I was thinking about the sensory issues that go with autism. I remember how hard it was for me to get my mind around the concept. When Liberty went for his therapeutic listening evaluation, the occupational therapist told me that Liberty does not know where his body is in space. (The reason why he cannot point to body parts). She asked me if he drags his hands along walls when we walks. I never really noticed, but after that evaluation, I realized he did. And that he was always touching people and things such as grocery carts, running his hand along the shelves of videos at the video store, getting a feel for the boundaries in a room. And, also, he used to just throw his sippy cup down anywhere and take off. The therapist said that when he put the cup down, to him it just disappeared.
Since getting occupational therapy and just his normal growth I suppose, a lot of spatial issues are getting better. But it got me wondering what Liberty's experience of Being really is. And that reminded me of an old Twilight Zone episode called, "Little Girl Lost." The story goes that a child was in her bed and then disappaered, but the family could hear her calling them. Then, the child's dog lept through a "portal" in the wall that was not apparent to the naked eye. They could hear the far off barking.
The episode is amusing because they immediately called a physicist! I suppose, in my foggy memory of the show, he happened to be a family friend. It turns out that the little girl had fallen into the fourth dimension. Eventually, they got her and the dog out. At one point, the physicist puts his hand through the opening in the wall and there is a scene where all you see is his hand poking through the other dimension.
Anyway, sometimes I think Lib's world is like that and every now and then he is really here, he sees my hand and I can lift him through; other times, he retreats.
I do have to say that after my last post in which I was focusing on the difficulties of our daily lives (intensified by the start of school and magnified by the lunar eclipse!), I met with Liberty's kindergarten teachers and got glowing reports about his progress. They said he was the most engaged ever after the last MB12 shot, doing age-appropriate things, following commands and starting to answer to his name. I was really elated by this news. I cannot say for certain that it is just the shots that are helping him. We are still doing some therapeutic listening, too. Then there is his normal growth, then maybe some natural chelation through his epsom salt baths. I don't know - its hard to pinpoint and that is so frustrating.
In the end, its all a Great Mystery. Maybe I should call a physicist.
Since getting occupational therapy and just his normal growth I suppose, a lot of spatial issues are getting better. But it got me wondering what Liberty's experience of Being really is. And that reminded me of an old Twilight Zone episode called, "Little Girl Lost." The story goes that a child was in her bed and then disappaered, but the family could hear her calling them. Then, the child's dog lept through a "portal" in the wall that was not apparent to the naked eye. They could hear the far off barking.
The episode is amusing because they immediately called a physicist! I suppose, in my foggy memory of the show, he happened to be a family friend. It turns out that the little girl had fallen into the fourth dimension. Eventually, they got her and the dog out. At one point, the physicist puts his hand through the opening in the wall and there is a scene where all you see is his hand poking through the other dimension.
Anyway, sometimes I think Lib's world is like that and every now and then he is really here, he sees my hand and I can lift him through; other times, he retreats.
I do have to say that after my last post in which I was focusing on the difficulties of our daily lives (intensified by the start of school and magnified by the lunar eclipse!), I met with Liberty's kindergarten teachers and got glowing reports about his progress. They said he was the most engaged ever after the last MB12 shot, doing age-appropriate things, following commands and starting to answer to his name. I was really elated by this news. I cannot say for certain that it is just the shots that are helping him. We are still doing some therapeutic listening, too. Then there is his normal growth, then maybe some natural chelation through his epsom salt baths. I don't know - its hard to pinpoint and that is so frustrating.
In the end, its all a Great Mystery. Maybe I should call a physicist.
3 comments:
I know the feeling well! Predictably unpredictable! That's the name of the game around our house! We've learned to just enjoy the upswings, and not waste them by picking them apart!
Theapeutic listening is great. One of the very best things we've done is buy both a huge outdoor trampoline, and a mini indoor one. I swear all that bouncing has reorganized my son's brain!
My neighbors had an outdoor trampoline when we first moved into our house. My son loved it and was so alert afterward. That's why I pushed for a lot of OT. The large physical movements do seem to make him organized as you say - I think they call it vestibular input? Also, when my husband holds him upside down. He's getting a bit big for that now though...
There is an article at LivingWithout.com about GF/CF diet for autism. (previous articles) It points out the affect gluten and caesin have on autistic children as being stronger than LSD.
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