Focus Shift... Again

I'm truly amazed at how life works. Things are calming down with Stevie now. His treatment is going great. He's scooting around the house and trying out the sitting and spinning thingamajigger. I wouldn't be surprised if he's gained back the vast majority of progress lost by the time a year is up. I'm not going to expect it, but I wouldn't be surprised.

I'm not going to mention the diagnosis. I was. I almost did. But I just don't feel comfortable doing it, so I won't.

I know that sounds snotty, especially in this age when everything is so open online. No one expects privacy anymore. I don't. But I've also learned to go with my gut and my gut says no.

I'm getting off topic.

The point is that things with Stevie are calming down and that means I can once again focus on Rachel and Sarah.

Quick update on them: Rachel is becoming very articulate. Unfortunately, her pronunciation doesn't match the greater ability her speech is gaining. Something to work on.

Sarah is doing very well, though all the stuff with Stevie means she's regressed a bit in her behavior: she tends to be a little less flexible than before. However, she's doing great with math and we're working on grammar now. Mad Libs work well with her sisters, but I think she needs a more structured approach. I'll be looking into that when I can.

I've also decided to look more into freelance writing. I won't detail that in this blog, though I may include links. We'll see.

Our family is in a huge transition. I'm looking forward to seeing how things will look like in a year from now. Mr. Vinca as well. Don't know what else to say, so I won't.

Geez. I really do sound snotty today.

Sorry it's taken so long to get back

Don't have much time to post today, but felt I should say something.

We have a doctor!

That's right. We finally found one we're comfortable with and that shares our philosophies, the important ones anyway. So, we took Stevie in to see him and the search is on! At the moment, it looks like we're going to be going to the local Scottish Rite Hospital for an assessment... if they accept us. We'll see. I'm very hopeful. :) More later.

Sarah and Rachel, being older now, are starting to turn into teenagers. For Sarah that means more stimming and a little less flexibility. For Rachel, that means she's more sensitive than usual. If they were any of my other kids, I would hand them a book on growing up, tell them to read it, and then discuss it afterward. However, that is not how things are. More later.

Good gosh, I wish I had more time to write more about this. I'll end by saying I'm thrilled with how things are going so far. I'll write again as soon as I can. Squee!

Autism Conference in Austin

Not sure if I'll be going to this. We'll see. I'd like to, but actual therapy and other related items take top priority.

However, in the spirit of sharing, Future Horizons, an Arlington-based publisher of literature relating to autism spectrum disorders, is putting on an Autism & Asperger's Conference in Austin, TX on February 5. Speakers include Temple Grandin, her mother Eustacia Cutler, and Kathleen Morris. It sounds awesome and I hope to go. Like I said, we'll see.