I talked to him about only saying things once and with a purpose. I am trying to get him to use more than one word and put it in a sentence format. There are certain letters and sounds like “ch” he has a hard time with so we worked on repeating words he could say that had the same sounds. He is making huge progress.
He wanted to go to his grandma’s house but I made him no promises because I wanted to make sure he stayed calm for his therapy. He had mentioned his therapists’ clothes numerous times and I wanted to remind him why he was going to see them. He was handling it all well so I knew I was going to take him to see his grandma but I didn’t tell him until we were on our way.
I kept talking about the winter storm that was coming in the week ahead. I wanted him to understand that if we get a lot of ice and snow he wouldn’t be able to go to school on Monday. I never knew how to prepare him for winter and it is so hard for him to understand another change in his routine but at least he was listening and repeating what I was saying. I also don’t want to make weather a problem for him again but ice is a problem and I want him to understand everyone will not be at school if there is lots of ice and snow.
He was happy to go to his grandma’s for a few hours and then we went to his therapy. He was excited about his therapy and both of his therapists said he did great. His physical therapist said that it was his best day in a long time and they were able to do more exercises than they normally do.
For dinner, I made a corn casserole and he ate about ten bites of it. It felt like progress. I have been trying to give him something different almost every day. He doesn’t always like it but even if it is something small it is a huge step forward and helps me determine other foods to try.
I’m also working on more life skills with him. I had him put water bottles in the refrigerator and make sure they were in the right container. I had him carry them to the refrigerator without me standing next to him and direct him from the other room. This is not easy for him and it took several tries for him to get it in the right place. He was excited about it though and once we were done he then asked Siri how to say “water bottle” in Arabic.
I told him we weren’t going anywhere tomorrow even if we do because I was hoping that would help him sleep. I was thankful for a good day and I’m hoping we both sleep tonight. I was so thankful for all the things he tried today without screaming or getting frustrated. He did amazing and truly put forth so much effort. Take time for yourself and know that you are important. Make today matter. Smiles to all and donut daze!