Yesterday was Aiden's last day of Early Childhood for the summer, and I cried.
As I walked away from Aiden's teachers and said, "thank you so much" and "goodbye, see you in the Fall," I cried. Aiden loves his teachers. He will give me his dinosaurs that he clings to, and run to give a teacher a hug--happy to start his school day and say "goodbye" to mom for just a moment. I'm so grateful that it isn't a fight to get him to go. In just a few months in EC, Aiden made so much progress! This year, they learned about animals. To my surprise and joy, Aiden SAYS quite a few animal names--on his own--with just a book to prompt him. He even makes some animal noises! His adorable, sweet voice is music to my ears! He still repeats like crazy, but it is speech, and I'm so happy to hear him gain some words of his own.
There are times when I see Aiden and Austin running and laughing together, and I think--nothing is wrong. Then there are moments, especially with other children, that Aiden will stand or sit in a corner playing with a stick or random object for hours instead of joining in on the fun. That makes me sad. He lays on the floor a lot too, in public and at home. He has a "shreek" that he does at random for no apparent reason. He doesn't seem angry, upset, or unhappy at all. He just "shreeks" at random. On a positive note, Aiden is starting to repond more and more to me, and he is running away much less! He was perfect at the grocery store yesterday, and I had a glimpse of what could be. He pushed his own cart, and stayed by mom--wow! He listened, and followed. I was overjoyed, and so proud of him!
I know Aiden could be much more severe than he is. I'm grateful I don't have to see my son sit in a corner all day, with no verbal or non-verbal communication. He loves to go places, and he transitions very well. The only time I noticed that he couldn't handle the break in our routine, was the night I left him with my sister-in-law overnight. BIG MISTAKE. The following night, Aiden screamed all night long--literally. He will start summer school in a week, and I'm a little nervous to change his routine, but I think he will do well. Let's hope he likes the bus!
We have an appointment at Mercy on July 11th, and hopefully, we can start some in-home therapy again!
We have an appointment at Mercy on July 11th, and hopefully, we can start some in-home therapy again!
Change is difficult for Aiden, but the more you make him adapt to change, the better off he will be...even if it is hard for both of you! Yes, he will often react to changes in behavioral ways, because he doesn't have language to express himself. Make sure you verbalize what you think he is feeling to give him words. If one of your kids is sad, show him that and say, "Sad," if he is happy, label it (and so on with anger, fear, etc.). Each of you smile and say, "happy." Talk about everything...even in the car. Use language constantly. Even if he doesn't start talking in sentences, he will learn. My son didn't start to speak in sentences until age 10. We now converse all the time. One day things just clicked and he started to speak in sentences. Of course, we gave him a great deal of therapy. He had four days a week in the school and four days a week with a private therapist (one hour with a PhD) for nine years. Be careful of what you wish for...he never stops talking! :)
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