It has been a few months since I've given an update on Miles.
Miles has been in therapy for over 6 months and is making some real progress.
We have been able to see little differences here and there, but the last month or two it's been amazing. He is now making progress that people who don't see him everyday notice. It is so exciting to watch his little personality come alive.
Miles is now making great eye contact, responds to his name, babbles (lots of consonant sounds), waves bye bye, lets us hold/rock him, doesn't bang his head near as much, doesn't spend as much time upside down, and initiates play with us. His hips and core are also getting a lot stronger. His balance is really improving and he can walk at more than one speed. He does good going up stairs, but going down is still very difficult.
Our biggest struggle with Miles is communication. He is constantly frustrated and expresses it through biting and pinching. The only word he says regularly is 'bye' and he usually says it when he wants someone to go away. He also says words that sound like 'mama', 'dada', 'book', 'apple', 'duck', and 'no'. He will sign 'more', but we don't always know what he wants more of. So, since his motor skills are getting better, they have started sign language with him at therapy. I am so amazed and excited how quick he is picking up on it. I have learned over 80 signs in the last week to be able to work with Miles at home, and we are having so much fun with it. Miles has started consistently signing yes, no, eat, milk, book, car, and monkey. If he doesn't know how to do a sign, he will put his little hands in my hands so I can help him say it. It is so sweet! I think this is going to be a huge help for him.
His therapy schedule was adjusted this summer to combine therapies so he could move from going 5 days a week down to 3 days a week. It has helped SO much! It allows his daytime routine to be more consistent, which means no more falling asleep during lunch.
So, now that we are on a schedule that gives us some breathing room, we are finally going to start Developmental Therapy. Miles' little quirks can be overwhelming sometimes, but this will give us the tools to make the day to day stuff be more manageable.
A new book on Sensory Processing Disorder was recommended to me yesterday that I can't wait to get my hands on. The more I learn about SPD, the more I am amazed how complex our bodies were designed. "Thank you for making me so wonderfully complex! You workmanship is marvelous - how well I know it." {Psalm 139:14 NLT}
