I wasn't positive we were doing what was best for James. We just knew we could not continue submitting him to what amounted to daily torture. Was James really as poorly off as the school claimed? Was it true I was a desperate mother not wanting to see what James really was? Should I consider putting him on drugs to ease his school anxiety because when he gets older he will have to live in institutions with violent people? These weren't really what I was thinking (except in the middle of the night) but these were all things that were told to be by "professionals" in the autism world.
Hah! Listen all you parents and caregivers: TRUST YOUR GUT! You DO know your child best. You must speak up, especially if that kid can't speak for his or herself.
Yes, James can read. Yes, James can type. James can answer my questions in sentences using correct verb tense and pronouns. James loves facts. He can tell you anything about New York State. He offers his opinions. For instance, James really likes stories about Franklin Delano and Teddy Roosevelt when they were his age. Who knew? Lo and behold, James can even tell you what he is feeling. While we were working on penmanship, James told me why he was crying: "Frustrated." And what was wrong; "I cant write." All this because I, his teacher, and all his therapists - Occupational, Physical, and Speech - require that he use his iPad. The program ProLoQuo2Go is amazing. I entered his daily schedule. It allows for major flexibility and is easy to change. We use it for every activity from school and therapy related ones to weekend fun and chores. If the choice he wants is not available, he can type and tell you want he requires. And it all talks for him. He writes a sentence, hits enter and he "speaks."
I can't say that James has changed. He has the same quirks and anxieties, although the degree to which he experiences these has lessened dramatically. He does engage with people more willingly. And he participates in every aspect of my life. Muni-meter feeding? James does it for me. Laundry: Well, he is good at throwing things in at least! Preparing dinner? Not too much yet but he watches me like I am a TV. I even get him to try new things this way. My kid hates cantaloupe but loves ginger, go figure! Grocery shopping? Oh, he comes, and they all know his name. Occasionally, James picks out items that are not on our list. So far, I have been mostly lucky, (as seltzer water and watermelon are affordable), but also because, when he has suggested something that I don't want to buy, he has calmly handled my explanation. THAT boy is different.
James absolutely knows the numbers 0 through 10. I am trying to keep myself from rushing ahead in his Math-U-See lessons as I am dying to see if he knows addition as well. He knows the concepts of up/down, bigger/smaller, left/right, before/after, open/closed. So far, he knows 10 colors, 5 shapes, 21 body parts, and 39 animals. I have been using killer apps from Dr. Gary Brown. All using Discrete Trial Training although James' incentive for successfully completing each trial is another Application: Dr. Seuss Band!
It's not that James has changed. As I said before, my sweetie is still autistic and non-verbal with all the quirks and anxieties and major baggage that come with those afflictions. BUT, the difference is that now, James is HAPPY. And, so am I.
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