Photo book and Pity Party | Autism PDD

I'm sorry to hear that. Regression is very sad.

Did your son develop auditory defensiveness? I was just wondering if sensory issues were behind the problems drumming and clapping.

Good luck with everything.

Hugs from me too, Paula.

For us to it is all we have known, so I can't imagine how hard it is to look back at those pictures. I'm where Elle is with being able to compare to my older children, and also in my case I have a younger DD and I'm seeing her starting to pass Mason in a lot of areas, and it is so hard!

But Elle gave us a good perspective on it...we can't feel guilty from these pity parties and sadness.

[QUOTE=Elle22] I feel them, explore them, and then move on. [/QUOTE]

I'm printing this out and hanging it on my fridge, so I keep that in the front of my mind!! Thanks Elle.

And I hope you are feeling better soon, Paula! Take care!

Thanks Ladies,
I am feeling a bit better this evening. I am trying to focus on the fact that one of ds's ABA therapist told me how much he has changed in the past month. He is focusing better and is generally more aware. He also mastered sitting quiet for 2-3 seconds today. I know it isn't much but it is progress and that is all that I care about.

Can I just say as a parent of a child who never appeared to have a regression, at least you know what your child is capable of!! You should let those memories be a positive! Spend your goals and objectives doing what you know your child can do. It is in them, and you have to find it!

He will gain them all back

R has had a mixed road - mostly stalling but he has had some language regression

Sometimes I wish I rememberd the last time I heard R say "ish"( his word for fish ) - I have not heard it for over a year - I wish I remembered-I would have savored it a little more

Then I remind myself that he will make progress and when he says fish again it will be all the more precious

Hi all,
This afternoon while ds was/is napping I decided to go through my pictures from the past few months to make a photo album for him. One of his ABA therapist suggested we do this for identification of his immediate family. It would be great if I could have just stayed with the past few months but of course I needed to look further back and I shouldn't have.

I was seeing pictures from a year ago and he was playing appropriately with toys (just seeing him playing with toys makes me sad because right now he doesn't want anything to do with them). I started to cry when I saw him playing the drum and clapping his hands. We have been working on clapping hands for almost 2 months now and he isn't responding and he will touch the drum but not hit it. I know he has been through so much this year with the seizures, medications and hosptializations and he is very slowly making progress but I miss playing with him and I miss that smile that used to be on his face 90% of the time. Now you really have to work for it but it is a beautiful as it was before.

Thanks for listening to my pity party. I need to get back to the photos so that I can print what I have and start helping him the way that I need to. This is all I've known, autism/delays since birth. It must be a different experience when the child loses skills. It's not a pity party, just life and love.

Aw, Paws, I am sorry. That must be so painful to see.

I once found some film undeveloped in my camera, from four or five YEARS before. It turned out to be mostly photos of my beautiful cats who I had since lost. Very sad!

We've dealt w/ serious health issues since birth & delays apparent by 6
months, so for us too, this is all we've known. BUT, I do have the
comparison of what older dd was doing when...and that (when I really sit
& think about it) breaks my heart. I think of her being in preschool,
making friends, singing, telling us so much...that's been hard. I can't
imagine looking at pictures from last year & seeing those changes--that
must be very difficult. I think times like that, it's all part of this journey.
Taking time to feel those emotions is normal, and healthy. If you were to
just go on autopilot (been there, done that) or put on a facade of ease,
the reality will hit you like a BRICK! I learned that lesson, and now don't
feel guilty for the mini-pity parties, or bouts of sadness. I feel them,
explore them, and then move on. Various life experiences w/ our dd
have also helped me gain perspective on my situation, and that helps
tremendously as well. Hang in there.

Forgot to add the most important thing: