Kids Update

After Pumpkin showed delays at his two year appointment, he was referred and tested for speech, developmental delays, and autism traits.  He was delayed in several areas, and for the time being, the doctors felt that PDD-NOS best described Pumpkin.  He began ABA therapy after the children's winter break.

With this new information I pursued testing for Little Miss.  She had always had spectrum traits, but we were told her issues revolved around her ADHD.  With Munchkin and Pumpkin now on the spectrum, I wanted to rule out or confirm where Little Miss sat.  We confirmed the ADHD, and that she too had PDD-NOS.  The doctors felt her symptoms were not severe enough socially to say Asperger's.  After months of waiting for paperwork we are now in the process of trying to get ABA services for Little Miss.  Hopefully, by July she'll be able to start.

Once we passed the hurdle of beginning services for Pumpkin, we had the right information to begin Munchkin.  He started about a week after his little brother.  Needless to say, our schedules have gone from busy to packed.  Having the early intervention for Pumpkin has helped so much.  Oh how I wish we had been able to start Munchkin sooner, or that we were taken seriously when he was Pumpkin's age and could have have early intervention then.  Progress with Munchkin is slow and steady, but I am grateful.  Pumpkin has come leaps and bounds.

ABA is applied behavioral analysis.  Behavior interventionists work one on one with the children for two hours a day, five days a week.  Pumpkin's is entirely in home.  Munchkin spends two days a week at the main location and has the opportunity to build his social skills with other spectrum children receiving ABA services.

It is my hope that Little Miss will also see some improvement and benefit by receiving ABA therapy.  Having three out of three kids with autism spectrum traits can be overwhelming, and keeps you busy, but they are all unique and have wonderful things about who they are and the things they enjoy and the love they sometimes share.

More info found here:

What is PDD-NOS?


What is Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA)?
here's a blog about ABA
Prior posts on this blog:

Our Exceptional Children, Part I
Our Exceptional Children, Part II
Our Exceptional Children, Part III