ABA Therapy Update

I can't believe it has already been over a month since our first blog on Deacon's therapy. What's even more amazing are the changes we see from him daily.



So, what's he doing??




Where to start...

For the first time in over a year he is saying "dada"!!! (I couldn't be more thrilled for Brian)

He is now eating his meals in a booster seat at our dining room table, instead of strapped in a highchair.

He is able to make so many sounds there are too many to list!! He can even roll his r's, which I can't even do! At school yesterday he imitated the m sound 25 out of 26 trials!!

With the help of his therapist, who stayed at our house until after 11:00pm, he FINALLY transitioned into the room with Carson!! With this milestone, some other age appropriate ones followed, like escaping from his crib and opening the door to leave their bedroom...I now hear him on the monitor in the morning and by the time I make it into the living room, he is meeting me there!! So next step will be turning the crib into a toddler bed!

The biggest shift has been his ability to understand! Prior to therapy, I'm not sure that he knew anything we were saying to him. Deacon can now shake his head and play peek-a-boo on command. When I was pushing him on the swing the other day I asked if he would like to jump on the trampoline and he immediately jumped off the swing and walked over to it!! This morning I said "look at the baby" and he walked right up to Bennett!!

He can sign for "eat" and does it consistently. You can tell that he is so proud of himself each time he does because of the huge smile on his face.

His demeanor has changed to. He approaches everyone for play and will follow me around the house and tug on my clothes to be picked up. He gives at least one kiss almost every day (not on command, just when he wants to) and many of them have gone to Bennett and me. :)

The name of the therapy facility is "Reason for Hope" and couldn't describe it more accurately. For the first time in at least a year we truly do have reason for hope. Hope that he will communicate, even talk. Hope for him to be in mainstream classrooms. Hope that he can one day be an independent adult. I haven't slept this well in so long.

"And our hope for you is firm, because we know that just as you share in our sufferings, so also you share in our comfort."

2 Corinthians 1:7