Three Years Old

The year Anthony turned three, he started school, which was huge. We had never left him anywhere before, and kind of before we knew it, he was off every day to school for three hours. His teacher was very good and experienced and she knew just how to treat us, and Anthony, to get us out of there and allow him to do his thing. He had occupational and speech therapy at school, with varying degrees of success. His OT was going on maternity leave almost immediately, and he missed a few sessions before his speech therapist told me that he wasn't getting any OT. I had to make a big stink to get someone to come in, and of course they told me that he was FOR SURE going to get it all made up, etc., etc.

We started him in private occupational therapy, too. Mike has a friend at work whose cousin has a son with autism and early on, she recommended lots and lots of therapy for Anthony, so that's what we were trying to do. Anthony seemed to do well in therapy, but he certainly never really took off talking like I have always dreamed he would.

I think, as I look at his blog, that this was his roughest year sleep wise. I hope the worst is not to come, but when I look at other people's blogs and read books about people with kids with autism, it doesn't look likely. I assume he has such trouble sleeping because of his sensory issues, which are profound. I personally think that even if he didn't have autism, he would have these sensory issues. I don't think he is too far on the autism spectrum, but he is so knotted up by sensory issues, I think it makes it worse. This is all speculation, natch.

We got him his evaluation for his ABA school when he was three, three and a half, really, but it would be six months before he started. He has made the most progress at his ABA school, but it is still such slow going, to me. He is still not toilet trained, and I don't know that we are much closer now than we were when he started working on it in school.

When he turned four, I had just had Veronica, Maria was 18 months old. I think I've said this elsewhere but he never really acknowledges Veronica. He will very occasionally pat her on the head but I think that's just to feel her hair! I hope that he gets some appreciation for these girls, Maria especially. She loves him so, so much and he coldly ignores her most of the time.