When your child has autism, some things come hard, really really hard. Speech is one of those for Corey - we are so lucky that he is now verbal, even if he still has a long way to go to catch up to his "typical" peers. He has worked so hard, years of therapy, school, more therapy and lots of encouragement and gentle prodding at home. (And not so gentle prodding - little sister is kinda bossy, but he loves her...)
Some things I have learned don't need to be pushed, I need to just peace-out and let them happen on his timetable. Corey has spent his entire life in car seats, then boosters, and finally backless boosters whenever traveling by car. He is huge on safety, and very intent on making sure that he and everyone around him is buckled and safe in the car. When he grew big enough to not have to remain in a booster any longer, I told him and showed him he could sit in the seat without it, and he was horrified! Why would I even think of removing this safety measure? Crazy, of me, right? Yes, most kids are thrilled to be out of the dreaded baby seats, but Corey isn't most kids -- and that's OK. Autism means that Corey often finds change to be scary, even terrifying. Why force him out of a booster when he could still fit comfortably and feel safe? No good reason that I could think of, so he kept it, and all was right in the world.
Fast forward to today... Today is the day that Corey decided that he is big enough to ride in the car without his booster, and so he did.
Cory has a rockstar mom and dad, the sky is the limit! His growth is a result of love, affection, and commitment.
ReplyDelete