April 29

This week we got 7 1/2 hours.

If anything I feel like Sarah's language has improved even further. It is hard to remember when she couldn't express herself so much. We still have a ways to go so that other people can understand her as well as Carl and I can. Sarah's teacher commented that her receptive language has exploded. Yay! Some of her favorite things to say lately:
"pa-sh wa-t bus" (push white bus) - if asked where or questioned at all she says "naoo!"
"two pay-ahr wa-t pa-s" (two pair white pants) - she does have two pairs of white pants
"dada wad bus to-geh-er" (Dad ride bus together) - she wants to ride the bus together with dad
"laht baoo cahr gma gpa!" (light blue car grandma grandpa) - grandma and grandpa do in fact have a light blue car

We are working on expanding some of her words such as "yote" to be yogurt

If she bumps some part of herself she often says she needs to wash it; now she has also expanded to say "l-k boo" which means for me to look at her boo-boo

It is interesting how certain things really make an impression on her. On Saturday I did Sarah-Rise time in the family room with Amy there too. I brought out the big wooden puzzle and Sarah took the crab piece and threw it across the room. In the past I would have taken this as a rejection. Now I understand more how to loop in what she does to my overall goal of increasing her attention span. So I said "the crab went far!" and then she went to get it and moved it farther and I said "the crab is going far away." Most of our puzzle play then consisted of her moving the crab and saying "cab go fahr." I then made distressed faces and pretended to wipe away tears and said "crab, come back!" Crab never did receive Sarah's help to come back but she did spend a tiny bit of time with the other pieces and getting them in the board and she was very interested in my mock distress.

I have been working on telling her ahead of time when I am going to do something to her person (eg wipe her nose, pick her up). It is striking to me how often I do things to her person and don't say anything. It definitely lessens her resistance when I tell her that I'm going to wipe her face after a meal and that it will feel cold and wet. I have also been telling her that I will count to three and then do whatever thing needs to happen next unless she is already starting to do it.

Sometimes I am amazed at Sarah's memory. Yesterday I had taken the tray off of Amy's high chair for washing. I then went out for some me-time and Carl watched the girls. At one point he was with Amy and came into the dining room to find Sarah sitting in Amy's high chair on top of the anti-slip pad that she had removed from under the upstairs hall rug! When Sarah was much younger we used to have her sit on an anti-slip pad in the high chair, but that was years ago! I am amazed that she not only remembered but knew where to find one to recreate the experience she wanted.

She is getting much better with putting on her seat belt. I have to help some but not much and she is often insistent that she do it herself (indicated by "S-ya!" (Sarah).

This week I've been reading What You Can Do Right Now to Help Your Child with Autism by Jonathan Levy, who used to work at the Autism Treatment Center of America (home of the Son-Rise Program). It is so helpful. So simple, clear, and concise. He is explaining everything that I learned in the start-up training and from M. It is so helpful to keep hearing/reading things so that I really get it. One story that he shared especially impressed me. He worked with a family who came for an intensive and their child ran around the room carrying a stick 98% of the time. This is what the child always did (wearing only a diaper). The staff spent the entire week joining in the stick carrying. The family went home and started their Son-Rise program and worked with him all day every day, joining in stick carrying. They did this for 8 months with no change in the child. And then after 8 months he started to make eye contact and connect! WOW!! I am so impressed that the family believed enough to carry on for 8 months. That helps me realize that I can play with cakes and candles every day for however long Sarah loves them.

I hope you all had a lovely weekend. Thank you as always for your support in this amazing adventure.