Finally: it's warm out! Why does James grow in leaps and bounds during the summer? And this year it is happening even before it starts! James is actually wearing some size 7 pants. Wild. For the past few years, he has been jumping a size at the end of the season. We are in trouble (actually in quite a few more ways than one). This week, James has been testing me left and right. So, in response, his Dad and I are standing extraordinarily firm. The lights will remain on. The doors, open. We do not play with food. No eating or drinking in your room. And, when you make a mess, YOU have to clean it up. Also, when I have to leave him alone (that damn bathroom always calls me away), I give him something to do. If unattended, even momentarily, James has poured juice all over his bed, broken all his snacks all over the couch or living room floor. It involves stimming, I know. I also think my poor sweetie just doesn't know what to do on his own. Thank God he wants to do something besides watch TV, but I have to be there to gently guide him, provide a little direction, otherwise it's time to stim! Books seem to bore him lately so puzzles are still the distraction of choice. For fun, we have also been identifying pictures. From his Early Intervention days, we have these great Language Builder cards that use actual photos of real every day objects, shapes and colors. James often brings me the box and we go through a bunch of images. I show him two photos and ask him to show me the bird or the shirt or pink or whatever. He amazes me. How does he know what a rhinoceros or a watermelon is? I love that he knows a skirt from pants. He soaks up so much. When his Occupational Therapist said that James doesn't know the difference between shirt and pants, I knew that not to be true and for her to look at the problem as a motor planning issue. She did, she agrees with me now and is approaching it differently. Speaking of motor skills, I see improvement! Besides his new ability to manipulate puzzle pieces, I see James lifting, pushing and pulling on his own. He puts quarters in the parking meter. He opens heavy doors. He throws huge balls (and freaks his Dad out). Although it might not sound like much, I have been trying to get James to complete these simple tasks for years. And you know what? It feels pretty great. Not only can James DO these things, but he WANTS to.
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