Picture Day photo

Here is a pic of Gabe on picture day. He is waiting for his teachers to come out to get him. He loves school and willingly goes into the building with his teacher and the other students each morning. :)

Jenny's new book! Read it!

I must put in a plug for Jenny McCarthy's new book. She did a fantastic job in recapturing her struggle and journey with her son, Evan, diagnosed with Autism. On many pages, I really felt as though she were telling our story. She acknowledges the fact that all too often, Doctors do not give enough credit to our "mommy instincts." This has been the case for me so often that I regretfully admit to not giving much credit to the "instincts" of the medical experts that I now encounter. She illustrates how we, the parents of children with Autism, must rely on our own ability to research because there is no "Welcome to the World of Autism" pamphlet. She humorously refers to earning a Ph.D in "Google Research" and that is exactly how it feels!!! She captures the heartbreak and the wide spectrum of feeling we, as mothers, go through on this rocky path. I strongly recommend this book to anyone - not just those raising children with Autism. I have to end with a beautiful and eloquently written quote from her book that describes exactly how I have felt about my relationship with my son. "Is he affectionate, and does he show warmth and love?" "I was about to answer, and stopped. Time stood still at that moment. I wanted to reply, "Yes, all the time, he hugs me like all little boys hug their mommies and gives me kisses." But he didn't. I honestly had never noticed that I wasn't getting the physical love that most mommies get. I really didn't need it, because love is energy, and I felt it. His love was louder than words, and our connection was very deep. If Evan never spoke a word, I would be able to read his mind and feel a love connection that could be felt by the whole universe. I answered, "Does he show love? He is love. And I feel it every day." Thanks, Jenny!

Hi!

I couldn't believe my ears a few days ago! My son actually told someone, "Hi!" Now that may not seem like such a momentous occasion for a parent to celebrate, but it is for me!!!

As we encounter people in our daily lives, I always prompt Gabe to tell them, "Hi or Bye-Bye" without any response on his part. I figured I would keep doing it nonetheless and remained hopeful that someday he would "catch on" to these customary social interactions. We have actually been working on waiving bye as a goal in our ABA program with some success. However, Gabe still has not generalized waiving bye to anyone other than his therapist.

A few days ago, Gabe and I were walking to the car and he noticed the next door neighbors outside playing ball. He took off in their direction, running full speed through the open field. When I caught up to him (very out of breath) I did the usual prompting of, "Gabe, say hi to Roger." Neither I nor our neighbor, Roger, expected what we heard next. Gabe looked in Roger's direction, raised his hand and said, "Hiiiiiii." The most beautiful sound in the world! Of course, I hugged him and shouted praises! The look on our neighbor's face indicated he was also surprised and couldn't help but feel excitement, as well.

Later that evening, I reflected on the last time I saw Gabe raise his sweet little hand and tell others "hi." My last memory of this was in an Ihop restaurant close to our old neighborhood. Gabe was about 12 months old and was acknowledging everyone that walked by him as we waited to be seated. A few moths later, that skill completely disappeared, along with many others. My heart grows sad when I reflect on skills that have disappeared and as I can't help but wonder what might have been. However, this milestone was a ray of sunshine in an otherwise overcast day and I will bask in the warm, glowing sunlight for as long as I can!

First Weeks of School

Gabe is in his second week of school and it couldn't be going better! I was so nervous about having a new teacher. I was concerned that Gabe would be overlooked due to being the only completely nonverbal child in the class. I was also concerned that no one would recognize how much information he is storing inside that little brain of his. It turns out that I have nothing to be worried about. Mrs. Allen has put my mind at ease as she has taken the time to get to know Gabe and understands his strengths and weaknesses. She is very determined to help him learn to communicate and has commented on how much Gabe knows, even though he is unable to demonstrate it verbally. I believe Gabe will thrive this year in this special classroom. I am excited to see his progress! "Feelings of worth can flourish only in an atmosphere where individual differences are appreciated, mistakes are tolerated, communication is open, and rules are flexible - the kind of atmosphere that is found in a nurturing family." - Virginia Satir