I haven’t written much about my youngest son recently. The old adage is true I guess, no news is good news. The truth is, he’s been doing fantastic and I feel such an amazing connection to him that makes my heart want to explode with love and joy.
It wasn’t always this way. I’m fact, his third year of life was definitely the hardest year of my entire life. I cried almost every single day. For an entire year. Maybe more.
He has sensory processing disorder, behavior problems, and a significant speech delay. And borderline autism? The testing was inconclusive but all we knew was that we needed help. He needed help. I needed help. I was drowning and had tried everything I could think of, everything people had suggested, everything I read, and yet nothing was helping us.
Almost a year ago we started with an ABA (behavior therapy) company that ended up being a complete disaster and traumatizing for both me and him. Finally I trusted my gut and pulled him out of that therapy. We started outpatient OT and Speech at a sensory based clinic last summer and then started with a new ABA company (that came highly recommended) last August. To say I was anxious about the new ABA therapist working with him would be an understatement.
Turns out, I had nothing to be anxious about. She was an absolute Godsend. She had such an amazing bond with him and he adored her. She pushed him and challenged him, matched his energy and excitement, and genuinely interacted with him in a way that I completely trusted her with my child.
Yesterday was her last day with him. She is moving on from ABA to the next chapter in her life. I am heartbroken because he made so much progress with her and she was so amazing with him. I know he is still in good hands with this ABA company, but his next therapist has some pretty big shoes to fill.
