Change isn't something that Zoe--or just about any other autistic child--takes to very easily. When she was in kindergarten, changing what she ate for lunch on a given day was met with a resistance not seen since the French Revolution. And you could forget about last minute schedule changes; oh, the wrath that would ensue! As Zoe's gotten older, her ability to transition has improved dramatically. She still puts up a fight sometimes, but in general she has a much easier time of it.
Today Zoe got some news that, while very exciting, threw her for a bit of a loop. Her occupational therapist told us that it may be time for Zoe to "graduate" from therapy. She's met all the goals the therapist had set for her, and she has improved in that area to the point where therapy may no longer be needed. I had a similar conversation with her speech therapist not long ago; so it appears that after the present evaluation period ends, Zoe may be done with private speech and O.T. after nearly 8 years. That's right folks; she has been in therapy for 8 of her 10 years. So you can see why Zoe might be a bit apprehensive about closing that chapter in her life.
Zoe loves the therapists, staff, and friends that she's met along the way; and I know that's the reason she doesn't want to leave. So part of what we'll be doing during her Thanksgiving break is talking about how we deal with moving on when things in our lives change. It's fascinating to see how she handles this; Zoe has reached a level of maturity that I guess I didn't really notice until now. That's the mama in me, always seeing my baby as, well...a baby. But today my baby came home from therapy, and sat at the desk and proceeded to write in her journal, no doubt about the changes in store for her now.
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
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2 comments:
She's doing great so far then?
Change is so hard for a lot of people. In my first job, when my boss was transferred to another department and further changes were in change for me, I came home and cried like a baby - and I was 23 years old!
She's really doing well. At this point in her development, the social and behavioral issues that are common in autistic people are her biggest challenge. But it's something she'll continue to work on as she matures.
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