Big Strides For A Little Man

Ben has been in therapies now for 6 months.  And when I think back to even further, in Jan. 2012 and look at where he is now, I’m floored at his progress.  In January I didn’t even know for sure what was going on, just that he was struggling and way behind.  By February, I was having him evaluated by the birth to 3 program and also on the waiting list at Seattle Children’s Autism Center for a diagnosis.  We were lucky to bypass the 6 month waiting list with a cancellation and by March we had an Autism evaluation.  On April 12^th, 2012, our world…or maybe just my world changed dramatically.  I’m sure every parent goes through that exact moment when everything hits the fan at once.  Other things were disintegrating in other areas of my life as well.  The timing of it all was enormous.  The boat was sinking and people were getting out leaving Ben and I alone in the boat to try and float and survive.  That’s what it felt like.  You hear the diagnosis and see the behaviors and assume the worst.  You think life is over and drastically changed and doomed in some ways.  I started Ben in therapy programs, not very hopeful at all but having to do your best to get every available help possible.  I remember the first time I saw the “special needs” classroom.  I was horrified that my son had to attend and be in that school versus the wonderful Waldorf School I had found for him.  In many ways while these therapists and teachers were my lifeline and Ben’s, I very much resented that he had to be there in the first place.  I went to the first class and then didn’t return for many months while the nanny took him to class and therapy while I worked.  I started to drop in every few weeks with more frequent communication with his therapists.  Every time I saw HUGE steps from the last time I had been in the classroom.  I also saw a lot of what Ben was trying to communicate to me at home that I didn’t understand but made sense once I saw him in speech class or occupational therapy.  ABA therapy showed me that he’s very smart and incredibly stubborn and gets bored easily or not engaged.  Cognitive preschool showed me that he had emerging social skills.  I became so proud of all the work Ben was doing every single day.  I don’t remember being two myself, but I’m sure my days were fun and carefree compared to hours of “work” in therapy every day.  I was very much in awe at his determination and intense desire to work hard and improve. 

Today I sat down with his therapists and teachers 6 months down the road.  Today we celebrated his tremendous progress.  Goals we wrote down thinking he “might” make them within the year, he had smashed in 6 months.  Only 2 big ones left on the list of about 30 goals.  Responding to his name in some form more than 50% of the time and saying “my turn” when he wanted to take a turn with a toy/song/etc.  Incredible.  Lattes all around!  This round is on Ben!  We set up some new goals for him for the next 6 months, again sounding like they will be impossible to achieve.  Things like: strings 2 and eventually 3 words together, follows directions with 2 steps and maybe eventually 3 steps, engages with other children rather than just observing them and playing around them.  I know these may seem like simple things to the typical child that they learn easily and move right on by, but for Ben it will be tough and will take 6 months of therapy to get there most likely.  Ben has to work so hard just to get through his day and harder to do it the way we, as a society, expect it to be done with all the noises and distractions that living entails.  He’ll do it.  I know he will.  I know I will help him as will every member of his team and his nanny.  He has to succeed with so much support and help.  We would all thrive with this much support and help, right?  I wish everyone had this kind of support to get through life.  We’d all fare very well at the end of the day. 

I’m so proud of my son.  So proud I could burst each and every day.