Jump Start

The last few months have come and gone in the blink of an eye. I wish I had journaled more, but sleep is elusive and some days are glorious just because we made it.

Mike, Ellie, and I signed up for a class called "JumpStart" through SARRC (Southwest Autism Research and Resource Center). The schedule was impossible, but we made it work. I'm so glad we did! We learned SO much! It was the first time I felt like myself since February. It was a six week class, two classes a week (on Tuesdays and Thursdays). On Tuesdays, Ellie received intensive intervention through ABA Therapy while we learned a lot in a classroom setting. We were also able to watch Ellie work 1-on-1 with a RBT (registered behavior therapist). Thursdays was all parent training. So we worked with the RBT and Ellie implementing ABA ourselves. We loved it.

We learned so much! We didn't want the class to end, but needed the schedule to end. We struggled to keep up with regular life, but we are so glad we attended. We absolutely loved SARRC! 

In addition to JumpStart, Ellie has been having Speech Therapy, Occupational Therapy (OT), and ABA Therapy for the last several months. She qualified for AzEIP in December 2016, but we added ABA Therapy in June. We are blessed that Mike works second shift...that means Ellie can have therapy in the mornings (when most other families can't make morning therapy work). Ellie needs additional hours of therapy, but we aren't sure how to squeeze them in just yet. She qualified for DDD and ALTCS (long term care), but there is a weird issue because she's under three. I am trying to be patient and let some of the issues work themselves out as her birthday approaches...some things just don't seem worth the fight when "winning" the fight doesn't really feel like a win.

Ellie's Autistic behaviors have definitely started showing more and more. However, I'll take toe walking and flapping over her self-injuring any day. And the days of her smacking her head against the wall seem to have passed (mostly). It isn't a daily occurrence any longer, so I feel pleased with that. I believe her increase in communication has helped with the head-banging. Ellie's words have increased A LOT in the last several months. She isn't speaking where she "should" be, but I'm just thrilled with how far she's come in such a short time.