Not a very exciting title, but it seems like socialization is our big over-arching theme lately.
In OT, we've switched so we do fine motor (sit down) work before our friend J comes in. Thursday was our first time trying this, as well as not allowing Bug to put together the number puzzle. Bug did lash out once at Frances, and verbally protested a bit about the puzzle, but he sat and worked hard for 25 minutes. We did pop-beads with him, which was a brand new task. He actually really enjoyed the challenge and worked hard to connect the beads himself. When we had a long enough strand, I made in into a bracelet. He really liked how it felt and kept rolling it up and down his arm :)
When J came in, the boys went into the Lycra band swings (we call it the "cloud swing"). J was jumping and climbing, and while Bug didn't interact with him, he must have been paying attention because he started jumping and then throwing himself forward. He also tried to climb the ladder after seeing J do it.
Once school is over (3 more days!) we will add another OT session in per week. I'm so excited to see what we accomplish!
In speech:
Bug and Laura have been working on "has" and also paying more attention to the "who"s and "where"s both in books and in real life. Particularly, Laura has been getting Bug to acknowledge that Wiggle is with us too. It's hard to know whether Bug knows that Wiggle's with us and just ignoring him, or if he's really unaware. I think it's probably a mixture, but as Wiggle because more of a person and less of a baby, he's definitely making himself a focus. ;)
In school:
Honestly, I'm not sure what they've been doing in school. We haven't gotten much home lately. This is the last week (3 days for us) and I'm excited for it to be over.
Regarding the IEP, we decided that we don't want Bug in a full day program, regardless of the number of days a week. While I do think he'd adjust, I worry that it's not developmentally appropriate for a 4 year old--even an autistic one. It would also greatly limit our ability to interact with neurotypical friends and peers. After I let his teacher know that we would decline services, she talked to her supervisor and they suggested that we do home-based services one hour per week, so we can get a little developmental work from a teacher and also keep our IEP active. We plan on accepting that, it seems reasonable. I have a lot less stress this time, because I know that whatever we do, I can change course if things aren't working.
So what is our plan for school next year? Over the summer, I'd like to do a trial run of homeschooling. Bug and I will need some adjusting into new roles of "student-teacher" but I think he is more open to it than he used to be. On my part, I will need to work on planning activities ahead of time, and not getting dejected if they completely fail.
For socializing, over the summer I will be doing two Bible/book studies, so the boys will be in nursery care for that. We also have been making a better effort about going to church. Our schedule will be more open, so we'll be able to try out storytimes at the library, have more playdates and go to parks more often. Eventually I'd like to get both boys into a Romp N Roll type class, so we'll be looking into that again too.
I would so appreciate prayers as we try this out. We feel strongly that Bug deserves to be with "regular" kids as much as possible, and the best option for us is for him to be home. I will also be able to coordinate therapies better to make sure we're giving Bug the best care possible. I'm definitely aware that I am adding a lot to my load, but I feel a lot better about it than I did last fall.
Whew. Let's switch to the super-uber-mega-awesome thing:
Bug gives Wiggle hugs now!!!!!!! Wiggle is very much in a hugging/kissing stage. He's constantly asking us for kisses. So cute. He'll even ask Bug, and then completely invade his space to get the kiss while Bug is like "Uh, what's going on?" Somehow this is always while we are getting on shoes. ;)
Anyway, so the other evening, Wiggle pretty much sat in Bug's lap. I think he fell over. Probably. And as I watched, but didn't get involved, Bug kind of put his arms around Wiggle. Wiggle got up, Bug followed and kind of picked him up. So we asked "Can you give Wiggle a hug" and he did!
I cannot tell you how happy I am about this! What a huge step forward for Bug. And good for both boys to know they are loved by their brother and able to be friends. :D **warm fuzzies**
Sunday, June 7, 2015
Wednesday, May 27, 2015
Growing, growing, growing!
Can I just say that I wish I had time to blog more, because Bug is just dominating lately! I am so proud and so impressed with the growth and maturity I see from him.
At home:
We've been working towards a more self-sufficient and aware Bug. He can get himself into clothes on his own (handed to him) and has gotten much better about helping get his socks and shoes on (even using two hands!). I love that he'll get himself out of his diaper and throw it away--almost always without us asking too. Potty training is a big goal for once school lets out. We're working on getting him to pick out his breakfast on his own. Mornings a lot of times are hard because Bug doesn't eat what we give him but doesn't seem to want anything offered and doesn't request anything. So I spend all morning trying to get him to eat *something* and then he's off to school only having nibbled this and that. If we don't have more luck, I might try smoothies in the morning, although I'd like to hold that card in my hand a little longer.
Bug has also been doing a great job pointing things out to us. Yesterday he noticed the neighbor, Miss Beth and said her name. He's said things like "Mommy is cleaning up" and remarking about things he sees outside and around him. It's a lot of fun.
We have had to watch him a lot because summer means more fruit, which means sneaking fruit while we're not paying attention.
I've been trying to do more activities during the afternoon while Wiggle naps. Bug has been very responsive to my attempts (and I should note that, in and of itself, is improvement).
Most exciting, I finally got him to do some kicking! Frances and I have been working for a couple of weeks on this and racking our brains for different ways to present it. Punching balloon on ribbon for the win! He doesn't do a ton of kicking or play with it for very long, but he does seem to go to it once a day or so, and if it comes down, asks us to put it back up.
In speech, Bug is working on the verb "has". He seems to have some grasp of it, but does mix it up with "is". We hope that it comes it fast though, it seems to be so far! Bug has been working hard and working well with Laura, which is awesome! We see so much more talking from him, it's really wonderful.
OT is wonderful as always. Bug is having fun, trying hard and willing to try new tasks. We're focusing on expanding his use of the number train puzzle--we'll have him hop along it or over it, push a ball or car down it, etc. Also, we're working to get him to actually cut, not just snip with scissors. Frances moved him back to loop scissors and he was more successful, so we'll continue on that. We are hoping that once school lets out we will be able to go to OT twice a week to really dive in! We have had some chances for social. There is another little boy who comes in about halfway through our session and last week he wanted to play in our ball pit. Well Bug saw him and decided he did too, so they got some time together. Bug watched the boy climb a rope up a mat against the wall and decided to try it--funny because we've suggested it lots of times and he wouldn't ;)
So stinkin proud of this boy!
At home:
We've been working towards a more self-sufficient and aware Bug. He can get himself into clothes on his own (handed to him) and has gotten much better about helping get his socks and shoes on (even using two hands!). I love that he'll get himself out of his diaper and throw it away--almost always without us asking too. Potty training is a big goal for once school lets out. We're working on getting him to pick out his breakfast on his own. Mornings a lot of times are hard because Bug doesn't eat what we give him but doesn't seem to want anything offered and doesn't request anything. So I spend all morning trying to get him to eat *something* and then he's off to school only having nibbled this and that. If we don't have more luck, I might try smoothies in the morning, although I'd like to hold that card in my hand a little longer.
Bug has also been doing a great job pointing things out to us. Yesterday he noticed the neighbor, Miss Beth and said her name. He's said things like "Mommy is cleaning up" and remarking about things he sees outside and around him. It's a lot of fun.
We have had to watch him a lot because summer means more fruit, which means sneaking fruit while we're not paying attention.
 |
| This was almost a full pint, until Mommy was upstairs for a minute... |
In speech, Bug is working on the verb "has". He seems to have some grasp of it, but does mix it up with "is". We hope that it comes it fast though, it seems to be so far! Bug has been working hard and working well with Laura, which is awesome! We see so much more talking from him, it's really wonderful.
OT is wonderful as always. Bug is having fun, trying hard and willing to try new tasks. We're focusing on expanding his use of the number train puzzle--we'll have him hop along it or over it, push a ball or car down it, etc. Also, we're working to get him to actually cut, not just snip with scissors. Frances moved him back to loop scissors and he was more successful, so we'll continue on that. We are hoping that once school lets out we will be able to go to OT twice a week to really dive in! We have had some chances for social. There is another little boy who comes in about halfway through our session and last week he wanted to play in our ball pit. Well Bug saw him and decided he did too, so they got some time together. Bug watched the boy climb a rope up a mat against the wall and decided to try it--funny because we've suggested it lots of times and he wouldn't ;)
So stinkin proud of this boy!
Thursday, May 14, 2015
1 year since diagnosis
Today marks one year since Bug was diagnosed with autism. On one hand, it seems like ages ago, and on the other, it seems like yesterday. I could say a lot about how I felt and how we've struggled and overcome challenges, but instead, I think I'll let Bug's day speak for us.
This morning, Bug had me adapt a Starfall song to use different letters "Listen to the short b sound...".
This morning, Bug went into my room, said "Feel the grass" and we ran our hands thru the wheatgrass. Then he said "Grass on head" and when I brought it closer to him, he rubbed it on his head.
This morning, while getting ready for OT, Bug put on his own shoes, did "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" touching the correct body parts.
During OT, Bug hopped along a puzzle, tried to kick a ball, followed multiple-step directions.
During OT, Bug only swung for a few minutes (requesting that I swing him, not Frances). He got out because Wiggle was pulling interesting toys out of the closet.
During OT, Bug climbed into the ballpit, where Wiggle was. Then he requested that I go in the pit too. Then he kept flopping himself down in the ballpit because it made me laugh. Then he requested Frances come in the ballpit. Bug shared a space, about 5'x6' with three other people. We engaged in parallel play.
Then Bug decided he should stand on the edge of the ballpit and jump in. It was amazing.
This afternoon, Bug and I wrote letters in chalk on the driveway. We walked on the letters. Bug traced them with his broom.
This afternoon, Bug repeatedly asked me to spray water at him with the hose, moving closer and farther away to see how far I could get him.
I cannot put into words how proud I am of this boy. He has grown so much and continues to meet our challenges. I have no idea what will happen in the next year, but I'm excited to see how we grow!
This morning, Bug had me adapt a Starfall song to use different letters "Listen to the short b sound...".
This morning, Bug went into my room, said "Feel the grass" and we ran our hands thru the wheatgrass. Then he said "Grass on head" and when I brought it closer to him, he rubbed it on his head.
This morning, while getting ready for OT, Bug put on his own shoes, did "Head, Shoulders, Knees and Toes" touching the correct body parts.
During OT, Bug hopped along a puzzle, tried to kick a ball, followed multiple-step directions.
During OT, Bug only swung for a few minutes (requesting that I swing him, not Frances). He got out because Wiggle was pulling interesting toys out of the closet.
During OT, Bug climbed into the ballpit, where Wiggle was. Then he requested that I go in the pit too. Then he kept flopping himself down in the ballpit because it made me laugh. Then he requested Frances come in the ballpit. Bug shared a space, about 5'x6' with three other people. We engaged in parallel play.
Then Bug decided he should stand on the edge of the ballpit and jump in. It was amazing.
This afternoon, Bug and I wrote letters in chalk on the driveway. We walked on the letters. Bug traced them with his broom.
This afternoon, Bug repeatedly asked me to spray water at him with the hose, moving closer and farther away to see how far I could get him.
I cannot put into words how proud I am of this boy. He has grown so much and continues to meet our challenges. I have no idea what will happen in the next year, but I'm excited to see how we grow!
Wednesday, April 22, 2015
Re-evaluation
Things have been very busy in Bug's World! I always tell myself I should blog and then somehow I never get to it. Part of that is because our usual routine of Wiggle nap while Mama and Bug chill out watching tv or a movie has been very disrupted. Bug has been getting too attached to movies (I mentioned this with Enchanted last post). Really, he loooooves the Disney castle and the opening song, and then is done. But he wants to watch the openings of multiple movies, which I'm less ok with. So we've been working on challenging that. Instead, we've been playing on the tablet or my phone for a while, either Angry Birds or this great app I found called "kindergarten games for kids" that has a bunch of different activities with letters, numbers, tracing, etc.
We've also been heading outside a lot more, now that spring is officially underway. Bug really enjoys reenacting the opening scene from "Frozen" (where the men are singing and cutting the ice) so we do a lot of that. I've been trying to expand that out a bit, to focus more on what we're actually doing, like walking in the water or along the edge of the ditch, etc. It's a fine line between letting him enjoy an activity and letting the activity completely consume him. We've also had a ton of success getting Bug to draw with sidewalk chalk on the driveway. He loves helping us draw pictures and write words, so we're getting in a lot of good hand-over-hand in. He's even done a little by himself! I'm glad to see some developing interest in writing!!
In OT, Frances has been re-evaluating Bug. We've been doing it slowly, over the course of a few weeks, and working together to get actual results, even if they're not standardized. This allows us to see what he's actually capable of skill-wise, rather than just how he responds to us asking him to do random things. Tomorrow hopefully Frances will have a report for me, but I was suprised and impressed with how much Bug was willing to attempt our tasks! We tried jumping, hopping, writing, building with blocks, imitating and more. He did great, it's pretty amazing to see how far he's come!
Speech has been going very well. Bug has been focusing pretty well, although he struggles a bit going back with Laura. We've been out of our usual routine though, so that might have something to do with it too.
Bug hasn't been in school a ton lately. We missed two weeks (while Nana and Papa were here and then spring break), went for a week, then missed this entire week due to sickness. Still, Bug's teacher said that he showed up like he had never been gone--which surprised me because he said he didn't want to go to school. I have an IEP meeting in the beginning of May, so we are trying to decide the best course of action for next year. I'm seriously considering homeschooling him, but we need to look at all our options. It is always so hard to make these big decisions!
This post does not do justice at all to how much Bug is growing and accomplishing right now. So many good things are happening and it's wonderful to see progress all the time!
We've also been heading outside a lot more, now that spring is officially underway. Bug really enjoys reenacting the opening scene from "Frozen" (where the men are singing and cutting the ice) so we do a lot of that. I've been trying to expand that out a bit, to focus more on what we're actually doing, like walking in the water or along the edge of the ditch, etc. It's a fine line between letting him enjoy an activity and letting the activity completely consume him. We've also had a ton of success getting Bug to draw with sidewalk chalk on the driveway. He loves helping us draw pictures and write words, so we're getting in a lot of good hand-over-hand in. He's even done a little by himself! I'm glad to see some developing interest in writing!!
In OT, Frances has been re-evaluating Bug. We've been doing it slowly, over the course of a few weeks, and working together to get actual results, even if they're not standardized. This allows us to see what he's actually capable of skill-wise, rather than just how he responds to us asking him to do random things. Tomorrow hopefully Frances will have a report for me, but I was suprised and impressed with how much Bug was willing to attempt our tasks! We tried jumping, hopping, writing, building with blocks, imitating and more. He did great, it's pretty amazing to see how far he's come!
 |
| He and I wrote the number together! |
Speech has been going very well. Bug has been focusing pretty well, although he struggles a bit going back with Laura. We've been out of our usual routine though, so that might have something to do with it too.
Bug hasn't been in school a ton lately. We missed two weeks (while Nana and Papa were here and then spring break), went for a week, then missed this entire week due to sickness. Still, Bug's teacher said that he showed up like he had never been gone--which surprised me because he said he didn't want to go to school. I have an IEP meeting in the beginning of May, so we are trying to decide the best course of action for next year. I'm seriously considering homeschooling him, but we need to look at all our options. It is always so hard to make these big decisions!
This post does not do justice at all to how much Bug is growing and accomplishing right now. So many good things are happening and it's wonderful to see progress all the time!
Tuesday, March 10, 2015
What happened in February?
We've had a busy month, it seems like forever since we've had a "normal" week without changes in schedules due to therapists being out or snow days or days off from school.
Home: Sleep has been off for everybody. Before the time change, Bug had been getting up veerrrrry early. He's really into knocking on doors lately, so he'd knock on his door or our door. A lot of times it would disturb Wiggle, and suddenly the whole house is up at 6 am. Not so much fun.
We've been watching a lot of the movie "Enchanted" and Bug loves us to sing along with the songs and he even has us act out scenes from the movie. It's quite cute, but it does seems that we've made it into too much of a routine so we'll need to start branching him out a little. It can be very hard to find the balance between letting him enjoy something and it becoming too much for him. Part of the problem is that I like having a break in the afternoon (and also giving him a break after school or therapy) so it's easy to just let him pick something out so I can have some peace. I'm hoping that as the weather gets nicer again we can spend more time outside to blow off steam.
In good news, Bug can now get his pants on completely by himself! He also can get his shirt on, but a lot of time puts it on backwards. He seems to be a little big more flexible about clothing, being more cooperative about putting on warmer jackets and different shoes to go outside. I'm hoping to keep pushing boundaries with him, I'd love to get him into khaki-style pants too!
We've also noticed him having an increased interest in new/different foods. He's told us "yes" when we asked if he wanted a cheeseburger and let us offer foods (but not taste them) a couple times. He also ate a chunk of raw green pepper! Frances said that as we're able to get his sensory systems regulated, it'll be easier for him to expand his comfort zone. :)
School: Bug has been super about getting ready for the bus and heading to school. Today we even had to rush because the bus was early and he handled it perfectly. Beyond that, I think things are going about the same. Bug is resistant about doing fine motor activities, but will do them with protest. He does seem happy when I look at his projects or mention what they're working on.
Speech: Laura made a valiant attempt at working on categorizing things, but Bug is just not there yet. He seems to have some understanding, but really struggles to group things together. I don't think it helps that we don't ever really talk about things being "vehicles" or "money" so it's more novel vocabulary than he's used to. They're working on prepositions and big/little now, and it's a bit easier, and I think more important. I also plan to work with him on this with the Bad Piggies game on the phone, talking about where to put the pig, motor, etc.
One partial success: Laura has been able to get Bug to use a weighted lap pad a few times. The first couple of times, she noticed quite an improvement in his focus. I'm hoping that we can continue offering it to him, so he has options to help him stay regulated while he's working hard.
OT: OT has been a bit wild. Miss Frances was out for a couple of weeks while she took her exam and we've had to shuffle days/times because of the snow too. Bug has handled it very well. He worked with our sub therapist, Victoria, pretty well, although she struggled to get him to do much fine motor. He has started using a new swing, a flat swing with an innertube on it for safety...like a tire swing with a bottom. Eventually we'd like to get him to use the rope to swing himself, but right now he likes the therapist to do it for him. Frances is working hard with Bug to get him to be able to get his socks and shoes on by himself. Socks are really hard, especially since Bug typically doesn't use both hands. We also noticed last week that Bug has some motivation to use scissors to cut (he even cut his pretzels into pieces!) which is a pretty complex action! I wish we could find a way to make prewriting more enjoyable for him!
Sort of on that note, a story I want to record (and will probably reflect more on in another post):
Bug had been saying a bunch of letters, that seemed like they should be words but Adam and I couldn't figure it out. Finally, after watching one of the Planet Earth shows, I realized that Bug was saying a lot of the letters (not completely in order) of "Ocean Deep"--one of the titles of the episodes we watched. I found a paper and pen, wrote out "Ocean Deep" and showed it to him. He got this smile and giggled the way he does when we figure something out. :) Then he said more letters, and when I went to write them, he took the pen and I *think* tried to write too! I would absolutely loooooove to help him learn to read and write/type, because I think it would really expand on his communication skills. It's always fun to see these little flashes of understanding from him.
Well, I think I got us about caught up. I need to stop leaving big gaps, because A LOT happens in a month around here!
Home: Sleep has been off for everybody. Before the time change, Bug had been getting up veerrrrry early. He's really into knocking on doors lately, so he'd knock on his door or our door. A lot of times it would disturb Wiggle, and suddenly the whole house is up at 6 am. Not so much fun.
We've been watching a lot of the movie "Enchanted" and Bug loves us to sing along with the songs and he even has us act out scenes from the movie. It's quite cute, but it does seems that we've made it into too much of a routine so we'll need to start branching him out a little. It can be very hard to find the balance between letting him enjoy something and it becoming too much for him. Part of the problem is that I like having a break in the afternoon (and also giving him a break after school or therapy) so it's easy to just let him pick something out so I can have some peace. I'm hoping that as the weather gets nicer again we can spend more time outside to blow off steam.
In good news, Bug can now get his pants on completely by himself! He also can get his shirt on, but a lot of time puts it on backwards. He seems to be a little big more flexible about clothing, being more cooperative about putting on warmer jackets and different shoes to go outside. I'm hoping to keep pushing boundaries with him, I'd love to get him into khaki-style pants too!
We've also noticed him having an increased interest in new/different foods. He's told us "yes" when we asked if he wanted a cheeseburger and let us offer foods (but not taste them) a couple times. He also ate a chunk of raw green pepper! Frances said that as we're able to get his sensory systems regulated, it'll be easier for him to expand his comfort zone. :)
School: Bug has been super about getting ready for the bus and heading to school. Today we even had to rush because the bus was early and he handled it perfectly. Beyond that, I think things are going about the same. Bug is resistant about doing fine motor activities, but will do them with protest. He does seem happy when I look at his projects or mention what they're working on.
Speech: Laura made a valiant attempt at working on categorizing things, but Bug is just not there yet. He seems to have some understanding, but really struggles to group things together. I don't think it helps that we don't ever really talk about things being "vehicles" or "money" so it's more novel vocabulary than he's used to. They're working on prepositions and big/little now, and it's a bit easier, and I think more important. I also plan to work with him on this with the Bad Piggies game on the phone, talking about where to put the pig, motor, etc.
One partial success: Laura has been able to get Bug to use a weighted lap pad a few times. The first couple of times, she noticed quite an improvement in his focus. I'm hoping that we can continue offering it to him, so he has options to help him stay regulated while he's working hard.
OT: OT has been a bit wild. Miss Frances was out for a couple of weeks while she took her exam and we've had to shuffle days/times because of the snow too. Bug has handled it very well. He worked with our sub therapist, Victoria, pretty well, although she struggled to get him to do much fine motor. He has started using a new swing, a flat swing with an innertube on it for safety...like a tire swing with a bottom. Eventually we'd like to get him to use the rope to swing himself, but right now he likes the therapist to do it for him. Frances is working hard with Bug to get him to be able to get his socks and shoes on by himself. Socks are really hard, especially since Bug typically doesn't use both hands. We also noticed last week that Bug has some motivation to use scissors to cut (he even cut his pretzels into pieces!) which is a pretty complex action! I wish we could find a way to make prewriting more enjoyable for him!
Sort of on that note, a story I want to record (and will probably reflect more on in another post):
Bug had been saying a bunch of letters, that seemed like they should be words but Adam and I couldn't figure it out. Finally, after watching one of the Planet Earth shows, I realized that Bug was saying a lot of the letters (not completely in order) of "Ocean Deep"--one of the titles of the episodes we watched. I found a paper and pen, wrote out "Ocean Deep" and showed it to him. He got this smile and giggled the way he does when we figure something out. :) Then he said more letters, and when I went to write them, he took the pen and I *think* tried to write too! I would absolutely loooooove to help him learn to read and write/type, because I think it would really expand on his communication skills. It's always fun to see these little flashes of understanding from him.
Well, I think I got us about caught up. I need to stop leaving big gaps, because A LOT happens in a month around here!
Monday, January 26, 2015
Growing Up
The theme lately for Bug has been growth and maturing.
While we've been fighting off multiple rounds of sickness, Bug has been amazingly accepting of the lack of routine. Even if he is unhappy about something, he typically doesn't get too worked up, and calms down very quickly. I had to take him to the doctor last week, and I was amazed at how cooperative he was. He definitely wasn't happy about being there, but he stood on the scale by himself for the first time and made an effort to comply with the doctor's requests during the physical exam. Eventually the anxiety/uncomfortableness did take over, but it was a much better experience than we've had in a long time.
Miss Frances and I have noticed a huge improvement in Bug's willingness to try new fine motor activities and explore his surroundings. She tried a Lite-Brite with him for the first time, and after modeling a couple times, physically helping him once, he was able to put the pegs in by himself! He even seemed to like it!
He doesn't love coloring, but will do a little at least. We are still working on getting him to draw lines, but again, while he isn't particularly interested, he's at least not resistant. I've been trying to relate it to letters, which at least provides some motivation.
Today I met with his teacher and school SLP to review his IEP. We made a few changes to his goals (adding stuff about improving transitions and requesting help when needed) but for the most part, Bug is making great progress and everyone is super impressed with how well he's doing! :D Even at school he's beginning to step outside his comfort zone. His teacher said that while he has a hard time being in the gym (because of the echoing--too much sensory input) he's started to explore and move away from the teachers. He also engages in parallel play with the other boys in class, which is a HUGE step forward!
I've got some sensory ideas to run past Frances to help Bug focus a little better in speech and school, and want to work on some of the fine motor stuff at home too. I feel like we have a little bit more opportunity now that he's not as resistant and we can do some activities with both boys.
All around, we are so proud of this kiddo and how much he's grown in the past year. It's hard to believe that we've only been in private therapy for about a year!
 |
| Mentally and physically...I feel like I just sewed him new clothes! |
While we've been fighting off multiple rounds of sickness, Bug has been amazingly accepting of the lack of routine. Even if he is unhappy about something, he typically doesn't get too worked up, and calms down very quickly. I had to take him to the doctor last week, and I was amazed at how cooperative he was. He definitely wasn't happy about being there, but he stood on the scale by himself for the first time and made an effort to comply with the doctor's requests during the physical exam. Eventually the anxiety/uncomfortableness did take over, but it was a much better experience than we've had in a long time.
Miss Frances and I have noticed a huge improvement in Bug's willingness to try new fine motor activities and explore his surroundings. She tried a Lite-Brite with him for the first time, and after modeling a couple times, physically helping him once, he was able to put the pegs in by himself! He even seemed to like it!
Today I met with his teacher and school SLP to review his IEP. We made a few changes to his goals (adding stuff about improving transitions and requesting help when needed) but for the most part, Bug is making great progress and everyone is super impressed with how well he's doing! :D Even at school he's beginning to step outside his comfort zone. His teacher said that while he has a hard time being in the gym (because of the echoing--too much sensory input) he's started to explore and move away from the teachers. He also engages in parallel play with the other boys in class, which is a HUGE step forward!
I've got some sensory ideas to run past Frances to help Bug focus a little better in speech and school, and want to work on some of the fine motor stuff at home too. I feel like we have a little bit more opportunity now that he's not as resistant and we can do some activities with both boys.
All around, we are so proud of this kiddo and how much he's grown in the past year. It's hard to believe that we've only been in private therapy for about a year!
Sunday, January 11, 2015
Back to routine...sorta
One of the things that amazes me about Bug is that actually, he doesn't get too phased by it when we have to change the schedule. We missed the last week of school before break because Bug was sick, and had some changes to our therapies due to the holidays. Bug handled it all like a champ. On Monday, he went back on the bus and to school with zero trouble! :D When I picked him up he told me "Have fun at school at the library. Have fun at school ride the bus." It's so cool to hear him try to tell me about his day! Unfortunately, Monday I found out that Wiggle has RSV, so I ended up taking Bug out of school for the rest of the week too. BUT, I had called his teacher to talk to her about it and she told me that she is so impressed with how Bug is doing! She said that she doesn't have the hitting/kicking problems that she did and that when he came on Monday he was ready to go just like he didn't have 3 weeks off! I am so proud of this kid!
OT has gone very well, even with the changes in routine. Bug has been very receptive to Frances' challenges and we are both really impressed with his efforts on the fine motor. She also observed that he's definitely exploring his surroundings more, not just immediately wanting to get into the swing at the beginning of the session. I love that he is so comfortable at OT and with Frances, I'm always so impressed with how much he gets done and how much he grows.
Speech is going well again too. Laura has been pushing Bug to expand his phrases and show that he more fully understands verbs. It is hard work for him, but he handles it very well. We definitely are seeing him improve. His "yes" is back, pretty consistently and he often self-corrects. He tries very hard to get his words out but struggles with the organization. He's getting there though.
At home, we've seen Bug do a lot of play with Legos (building castles) and train tracks. With train tracks, we're even getting the whole family in, although the boys stay pretty far away from each other. Also, Bug has been asking us to read to him a lot more, which makes me so happy! I love having both my boys snuggled up with me reading a book.
Hopefully this week we can get back to normal. Bug might still miss school and therapy tomorrow, he's still pretty sick, but I'm happy that he's at least in good spirits and still working hard with us!
OT has gone very well, even with the changes in routine. Bug has been very receptive to Frances' challenges and we are both really impressed with his efforts on the fine motor. She also observed that he's definitely exploring his surroundings more, not just immediately wanting to get into the swing at the beginning of the session. I love that he is so comfortable at OT and with Frances, I'm always so impressed with how much he gets done and how much he grows.
Speech is going well again too. Laura has been pushing Bug to expand his phrases and show that he more fully understands verbs. It is hard work for him, but he handles it very well. We definitely are seeing him improve. His "yes" is back, pretty consistently and he often self-corrects. He tries very hard to get his words out but struggles with the organization. He's getting there though.
At home, we've seen Bug do a lot of play with Legos (building castles) and train tracks. With train tracks, we're even getting the whole family in, although the boys stay pretty far away from each other. Also, Bug has been asking us to read to him a lot more, which makes me so happy! I love having both my boys snuggled up with me reading a book.
Hopefully this week we can get back to normal. Bug might still miss school and therapy tomorrow, he's still pretty sick, but I'm happy that he's at least in good spirits and still working hard with us!
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