In the Depths of Regression, There is Hope

It’s true that Brian has been in a regression that has been testing my strength.  His regression has centered around his emotional stability, aggression, OCD, and negative behaviors.

However, during that same time we have seen growth in other areas.

This is how it works in the special needs world.  With regression often comes growth.  It can be hard to always see that growth because you can’t always see the big picture as you concentrate on fixing the behaviors.

However, there is this:

  • Language continues to grow.  Sure a lot of it continue to be scripts, but theyheisamazing are new scripts and sometimes those scripts are being used appropriately.  During our housewarming party two weeks ago he yelled out, “Best Birthday Ever!”.  Not completely appropriate but close enough.  Another day he realized the house was empty (Colin was home but in the kitchen) and he yelled out, “Where did everybody go?”.
  • Speaking of the housewarming party:  It was an open house style party that lasted for over five hours.  People came and went.  There were more kids than I could count.  It got loud and chaotic.  People were invading his space.  Not one single meltdown.  He independently chose to swing when he started to feel a little overwhelmed.
  • He had an amazingly successful dentist visit and allowed his first ever mouth x-ray.  He’s had to be put under for them in the past.
  • One morning I caught him brushing his teeth without his daily verbal prompt to do so.
  • We’ve been working a lot on modesty.  And it’s starting to click.  He now always comes out of the shower with a towel wrapped around him, instead of streaking through the house.
  • He’s been doing the steps of showering with much more independence than in the past.
  • He’s trying a lot more new foods and staying at the dinner table longer and without the aid of a visual timer.
  • Glorious sleep.  Sleep has continued to be very positive for our little guy since we moved in December.
  • The other night, as we watched “Brain Games” as a family, he was following the directions from the TV host.  Sounds silly, but he’s generally not that tuned in to family shows like that.  He was loving the tricks of perception that they were sharing.
  • He’s independently accessing essential oils to help when he is feeling upset and when he has a boo-boo.
  • His stomach has been happier and his GI symptoms seem to be going the best they have in quite some time.
  • He’s (with our help) cut back on screen time to just an hour on weekdays.  We let this get out of control when we moved and we’re happy that we are about two months into this new rule.  He wakes up and asks me, “School?”.  If I say, “Yes, school today”, he knows that he can’t get on his electronics until after school.  And he’s cool with that.
  • He continues to play with Corbin more and more.  He loves to wrestle and shoot him with Nerf guns.

So sometimes, when I worry too much and am stuck too much on why he is hurting, I like to focus on this list.  Because despite it all, he grows and he flourishes in other ways.  He is amazing.

Heather Nelson

About Heather Nelson

Heather resides in Rockland where she is busy juggling life as a newlywed, a mom to two boys (one of which who has autism), a part time job in direct sales, and a full-time job as a pediatric occupational therapy assistant. She has a love for live music, karaoke, and cheering on the underdogs.