A Baby No More

My camera broke!  James is missing a tooth, I have no picture, and the new one is coming in already. Unfortunately, we think he ate it.  He had the tooth before lunch, but it was gone immediately after.  We asked him but his only communication was to point to the bottom of his mouth.  Oh well.  Lucky Grandma (moonlighting as the tooth fairy) isn't a stickler for physical evidence.

James has been fairly un-vocal lately and we are terrified his speech will stop again.  I do get some words occasionally so all is not lost.  His speech teacher also, very practically, pointed out that James just lost a tooth and that having a loose tooth and then a gaping hole in one's mouth is a HUGE distraction, especially for an autistic kid who battles distractions at every turn.  Did I say she was James' therapist?  I never hear how important therapists are to parents.  Not just for the service they provide for the kids but for the peace of mind they give us.  In a way, I consider them MY therapists as well.

That said, hopefully there is reality in his speech teacher's wise words and James' vocals will re-emerge.  Last night, he wanted to read a book.  "Ree Buh" he said.  So I asked him something new: What book do you want to read?  And he responded, "Bra Beh."  Wow, I thought, that really sounds like "Brown Bear" but I held my tongue to wait and see.  Lo and behold, James brought me that very book!  James' receptive language is huge and I have to remind myself to say new things and ask different questions even if I get discouraged when he can't or won't respond.  He is a real person, a big boy and not a baby, and I have to treat him accordingly, respectfully.  Perhaps he won't respond if he thinks it is not expected?