week 7.

Not much to report for this week. Speech therapy went really well again. Matt was able to come again and that was nice. Emmett is already expecting Zena to do the same games in the same order during his sessions, so she switched things up and introduced some new games. Emmett liked the new games, but was bothered by the change. Zena said it's great when kids have a routine, but with a child who has autism, their routines can become rigid and obsessive, which makes change hard for them. 

Emmett had a few meltdowns this week, which was hard. Things were smooth sailing for awhile, but this week was harder for him. When Emmett has a meltdown, if I can't get him to tell me what's wrong or what he needs, he shuts down and stops communicating. When this happens the only option I really have is to wait until he calms down or "snaps out of it" so I can help him. 

I just finished my second book on parenting a child with autism and it was very informative and relatable. I am learning a ton. The next book I'm starting is on a drug-free approach to autism, which should be interesting. Matt and I have agreed that we are going to try as many different methods as we can for Emmett to avoid putting him on any medication. We feel he is too young and can progress without it. His developmental pediatrician totally agrees, and wants medication to be a last resort. 

Best news for last: Emmett has been a rock star this week on the potty!! He's been peeing on the potty 2-3 times a day at home and I've been keeping him in underwear out in public. :) I make sure it's only a 1-2 hour trip away though because he is nowhere near ready to go into a public restroom. This makes things stressful and inconvenient, but he's progressing confidently at his own pace and it's working out just fine. I'll take what I can get at this point. 

The next two weeks are going to be busy with more big appts for Emmett, including psychology, special ed, and OT.