Therapy World

Although I have already joined the "therapy world" as a profession, Andrew and all the other family members are joining as well. I now take Andrew to ABA therapy 2X week and my dad takes him on Tues/ Thursday's to Speech and OT at Warm Springs. Wow is Andrew keeping Dad young! Since we moved here he has lost 35 pounds. I am really thankful that I am able to take him to some of his therapy and I am so grateful for Dad's help. I am able to sit and reflect on things, talk to other parents of kids on the spectrum and see other boys his age and older dealing with the same issues. It is tough to see boys 4 and 5 years old with no words and 1 sign and I pray that God will bless Andrew by giving him more language. Last Friday he had a really good day. His Speech Therapist called to tell me that he was imitating a sign that she had done in therapy. I had taken him to my brother and sister -n-laws house and my brother was able to see some great joint attention- looking at Elmo, back at Uncle Cas and then back at Elmo and signing please. Even Felt noticed better eye contact with Andrew. All seemed to go well until Andrew got a little too excited and fell scraping his nose on the bed rail. He is now getting the shock and awe looks everywhere we go. As I sat waiting for Andrew in therapy today I realized that through the years of my work with children with Autism and my level of interest that somehow God had prepared me for this journey. All the time that I spent making materials for children, attending workshops that were never needed for the schools but that pertained to Autism........God was preparing me mentally and emotionally. He gave me a compassion and understanding for these children and prepared my heart. I remember talking to a girlfriend once when I was pregnant, telling her that it would be the worst thing to have an autistic child. Well it's not! It's not a road I would ever choose to travel, but we will fight the good fight and do everything in our power to help Andrew. It's hard for me to realize that God has a plan in this and that someday it will be revealed. I just wish it was on my time and I wish that someone would be able to tell me if we are doing all the right things.