7/3/05

Richard's Blog was such a good idea, I decided to start my own re: our Tori. I have her abt once a week and have been able to watch her progress.

In the late winter of this year, before she started school, she was not very verbal. I could see that she had an almost empty look on her face some of the times. She acted as if she did not understand what I was saying to her. She was often aloft, and disconnected from me. I decided that if I could get her to contact with nature, that she might come out of her "autism" somewhat. I took her for walks, and said the names of common things, like "Bird", Flower", "Flag", "Grass", "Leaf", etc. I encouraged her to say the words after me, which eventually she did. I praised her for her efforts. She started smiling and being excited. She loved being outside and we spent many hours walking through the neighborhood. She especially looked forward to seeing my dog, "Sonny". She started saying (on the drive to my house), "Sonny", and then panting like he does. She has come a long way!

Eventually, Tori started saying the words "flower", "birdie", etc without my prompting her. She became more verbal. Then, Tori started school, and I could tell that her whole life had changed. She seemed SO much happier! Unfortunately, school was soon over for the summer. I feared that Tori would regress without this stimulation, and was hopeful that she could get into the SARRC classes, or some other good school. This did not happen, and Tori was stuck again where she could not explore her world, as she needed to. I think Tori is very bright, and have wondered if part of her problem is that she is depressed, in addition to some genetic, neurological problem. Obviously, there is a LOT of hope for Tori, as she did so well when she was attending school.

Last Saturday, I took Tori to my youngest sister's house and she swam with her second cousin. She loved it, splashed in the water, put her feet in the waterfalls, etc. There was no sign at all of Autism. One of my family members (my sister, who is the middle girl) has a Doctorate in Early Childhood, Special Education. (What a gift it is to have her in the family!) Anyhow, this sister stopped by and was able to observe Tori's behavior. She also saw no signs of Autism. So, it does appear that Tori has made remarkable progress. She had a great day! I fed her the food I had prepared for her at my home, rice and chicken. She ate, and played, and asked for more food. I fed her when she asked for it. She expends a lot of energy, and needs to eat often...if she can stop her playing long enough to eat. She was very comfortable at my sister's home and loved playing with her cousin.

Yesterday, I brought Tori to my home. She and I went grocery shopping first, and then came home. I had already cooked her rice, and then fixed the chicken. I had her little table set, with her little dishes, and her food was there for her to eat as she wanted. She would eat, then later would ask for more. She has become very verbal. We colored with markers, crayons, and pens. We played with a sticker book. We got out the finger paints. She loves all these mediums. We played with puzzles. I filled her pool with water and turned on the outdoor mister. I turned on the hose for her and she watered the pool, the chairs, the plants, the dog, the patio, and Gma. We went inside and she watched "Baby Einstein" and "Snow Dogs". I allow her to choose what she will watch. She used her potty chair twice and did very well. She has her own sunglasses which she loves to wear (actually, they belong to her little cousin). She is just adorable, and I see no signs of Autism during these times.

However, I do believe her parents when they talk about her 6PM meltdown, and her behavior problems. I know of another child about 30 years ago who had similar behaviors...and he was a BIG handful. So, I know how exasperated it can feel to be the parent of a child like this.

I am very proud of Tori's parents, and of Tori. A lot of progress has been made.

I will continue to blog after I have her for the day. Perhaps, I can get a clearer picture for myself.