I wanted to take a minute and share something with all of you that I have been thinking alot about lately.
Recently I have been writing alot about the regression Gavin has been experiencing over the years. It’s a popular topics for me because it’s that my family struggles with every day. So basically, it’s always at the forefront of my mind. However, despite all the regression, Gavin has made some progress as well.
I don’t honestly know if the progress is despite the regression or because of it. I know that sounds really strange but I don’t know how else to explain it. While we struggle with many things, Gavin has also overcome many obstacles as well. He is no longer violent towards others and that is a huge positive. He is also trying new foods that a few years ago wod never have happened.
Gavin used to touch in inappropriate ways but that stopped over a year ago. He used to not play nicely with his younger brothers but does a much better job now. Getting his blood drawn was a beyond nightmare, requiring up too 8 people to hold him so it could be done. Now he mostly has little to no problem getting his blood drawn now.
I really just want to ensure that Gavin get credit for all his accomplishments. Regression is a huge problem but Gavin’s victories should not be overshadowed by it. So I just thought it was important to share this with all of you.
When you are dealing with a child like Gavin, it’s easy to lose sight of the positives. Especially when faced with the ever growing list of challenges that we are with Gavin. However, a victory is a victory despite the setbacks.
I just wanted to remind everyone to not forget that victories should be celebrated. Sometimes you have to hunker down and wait out the rough times but don’t forget to celebrate the victories…no matter how small.
I LOVE this post! It is so amazing and essential to bring progress to the forefront and focus on each little step, no matter how few or gradual or far between! I give you so much credit for not only realizing this but by blogging about it so that others can think about the progress in their child. I also love your creativity, especially the title of your post! It’s so poetic… Do you write any poetry? We should write a poetry book for other parents with both of our perspectives…
Maybe Gavin feels reassured now that you are seeing doctors who can help you figure out what's going on with him. I am sure it is scary to feel like something is wrong with your body but not be able to ask for help. It sounds like he is calmer, and cooperating and I am happy for you for that! Hope you find some answers and get some relief soon!
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It does seem like he's been growing a lot in a lot of ways. You have to remember that with autistic people I know the 'autistic' things tend to get worse when under stress — stimming goes up, social skills go down, etc. If he's been sick all this time, even if he didn't realize it, he was probably under a lot of internal stress.
I hope that the IVIG works well for him and gets his immune system back to normal, or closer to it at least. Hopefully it'll also help with the neurological issues that were causing him to fall and stuff. The fact that he's been making some progress while he's been dealing with all this is awesome. Who knows, once the treatment has had time to work, you get that pneumonia cleared up, his asthma issues under control, and his immune system strong, you may see him soar above most of the things he's been struggling with.