Some Great Progress and Some Others Well...

There really hasn't been much to write about lately because everything is going very well. I figured I'd share some of the wonderful sucesses in the past few weeks and some wonderful new methods that we have tried for behaviors that have had some sucess.

I have always said that Eden has about a 15-20 minutes when we are going anywhere before we start noticing Eden behavior starts changing. We have had a lot of functions and most of them have gone very well, thanks to great planning, back up plans, and even some creative thinking.

I managed to go out to eat with Eden and my other family, without Ed, Eden did get over-stimulated and I choose to let her get up and go to a quieter corner to calm down a little. I even let her get under the table, but she managed to eat her dinner with little to no fuss. She started running around the table toward the end of the meal. I tried to get her to stop knowing she was seeking(sensory) and as I was doing my best calm voice no touching, "You need to stop" voice, and she tripped and fell. Someone went to grab her just to make sure she was ok, before they could grab her, (not intentionally) I yelled at them not to touch her. It was more of a bark. They looked at me and I explained that if she needed me she would come over to me. In my mind I know that if Eden is over-stimulated, and falls or anything else for that matter, if you grab her she hits, screams and sometimes hurts people. No one who doesn't know about children with Autism would understand that. Not that I'm not worried about her getting hurt I just know if she needs me to look at something or she needs to be comforted she will come to me. Poor person probably thought I was a lunatic, but she is most important in those situations.

Eden was invited this past weekend to her first birthday party. The kids from school were invited and I was so excited to be able to see Eden play with her school friends.

We have managed to have more successful resturant trips and last night was the best and most surprising. We just had someone give us a weighted jacket/vest Eden has been playing with it at the house and seems to like it. It had been another tough day for Eden at school. She wouldn't sit at all for more than 3 minutes. Her OT appointment afterwards was great but she did need some breaks after they did her "heavy work"/obsticle course they have her sit and to a task. She asked for a "hugging" vest (compression vest). The OT and her sat at that table for 20 minutes making ornaments for our tree. Eden didn't get up, cry and even the smell of the cinnamon didn't make her upset she did so well. I had already arranged to drop Eden off at my mom's so we could go out with the girls for Tanya's birthday, but Eden did seem "better" sensory wise since when I picked her up at school. She asked for her new vest (which I was so happy with) and we were going to try it. We did have two cars and one of us could leave if needed.

All I have to say is, "Wow!" Eden was so awsome at the resturant. Ed and I were consantly waiting for the other shoe to drop. She waited patiently for her meal. Played with her sisters, colored on paper, and ate all of her meal. She took her breaks, but this time they were less frequent and only after she had eaten her dinner. I loved the fact that we weren't rushing out of the resturant and stressed because Eden is screaming or anything. We were a "normal" family, with very well behaved children. Tanya told me at the end of the day that she had the best birthday dinner ever, and I agree.