Finding a match

When I read Amalah's post yesterday I almost broke into tears. I had had a similar conversation with B over the weekend and there just isn't a right answer.

Noah and L received their diagnoses (is that the correct plural?) within weeks of one another. Noah and L also got dropped from their programs around the same time. L was a little different, he was still qualified to receive services through the end of the year in NY, but since we were moving, we were told he wouldn't qualify. His speech had improved too much.

As and I said before, he is light years ahead of where he was when we left NY now. And for that I am eternally thankful.

However, the loss of OT services is noticable and pronounced. He is back to gripping pencil/pens/crayons with a fist grip. If you remind him, he will switch back, but the need to even remind him stands out.

He is also still quite "quirky." Shoes have to be arranged in a particular way. He has to clean his hands all the time as being sticky makes him cranky.

He also doesn't have great social skills. He can't talk to other kids. I can't tell you how many times he gets pushed down and just looks at the kid in wonder. Granted, I don't want him to push back, but I don't want him to be a push over either. With R, he is completely different. He will push him down. He will tell me no if he doesn't want something, but put him in a new setting and it is too much for him.

He also still has a complete oral fixation. Everything still goes in his mouth.

He doesn't transition well. It took more than a month for him to be comfortable at his new school and now if B and I switch days we pick him up, he is totally thrown for a loop.

I guess all of this is to say -- yep, he too is past labels, but he isn't past his problems.