Huge Progress Being Made

Who knew that we would finally get to this point. I'm not saying we are completely out of the woods with Liam and his behavior, but we are definitely getting closer to leaving the big bad forest we've been stuck in for about two years. Liam has continued getting good reports from his teacher. His IEP meeting went great! Usually I am preparing for the worst. I know that new plans will be put in place to accommodate his needs, typically in a more negative way because he can't be with other kids, etc. The mood is generally somber, and it's frustrating for everyone involved. All anyone wants is for Liam to be successful so trying to figure him out has been very challenging. This meeting was different. The SE Supervisor and the Behavioral Specialist laughed during our meeting because the SES observed Liam before his meds were tweaked and then after they took effect the BS observed him and saw nothing that the SES did. We all laughed and I told them that I was sorry for throwing confusion into the mix. I guess you just had to be there to truly understand the humor in it all. The mood was completely different. Everyone was smiling and laughing and having a great time. The plan didn't have to be changed. They were talking about him adding more time to his day, which was a great thing. He was progressing immensely and we were all very happy.

Since he has been doing well in school, there have been rewards. He loves McDonald's so we make a trip for a chocolate milk and then find something else to do, like go to a park, swim, or do an activity he wants to do that day. One day is was riding his bike. Another day was throwing a big bouncy ball back and forth. These last couple of days have been playing basketball, watching a movie, playing with chalk, and going to a local park. He is loving the positive feedback.

This is all very strange, actually. One minute I have so much hope and positive thoughts running through my head, then the next minute I am just waiting for him to flip a switch and go back to the way he was. When he was four the aggressiveness kicked in ten fold. As soon as Liam turned six, he seemed to be doing better. He was almost unrecognizable. I know he's older and maturity and medicine can play a factor, but it's so weird how a child can turn a certain age and change so much. I am hoping that his behavior gets better and better with time. I would hate for him to regress on us after coming so far. All I can say at this point is that I am beyond proud of his success.

When we went to the park, there was a little boy who was four. Liam really liked him. According to Brendan's mom he had behavioral issues as well, which part of that was aggression. I thought, how ironic is that?! Liam never once showed any signs of aggression during their time together. I was ecstatic to see that. They ran and played nicely and even took turns pushing each other on the swings. Brendan's mom, Krista, told me that Liam is the only kid that Brendan has ever gotten along with or showed any interest in. I thought she was going to cry. At that moment, I felt what she was feeling. I could totally relate. There's nothing worse than feeling that your child will live in seclusion and never make friends. I was happy Liam and I could give her some hope and comfort. I told her to hang in there and be patient. It will all come together in the end. Maybe they needed each other. Maybe Brendan sensed that Liam was different, too. I've always said that kids have a sixth sense, like a dog. I don't know but whatever it was it worked! Before parting ways Krista and I exchanged numbers for future play dates. She was so incredibly grateful for something so simple. The boys had such a fun time playing and mom and dad were relieved!

First up, basketball: