I can't BELIEVE it's August!  Where does time go?

I have to report how EXCITED I am about Cody's progress!  We met with his ABA Therapist and Autism specialist today.  We reviewed all his programs and watched him work both on video and in person.  He did something that none of us thought he could do.  He has a "receptive identification" program where two pictures are held up on a board.  In his case, one is a picture of Elmo and another a picture of a binky.  Today, both photos were held up and Jennifer said, "point to Elmo" and he DID!  Then she said, "point to binky" and he DID!  He did it over and over today.  We worked up to this level by just isolating "elmo" first and having him point to Elmo till he had that down.  Then we added a blank card so it was a "distractor" - and he still pointed to Elmo.  Then we worked with "binky" alone in the same way.  We were all sure that once Elmo and Binky got on the board together, Cody wouldn't understand the difference between the two.  But he does!  That tells us very specifically that he is capable of understanding WORDS.  With pecs he chooses pictures based on the photo.  But with this program, he follows DIRECTIONS.  NO ONE thought he was capable of distinguishing between items based on a verbal command.  There are two types of communicating - receptive and expressive.  Pecs is expressive - meaning he expresses his communication by choosing a pec to tell us which item he wants.  Pointing to a photo when asked to pick "elmo" is receptive because he's listening to an instruction and following it.  AMAZING.  Now that he is learning this skill, we can apply it further and further and further. 

And the other really cool progress is that he's IMITATING!  He's long been able to put a ball "in" or to put something "on" something else.  Those were early programs.  Now he's more advanced.  So his therapist takes a car and drives it in front of him and says "do this!"  And instantly Cody grabs his car and drives it around!  AMAZING.  This kid has never imitated in his life.  Now we move him a step further and having him drive the car down a ramp.  Once he can do that, it's up a ramp.  Once he can do that it's a sequence like up, down, in a loop.  I NEVER thought he'd be able to do the car.  He has another imitation program with clappers - you wave them and they make a clapping sound.  And when the therapist does it and says "do this!" Cody picks his up and waves it around! 

His play skills are awesome too - we have a program with a dog that makes a noise every time you touch it's nose, paw, tummy, ear.  And Cody can touch each one to make it's noise.  Prior to this program, he had no interest in the dog whatsoever.  Now he knows how to play with it!  Same with a Veggie Tales book that has buttons to push for sounds.  He can turn the pages, push the buttons, hear the sounds!  Granted, he doesn't "play" with them - it's more a task he finishes - but that's the foundation for play skills.  You teach how to play - and once he's mastered about 15 different toys - you work on "duration of play" where he's rewarded for the length of time he plays.  That's where he will begin to understand really "playing" with something.  I just love ABA therapy - it builds up from the very most basic skill - and adds layer and layer of progress once each level is mastered. 

He's also doing great with matching.  If you put three 3-D objects in front of him (in our case a wooden giraffe, zebra and elephant) and hand him a giraffe and say "match giraffe" - BOOM - he lays the giraffe on top of the giraffe.  It gives me goosebumps watching him learn.  And in between each trial he gets an edible reward or a sensory toy to play with which makes the whole experience fun. 

And with pecs - he is doing fantastic.  He can discriminate between about 15-20 items and routinely asks for whatever he wants.  We add items daily.  Now he can ask for sandwhich, grapes, banana...it's so cool.  And he's discriminating at school too which is a first!  We're combining signs with pecs too - so for all the times he wants a noise made in his ear, he now points to his ear with his index finger.  That's his sign for "listen to noise."  He got that sign down in ONE DAY!  Again - that tells us something - that tells us he's learning more and more to follow instruction and learning the empowerment of communication.  His other signs are "more" "all done"  "open" and we're working now on "eat."   

I just had to post his progress report from today.  I'm told he's not just progressing great, he's progressing "fantastically!"  YAY Cody!  Now, I know that someone whose child just graduated from Stanford or Yale is proud.  I know someone whose child just made captain of the football team is proud.  But I guarantee you you've never seen proud like this mom is proud!  When I watch Cody drive that car back and forth I want to scoop him up and scream to the world, "I GAVE BIRTH TO A GENIUS!"  He amazes me on a daily basis in so many ways.  This great ABA session today was after a night of 5 seizures. Five times I got up with him and held him through one.  His sleep was horrible.  He woke up for good at 6am.  And yet he still cranked out great effort in therapy today. 

And I have to add the MOST hysterical thing!  We were working with Cody's speech therapist wednesday in our living room and Cody was requesting a granola bar with a pec.  Casey really wanted a bite of that bar but that bar was reserved for Cody because it's too hard to chew for Casey.  But Casey was determind.   So after watching us, and wanting to be just like big brother, Casey went and grabbed a little pec picture that had fallen on the floor and walked over and tried to hand it to me - just like brother did - to request the bar.  I about died!  He is amazing too!  Only it kind of flows out of him like butter - effortless. 

I celebrate both my brilliant boys today.  My heart is full and I am so grateful.

With love,

Shawna