Monday, February 04, 2008

Celebrating the kids!





Nadine's (age 6, above) "Bugs Bunny and Sylvester" drawings... made while I was sewing.

My kids have just been amazing me at every turn.

About our son:

(For background info, Aaron is our 2 1/2 year old child, who was diagnosed with Autism last Spring.)

For about two months now, Aaron's ability to focus on a task has increased to the point that we can work with flash cards, getting him to repeat... or, well, approximate, the words we say... Until very recently, some of the words sounded like what we were saying, and some continued to bear no resemblence to the words we are asking him to repeat.

But...

One morning last week, I discovered Aaron in his bedroom, trying to play "teacher" with a stuffed bunny. That was a HUGE suprise to me, because it revealed that he didn't need the words to repeat... he knows exactly what those cards say... he is just having a very hard time pronouncing the words. He frequently gets frustrated, and wants to stop. Occasionally, his brain gets "stuck", and he just keeps repeating the previous word, but the fact that we can now ask "What is this?" and get an answer... just makes me want to scream for joy! Video example below...



Last week was a grueling one. Meetings, visits, appointments... We visited a potential school for Aaron, which seems just perfect, provided he qualifies for the program and there's space in the Fall... But between therapies and my other responsibilities, I feel like I could just collapse right now... I have an awful cold that I can't shake, and my voice is completely gone, but my schedule hasn't permitted me to nurse it thus far, so I can't wait to take a breath...

As for Nadine (our six-year old)... she is just blossoming. She is doing beautifully in school, her swim and gymnastics classes. Let's hope this trend continues! Today, she actually swam a few strokes without assistance... we were thrilled!

Because we have run out of room on the refrigerator for her art, we made this art display wall yesterday...



We will suspend her pictures fom the clothes pins dangling from golden cords. I haven't steamed the wrinkles out yet, but this gives you the idea. Total materials... a whopping $8!

4 comments:

  1. What a great treat to see your children growing and learning first hand! You must have such a sense of accomplishment and joy.

    ReplyDelete
  2. Anonymous2:05 PM

    You are so dedicated to your children. That's so refreshing to see live and how well your children are revolving because of it.

    On a total unrelated topic. We share a love for gloves, but I have yet to attempt to make one. I own plenty. Different lengths, fabrics, colors, etc. I came across this link today and I wanted to share it with you. http://www.vintagesewing.info/1950s.html Like I said, I haven't tried to make one so I not sure how helpful this is towards your gloverly experiences, but I just wanted to pass it along. :-)

    ReplyDelete
  3. Hi Mimi,
    I'm so glad Aaron continues to do well! Is he still on the gluten free diet?

    Your daughter's smile is precious.
    What a great idea the picture hanger is!

    ReplyDelete
  4. I forgot to tell you about this site: Sounds Into Syllables.

    I heard about this girl who discovered how well her autistic cousin responded to music so she custom designed a teaching tool. She was featured on CNN Heroes

    http://www.soundsintosyllables.com/

    ReplyDelete

Baltimore, MD - Association of Sewing and Design Professionals Conference

  Heading off to meet with colleagues, my fellow Board Members, and friends in Baltimore, MD for a few days of conference, meetings, and eve...