This week was packed with evaluations of CB’s progress in speech and physical therapy. He had 3 different ST evaluation reports completed and 1 physical therapy report. The great news is that he has made huge leaps with his expressive language and only falls a few months behind. This test focused on CB’s comprehension of the questions asked and CB being able to verbally express his comprehension. For most questions, it didn’t matter if he replied with 1-2 word answers and his ST allowed for extra time, minimal guidance, and some substitutions due to his apraxia. He is still about 5-6 months delayed on receptive language skills. The third test was an articulation test and it placed CB at just under 2 years behind. The good news is that this was the first time the test could have even been given. 6 months ago he could not have made it through the test or been able to accurately try to make each sound. His ST also said that he made developmentally correct errors. Basically, that even though he is quite behind, the errors are the expected errors and sound substitutions given his current sound repertoire.
I should step back and mention that the first test administered was the articulation test. Even though I was glad his ST was able to administer the test, hearing the results caused me to feel extremely weighted down, unsure, and like I had a hole in my core. All the worries started surfacing, “Will my son always be behind?”, “Is he gradually getting further and further behind?”, “Even though he seems to be responding really well to his ST, are we going to have to make changes?”, “If we have to make therapy changes, what are they?”, “Is all this therapy not helping him?”, “Am I failing him?”, “Is that first no tact, seemingly uncaring caregiver right that CB will always be behind and we are not providing enough for him?”, “This feeling hurts so bad and I feel so lost. What do I do?”… Olem and I had to go through some stuff and fortunately vocalized our worries late one night to each other. I think we both felt light again and more like ourselves. We felt like no matter what, we can handle this. Fortunately, we got the results of the other 2 ST tests today and I feel like I am floating on air. I feel hopeful!!!!
For CB’s physical therapy evaluation, he showed some improvement with some of his retained primitive reflexes (like the moro reflex) but started showing signs of retained primitive reflexes that did not seem present prior (like the fear paralysis reflex). CB’s connection with his current PT is just so-so. It is super convenient though b/c she comes to our house for the therapy and she is one of the limited few in our area with experience working with retained primitive reflexes. If we drop a therapy, I think it will be this one. Working with the retained primitive reflexes can be so beneficial though for a kiddo with Dyspraxia.
We lowered CB’s fish oil dosage about a month ago, and upped it back up last week. Just like the past, CB went CRAZY for the several days following the dosage change. Basically, CB would fixate on something and could not let it go. Primarily, it was related to sharing and stealing other kiddo’s toys. He would then scream, kick, hit, and throw a huge tantrum every time he wanted something he could not have. Last Sunday, HB had his first play date at our house with just one of his friends and his parents. In the 3 hours they were at our house, CB threw at least 6-7 kicking/screaming tantrums. Almost all if not all were around HB’s friend having a toy and CB deciding he wanted it. It was soooo hard. At the pool a few days prior, CB had a full-blown tantrum. When CB acts like this, I feel like everyone is judging me. I feel like the other parents think I am a bad parent, my child is totally spoiled, I can’t handle my child, and sometimes look at my child wondering what is wrong with him. I HATE this feeling. I HATE those glances and seeing those seemingly judging faces. During those moments, I wish I had special powers to hide CB and I in a force-field protective bubble. In this bubble, no one can see or hear us, and we can just be ourselves.
Fortunately, I think CB is now on the other side and is now showing the positive effects of the fish oil change. Today, CB seemed to be expressing himself very well. He also seemed more cuddly and mentally quick. He loves watching Daniel Tiger and he even responded to several of the questions in the Daniel Tiger show this afternoon. HB will regularly respond, but CB typically just watches. Before watching Daniel Tiger, we played with play doh and pretend for about 30 minutes. All of this was dictated by CB. CB pretended the house was on fire and we had to save his bears in the living room and then we had to save the cars and other things around the house :). He then proceeded to be a police office and a cowboy. HB remained super HB and helped the entire time. Working through the retained reflexes exercises today was even easy.
Side Note: HB has been in summer language camp for the last 3.5 weeks. He seems to be enjoying it. It was around the same time that he started having more accidents. He has been having 1-2 accidents every day to every other day lately. Sometimes, the teacher or I have showed him that he had an accident. He did not mention it to us.