Time flies!

Wow.. two months since I posted! I have whole chapters to write! Since my last posting we've moved across the country and found a fabulous new life waiting for our family. William is settling into his new school very well.. the shake up may have thwarted advancement.. but it was only temporary! He is verbalizing requests and working so hard on helping us to understand what his needs and wants are. We are all so excited for the progress he is making. I can't even begin to imagine what the near future holds. Stay tuned!

End of summer craziness

Will is beside himself with anticipation that the start to the school year for him is very near. He's not too happy right now though as his big sister is already getting to ride the bus and participate in all the amazing things that go on there. You see.. the preschool system here starts later.. and it's been hard for him to accept. That coupled with the cooler temperatures and last summer visits from friends he doesn't usually get to see have him antsy.. and me too.

I'm excited for him and all he will learn this upcoming year. Big changes at the school too.. he'll be back with one of the teachers that were in the group that were the first to introduce him to the structure of school.. so there's that familiarity to guide him. But for now he's certainly had enough of this summer loafing.. and it's high time to get back into his routines.

"Who is that?"

"It's William!" was his response when he saw himself in a picture just a few moments ago. Wow.

Test..

Me: "Who is that?"
Will: "It's Mommy."

Wow.

Another test..

Me: "Who is that?"
Will: "It's Sara."

Four years, 10 months, and 19 days to answer a W question. Written words cannot convey the enthusiasm and praise these responses produced. Huge progress this summer. I can't wait to see how he progresses over the upcoming school year.

Rain..rain..feel free to stay..

I love the rain...

As I watched my little wonder boy lay in front of the furnace vent and gaze out the window at the endless rain falling I realized he is seeing his world this morning much the same as he has since his life began. He was peaceful, still waking up, and the dancing drops as the unbroken light rain gathered forces and dripped off the rooftop must have captured his attention completely, much as I recall being mesmerized by the rain as a child. The brightly lit droplets joining together on the end of the branch hanging just outside the glass were hypnotic.. and the option of refocusing the eyes to the waiting puddle below, infinite splashes contributing to its size, made for more visual stimulation than any small child could ever hope for first thing in the morning.

As I gazed upon my wonder boy gazing upon the simple force of nature we call rain I realized that it is my perception of the world that has shifted, albeit ever so slightly. Yesterday I had an uncommon opportunity to meet with Will's teacher. She and I had talked about how I would cherish the chance to watch him in his classroom environment.. his interaction with the other children.. his level of participation.. and distraction. But other obligations had held this experience from me. This amazing woman then told me she had made a video tape of Will in class and extended an invitation to meet with me at the school to view it. On that brief 30 minute recording I saw a happy little boy, struggling to be part of the group, willing his own instinctive behavior into submission so that he could participate in these beloved activities. I saw a child who was taking it all in, organizing every detail into its appropriate place, sure to be drawn upon in a future need. I saw a child who seemed more aware of his enormous challenge than even I. But most importantly, I saw a child who was clearly autistic.

It's been years since our family began this journey of discovery with our son. That journey has led us to knowledge and understanding, to grief and pain, to acceptance and fortitude. But observing him there, in his own separate world, working through it all under the talented guidance of these skilled artists, was like being hit by a freight train. I awoke from my denial in that brief time and came to see that even though he does not display many of the "classic" behaviors so commonly associated with autism, many of his behaviors fit the mold perfectly. And like the many variations in the dance playing out just beyond the window pane this morning there are equally as many variations in the children we label as autistic.. yet they are all amazing.

Where Am I?

Will was recently exposed to the wonder of maps at preschool. He's always had access to various types of maps.. from a simple laminated place mat to the big USA floor puzzle that he got for his birthday a couple of years ago. But somehow this exposure at school brought this interest to life and it's all he cares about now. If he's not putting together the puzzle.. or carrying the place mat around the yard.. he's eyeing more complex maps in the various books he has at his disposal. It's amazing. How many 4 year olds know all their state capitols? How many can point out all the states on a map when asked? Will has magnificent powers of memory.. perhaps this will be one of his splinter skills and he'll wind up as a cartographer. I cherish the times we can play this game.. he brings me his USA map place mat and we begin.. Where's Vermont? He points right to it.. doesn't have to think for even a second. Where's Sacramento? This goes on for an hour. He knows them all.. how many 40 year olds know all their state capitols? I'd venture to guess not that many. And here this little 4 year old boy, this amazing little creature who surprises me daily, knows them all.

Progress

Yeah, team! Somewhere between the fun activities at preschool, and the humdrum life at home, my little wonder boy has learned to catch and throw a ball! He's helping to roll out the big rug with all the great alphabet letters on it.. he's participating in the scheduled activities in class. He's amazing.. and advancing every day. Look out world!

Working Toward Independence

That is the motto of the "new" preschool. New facility, new teacher, new classmates.. lots going on to shake up a 4 year old. So.. it's been a busy few weeks. Everyone seems to be settling in to this new schedule all right. Funny how in thinking about this theme it occurred to me that he IS a lot more independent than before this experience at school. In a lot of ways he holds it together better than his NT brother and sister.. he certainly handles stress better. So.. we're working toward independence. Still not verbally communicating but there are other ways he's getting his message across. Stay tuned...

So many questions...

Next week my son is being moved from the preschool classroom where he has been since he started school. The preschool is being inundated with new enrollees (gee.. you think this stuff is on the rise??) and so the class sizes are continually growing. Next year the whole preschool will be moved to the other school but for the rest of this year they're moving just some of the kids into this "new" classroom. I would imagine some of the kids who will now be his classmates will be new.. and he'll have a new teacher, too. It's a shame on a lot of fronts as he's gotten to know the people he's been with, his teachers and classmates, quite well over the last 3 months. He's learned better sharing and better communication. He's even learned to use the potty! And all of that is going to be disrupted. Yet, on many levels, I think it's a good thing. He's actually moving to the school and classrooms that he'll be in once he gets to Kindergarten and through the rest of his elementary schooling. He'll have the opportunity to see that, even though some things change, some things stay the same. His new teacher may be even better than his first.. although that's hard to imagine. And in the past, every time he has been challenged by new and unfamiliar events and subjects he has evolved in ways that went beyond the expected growth for that experience. But, for now, he's been screaming a lot more than he usually does. I can't help but wonder if it's because he knows something "big" is about to happen and his life will be turned upside down.. if just for a little while. It won't take him long to settle in to the new routine. But I'm afraid for him for the journey.