5/23/08

Tyler has come leaps and bounds this week! Starting last Thursday we really started to work on his point as that is one of our new objectives "distal point" many of you may not know that pointing is a form of communication which comes naturally to typically developing children, but can be very tough for children with autism. By dinner on Wednesday, he was showing daddy hew knew how to point at certain pictures in his book at the table. Daddy would piont and Tyler would point. We were so proud. He's also doing really well at feeding himself. We are slowing working to take away the supports we use at the table to get him to eat, blocks, books, etc. and having him use his own utensils and interaction.

I'm just so proud of Tyler. In the last week, he's really come a long way. I'm more and more convinced that the biomedical treatment really helps Tyler's brain take in all the other therapy. The good news is.... we were able to catch all of it on tape during the clinician fidelity taping. So we got him stacking blocks (his OT goal is to stack 6, he did that on video on Thursday), he ate with his own silverware, grabbed his own food, pointed, tried to take off his own pants at bath time, put arms up when I asked him too, engaged in the bathtime song, etc. etc. He is also taking his own plate and cup to teh table before dinner and taking it back to the kitchen after dinner. Most of the time he knid of walks like he's a slave and being forced to do it, (it's funny to see) but last night, Dad said he took his cup to the kitchen, all on his own (i.e. without having to hold his hand and pull him in the kitchen, etc.) dad just handed him the cup and he went and put it on the counter.

As our May consultation, we asked Carrie to work with Steve adn Ben (Tyler was at daycare). Sometimes Steve and Ben have a hard time together or as I think they like to push eachothers buttons. So our Super Nanny Carrie came over to address some of those issues and Steve said it went very well. They also addressed Ben and Dad's bed time routines. Both of them were getting a little too used to "snuggle" time and it was causing more and more issues of Ben waking up and watning attention so beginning last night, that's ending. Dad is no longer allowed to go into Ben's room after he goes to bed and before it's time for the family to get up. Ben had been waking up around midnight and dad would sleep on the couch in his room and then again around 5:30 or 5:45 and dad would go "shhhhhh" him back to sleep. We wake up at 5:20, so we aren't ready for work yet when Ben initially thinks he wants to get up and ahve snuggle time. So we'll just be letting him cry now until he falls back asleep or we are ready to get him up. I'm sure it will be a tough week but in the end, ti's better for all of us because Ben will be in a big boy bed before the end of the year.

Ok, all from us. Hope everything has a happy and safe Memorial Weekend.

P.S> Our June consultation is going to be a session at our house for family and friends to learn more about Tyler's conditino, treatment, outlook, etc. We are thinking about having it on June 8th (sun) sometime between 10 and 12. Let me know if you are interested in attending.