As delicate shoots of green, tease from under icy white and matted brown winter, I think now is a good time to talk about new beginnings. I have come to understand the miracle of small things.
Sean has been doing ABA therapy for 7 months now and we have started to hear our first real words. From initial letter sounds like puh, buh, and oo we have moved on to "U-p", "E-tuh" and "Baw". My fathers heart soars every time he is called pa-pa and now there is a name for ga-ga. This has not been easy and my 10 year old still struggles hard for hours a day to reach what so many children gain effortlessly by their first 12 months.
I have also come to realize that my approach to homeschooling was based on my strengths and the way I felt most comfortable teaching. I am a VERY verbal/visual person. I can't think of anything more fun than a day spent sharing coffee and scrapbooking. I am not even remotely mechanical or musical. Everything from cars to kitchen sinks are terrified of me, as I have zero engineering aptitude and heaven help you if you hear me singing, as I can't carry a tune in a bucket.
It would appear my child is as different from me as summer is from winter. Music is something he seems connected to and he may as well be built of puzzles, gears, cogs and wheels. If it can be built or better yet deconstructed he will find a way. It is not his Autism but who he is as a person that has me re-evaluating everything I thought I was going to do during our homeschooling and how we are going to go about exploring the world together.
