Fall tis THE Season

Last week, Halloween started party season in our house.  This week, the Yankees won their 27th World Series, just in time for my birthday! Thanks guys! Next is our TENTH anniversary, then Thanksgiving, and in December we have the big celebrations: James' birthday and Christmas!  AND this year, the party is officially extended with the 1st birthday of James' littlest cousin.  Not to mention the beautiful leaves and the return of sweater weather!

But there is more behind my sunny outlook: I think I finally figured out what was bothering James.  I just couldn't put my finger on it, until yesterday.  James' dad commented that he thought the addition of PT (physical therapy) to James' after school schedule was taking its toll on our little guy.   James was super "stimmy," very quick to tears, and complaining to an extreme extent before any afternoon therapy.  At first I thought he was constipated but after we regulated him (apples and fiber!!), I assumed he was coming down with something. But James never got sick.  His therapist for PT is a highly educated (a doctor) and experienced, but she isn't loving. James responds best to a therapist who can be both sweet and firm.  I have seen him respond to "harsher" therapists twice in his life (he has had therapy since he was 2).  Both times, he improved immediately after removing them from his schedule. I think I was lulled into security by our comfort and ease at this particular center.  I requested a new therapist this morning and got one by 4 pm - his previous physical therapist from school! James loved his sessions with her so much that he wanted to go upstairs to her office even when it wasn't his scheduled time. Yahoo!!  Now I must beat myself up for not acting sooner!

Thankfully I am too busy to give in to my guilt. This week's project is programming James' communication device. It is a board with 8 places for icons.  When you touch the icon, it says the word or phrase.  There are 12 levels with 12 separate programable boards, allowing different boards for school, for Speech, for Occupational Therapy, for Physical Therapy AND home.  It is not only proven to help children to actually say words, it increases their confidence.  Luckily James has a dedicated and amazing Speech therapist who lives around the corner who has volunteered to help me.  Yep, I'm tearing up again, but it's out of joy this time, I swear!