Mason's Autism Testing

I remember the exact moment just over a year ago when I allowed myself to process the thought, "Maybe Mason really does have autism." It scared me. It overwhelmed me. 

We were just learning about the developmental delays he had in various areas and picking up on his sensory processing difficulties. We didn't know how to wrap our heads around everything we were learning.

A year later, I feel like we are in a different world. We have learned so much about development, sensory processing, and autism. We have also learned that we have so much more to learn! I am so thankful for Mason's teachers/therapists, our knowledgeable friends/coworkers, and the Internet!

I'm no longer scared or overwhelmed by an autism diagnosis. It's just a label that he may or may not get. It's more about being able to see and experience the amazing personality that Mason has. It's about learning how to help Mason grow and learn in a way that works for him. It's about sharing Mason's joy with everyone he gets to know.

Today, I received the call scheduling Maosn's autism testing at Helen Devos. It will be on April 9. Getting the call made me reflect on the past year. I'm so happy with how far we have come in the past year. Less fear, more knowledge and support.

Mason's OT shares the following chart with me. The "alternative view" really made sense to me on viewing people with autism instead of looking at them with the negative "assumptions."

And of course a few cute pictures of Mason:

Mason update: being a big brother, hard time dealing with emotions, parent/teacher conferences, OT appointments

Mason is now a big brother to baby Jonas! He has done well at the beginning of this transition. When we were at the hospital, he had a tough few days at school. His teacher said that he would just get upset and frustrated easily compared to normal. Thankfully, we were able to come home from the hospital the day after Jonas was born. I think this helped Mason feel a little more normal. Jonas has not been too fussy these first 6 weeks, which has also been nice for Mason to get used to having a baby around. Mason will come to the baby and say "hi baby" a lot. Sometimes if I'm holding baby J, Mason will point to the baby then point to the baby swing and say "sit." It's his way of telling me that he wants to play with me and not have me hold the baby. I'm thankful he has figured out a way to communicate this with me even though he isn't always patient if I can't put the baby down. Lately he has really liked it when baby Jonas is in the car seat. He like to say hi a lot then and he always makes sure the car seat is coming with us. When he left for school today, he tried to pull the car seat with even though baby wasn't come with him. Other than that, Mason generally ignores the baby like he tends to ignore many other kids. Mason has been great at school again in the last few weeks, which shows that he is feeling more normal. I'm glad this initial transition has gone well.

Lately we've been noticing if Mason sees another kid cry (like really cry not just kind of cry), he stares intently then starts crying himself. It's not a normal Mason cry or a tantrum, but it is extreme sadness and crocodile tears. His teacher says it happens at school, it happens at daycare, it has happened a few times around his cousins, and of course it happens with Jonas. It's so sad to see his big blue eyes look to me in confusion then he just starts belly crying. It's like he doesn't know what to do with the sound or with all of that emotion that someone else is feeling. I wish I could explain and help him navigate some of those difficult emotions. It's important to be aware of others' emotions, so it's a good thing that he is slowing down enough to notice others around him and their emotions. The tough part is how to help him understand and normalize their emotions. It's hard helping Mason deal with his own emotions since he is limited with his communication, but I had never really thought about how to help him navigate the emotions of other people.

We had Mason's parent/teacher conferences last week. His teacher said that she loves Mason's big smile and excitement over certain things. It was great to hear about Mason's progress. We are pleasantly surprised with how quickly he is understanding and adapting to the routine. His teacher said that he really picks up on things quickly. He is starting to use more words in the classroom, using his utensils better, accomplishing certain skills, and participate more in classroom activities. One of the big things is that he is starting to recognize pictures of himself. Every day he has to take his picture off the wall and put it onto the picture of school. He has just started to search for his own picture (instead of just taking a random one off the wall) and putting it on the school himself instead of the teacher telling him to do it. We are glad that he is noticing and participating in these little routines and tasks because it will help him visualize his day and deal with transitions. I (of course) asked a lot of questions about everything. One big thing I found out is that he may qualify for summer school because he is at a critical learning point, and they don't want him to lose any skills that he has developed.

Mason's OT appointments have been going really well lately. Zach had been taking him while I was on bedrest and just after Jonas was born, but I was finally able to go with him again last week. Mason has been bringing smiles to many people there. It's fun to see him be the Mason we know and love in other settings. If you know Mason, you know that when he's excited about something, he's not quiet about it. When walks into the OT waiting room, he walks around looking for his therapist. As soon as he finds her, she asks, "Mason are you ready to go back and play?" Mason always happily screams, "Yeah!" Then he dances around and runs back. I may be biased, but it's the cutest thing ever and can bring a smile to anyone around him. During the sessions, Mason has been getting stuck in a routine with play during his appointments. His therapist wanted to push him and took him to a new room to try to incorporate new ideas. Mason struggled with the transition, but his tantrum only lasted 8 minutes. Remember back to his early appointments where his tantrums would last almost the entire sessions? I love that his therapist is not afraid to push him and help him through his tantrums because that is going to help him so much more in the future!