The List

Posted January 6, 2013 2 Comments by Amber Perea

In the month since the 7th session, Jp’s speech has improved dramatically. He uses verbs with versatility, he has doubled his noun base, he asks for help (almost too much), and his eye contact with strangers is improved. He can pretty much repeat anything-including two word phrases-easily, though using them spontaneously is something that we cheer lead for every time like he just scored the winning touchdown in the Superbowl. He is beginning to sound more like a little man everyday.

I love that now his Pathologist says phrases like, “I love to be proved wrong”, though I am wary to take them one hundred percent to heart. I know that no matter the reason, language is not going to be an easy thing for him to grasp. In fact, his therapist has comprised a list of goals that he needs to achieve. I am not sure what happens when and if he does…maybe he is done with therapy? He graduates speech?In all honesty though, I view it as the list that proves that he is not autistic.

Before everyone jumps all over me, allow me to clarify. I would love him no matter what the outcome. I would fight for him every day of every week of every year to make sure that he received the best therapies and classes. I would work 3 jobs to make sure he had the best attention and care that was possible. Right now I work with him 3 hours a day (he won’t sit for more or I would, trust me) on vocabulary, verbs, and sentences. On being polite and how people interact with each other. It engulfs most of my day and I do it because I love him unconditionally.

Please know that nothing will ever change the beyond-the-realm-of-sanity way that I love my Jpeezy.

But with that love comes with a perhaps unreasonable want for the best possible life for him, too. In this particular moment in our journey that means crossing each and every item off the list. Which are as follows:

Produce 10 Verbs (w/o prompting)

2 Word Utterances 9/10 trials

Name Pictures in Books

Request Assistance w/o Cues

Respond to name 9/10 Trials

Request Objects by Correct Name 9/10 Trials

Eye Contact 9/10 in a Session

Give Greetings and Closings w/o Cues

I am proud to say that he has crossed two off just this month. He requests assistance like a champion (need help!”), almost so much that at times I have to say, “No, you don’t, you can do it!”. He also has had nearly perfect eye contact with her. These two were pretty major business for me. The requesting of assistance instead of just crying or tantrums have been nothing short of a godsend, a glorious pathway of communication between us that I have loved and been extraordinarily proud of. As for the eye contact, well, I never really saw an issue with it so it was nice to have her on my side.

Each day is a new adventure when you have a child with a developmental delay. I know there are parents that say that when they start talking, they just wish they would be quiet. Not this mom, every little, perfectly pronounced word is like a gift from above.

Childhood Development Parenting developmental delays Jpeezy parenting speech pathology toddlers

Amber Perea View All →

I’m just living minute to minute, hour to hour, day to day.