HUGE!!

The hardest thing about Autism, to me, is the loss of communication. Through intervention, speech therapy, and hard work, Molly has some words back (if they're important to her) but we don't have "nomal" conversations. We have routine ones, like 

"what cereal would you like this morning?"

"eggs, toast" (ugh)

with food? she can be pretty verbal. 

She hears and understands everything, and we talk to her like we would talk to any other tween....

"TURN THAT CRAP DOWN!!"

Probably the worst? Her not being able to 
#1 be aware of the location of her pain and 
#2 being unable to tell me she has a pain. 

Otherwise, our conversations will consist of me asking a question, and her answering with all her words.

"How was school today?"

"Aubrey Jo, Owie (Zoey), Sarge (dog) Puppy (Mizzy the dog) CAT (Lucifer) Koo (koo kitty never got a name, molly just named her) and Kee (the new little bit kitten) Bill, Babe (Gabe) *her brothers* and Harter" (we haven't quite figured out who that is.)

She repeats these names of those nearest and dearest to her heart, (Pongebob, Quidward, Dora, Boo Bear (Little Bear)) and moves her hands the way you would if you were in a conversation with me, but it never makes any sense, and without the update list from school,  i would have NO IDEA what happened there today. (verbally that is...if she's having trouble i can read it thru her attitude)

Yesterday was Friday....I'm trying to get her to understand the days of the week. We have a calendar at home of the days, so she can understand the pain of Monday and the joy of Friday!

I pick her up from school on Fridays, also...another Joy, and IF SHE'S GOOD, we make a run thru "Donalds" (mcdonalds...a new word for her, again, only if it's REALLY important)

I start in after the smiling pick up, with my usual conversation..."how was school today?" 

nothing.

"Was it sno-cone day"

nothing but a smile

"What color of sno-cone did you get?"

"BLUE!"

omg!! she answered me!! WOOHOOOO! I was SO excited!! she actually TOLD ME SOMETHING!!

I kept my delight somewhat curbed....until i got home and could text her aide. She confirmed that indeed the sno-cone was blue, and the party ensued!!

It may seem small to the parent of typpies (NTs or Neuro Typicals, typpies in my house) but to a mom that's never had a real conversation with her kid for 14 years? it's HUGE!!

Have a great weekend. :-)