Adam also discovered that Bug likes seeing the flash go off on the camera, so if you turn on the flash, he'll actually look at the camera for pictures!
Bug is still doing some good hard work in Speech. Today they worked on verbs using picture flashcards. Kathy noticed that Bug would get particularly excited about "driving" and "swinging"--which are two of his favorite things. This opened up a great conversation between us about different therapy methods. I'm so happy because Kathy is actually aware of and very interested in PRT, so I definitely think we'll be able to incorporate it into speech therapy. She also gave me some suggestions for other schooling options rather than just public school. It was a great conversation.
OT last week was a bit of a struggle. Bug can be so resistant to sitting down with Geri for focused tasks, although once she gets him started he usually completes them without too much fuss. I think he is still trying to challenge her and see how much he can control the sessions. So we definitely have some work to do.
Geri also referred us to an ABA therapist who she thought might be able to work with Bug. I've been able to contact her and unfortunately, she's not covered by our insurance. She did highly recommend we talk to Adam's employer about covering ABA services, and said that some of her clients have had success doing so. She also gave me a bunch of resources about ABA to look into, and mentioned that she is familiar with PRT too. I'm still really hoping we can figure out a way to get Bug at least some time with a trained therapist.
I also got and read the PRT Pocket Guide, and liked it so much I ordered the larger manual. PRT is a version of ABA that is more child-led and less rigidly structured than traditional ABA. It involves finding things that motivate the child to teach speech and social skills, then using positive reinforcement related to whatever you'd doing. It's a lot more natural and to me, makes a ton of sense. One of the things the book suggests is teaching the child questions like "What is it?" and "What's happening". Bug can answer questions like this (at least sometimes) but he has never asked them. Having the ability to ask means he can start requesting information he needs and build his vocabulary which opens doors for joint attention and social interactions. So these are things we're going to focus on at home, especially while we don't have ABA.
One of the things I have been thinking a lot about and trying to work on is providing Bug with a balance of therapy, social experiences and learning while still allowing him plenty of opportunity to be home and "explore without an agenda." My goal is to find more social opportunities for him, especially with typical children his age, so he can develop models and friends. I'm struggling a bit because so many people put their children in preschool and I'm just not sure about it. So, as usual, I've got lots of research to do and then Adam and I have some talking, praying and decision-making too. Who knew raising a kid was so complicated!?! :P
We still have another speech and OT this week, so we keep chugging along!
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