Me: "What's wrong? Why are you crying?"
Maggie: "Molly. Towel!"
Me: (using a towel to dry her hand and face) "Here's a towel. Do you want to get out?"
Maggie: "Get out... Crying."
Me: "Why are you crying?"
Maggie: "Sad."
Maggie: "Sad."
Me: "Why are you sad?" (remembering the beginning of the conversation) "Oh! You want your Molly doll!"
Maggie: "Molly!"
Me: "Here, let's get out. Let's dry off. We can find your Molly doll."
Maggie: "Towel. Dry off."
Me: "Let's find Molly. I think she's in my room."
Two minutes later we'd found where she had hidden her two Molly Mermaid dolls and a small Fischer-Price doll that she calls "Maggie" and like that the tears turned into smiles and she was ready to get ready for school (therapy)... which she began calling "Mermaid School" this weekend, during the fifty times that she asked me to take her (that would be very close to a literal fifty times... if we didn't exceed fifty, which is a very real possibility).
Maggie seems like she would love to attend a developmental preschool! I taught 4s for years, in a self-contained classroom for autistic kiddos. I often watched their social skills, flexibility, and language explode in that environment. Many went on to typical kindergartens. I know you homeschool, but have you considered a half-day program for this sweet girl? I bet she would love a quality special needs program - seems to be her personality!
ReplyDeleteRight now she attends her therapy program twice a week from nine to noon and then three additional days a week from nine until two thirty. That's what she's asking about when she wants to go to school. Apparently she's quite the little social butterfly there! I hear a lot from her therapy planner about her favorite little boys to run around and play with!
DeleteThat is so wonderful! I finally, at 8, got to the point where I wanted my son to *stop* talking about something this year. (Legos. Oh, my goodness, the Lego perseveration. I just *CANNOT* listen to another speech about castle Legos.)
ReplyDeleteMaggie is so amazing!!! My girls have both needed speech and PT and my heart bursts with pride when I see their hard work paying off! Go, Maggie!!! And go Mama, too. :-)
ReplyDeleteDid you see this article about the non-verbal boy with autism who wrote the letter to his police department?
ReplyDeletehttps://www.washingtonpost.com/news/inspired-life/wp/2016/05/19/this-non-speaking-teen-wrote-an-incredibly-profound-letter-to-police-about-autism/
That's so awesome! So glad things are going well with her. :0)
ReplyDeleteI miss you....I hope everything is ok and you are just busy moving into a new house!
ReplyDelete