Wow, it's been a few weeks since I updated Brycen's blog! We've had some good and some not-so-good moments in that time. I just need to keep reminding myself that the stressful days seem fewer and farther in between compared to a year or two years ago...but it still really brings me down when we have a morning like we did on Monday this week. I really think the hardest part of dealing with Autism with Brycen is the lack of communication. I know some kids with Autism slowly begin talking, but it's just not looking so positive for Brycen in this area so our main focus is to encourage ANY kind of communication such as sign language, gesturing, or his voice-output device. It's not that we are giving up on him ever being able to learn to vocalize, it's just there is not time to wait around because we are all getting frustrated not understanding his needs and wants.
Today, I went to the school to visit Aubree's classroom during their Halloween party. Those 3 yr olds were so adorable in their costumes and were so excited to show them off! Oh, to be young again:) When her class visited Brycen in his room, he actually seemed excited to see them...and Aubree of course was excited to see Brycen "There you are, Buddy!". She loves her brother so much despite some of the trauma he puts her through!
I decided to spend some time in Brycen's classrooms as well while I was there. I have held off doing this as I'm never sure how he'll handle me being in his school space. Because he is so literal, I expected him to not understand why his mom was coming into his classroom for awhile. But he did fabulous! I saw him briefly during the costume parade and then snuck into the Kindergarten room when they were doing a group activity on the rug. He didn't even know I was there for the first few minutes! Some of you that have been following Brycen's journey over the last 2+ years probably remember me talking about how he wouldn't even sit on the rug during circle time during the beginning of his first and second years of preschool. I'm not sure the teachers/associates understand just how exciting it was for me to see him actually on the rug, watching the activity, and even taking his turn to participate willingly...because I compare it to two years ago when he just wanted to wander around the room or line things up and not join the circle time. I watched him wash his hands when he was told to, sit down and do a worksheet like all of his other classmates, stand in line for lunch...all HUGE accomplishments. Just like Mrs. H told us at conferences...he really does seem like one of the kids and not different in so many ways like I had imagined.
I then followed him over to his sp. ed. room to get his lunchbox and wait for his classmates there to get ready for lunch. I had heard yesterday from another mom at the therapy clinic (pretty much all of the kiddos in this room also attend outside therapy at the same clinic) that Brycen has taken a liking to her daughter "M." I watched as Brycen waited for "M" and he got close to her and looked back at me like "Here's my friend, Mom!" and then helped push her wheelchair down to the lunchroom. What a big helper he is! Then he proceeded to get his own lunch items out and begin eating, opening up his sandwich container and chip ziploc bag with NO HELP! I even commented about this and of course was reminded "He's in kindergarten now." But I still see my little baby who just one year ago would NOT have sat in that lunchroom with all the other kids/noise, would NOT have had the patience to help push "M" down to the lunchroom, would NOT have sat at group time on the rug for 10-15 minutes, would NOT have stood in line without pushing/shoving, and definitely would NOT have tolerated having Mom in his business.
It was a wonderful experience to visit him at school for that time and I know it probably seems like such little things to some parents, but seeing him in this environment, being independent, and THRIVING is wonderful...of course comparing where we were two years ago...even one year ago. I am thankful for all of the patient teachers and associates that give him the attention he needs over these last couple years. I am thankful for the students who seem to accept him as just one of them. I am thankful that even if he is not communicating verbally like we really hoped he would start doing, he seems to be succeeding in so many other areas that two years ago seemed impossible!
"When one door of happiness closes, another opens;
but often we look so long at the closed door that we do not see the one which has opened for us."
Helen Keller
Thursday, October 27, 2011
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Autism and Our Family
"Autism"----It's one word that can change the life of a child and family in so many ways. Autism Spectrum Disorders are being diagnosed at a rate of 1 in 68 children currently. If you do not already know someone that has been diagnosed, the statistics say it won't be long before you do.
Our son developed typically until around the time he turned 2 years old. We heard words...we saw him play with other kids...we watched as he played with his toys appropriately...we made eye contact with him...overall we understood his wants and needs. In a matter of a few months, that was all taken away from him. He began lining up toys, lost all of his words and signs except for one word "ball", ignored other kids, could not sleep through the night, lost eye contact and the ability to follow directions, and he had no way of letting us know what he wanted or how he felt. It was heartbreaking to see something happening to our child that we couldn't stop!
Brycen began receiving home therapy 1-2 times per month for about 6 months before we realized it wasn't just developmental delays. We knew it was Autism...we just didn't want to say it outloud to anyone. He was officially diagnosed with Autism (classic form and regressive), as well as Mental Retardation in August 2009 by the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.
We continue to learn as we make our way through this journey with Brycen and we will continue to share this journey with you on this blog! The blog has been a great therapy for us to be able to vent our frustrations and struggles with accepting that we have a child with special needs, while sharing how blessed we are to have a child teach us what life truly means. It has also been a great way to inform others of his progress and changes over the last couple of years.
Thank you for your support of Brycen and our family! We hope you are able to learn something through this blog no matter if you are a parent of a child with special needs or a neurotypical child, a teacher or therapist, a family member, or just someone that is interested in the journey that a family goes on as they learn their child is battling a life-long disorder.
Our son developed typically until around the time he turned 2 years old. We heard words...we saw him play with other kids...we watched as he played with his toys appropriately...we made eye contact with him...overall we understood his wants and needs. In a matter of a few months, that was all taken away from him. He began lining up toys, lost all of his words and signs except for one word "ball", ignored other kids, could not sleep through the night, lost eye contact and the ability to follow directions, and he had no way of letting us know what he wanted or how he felt. It was heartbreaking to see something happening to our child that we couldn't stop!
Brycen began receiving home therapy 1-2 times per month for about 6 months before we realized it wasn't just developmental delays. We knew it was Autism...we just didn't want to say it outloud to anyone. He was officially diagnosed with Autism (classic form and regressive), as well as Mental Retardation in August 2009 by the University of Iowa Hospitals and Clinics.
We continue to learn as we make our way through this journey with Brycen and we will continue to share this journey with you on this blog! The blog has been a great therapy for us to be able to vent our frustrations and struggles with accepting that we have a child with special needs, while sharing how blessed we are to have a child teach us what life truly means. It has also been a great way to inform others of his progress and changes over the last couple of years.
Thank you for your support of Brycen and our family! We hope you are able to learn something through this blog no matter if you are a parent of a child with special needs or a neurotypical child, a teacher or therapist, a family member, or just someone that is interested in the journey that a family goes on as they learn their child is battling a life-long disorder.
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