All about Aidan..: angeliatay

Those who knows me personally or who have been following my blog regularly would have always hear me describing Aidan as someone who is extremely hyper and active. He has boundless energy and would often be tearing through the house like a tornado..He always have a need to be constantly on the move. With the exception of the tv and his console games and while he is eating (his 3 major ♥), it is usually quite hard to hold his interest for long and he would often dart off without warning, especially when we are outdoors...which had caused me (and some of my friends) heart attacks. He also has 'shifty eyes' where he tends not to look directly into our eyes and his own eyes will be wandering elsewhere. As he grew older, I also realised that he had other traits like having trouble focusing, paying attention to details and following instructions. All his teachers have fedback to me that the boy has a problem paying attention in class and is easily distracted. He also tends to space out and start day-dreaming in class. In fact, he is now seated in the first row, middle row so that the teachers will be able to monitor him . He was almost kicked out of his Golf CCA class because he was deemed a hazard to the other students (he was too boisterous lah). I had to beg the golf teacher to give him another chance. The boy also realised the implication of his behavior and has promised to be more attentive and not to jump around so much during his golf class. But at least for the moment, he's still faring okay in school..I guess mostly because we have been pretty on the ball with his school homework and drilling him on his weekly spelling. So far, he's been scoring either full marks or 9/10. Interestingly though..he seems to enjoy school with math has his fave subject (just behind Recess and PE :P) and he still detest chinese.

Of course..I've been wondering for quite a while whether he could have ADHD (Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder). It's not that I want to have him labelled but more to have a better understanding of what's he's going through so I may be able to better manage him and my own expectations and to learn how to cope accordingly. I know some of my friends (especially those closer to me) have also suspected too as his behavior does seemed to indicate so.. Adhd traits are as follows :-

1. an inattentive type, with signs that include:

inability to pay attention to dails or a tendency to make careless errors in schoolwork or other activities
difficulty with sustained attention in tasks or play activities
apparent listening problems
difficulty following instructions
problems with organization
avoidance or dislike of tasks that require mental effort
tendency to lose things like toys, notebooks, or homework
distractibility
forgetfulness in daily activities

2. a hyperactive-impulsive type, with signs that include:

fidgeting or squirming
difficulty remaining seated
excessive running or climbing
difficulty playing quietly
always seeming to be "on the go"
excessive talking
blurting out answers before hearing the full question
difficulty waiting for a turn or in line
problems with interrupting or intruding

3. a combined type, which involves a combination of 1 & 2.

I brought him to Bridge Learning and he underwent a 2 hour session* with the school's pyschologist. Aidan's dad came along too for the post-analysis discussion. In brief, the doctor did say that Aidan did seem to show signs of mid-mild ADHD. She didn't think that medication is required but she did recommend some therapy programmes that he could undergo (she wasn't pushy at all). Also, she said that through the series of test he went through, he has an aptitude for maths & so she said that we should also try to reinforce his interest in it.

Something interesting occurred during his review time with her too. He was asked to draw a picture of his family. He drew the 3 of us (me, my-ex and himself) and...Gabriel,

jinsiew's son. Gabriel is his best friend who often stays over at our place (Aidan bunks over at Jin's place too). We kinda have an exchange programme :) I believe he thinks of Gabriel as the older brother he'd always wanted to have. In fact, Gabe even asked Aidan to call him brother and the boy was so happy when he heard that :) Anyway, during our session, the doctor actually asked us whether we were still 'together'. When I mentioned that we were living separately, she indicated that she'd suspected it to be so through the picture he drew and she showed us what he drew. His drawing looked something like this...

But she also said that Aidan is generally a happy boy who seemed to have accepted the situation..I guess the big smiles on our faces were pretty telling.

We will most likely be signing Aidan on to some of the programmes. In fact, I had spoken to some parents whose kids are in the school and they all have said that their kids have benefitted from the programmes showing marked improvement in their behavior and faring much better in school. Just as well too as Aidan is in the morning session and his afternoons are usually spent at home with Nenita or my dad-in-law who visits very often. Spending some of his afternoons at the Bridge may be good for him too.

*Aidan proudly told me that the lady doctor had told him after his review session that he has very lovely eyes and is very handsome :P
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Aidan has been clamouring for a pet for the last few months. I have no idea why actually since most of our friends do not have any. Usually during bedtime, he'll make his request for either a cat or a dog. I'm actually quite hesitant to do so because having a pet is a huge responsibility and I'm not sure whether both of us are up to it.

So instead of an animal, I brought home a Pleo..which I'd gotten at an SPH discounted price. The Pleo is cute li' robotic dinosaur toy who is engineered and enhanced to mimic life and relate to its owner on a personal level..It is almost like a real pet except that it has an on-off button and works on battery. Pleo is equipped with senses for sight, sound, and touch..so it is actually capable of recognising faces (through a tiny camera embedded at its forehead), it will have moods - it purrs when it is contended, it growls when abused and once in a while, it will even hum a happy tune! (very very cute when he does that). It will also fall asleep when tired and even snores while he's at it. Apparently,it's interaction with its environment will help shape his behavior and every Pleo will eventually exhibits a unique personality.

Aidan has named his pet Pleo Deeno and when so far, he's been taking good care of it..although he's been trying to force feed Pleo (it needs to be fed via an electronic leaf)! Aidan thinks Deeno has as much of an appetite as him. The boy has also been bringing Deeno to bed with him every night. It is nice to see Aidan treat the toy with care but of course when it is time to play his console games, he will totally ignore Deeno :P

Here's some videos of us with Pleo Deeno when he just hatched which is why he is still quite lethargic and also one of Aidan feeding him :)

Aidan feeding Deeno :)
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Irene, whose place I'd stayed in when I was in New York is in town so I've been joining her for some makan and karaoke sessions. Might as well post some pics here since the next time I update could probably be in a month's time :P