Continued Changes for Eli

Today I noticed a really important thing, Eli is enjoying us. He is HAPPY! He is enjoying his RDI activities that he is doing with us, he is having fun all day long. The only hard spots all day today were at the grocery store when he didn't want to sit so close to Sophie. I'm hoping he can learn to share joy with Sophie someday, but right now I know he is learning to share and experience joy with us, which is just fine.

The other big thing today, Eli decided to stack non-matching items! He is also drawing faces again, and points out to me every time the EYES! I'm so excited by these changes. They are small to most people who have 4 year old boys, but for our son, these are enormous things. He is using more and more language, he is addressing us as mommy and daddy. He wants to play with us, he wants to walk with us.

These are huge changes for us, and in such a short time, that I'm afraid to be more hopeful now because things will probably slow up, and obstacles will come. I'm ok with that. He's going at a pace that is ok for him, and that is exciting for me. I can sit down with my son and play with him.

I have been thinking that some of the activities we've been learning are being incorporated in our life in a very good way. First, we learned to use more declarative language. I think this helps Eli to open up his language to us since he is not under constant pressure to answer questions. I had been the kind of mother to constantly question him, and now I am just trying to share experience. I noticed today while doing activities that he was really enjoying the patterns.

I also noticed that he references our faces a LOT more often. He asked for bubbles today. I blew the first round and stopped. When the bubbles all popped, he looked up at me. I then blew again. I waited each time, no words involved, for him to look at me to signal me to blow more bubbles. I think this is part of the lifestyle change. I am waiting for my son to work with me in whatever way is comfortable for him at that time. I am becoming a more patient and loving, a more involved mom.

Today I also read some articles on the differences in brain function between a typically developing child and a child with autism. The one article had presented findings that the mirror neuron system in autistic children is impaired or non-existent. This seems to fit right in with the principle that children on the spectrum have deficits in specific functions relating to the brain. I wonder if the RDI folks have seen this research. I am going to ask our consultant if she has.
The other article related to the methyl-b12 shots we've been giving Eli. We think we are seeing some improvement in language with the b12, but it's hard to tell with all the other things we have been doing. What works for one family, doesn't work for another, and I think that's the biggest problem of all with Autism. I feel like I'm a bit fanatical about the RDI approach as it is so logical to me, however, so I have to hold myself back from trying to tell the world.

Eli is amazing right now. I hope he stays amazing to me forever!