Kid on the Verge of a Nervy Breakthrough

My firstborn really knows how to suck all the air out of the room. And he's doing it again.

The anxiety ratchets up when he's on the verge of doing something new. This is one thing I've learned in my nearly nine years of motherhood. The behaviors amp up, the stims multiply, and just when I think I can't take anymore--*BANG*--he's doing something I never thought possible, or at least thought was years in the offing.

One problem: I never know WHAT'S coming. I only know THAT it's coming.

Interestingly, the word I get from his regular ed teacher is that he's doing fine. Apparently, the behaviors are happening during pullouts.

HMMM. I think I pointed out a correlation between behaviors and safe places for those behaviors...and maybe this argues strongly against pullouts? After all he gets pulled out...with the other autistic kids...

Hm. I'll put that to one side.

So tonight he didn't want to get into the pool. Vince, bless his heart, doesn't take any crap off of Nic and managed to get him in. And guess what, Nic is now swimming across the pool.

This is the kid who a scant two years ago wouldn't even set foot in a pool. Now he's putting goggles on and putting his head under water.

And after all that pushback, he stayed in the pool 40 minutes beyond his lesson tonight, working on his stroke and kicking.

And Gabriel still moves through the water like a little seahorse. He needs to go horizontal, but his vertical hold is broken. At least in bed. Seems to be intact in the pool.

And tonight was pretty cool because while my kids stayed in the pool, I got to sit and talk with a fellow warrior mom about Nic's sitch. She had some good ideas for me to bring into the meeting tomorrow.

If there is a meeting--there may be snow.

Oh well, if there is snow, there be sledding.....