Cracking


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Last week, my wife took a much needed vacation.  Even super mom needs a break, so I came to the rescue.  She went frolicking into the wilderness with her girlfriends, and I stayed home with the team.  As such I got to do what mom does on a daily basis.  Talk about getting thrown to the wolves.  Those first 2 days, I was quite overwhelmed.  Hats off to you Jen.  Slowly things settled down, and I was able to get into the groove of things.  She eventually returned a short 5 days later, and she could of stayed away longer, but alas she misses her kids, and they missed her.

During the week, I got to really understand deep down what the therapy sessions are like, and really help move the ball forward.  And that’s where this post is coming from…. moving that ball forward.

Chase’s speech and ABA therapists all said it was time to revisit his goals.  Wait What?!?!  We just started a few months ago, and you want to revise his goals already?

So we are trying to be the super autism parents…. really we are.  We aren’t just doing one thing, or listening to a doctor.  Remember Team manager of the year?  Yeah, we have lots of people and teammates involved, and the only way we are going to win this championship is if every player is involved, and giving it more than 100% every day.  We are doing bio-medical, speech, ABA, IEP, home schooling, iPad apps, research, jumping jacks, and dietary changes.

We are just 6 months removed from the diagnosis, and already we are being told we need to update our goals.  This is our mild to moderate autistic boy, impressing everyone.  And no one is more proud than his mom and dad.

This past week, here are a few things that he did:

  • ABA ran out of body parts to identify, and are now using armpits, finger nails, eye brows, etc.  He already knows his eyes, ear, nose, arms, elbows, knees and toes.  And for good measure, if you ask him where his belly button and “nippies” are he will point them out correctly as well.
  • After bath, he took the towel from me, dried himself, then proceeded to put his clothes on… all by himself
  • He can swallow pills now. This is huge for us, since Nuthera (one of his supplements) tastes absolutely like crap.
  • He has developed an amazing appetite for mixed vegetables.  All parents, here me out.  If my autistic picky eater 4 year old child can eat mixed vegetables with a spoon and ask for seconds and thirds… your kid has no excuse.
  • While putting on his shoes he asked me (verbatim): “I need your help please”.  To many this might not seem like much, but there are 2 pronouns in that sentence, and he used them both properly.

So proud, I started to realize that things are really happening.  My son is turning a corner.  That little white spot about 4 pixels in diameter.  That’s the light at the end of the tunnel.  It’s a long tunnel, the journey is just beginning, but I can see a point where Chase will come out of this and say “remember when I had to

That feeling of hope is very strong… Chase is cracking out of his shell!

 

Footnotes:
Yes the jumping jacks are true, when on the trampoline, I try to get Chase to be more coordinated, and doing jumping jacks help.

Image credit to Brian Geiger from Fine Cooking: http://www.finecooking.com/item/13077/not-all-its-cracked-up-to-be

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