Hunter.

Through his ABA program, he has learned his alphabet, numbers, sounds, TONS of picture vocabulary words, sight words (this is new this summer, and he's FLYING through it!), various gross and fine motor skills, etc. etc. etc. I won't enumerate it all... if you check out his website (listed at the end of my e-mail) you can see his growth during the past 2 years. I mention all of his newfound abilities!

Hunter LOVES to go swimming in the pool (ANY pool will do, but Aunt Jan's in-ground is the best!). He turned into a fish this summer (although he DRINKS more water than he blows bubbles LOL)! He also loves to watch his daddy, stepfather, and Gramps play on the PlayStation/Nintendo. His favorite games are SPORTS--especially football! Hunter also likes to be bounced on his grandparents' big trampoline. His favorite places to go are Best Buy and Magic Mountain (and, of course, anywhere with a POOL!).

This fall, Hunter started 1st grade in a typical elementary school in our district. He is in a K-2 MH classroom for most of the day, but he does get to spend 1-1.5 hours per day with his 1st grade classmates, and will soon have PE and Art with them. At school he receives speech (2x/week individual and 1x/week group), OT (1x/week), PT (1x/week) and APE (1x/week). This is his 2nd year with his current teacher/classroom, and we're happy with his placement. Previously he attended a special needs program for autistic children through the county.

We are all so proud of Hunter! Between his Grandma Dee and Gramps, his daddy, his stepmother Susan, his new stepfather Joe, and ME (his mommy), plus ALL of his extended family members, he must be one of the most loved little guys ever!

Tomorrow my baby turns 7. While he won't be too interested in opening gifts (there isn't much that he wants that he doesn't already have!), he will wake up with his usual HUGE grin on his face, and remind me why I am here--to be his mommy and give him the best life possible.



GRAMPS ON MAY 27TH 2005

Hunter is doing fine. He's looking forward to the summer with his new ABA instructors. I just uploaded 14 new pictures of Hunter from a Camcorder. Considering they came from a camcorder and stripped away from the film the quality is pretty good. Hunter just loves to swim and this year he's even more happy with the water, since he is bigger. He loves being in the pool by himself. He will walk around the whole pool when he is by himself and has the best time ever. The pictures shows that, so take time and enjoy them. Have a great Summer!



GRAMPS ON JULY 6TH 2005

Hunter is having a great summer. Loves the pool. He is going to Children's Hospital in August to arrange for a Speech Therapist. A long time coming!



MARCIE ON SEPT. 17TH, 2005

Hunter turned 8 years old on September 15th. At 8 years of age, Hunter is 49" tall and 61 lbs. (he grew 2.5" and gained 6 lbs. since last year!). He is in wonderful health! He is a redhead with a mouthful of perfect baby teeth, minus 2--he lost his first two teeth in August of this year! Hunter is able to walk and run on his own, as well as go up and down stairs. He can feed himself almost independently with a spoon (needs some help "loading" the spoon). He uses a sippy cup to drink. He occasionally will use the toilet, but for the most part is dependent on pull-ups.

Hunter is nonverbal, but he uses PECS (pictures) to communicate, as well as gestures. He continues to be taught using ABA (Applied Behavior Analysis) in a home-based program, which he does after school and on weekends, as well as 40+ hours a week during summer vacation. His current ABA team consists of long-time beloved therapists Kathy and Colleen, and his new friend Niki. We're very happy with all that he's learned through ABA, including the alphabet, numbers, sounds, TONS of picture vocabulary words, sight words (such as family members' names, numbers, etc.) various gross and fine motor skills, etc. etc. etc. I won't list it all... if you check out his website (listed at the end of my e-mail) you can see his growth due to ABA during the past 3 years.

Hunter still LOVES to go swimming in the pool, but he's gotten a bit "pooled-out" this summer. He spent most weekends in Nana's or Aunt Jan's pools. This past year (winter & spring) he took adaptive swimming lessons at the local community center, and we started these again today. He also still loves to watch his daddy, stepfather, and Gramps play football on the PlayStation/Nintendo, and enjoys going to Magic Mountain. His #1 activity right now is "putting in and taking out"... he will occupy himself for hours with a bucket and a few balls or any other type of container and small items to put in and dump out. His new little brother Joey (born 4/18/05) enjoys watching big brother's antics!

Hunter just started 2nd grade in his same class as last year, the K-2 MH classroom at Wilder Elementary. He will again spend about an hour a day with his typical peers, and also still receives speech (2x/week individual and 1x/week group), OT (1x/week), PT (1x/week) and APE (1x/week). He has a new teacher this year (his beloved Mrs. Wise retired), and things are going well so far.

Hunter is a lucky guy to have such a wonderful family, including very loving grandparents (Grandma Dee & Gramps) and FOUR proud parents (Mommy, stepdad Joe, Daddy, and stepmom Susan). Tomorrow we'll celebrate his birthday with his extended family of aunts, uncles, cousins, grandparents and great-grandma, and although he won't really care about the gifts that he receives (mostly clothes as he isn't interested toys or the like), he will treat everyone to that giant famous grin of his, and will enjoy his big piece of cake with lots of frosting! Here is a picture of him taken at Sears today--enjoy!

-Marcie



GRAMPS ON MARCH 20TH, 2007

He's doing real well right now, a month or so ago, Hunter was having seizures (about 1 a day) for a week or so. He went on medication, but the doctor says that the doze was so low that the medication didn't stop the seizures. So we have to assume they stopped on there own.

Late last year Hunter went Hi-Tech and now carries a portable MP3 player (meant for a shower) that replays his 45 minute of Football from an X-Box. This has been real good compared to his cassette players.

Late last Fall, Dee and I, took Hunter out on Pontoon Boat a few times. He loved it to say the least, I think I have some of those pictures for viewing.

School this year hasn't been good for Hunter, though he has tolerated it.

We're hoping to get Hunter in a specialized school this Fall.

Still completely Non-Verbal, though I can ususally tell what he wants most of the time through body language.

Always willing to talk about Hunter and share pictures - Simply ask!



GRAMPS ON MARCH 20TH, 2007

I added new pictures at the front of this webpage and also added 5 new pictures at the "Recent Pictures of Hunter.



GRAMPS ON AUGUST 8TH, 2008

Okay, I don't want to go through everything that happened on August 3rd, Sunday.

Hunter smashed his toe with a TV and was eventually sent to Children's Hospital in Columbus, OH.

When surgery was supposed to happen, he had a reaction to the medication (best they could tell), and stopped breathing for a short period. Took about 25 minutes to get his vitals back to normal. Marcie (his Mom), Dylan (his Dad), Susan (Step-Mom) and I were in the room during the whole thing, not fun.

They were not going to do the surgery on his toe but decided to go ahead and do it, thank God.

Dee and I went Sunday evening and he was really quite alert. He did not want his milk. I think he was still trying to figure what was going on.

He spent the night at Children's for observation. Dylan, his DAD, spent the night.

He went home on Monday afternoon.

I saw him Monday evening and you would never know anything happened to him. He was walking fine, inspite of the foot boot he was in.

On Wednesday, the 6th, he was back to normal eating and physical wise other than him clopping around on his foot.

You can see some recent pictures I just posted.

Thanks to all for the support and prayers.
Gramps





Thanks again for visiting his Webpage :)

Please come back about every month or two and keep up with his progress. Have a great year-Gramps

I will try to keep updates on Hunter as things progress. - Mark "Gramps" Meinhart

THIS WAS LAST UPDATED: August 8th, 2008

You can see Hunter and his friends at the websites listed below, along with his past pictures:

Email Me
Hunter Gale
  • Hunter's Picture Page
    • Recent Pictures of Hunter
    (Updated on August 8th, 2008)
  • ACC Web Page
    • Information on ACC