I haven't posted since April. Yep, a whopping 9 months! Wow, I'm laughing at how embarrassing that is. So sorry, Emmett! Obviously, much has happened in 9 months. There have been hurdles and new challenges, but also progress and exciting moments!
Emmett finished OT/feeding therapy at Fraser in June. We are going to miss Fraser dearly; they have opened so many doors for Emmett. He would not be the same boy today if he did not receive services there.
This was part of my mother's day gift from Emmett. It is so precious. I got teared up when I saw it for the first time and I will keep it forever.
The Autism 5K was great this year. The weather was perfect again and we still had a 'team Emmett'. Ethnie walked the entire time and Emmett walked about half of the time. We are so grateful for the support from family.
team Emmett :)
the main little man! we love you so much, bud!
By far, the biggest transition Emmett had in 2016 was our move to Rochester. It was sudden and the whole process was a bit rushed. I was worried that Emmett would react negatively. In a way, it may have been better that way because he didn't have much time to react to it. It was also great timing because we moved shortly after school was out. That way, we had the entire summer to adjust to everything Rochester before adjusting to a new school. Emmett did surprisingly well! He shocked me with his flexibility and positive attitude! The hardest part for him was during the first two weeks of Matt's new job. Matt was already staying there and the kids and I were at home by ourselves. I had to pack everything on my own and it was stressful. During those two weeks, Emmett was very confused and would ask, "Where's daddy?" and "Why are there boxes?" every morning and night. It was very hot the day of the move. The kids were tired and bored, but they still did so well, considering all that was going on in their world.
Emmett's 6th birthday, in the new place. It was less than a week after we moved and I didn't have anything prepared. I felt very guilty, but he didn't seem to mind. He only wanted to go swimming and get a cake. Such a sweet boy.
Emmett has made some progress in the water! Baby steps are exciting steps! The public pool near where we live was the kids' favorite place to go over the summer. The shallow end of the pool is just over three feet deep, which is perfect for Emmett to play in. The first couple of times we went, he would touch his feet to the bottom, but would not let go of the wall. Slowly, without realizing it, he would hold on with one hand, then eventually let go entirely without realizing it. He got really comfortable and started bobbing around all over! He was so proud of himself. However, he is still very overstimulated in the water and his stimming is a bit out of control. He physically cannot calm down in the water. He cannot focus or process what he needs to do in the water because he is too overstimulated. Sometimes, he tries to run around in the pool because he is too excited. If he stumbles or loses his balance in the water, he panics and forgets what to do. He still does not completely "know" where the bottom of the pool is. It terrifies me knowing he could drown in such shallow water.
The other big step Emmett has taken in the water is the willingness to float in deep water. We went to Breezy Point resort over July and my dad got Emmett to float in the middle of the lake with him. We were all so happy about it; we all jumped in to join them! He was very nervous and clinging to us, but he was smiling and proud. He was also willing to stand on the bottom of the lake in the sand close to shore. A year ago he wouldn't dare.
A couple of new quirks/habits. Any time we go to the pharmacy to pick up my prescription, Emmett must play with the blood pressure kiosk. He has to stay and do it over and over again. He loves the feeling of the squeeze on his arm. If he is with me, I always have to plan on staying at least 10 minutes longer so he can visit the kiosk.
The other thing Emmett has been doing actually concerns me. Any time he sees something on the ground, he has to pick it up and put it in his pocket because he is worried it will "blow away." For some reason he gets really upset when it is windy and things are blowing around. Sometimes he will cry when he sees it.
These are the kinds of things I clean out of Emmett's pockets every day after school. He will walk around during recess and pick up any little thing he sees on the ground. I am afraid he is going to pick up something full of germs or a harmful chemical (you never know) and get it into his mouth.
So far he hasn't picked up anything too awful, but he will pick up used straws and bottles and such.
We have found a rehab clinic in Rochester that we really like. It's called Stanley Jones & Associates and they were referred to us by Fraser. Emmett has been going to feeding therapy there and his therapist's name is Chrissy. She is great with him and he is really comfortable with her. She knows how to talk to him and how to help him better understand food. She has made great progress with him so far!
Chrissy always eats the food with Emmett. She does everything with him. She has gotten him to touch, smell, and lick a few new foods that I have had no success with. They have a game where they "try" to lick a food 10 times. If they do that they try again and see how many more times they can lick or touch it.
It might seem strange or silly for such a tiny thing to be excited about, but it is a big step for Emmett. It takes all the courage in his world to put new food near his mouth, let alone inside it. So we always celebrate small victories in our home.
^^licking pineapple!
love you, buddy. :)
No comments:
Post a Comment