At home - and this is the true measure for me - I am seeing that James is handling unexpected noises without dissolving into tears, even the dreaded baby crying (his achilles heel). Transitions have become smoother too. This is beyond a relief because every transition, no matter how minor, was met with whines and even screaming protests. Seriously. When watching a video on YouTube, James would start whimpering toward the end of the clip! This would happen even though he knows how to use the computer enough to call up a new video. You can imagine what it was like when it was time for his bath. Also, his patience and attention span (which had basically dissolved) is increasing. This weekend, the two of us sat amid the stacks at the library, reading, for over an hour. Similarly, when we ran into old friends at the grocery, James let us chat for over 20 minutes. Okay he fidgeted. What kid wouldn't in such a boring situation?
James' school behavior still leaves something to be desired. He has tried to escape the classroom and has refused to sit among the other students for a group activity. He HAS to be in class and participate, so over time, when he realizes this inevitable fact, hopefully, these issues will disappear. I have never seen anything even remotely similar, and this gives me hope. I feel these issues are the last vestiges of the old class. Problem children were often segregated in that room and James was often removed to avoid the noise. To top it off, he was then bitten while participating in a group activity. These are real fears that were reinforced over the summer session. And James is an one intelligent kid with an incredible memory. Everything takes a long time for him and requires major faith and patience from us. Thankfully, I am starting to see the light here too, because this morning, after crying every single weekday morning for over three months, James was happy to get ready for school!
