Yes, I know…this is quite the title! There is so much to say and it has been so long since I have blogged. I have been caught up in the ever-so-wonderful chaos of life...it can seem so overwhelming at times. I often forget that one of the reasons I started this blog was to not only bring awareness to Kaden’s developmental disorder & progress, but also to help me cope with the day to day madness of it all. Things have been challenging lately, just like they often are for everyone. I don’t think my challenges are any more significant than anyone else’s, just different. Sometimes it feels easier to just go through the motions of it all, and it is easy to lose sight of what is really important.
I am constantly searching for inspiration…in school, in work, and life in general. Sometimes the most valuable inspiration one can find is the unexpected. I received a call from one of my oldest and dearest friends this morning. He called to tell me that he reads my blog and how great he thinks it is that I am sharing our experience. Our conversation was cut short, but his words meant so much to me and offered so much inspiration at a time I really needed it.
So much has been happening in Kaden’s world and we continue to see so much progress. His speech is really beginning to emerge, and he is really starting to get that he can put syllables together and form words. He is up to about 7 words now…mostly prompted but that’s ok. He does have some spontaneous words such as mama, dada, and yea yea. His Speech Therapist started doing DTTC therapy (Dynamic Temporal and Tactile Cueing for Speech Motor Learning Method) with him about a month and a half ago and it is amazing how well it is working for him. This is a very intense approach and is only successful if Kaden can attend to the ST’s mouth, which can be quite challenging for him. We have been working on this through behavioral therapy, and he is definitely starting to be able to attend longer.
All of the professionals who work with Kaden have suggested that he have a feeding/swallowing evaluation, as it has been clear for some time that he has some challenges in this area. We were finally able to have the evaluation on Friday, and it was very interesting. He definitely needs some feeding/swallowing therapy, which will be two times a week in addition to his current Speech Therapy. This kind of therapy is done by a Speech Therapist, but not the same one who does his DTTC therapy. A little confusing, I know!
So, his schedule continues to get busier but that only means that he continues to grow. We are seeing him meet more and more of his developmental milestones, which is the pay off for the hours and hours of therapy each week. People always tell Dave and I how amazing they think we are, but I always tell them that Kaden is the amazing one. He is the one who puts in all of the hard work, and constantly has such an incredibly willing & determined spirit. I am always learning from Kaden, and he has helped me grow so much as a person because of this journey we are on together.
Things may seem really crazy at times, and I often feel defeated by the various systems we fight every day to ensure Kaden has all that he needs. No matter what, I am committed to being strong through the chaos. I am committed to finding inspiration in everything we do. Most importantly, I will never stop celebrating every milestone Kaden reaches - no matter how big or small. This is what life is all about!
Have a great week!
