It's been so long since I've updated that it's almost overwhelming to try to recap all that has changed and been achieved in the past several months. Somewhere in there we switched our speech therapist and started special needs preschool. 5 days a week 3 hours a day and what an amazing program and staff. We noticed changes from the first day and continue to still. Since N has school every morning we have had to switch therapy to the afternoon's and with nap etc it's hard. Little brother has sort of an unfair deal with spending his whole day in the car or a waiting room. I only hope that he is OK with anything he missed out on later, knowing that he traded some things so that he could have a perfect brother. We are in speech 2 days per week and ot 2 days, play tutor and volunteer time the other days and music therapy just started. The plate is full but the results are major. Insurance cut off several months before last year ended and it was extremely difficult to pay out of pocket but happy to say Jan 1 has come and insurance starts over. Too bad his new slp who I adore does not take insurance, is one of the highest in town and I want to add a 2nd day with her. Money isn't a factor in this game though it just appears when it's needed to help get him caught up.
N is labeling a ton, he has cut back since he was saying more but his engagement is through the roof and he is completely in tuned with and aware of others around him. Everyone on his team has noticed this difference. It's amazing to experience it. He laughs at my silly dances or his aunts little clapping peek a boo games. He likes doing photo shoots of his wind up toys with my cell phone and viewing the pictures later. His receptive language has come so drastically far that today when his slp said that he is so far ahead receptively,I almost fell off of my chair. This the kid who was 2 yrs behind when he was only 18 mos old!! Today his slp put random pictures on the floor and gave him duplicates to match them up. He completed this task, followed other simple commands and engaged completely in her games with very minimal disinterest. The whole time I'm thinking to myself, what would I have done for any or all of this a year and a half ago when we started this mission.
I know where we are going and know that we have a long road ahead but can't believe we are actually here. The teachers and therapists still run out to tell me about the wonderful things he did that day and they all say so what if he is taking his time learning to talk, he is engaged and in to people and social and amazing. So many people lately have said there is so much in there we just need to get it out here. I describe it by saying that it's finally coming through we just have a slow leak. They all agree. I adore the new speech therapist and her techniques. She has worked with some of the kids I know with the best success stories and that alone makes it fun to get her input but her ideas are just so creative and effective and I'm excited to watch her get the results.
This is such an amazing kid who has come so far and has already made me so proud. I tell him every night that he's the perfect son for me. Even his pretend play skills are evolving and he is aware of and often annoyed with his baby brother. His brother is by far the best therapy I ever could have gotten for him. I should rent him out by the hour. This summer I will put him in a regular pre school camp that has an aide for special needs kids. I wouldn't be suprised but would be thrilled if he did so well that he didn't need his aide, or even if he didn't need her next yr. We aren't ready to potty train, his body isn't ready anyway, so the aide needs to be there for diapers at least. I always say that I cried hysterically at his first birthday , his 2nd I was proud and excited with progress his 3rd I was amazed and his 4th he's going to sing happy birthday with us. The expectation is that by his 5th he will be "there". How well rounded this kid will be because of all of his interventions. That 5th party will be a blow out bash!
I'm so grateful that we chose the path we did and the therapists and team we have are so invested in this. I have no doubt about our future and I'm anxiously waiting the arrival of language. Functional language where he can tell me what he wants and needs. This road is long and rough and some days (especially the last 2 where he is up for 3 hr stretches at a time over night) are harder than others but the progress and the possibilites are unbeliveable. I can't wait to see where this path ends and where the new one begins
N is labeling a ton, he has cut back since he was saying more but his engagement is through the roof and he is completely in tuned with and aware of others around him. Everyone on his team has noticed this difference. It's amazing to experience it. He laughs at my silly dances or his aunts little clapping peek a boo games. He likes doing photo shoots of his wind up toys with my cell phone and viewing the pictures later. His receptive language has come so drastically far that today when his slp said that he is so far ahead receptively,I almost fell off of my chair. This the kid who was 2 yrs behind when he was only 18 mos old!! Today his slp put random pictures on the floor and gave him duplicates to match them up. He completed this task, followed other simple commands and engaged completely in her games with very minimal disinterest. The whole time I'm thinking to myself, what would I have done for any or all of this a year and a half ago when we started this mission.
I know where we are going and know that we have a long road ahead but can't believe we are actually here. The teachers and therapists still run out to tell me about the wonderful things he did that day and they all say so what if he is taking his time learning to talk, he is engaged and in to people and social and amazing. So many people lately have said there is so much in there we just need to get it out here. I describe it by saying that it's finally coming through we just have a slow leak. They all agree. I adore the new speech therapist and her techniques. She has worked with some of the kids I know with the best success stories and that alone makes it fun to get her input but her ideas are just so creative and effective and I'm excited to watch her get the results.
This is such an amazing kid who has come so far and has already made me so proud. I tell him every night that he's the perfect son for me. Even his pretend play skills are evolving and he is aware of and often annoyed with his baby brother. His brother is by far the best therapy I ever could have gotten for him. I should rent him out by the hour. This summer I will put him in a regular pre school camp that has an aide for special needs kids. I wouldn't be suprised but would be thrilled if he did so well that he didn't need his aide, or even if he didn't need her next yr. We aren't ready to potty train, his body isn't ready anyway, so the aide needs to be there for diapers at least. I always say that I cried hysterically at his first birthday , his 2nd I was proud and excited with progress his 3rd I was amazed and his 4th he's going to sing happy birthday with us. The expectation is that by his 5th he will be "there". How well rounded this kid will be because of all of his interventions. That 5th party will be a blow out bash!
I'm so grateful that we chose the path we did and the therapists and team we have are so invested in this. I have no doubt about our future and I'm anxiously waiting the arrival of language. Functional language where he can tell me what he wants and needs. This road is long and rough and some days (especially the last 2 where he is up for 3 hr stretches at a time over night) are harder than others but the progress and the possibilites are unbeliveable. I can't wait to see where this path ends and where the new one begins
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