10/29/08

Well Lily hasn't been napping lately......sigh....on the plus side she has been more interactive and seems to be in better spirits (we went through a little rough patch. I'm assuming another growth spurt caused her crankiness). She can do the sign for Duck now, can find her "butt cheeks" (as Anthony calls them) along with most other body parts (we're working on arms and legs), she knows what "smile" means and does so with the most effort I've ever seen, lol.

We're going to be upping her speech therapy through Early Steps (an early intervention service) to three times a week (starting in Dec.). I'm hoping to get her some occupational therapy at a place I visited on Monday. We will also be starting RDI (Relationship Development Intervention) as well as another therapy known as the DIR model or "Floor Time", both kinds of therapies are done by parents at home and are used in your everyday life activities. They basically teach you how to interact productively with your child to help them develop specific skills that they are lacking (but doing it a natural, fun way). I've been doing that kind of thing with Lily all along, but I need lots more ideas on things that will help her with specific needs. It's hard to think up things all the time since she is nonverbal and her gesturing is really not where it should be either.

Autistic children need to be taught many skills that typical children gain naturally. One small example of this would be social referencing. A 12 month old baby is placed on a platform with a "visual cliff", meaning it's set up to look like half the platform is solid and the other has a drop, which is really just clear glass and is perfectly safe, but because the baby can see the cliff, but feel the floor underneath them, they are confused and look to their mother to see her expression to see if it is ok. The test they did showed babies avoid the cliff if the mother looked concerned or nervous but went across the platform if the mother looked content and calm.

There are so many things that moms of typical kids take for granted. Lily has a lot of potential, but needs help in so many areas that come naturally to most other kids. For example she only just learned what "bring me" means, and she doesn't understand the word "want". She rarely points at anything unless you ask her where things are, she doesn't point to things spontaneously to show you things or indicate what she wants. She understands thing much better when you use fewer words (I have a hard time remembering that usually). For example I need to say "Lily, sit down for shoes" instead of "Lily, it's time to put your shoes on so we can go bye-bye. Please sit down right here for mama". She could process the long version, since it's something we do routinely, but it will take her 3 times longer to respond. A different scenario would likely get me ignored.

A friend of mine is on a similar journey to the ride we're on. Her little boy just started making improvements in his eye contact and she is overjoyed! Such small things are missed so much when they are absent from the equation and it is such a thrill when you see your child attain skills you wished they had from the start. You watch other kids and wonder why your child struggles to achieve the same natural things that so many don't give a second thought. I suppose it's what wheelchair bound people may think of from time to time "if only they'd appreciate their ability to walk". We take things for granted in this world and don't see all the true blessings around us. I see what Lily struggles with and it saddens me, but at the same time I know she will get through it and we will all be better for it. Lily is our whole world and she makes our lives worth living. The most awesome gift that we have ever been given. I appreciate the little things all the more, and maybe that's a gift as well.