Lego boy

Wow, it has been a little bit since I've blogged. Life has just been so busy.

I think I mentioned that my 6 year old son, lego boy, is a special needs child. Well, last week we got, yet another diagnosis. Lego boy was born with profound hearing loss in one ear (yet we didn't find out about it until he was 2 1/2...long story), he also has speech apraxia. Apraxia is where your teeth, lips, tongue, palate, etc. do not do what you want them to do. You can ask lego boy to stick out his tongue, and he can't do it...yet if he is eating a lollipop, he can stick out his tongue. Also, kids with apraxia leave off the beginning or the end of words. Lego boy does both...so all you hear is the middle. Let me tell you, I am now the charades champion. I can figure just about anything out with his had gestures. He has gotten so much better, and is actually putting the end and/or beginning on words. He's still tough to understand. But when you think that at age 4 he couldn't talk, and now we can have a conversation with him, it's amazing.

Well, last Thursday we found out he also is autistic. Not a big surprise, but still a little shock to find out it's a reality. He is high functioning, so the chances of recovery are high. I didn't even know you could recover from autism, but apparently you can. So now I need to do my research and find support groups, etc. Since he is already in the special needs program at school, we are not going to push for the "title". We can get everything he needs already. I just need to have some additional goals added to his IEP (Individual Educational Program...or something like that :) ) He was tested in the schools late last year, and they said he had autistic tendencies, but didn't do anything. They are required to test him again in 2 years...so we'll deal with that then. I'll have social goals and OT (for his sensory issues) added on now....and that will help. That would be all they would do if he had the "title" so it wouldn't change anything.

I'm doing pretty well with it. My husband is a bit slower to accept it, and is on the "what can we do to fix it" stage. But all is very good. I am so thankful to God for all my kids, I am so blessed. All of our kids where chosen for us for a reason. It's all a journey...one I go on willingly.