While I have written
here a lot about the fun things we experienced this past summer, from several trips
to extended family visits to successful home school to lazy hours by the pool,
I have not said anything about the challenges we have faced this season as a
family.
I started last year to
plan Rex’s transition from his preschool/K program to our school district and
private in-home ABA. I did everything in my power to make things go smoothly
and in Rex’s best interest, but after he graduated from the private program
that had been his academic and therapeutic home for four years, medical
providers who were supposed to be part of the new Team Rex failed us and
especially him. Consequently, Rex went
for three months without his ABA therapy and experienced a heartbreaking
regression in his development. I don’t
want to share too much because it’s painful and still raw, but suffice it to
say that Craig and I were less devastated when we received Rex’s complex
diagnosis in 2011 than when we were seeing our precious son deteriorate through
no fault of his own. His challenges have
placed a strain on our entire family these last few months with the girls going
on not enough attention, Craig and I running on little sleep and energy, and
the house and yard… well, let’s not even mention how things look in that area
of our lives.
We tried to weather
this storm alone at first, but as we were getting more and more worn, we
decided to reach out for some help. I
want to express my gratitude to three of Rex’s former therapists who came on
little notice to spend time with him over a couple of especially hard weeks, to
Rex’s former school for allowing him to attend a partial day for two additional
weeks after his official last day, to our cousin who provided Ella with some
much needed respite and fun, and to trusted former therapists who guided our
search for a new medical provider for Rex.
A few weeks ago, Rex's ABA finally started up again under the umbrella of a different company. He works between 20-25 hours a week with a therapist one on one in our home and soon, if all goes according to plan, in the community as well. We
hope that he can quickly find his way back to where he was in the beginning of
June 2016. In just six sessions, we are
already seeing noticeable improvements which gives us great hope. If there's a silver lining to this entire situation, we now have proof positive that ABA works for Rex and that without it, his diagnoses escalate into dangerous territory.
Rex is a bright and
loving boy who suffered a setback. We know that he will fight his way forward
like he’s always done and that we will be beside him every step of the way.
