learning curve

 

"Be joyful in hope, patient in affliction, faithful in prayer..." Romans 12:12

 

Two months have passed since we received Josiah's diagnosis of Asperger's Syndrome.  There has been time to read, observe, reflect, and implement.  Much of it has been a time of waiting, and more waiting, to receive therapy.  Most of all, it is a time to pray and ask God to make our hearts open to things He has for our lives.

So what about the ASD (autism spectrum disorder) diagnosis?  There is so much there I could not see before, but am noticing with opened eyes.  Inconsistent eye contact, impaired play (which we noticed but now understand a little better), desire for sameness, pronounced sensory issues, some social skills difficulty, and some dysgraphia all point to a correct diagnosis.  We still feel his symptoms are mild but there are many challenges we look forward to helping him overcome or at least manage through therapy.  He's on the waiting list for a social skills program and speech services through ISU that should begin this fall, and he will begin occupational therapy to target sensory issues sometime this summer.  Next week he gets to go to a day camp through our county's autism society and Easter Seals that sounds like a ton of fun!!

At my husband's request, I contacted the private school where Micah and Rachel spent their early elementary years.  That was when we saw God had gone before us: they have hired a special education teacher who seems like she will be a great resource in meeting some of Josiah's special academic and social needs.  Josiah spent part of an afternoon visiting the first grade class, loved it, and is going to try first grade there next fall.  The class he will be in is small and looks to be fairly full of little boys!  We are looking forward to the social interactions school will afford him--not from a homeschooling standpoint as much as an ASD standpoint.  While I can see pros and cons to homeschooling versus going to school, this is how we sense God is leading at this time. 

As parents, we want to embrace all God has brought us.  The years since we have added Josiah to our family have been challenging but also full of His grace.  A few months ago we saw glimpses of what life would be like if we didn't have the dietary tools He has placed in our hands: most certainly we would not call Josiah's symptoms mild.  Instead what we saw briefly was a little boy out of control.  To think of where we could be makes me so much more thankful for where we are through many answers to prayer--both others on our behalf as well as our own pleas for help.

The best gift I know to give Josiah is my love.  Whether it is spending a Saturday making homemade gluten free, casein free, additive free (and the list goes on) food, or patiently (I hope!) redirecting him when he gets "stuck" while playing with his friends, or laying aside my desire for time alone to come up with a new way to keep him entertained in play, my prayer is that my own response as his mom would not be one of complaint but gratitude.  I say it is my prayer, because I am much in need of my Potter to shape a clay that is yielded instead of stubbornly set in my own way. There are struggles to parenting any child; what I face are just the unique difficulties in meeting the special needs of this particular one.  Somehow, I trust God can continue to give me a greater heart of compassion for my special little boy, and perhaps words to encourage others who walk through similar challenges.  So each morning I take a deep breath, offer up a heart that has yet to be perfected in love, and walk through the day with a Father willing to teach me more of His compassion.  Josiah is a gift to us, and we know God's ways are good.

"Neither this man nor his parents sinned, but this happened so that the work of God might be displayed in his life" John 9:3 

family fun!

Every summer, Eric's family chooses a day or more to spend together doing something fun.  Some years we've done as little as watch the fourth of July parade and fireworks in Rockford (the best we've seen in Illinois!), others have meant something a little more involved.  It seems like every few years we end up at an indoor waterpark in Wisconsin Dells.  After doing this since our kids were quite small (there was a time Micah was the only one of our three around), we have come to treasure these times.  My oldest niece and nephew are now young adults, and finding a date we can all be together is getting tougher.  It's a blessing when it happens!

 

 

This year we had a small picture of how wonderfully God redeems.  Last time we were at this hotel in the Dells, Josiah was having the toughest summer of his life.  He was miserable the entire time, terrified of being in the water and overwhelmed by the sensory stimulation.

 

As you can see, this time was quite different!

 

Our youngest niece in this family is 9, and is having a great time with her uncle!!

These two girls are only 9 months apart.  I like to say that A was our inspiration for having Rachel. :)  They were overjoyed to discover that they had matching swimsuits and were often mistaken as sisters.  Inseparable, those two!!

 

Rachel conquered the Hurricane!

 

Getting ready to disembark so they can go again, and again, and again.  I've been on this ride once and will never go again.

 

Favorite spot to congregate: the hot tub!  Micah moved too fast to get many good pictures of him.  He rode every slide there was to ride.

 

Grandma is watching in the background.  In all the years they have treated us, she's barely made it into a swimsuit.  Eric's parents give me a whole new appreciation for what it means to have a blast watching others have fun.

 

That blur is Josiah, who worked up courage for a waterslide just his size.

 

Again, and again, and again.

Ten Things Every Child With Autism Wishes You Knew

The book is a great read for parents, family members, educators, or anyone else who desires to better understand autism.  This list is the next best thing.

swimmer with Asperger's

Our hearts were encouraged to see this article in our newspaper today.  Way to go, Josh!  I wish you knew what your story and faith means to our family.

Josiah and spring

 

It's been that kind of spring, which happily means the drought of last year seems to be fading, but sadly means we have seen dear friends struggle with flooding.  And of course it means that even the nice shoes are now muddy!

 

He's got farmer in his bloodline.

 

Apparently farmers don't eat vegetables, but maybe growing them ourselves will be a new motivation.

 

Now that he's discovered he can read, he has opted for a daily dose of the best literature he can find: Calvin and Hobbes.

eye opening

Last night I was on the Chosen Families blog reading one of my favorite authors, Sarah, who has two sons with ASD (autism spectrum disorder.)  She mentioned this You Tube video that simulates what it is like for a person with autism or ASD to walk down the street.  Wow.

no arguing that point

 

"My dad is the best dad in the whole wide world and no one I repeat no one can change that!"-Rachel

 

Happy birthday to the best dad in the whole world, at least at our house.