Chalkin' It Up...

Today, Katelyn, Ashley and I went to my friend Melissa's house for a playdate with her two daughters, Mia and Megan. Mia is a few months older than Katelyn and Megan is only a few months old. I wasn't sure how Katelyn would be since we hadn't been to Melissa's house in over a year. When we first arrived, Katelyn met their dog, Fenway, and she said, "Tucker," who is her uncle's dog. Then Fenway began licking her face and rubbing her and Katelyn clenched her face and said, "Okay, okay, doggie, okay!" It was the cutest thing.

Katelyn was much more interactive with Mia than I had expected. She even played dinosaurs and blocks with her, and shared some snacks. We then went outside since it was such a beautiful day today. Mia brought out some sidewalk chalk and started drawing on the driveway. Katelyn hadn't used sidewalk chalk before, but she went right over and took a piece and began drawing nonstop for a good while. She used different colors and was really focused. I then asked her to draw a circle and she did, which is huge since she usually only draws straight lines. Then I asked her to draw a heart, square and triangle, and she did those as well!

She and Mia collected sticks and played with the wood chips and then it was time for us to leave. Overall, it was a really great day for all of us!

Swing, Swing, Swing...

Since Katelyn is obsessed with swings, we decided to purchase an indoor swing for her that she can use on a daily basis, since we cannot go to the "boo wing" (blue swings) every day. We ordered the Rainy Day Indoor Playground from http://www.adaptivechild.com/, which specializes in toys and therapeutic items for children with special needs. The main swing is for older children (3+) and is just a piece of canvas material that you sit on, so we also purchased a toddler swing (since Katelyn still needs to be strapped in, and Ashley can also use it) and a net swing. The set also comes with a trapeze bar, but I don't think that will be used anytime soon :)

Katelyn was beside herself with excitement when Dada came home and hooked up her new swing! We had already gone to the blue swings today with Mimi, so this was an extra bonus! Once I saw her on the swing, I knew it was the perfect gift for her. I am absolutely positive that it will be used on a daily, if not hourly, basis.

Here are some pictures of Katelyn enjoying her new swing:

Ashley even got a chance to try it out when Katelyn wasn't looking ;)

Making Music Together...

Since Katelyn loves music and craves rhythms and movement, I have been looking for a music and movement class for her to attend. I had asked around, but no one knew of any local classes. However, after a very quick Google search, I stumbled across a listing for a Music Together class, and the best part about it is that it is right down the street from our house! Also, it is offered at 9:30 on Monday mornings, which is when she normally has her Early Intervention playgroup, but since she will be starting the Tuesday transition playgroup next week, she will no longer need the Monday playgroup. So we are free to take the Music Together class!

The next session starts in April, but we were allowed to try a free demo class this morning to see how Katelyn liked it. Needless to say, she LOVED it! The instructor played the guitar and she also played songs off of a CD. The songs were really fun and the kids really got into the movements. The children also played with a variety of instruments, including bells, tambourines, drums, and more. Most of the class consisted of all of us getting up and moving to the music, walking around in a circle, pretending to be doing certain activities like driving a car or hopping like a bunny, etc. It was really, really great! There was also opportunity for Katelyn to interact with other children, including rolling a ball back and forth, which is a social skill that Katelyn really needs right now. Katelyn even ran to the instructor and sat on her lap and gave her a hug! And she was also approaching other children and parents and saying hi. It was like a miracle! This class couldn't be any more perfect for Katelyn!

After the class was over, the instructor asked if I had any questions. I informed her that Katelyn is autistic and she said that she has had a lot of experience teaching music to autistic children. She also commented that she never would have guessed that Katelyn was autistic because she had excellent eye contact and was very outgoing. Hearing someone tell me that she couldn't believe Katelyn is autistic was the most incredible feeling. Katelyn truly is improving more and more each day, and it is almost scary how rapidly it is happening!

Since Katelyn had such a wonderful experience today, I asked if it would be possible to join the current session instead of waiting until April to start. The instructor said that normally they do not allow this, but that she would make an exception since she could see just how much Katelyn loved the class. She also said that she could tell that Katelyn is very musical. She pro-rated the current session for us since there are only three classes left, and she even came to my house and dropped off the songbook and CD! I also signed Katelyn up for the next session, which is from April to June.

I am so excited that Katelyn will be involved in an activity that she truly will enjoy and learn from. Music is her biggest strength and most cherished interest. We need to cultivate her love of music, and also provide opportunities for social development, so that she can continue to blossom. I believe that this will be an experience that will stay with her for a lifetime.

"Pum at Parpy"...

Today we attended our friends' son's birthday party at a place that had indoor rides and games. Katelyn was very excited and even demonstrated some of her newfound social skills! She made eye contact with a boy her age and even said hi after just a little prompting.

She even wanted to go on some of the rides (with Mama or Dada), which is rare!

She especially loved watching the "animal band" and she danced to the music. She kept saying, "More! More!" when the curtain closed, but luckily they started playing again within seconds.

We had to pry her, and Giraffe, off of the stage!

Overall, it was a really great time. It was nice to not have to leave a party early, and it gives me hope that Katelyn will continue to get more and more used to being around other children, especially in loud places. And she really enjoyed it too. When I was putting her to bed for the night, she said, "Pum at Parpy," which was her way of saying that she had fun at the party. It truly made my day to hear her say that. I am now hopeful that we will have many more "pum" days at "parpies" in the future :)

A Whole New World, A Whole New Girl...

Now that Katelyn is back in this world, she is improving so much, and in so many areas. Her speech is flourishing, her play skills are growing, and even her social skills are developing more. She actually initiated play and "conversation" with her cousins, Anthony and Lexi, who are 8 and 4, respectively. She usually follows their lead, and she normally does not approach other children, so this is a huge step! I am hopeful that she may initiate play with other children, especially peers her own age, since she usually does not even acknowledge their presence.

And she also has been incredible with her baby sister, Ashley. She loves to be around her, share toys with her, talk to her, sing to her, and more. And Ashley absolutely adores Katelyn. It is truly beautiful for us to witness this since we weren't sure if Katelyn would ever have a special bond with her sister.

Katelyn will be attending a new playgroup on Tuesdays, starting in early March, through Early Intervention. Unlike her Monday playgroup where the parents stay, at this playgroup the parents attend a separate meeting of their own in another room. This is specifically designed to help children get ready to transition to the pre-school environment. I am ecstatic about this opportunity and I believe that Katelyn will really benefit from this experience.

Katelyn has been doing wonderfully with her ABA therapy. Aimee, her ABA therapist, said that Katelyn is so bright that she is breezing through all of the programs so quickly that she is having to find other programs to do with her! This obviously brings a huge smile to her family! We couldn't be more proud of her. Aimee said that Katelyn is very academically smart, so we are going to focus on her behaviors and social skills, as well as providing more challenging academic work as well. And of course, being the mathematician that I am, I am really excited that she loves numbers and already counts up to 10.

Overall, we have seen a drastic improvement in Katelyn recently, and this gives us hope that she will be very successful academically and hopefully socially. But the most important thing to us is that she is happy, and with each success, she is gaining confidence, independence, and most importantly, happiness.

"Coat On Bye Bye Car Swing"...

Word for word, this was Katelyn's way of telling us two days ago that she wanted to go to the park so she could swing. Given the fact that we live in New England and there was a ton of snow on the ground, I told her that the swings were closed because it was winter. Of course, she did not like that answer, and she kept on pressing: "Coat on baby's, coat on Dada's, coat on Mama's!" Saying "coat on" (usually followed by "bye bye car") is her way of saying that she wants to leave.

After listening to her plead with all her heart, Kevin and I decided why not! It actually was 50 degrees on Sunday, so despite the snow, it was a mild day (aside from the horrendous wind). We dressed the girls in their snowsuits, plopped them in the van, along with the sled, and we headed over to the nearby park. Katelyn was beyond ecstatic that we were actually going to the swings!

Once we arrived, Katelyn saw the swingset and started screaming, "Boo wing! Boo wing!" (Blue swing, because it is a blue swingset.) We traipsed through the snowy field to get to the swing. I pushed Katelyn on the swing while Kevin pulled Ashley in the sled for the first time. The girls had a great time. The best part was that it was completely Katelyn's idea and that she was able to communicate it so well.

Here are some pictures from our little snowy adventure...

I Finally Have My Girl Back...

For the past few months, Katelyn seemed to be slipping away. She would no longer feed herself independently, watch her favorite TV shows, play with her toys, walk up and down stairs, etc. She even stopped singing and clapping. Overall, she seemed very unhappy, as if she was locked inside herself and couldn't break out. But with some help, Katelyn has returned.

Since it wasn't clear if she wouldn't, or simply couldn't, do certain things that she used to do, we were not exactly sure how to handle the situation. If she truly could not do these things, it would not be fair to her for us to try to force her to do so. However, if she was just choosing not to do certain things, this would be a behavior issue that could be corrected.

Exactly one week ago, I decided it was time to try to break Katelyn free, if possible. For some reason, she would no longer enter our kitchen for the past few months, so I decided to start there. I also wanted to tackle the self-feeding issue since she was only eating if I shoved the food into her mouth. I already have an 8-month-old who cannot self-feed, so as you can imagine, having to feed my 2.5-year-old as well was time-consuming and exhausting.

So I picked Katelyn up and brought her into the middle of the kitchen. She was not happy, but she lied down on the floor. I got out one of her favorite snacks and put them in a bowl. She really wanted the snack, but she got very upset that I refused to put them in her mouth for her. I held the bowl and told her that she needed to take them out herself. She began to cry and protest, hoping that I would give in. However, after enough time went by, she finally took one out and shoved it in her mouth reluctantly. It was like a battle of wills, not against me, but against herself. I praised her a ton and then I put the bowl down on the floor, no longer holding it for her. Once again, after some tantruming, she finally took one out of the bowl. Again, more praise. All in all, it took an hour and a half to get her to successfully feed herself, but it was worth every minute. This was a huge breakthrough!

I then decided to see if she would feed herself at the coffee table, since she had been refusing to even go near it for months. I put the bowl on the table and turned on Blue's Clues. With some prompting and reassurance, she finally went over to the table and fed herself. I praised and praised her. She became very excited to receive the praise. I could see the pride that she felt. It was then that I knew that she was not incapable of doing things that she once did, she just lacked the confidence. It was like she just got stuck in a rut and didn't know how to get out, but I opened up the door for her. Finally, my happy girl was back!

As if a magic switch had been turned on, Katelyn quickly resumed to many of her old activities. She now walks up and down the stairs completely independently, feeds herself (she even used a fork and spoon tonight and she did well!), doesn't require Mama and Dada to be in the same room with her all of the time, and she even has been incredibly sweet with her baby sister. She is constantly laughing and smiling, and you can just see the difference in her. Also, her language has just exploded and she is actually starting to form sentences! And to think, just a few months ago, we weren't sure if she would ever say more than one- or two-word phrases.

Also, her ABA therapy started last week and Katelyn is doing amazingly well. She already has a bond with her ABA therapist, Aimee, and she is enjoying the one-on-one sessions. And now that she has the language skills, we are able to see just how smart she truly is. She continues to amaze me every day.

Katelyn has taught me many things in her short life so far, but one of the most important lessons that I have learned is to cherish the small accomplishments and never take anything for granted. When you have a child with autism or developmental delays, you really hold onto the little successes, and if and when your autistic child reaches the "normal" milestones, even if it takes months or years longer than other children, it is truly euphoric. It is almost like witnessing a miracle because it isn't definite that your autistic child will ever do some of the things that other children do naturally. After witnessing, and being a part of, Katelyn's recent breakthrough, I feel on top of the world. I finally have my girl back, and I am never letting her go.