Miracles DO happen!

I know it has been far too long since I have written anything. I am sorry for that, but very happy to write this and update everyone on Austin's progress. It has had its ups and downs. This picture is of the Dynavox that Austin slammed into his head after about a week of therapy. It is VERY tough in the beginning, but I am SO GLAD we didn't give up!

I have to say it...ABA WORKS!!! As you may recall, we started on July 23 with a full-time ABA program in our home for him. We have three amazing angels (Miss Brynn, Miss Mary, and Miss Nicole) who are working with him. They come after school for four hours a day and eight hours a day on weekends and non-school days.

His plan is overseen by Miss Lauren, an amazing BCBA from Eden Florida. Now, remember, Austin has been in a Center School for Developmentally Disabled children for years. He has gone to school for seven years. I was told his IQ was 53 on paper, I stress ON PAPER! At the end of last year, his testing showed that his academics were at the beginning of first grade. My heart sank hearing that, because this was where 7 years doing it the school districts way had gotten him.

As I talked about in my previous posts, we really changed things for him this year. The ABA program at home has helped tremendously. By the first day of school, Austin had mastered almost all of the goals that we had set in May.

Austin is in the top academic groups in every subject in his class. His behaviors are still a challenge, but he is LOVING the academic challenge that he is getting now.

Austin brings me books, and HE reads them to ME! He won the Math Award for his class. He is proud of showing people his papers from school! He is doing double digit addition and subtraction. I could go on and on, but my point here is that I am talking about a child who was gluing glitter on the letter G, at this time last year!

Our children learn differently. They act differently. They communicate differently. None of this says that they CAN'T LEARN! It is my hope that Austin will pave the way to show exactly what happens when you PRESUME INTELLECT with children. The limitations on their learning may be limitations that are placed on them, not limitations that truly exist.

In passing bills in various states about Autism Insurance Reform, we come against people talking about the Window of Opportunity. Legislators want to set a time, a line in the sand, that says that if our children haven't learned at that point, then they won't. In some states, the law says services end at age 6, 8, or 10. My question is, what if we believed in that? What if we didn't try, because he was almost 10, so what was the point?

Austin has made up at least one year of schooling in less than 3 months. I can't keep up with buying school workbooks for him. For the first time, I am wondering about getting my son ready for the state tests in the future. I never thought I would do that. We still have a long way to go. He still is aggressive and self injurious, frequently. We can breathe now, it has been a very long time since we could.

The moral of this story: Don't necessarily believe everything that the "experts" say your child can accomplish. Believe in your Mommy's intuition, believe in your child, and Miracles just MAY HAPPEN!