One year ago about this time, I called early intervention to ask for an evaluation for my then 19 month old son. The evaluation was done at 20 months and services began at 21-22 months…

The changes are amazing.

A year ago, I had a sweet little boy who was so tucked into his own world it was frequently frustrating to try and do anything with him. He would engage people on a very passing level, if he did at all, and what few words he had ever attempted would disappear as fast as they came. He did not mimic anything done around him or with him, he never showed interest in other children unless exposed to them for days at a time…

I was so very scared I was just losing my mind. His doctor, despite all her best intentions, thought nothing was truly wrong. He was just taking his time coming around to speaking. The other details that I only realized in hindsight didn’t occur to her to ask about. I was so certain that the evaluation from early intervention was going to say the same thing… When they came back with serious communication and social deficiencies/delays I was actually shocked…

… And grateful.

Today, J-bear mimics. He uses signs. He speaks and repeats, not in the most effective of manners but he’s trying. He loves to see those who are familiar to him and rewards them with brilliant smiles and greetings when he sees them, offering “bye-bye” when we leave their presence. He on his own learned to say “dan you”/thank you when he is helped or when you give him something. 

His eye contact is hit or miss. He gets extremely overwhelmed in large crowds, bright places or busy areas (think pass throughs in restaurants). If an area has a lot of echo to it, he’s anxious to get the heck out of there ASAP. It’s just how he operates right now.

We do Early Intervention 1 time a week, ABA/Floortime 3 times a week (2 hours each go), Playgroup 1 day a week with ABA support, OT 2 times a week… His schedule is intense. It overwhelms me and sometimes has me right at the point of burn out.

But it has to be. It has to stand as it now does. This window is not open to us forever and I want him to soak up every skill and opportunity possible while we can. 

If this one year is any indication of our future I have such amazingly high hopes for my little boy.