Sam has completed his first full year of school. While I am very proud of him for the gains he has made, I can't help but wish they were a little more apparent. He understand more directions at this point. For example, I can ask him to pick somehting up and give it to me or to carry something from one room to another. There is still very little language. He can ask for help, more, chips, cookie, juice, shoes (to go outside), open, jump (trampoline), and a few other things but no phrases.

His behaviors are still very abnormal. He will spend hours pulling leaves and dropping them through the boards of the deck or stcking blocks and dropping them. At certain times he gets wound up and starts throwing then hand flapping again and again. When he does that we are holding his hands down at his sides and saying no throwing - it seems to be helping a little.

I, like many parents of autistic toddlers, hoped that school would lead to this explosion of development and Sam would be able to go to regular elementary school. That is looking less likely as he is now 4 and barely verbal. We will keep trying though. We have a great new speech therapist who uses the Prompt method. Sam responds well to that.

We are continuing with nutritional/wellness therapies as well.

Maya is doing beautifully - pointing, toddling, talking, playing, and generally being cute.

We are continuing sponsor a lovely little girl in Ethiopia. I wrote her a letter and sent pictures a little while back and I am hoping to write again this week. We are sponsoring through a group called Children's Hope Chest. Every time I shell out for extra private therapy I think about how for abotu a third of the cost of 45 minutes of therapy I can feed a child for a month. Amazing. Those of you that know me know I have always thought I would adopt someday. I don't know why, it has just always been on my mind. Of course, I never expected Autism. We will have to see how Sam progresses. I am still hoping for a success story.