Noah's special ed teacher texted me last week, asking if I'd be willing to answer some interview questions about special needs parenting for a college course she's taking over the summer. Most of them dealt with how we found out about Noah's issues, the challenges/accomplishments we've faced, etc. As I was filling them out, I was picturing Noah over a year ago. He's always been a sweet, happy little kid. For a kid with ASD, he's always been surprisingly social. He loves attention. But the toddler we had over a year ago was almost a different kid compared to the one we have now. It's amazing to think about how far he's come in such a short amount of time.
A huge chunk of this success is due to his fabulous OT, "Ms Kim". One of the questions asked me what I think professionals can do for families like ours and kids like Noah. My response? Believe in them. Connect with them. Don't sell them short. These are incredibly intelligent kids, all with different gifts and talents that often end up being so useful that they go on to better the world we live in (ie. Einstein, Temple Grandin, etc). I can always tell which therapists truly love my kid and which ones see him as a number. It's not that difficult... the ones who love him? They get the most progress out of him.
And that's Ms Kim for us. She's a mom, a grandmother, and an occupational therapist. She's also expensive. haha. But worth every. single. stinking. penny. She connects with him and often comments on how cute he is and hugs him because she wants to, not just for the deep pressure squeezes. :)
Seriously, the woman is amazing.
Part of me feels a little sad for her that she can't see just how much her work is paying off when we're out and about.
When we would go to events like birthday parties, Noah would do okay, but he never really participated well. He didn't play with the other kids. He would fuss when he couldn't have the cake before they blew out the candles. He had a great time, but it was usually because he found a spot where he could run back and forth alone.
Fast forward to this past weekend.
My friend's little boy turned 3, and Noah was invited to his birthday party (fyi, for a special needs parent, just your kid getting an invite means the world). They did a back yard mini-waterpark, complete with a car wash they made (very cool).
We usually let Noah take the lead when it comes to these types of scenarios. When we pulled up to the house and got him out of the car, he be-bopped his little self right across their yard, up to the front door, and waited for someone to open it. All by himself, with Brad and I standing there at the car watching him. Cracked us up.
Once open, he walked on in like he owned the place, found himself a Thomas engine and began playing.
We gave him some time to get used to where he was, and by the time the other kids started playing in the water, Noah was ready to play too. Like I said... before? He would've just found a spot and ran back and forth, avoiding most of the social interaction. Saturday? He was right in the middle of the fun.
I know I talk a lot about how "big" Noah is... how he's so tall and weighs so much more than an average 3 yr old. But it's hard to tell in pictures without some way to compare. The little boy to the left of him was the one who turned 3. Noah will be 4 in August, so he's almost a year older. When we were at the school, I noticed he was the same size as several of the kindergarteners there. haha
(Also, this next one cracks me up. Like three little old men checking out the car wash...)
So yeah. It's so cool to see how far he's come and gives me hope for where we'll be a year from now.
Happy Monday!!
1 comment:
Yay! Look at him with all the other kids! I LOVE IT!
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