Tuesday, April 28, 2009

4/28/09



So here is a quick video from today's autism insurance rally at the capital. Steve went with his mom and grandma (thanks guys!!!) and Steve video'd most of it for me. Here's a clip of Sam, I've mentioned him once before when I talked about the autism run for the Judson Center and how Sam and justin were playing on the swings. Anyway, here is Sam basically saying he's proof that early intervention works and to support the autism insurance bills. So cute and inspirational! I love those little signs in life that help keep the journey moving forward.

As for Tyler, all signs are pointing to that fact that he will talk one day, hopefully soon. I'm not sure i mentioned this the other day but the speech path commented at how hard Tyler has to work to just make a sound, you can see him really really struggle to get out a sound and try to move his mouth to get it to come out right (poor guy). So we are all (school and home) really working on sounds right now. Last night I was playing trucks with him. Let me go back a bit, last night was one of those nights where I felt successful in keeping both boys happy, I usually try to get one set up an independent activity so I can interact with the other and then a bit later I do the reverse. It's rare that we can all do the same activty as their interests are different and their developmental level is different, we try, it just doesn't always work. Ok so anyway, last night I played with ben and then got him busy playing his leapster, he loves the alphabet game and then I went to play trucks with Tyler. he got some fun sound/light trucks for his b-day that when you pull them backwards they move forward so we were playing with those. I would pull the trucks back and say "truCK" really emphasizing the "ck".. it didn't take long and he starting makign the "ck" sound.... so then I'd hold out for the "ck" sound before I'd let the trucks go. So if he said "ah" the truck wouldn't go, he had to say the "ck" sound.. of course I'd give him some free turns too so that he'd stay intersted. Anyway, right towards the end he said "ah" and I didnt' do anythign so he immediately said "uh..ck"... woo hooo.. he got it all out except the "t". I immediately emailed his teacher so they'd know his success and I was super excited. well, when I picked up Tyler from school today they said he said "ck" at school today too and was also making the "mmm" sound when prompted to do so. YIPEEE... everytone feels like he's just so close...

So i think a few days ago I may have mentioned how I was in a sad mood cause I had read his ADOS from the fall where it listed him as having Moderate/Severe autism.. well even though I had seen it before and knew all along this is what he had, reading it on paper that day was just upsetting. He's jsut come so far that it's hard for me to imagine what his label would have been like in the beginning. Steve said that today, he saw many kids that were obviously severely affected and his heart broke for them. You just wish you could help everyone and you know that pain that the family must be going through but on the other hand he said, it made him feel good about Tyler that he has come so far and that he does seem so social comparatively and that there just seems to be something that hasn't quite fired up in his brain yet but he seems so close and looks like he tries so hard. So we figure we have a few more "key" steps on the DAN protocol that have really helped some of the other kids like antifungals, antivirals, etc. I'm excited to have some more one on one time with him this summer and the sky is the limit :)