Saturday, September 19, 2009

No, I am not dead...

I have had a big week, figuring out my place in the new world order. Adapting to the help in the home. My house gets progressively clean (in small increments, but it is happening) with each day. It's sort of amazing. But because of the hours that she is working, she is here closer to bedtime. It has allowed for a more focused situation, where she gets him to bed in his own bed. He has never slept in his room before. We have had an air mattress in the floor, which is where he was moved to each night after he fell asleep in our bed (only to come back at 3 or 4 am.) He is starting and ending in his own bed, in his own room. I want it to be habit. It's how it should be. Our attendant has been critical in getting it started, because bedtime for him is bedtime for Jacob as well. Jacob is horrible at bedtime. I had thrown my hands up about getting people to sleep when and where they needed to. But I sort of feel like I am abdicating Jimmy in this way as a mom. But I can't do both. As you can see, I am conflicted. Ultimately, its getting done and that's a good thing. We've got Nanny 911 going on at our house with a quiet 18 year old leading the charge. But it's working. And a favorite former sitter is moving back to town, she we will likely bring her in the fold as well.

Jimmy has an appointment coming up at Kruge Rehabilitation Children's Center in Charlottesville for an independent educational and medical evaluation. We will get professional recommendations for both and be back under the care of a developmental pediatrician rather than a neurologist. It's a more nuanced approached and I am grateful for it. I am hoping to get recommendations and input about what is truly best and most appropriate for Jimmy at this stage of his life. As always, there is a wait for the appointment, but it isn't too long. I have people wanting to strip services he needs badly, I have people who want to add services, and no one looking at Jimmy in a holistic way. I would think that the powers that be could do as part of this educational process, but they are not. Instead, I get to arrange and pay for it. The joys of autism.

He is having a good year starting at school. The new teacher is doing a great job with feedback on what kind of day he is having, what he is doing. The class is well staffed in quality and quantity of people at this point. I am pleased with the classroom part of it. Jacob is having a great time in Kindergarten as well. I got a note saying that he will have show and tell every Wednesday. I just think it's the cutest thing. I wonder if it would be inappropriate to ask that it be videoed and e-mailed to me. He is so expressive, I would love to see him describing his favorite things. Nothing but good notes on behavior at school. Not as good at Extended Care, but he will get there. Just as soon as he stops putting his friends in headlocks.

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