I am learning a new language. It's a language my sister learned it when when she found out her three year old son had Asperger's Syndrome. The language of Special Education. Now I get to take a turn. My head is spinning!
We had two days of therapy in a row at Advent, well, one inhome and one at the clinic and I am amazed. Because Gracie is nonverbal, she cries as a form of communication. We are trying to differentiate her " I am hungry" cry from her "I need this" cry from her real hurt/afraid cry and how to respond to them, because they are her conversation. We have to learn to speak "Gracie" so we can get Gracie to learn to speak english.
They are trying to get her interested in food to at least keep it in a close proximity to her. Yesterday Carey Anne, the swallowing specialist sucked on a lollipop around her. It was enough to get her to want to have her own lollipop, if she wasn't going to suck on it. Today she blew bubbles in a cup of water. That was fine till Carey Anne put some water on Gracie's hand. Hey I don't like that! she said.
It is very interesting to watch her. She was sitting with Carey Anne, looking in a mirror, when she reached out her hand to her reflection and suddenly realized she was watching herself. It threw her off balance and scared her to the point where she started to cry. Then she sat in her lap and comforted herself with her thumb and blanket and, almost instantly, fell asleep. She shut herself off when it became to much for her.
Everyone says she is so sweet. And she really is. With all these people helping her, including her Auntie A., she's got alot of help on the road ahead. Hopefully, mommy will be able to keep up with her.
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