don't forget the small achievements

Post Reply New Topic

My son is almost four years old now, and sometimes the road is so long and hard, you almost miss huge milestones that should be celebrated. We say he is non-verbal, but that's not really true anymore. He is saying "hi" to people and waving! He is participating at school, interacting with his peers, doing hand gestures at circle time, following directions. Making people laugh!

All this from a scared little boy who would scream at the top of his lungs if a kid came within 10 feet of him, and who we would find hiding under a desk when picking him up from pre-school!

He has taught himself tricks on his trampoline, and most recently, riding a big wheel, and swimming underwater.

What I am most proud of however, is his awesome personality. He has become such a joy to be around, all his therapists, teachers and friends are infected by his good natured attitude.

When I type these things out now, they are huge! But when you're down in the trenches fighting long and hard for the smallest changes, they are easily overlooked.

You're right. So often, accomplishments that are huge for my son don't always seem huge to me (like going two or three days at school without shouting out in class, for instance). Sometimes I need to really observe to see what he's doing to appreciate how hard he's worked to achieve some of his successes.

Thanks for the reminder to keep looking for things to celebrate . . . .

Sometimes, especially for we aspies and our brothers and sisters with autism, the little day-to-day changes are just as important as the big milestones that are slow in coming.

The road might be long, but have fun with it and it won't seem so hard. Best of luck on this crazy journey called life!

Spot on.

I've always underachieved, however the major achievement that I have managed to pull of wouldn't have been possible without the baby steps in between.

If you focus too much on the end goal rather than the present then it can be very overwhelming.

I am so happy for all the wonderful progress your child and your family is making.

Celebrating those achievements however small or big also helps keep the little set backs in perspective. We seem to do a bit of the 2 steps forward 1 step back at our house - I try to focus on the forward progress and think of ways to avoid or resolve the backward steps or just accept that they are part of the process! Congrats on your progress! You deserve to feel a lot of pride in yourself as well as in your child!

Thanks, everyone, for the kind words.

Its been a long year since the dx. It's a lifelong journey, but we now know where we're going, and are settled in for the ride.

I know what you mean about not realizing the progress. This morning I got up before my son and I was downstairs. He is almost 5 now and we have had his diagnosis for 2 yrs. He has been delayed in every physical milestone since he was a year old. This morning I heard him get out of bed on his own, go to the bathroom by himself, and flush the toilet and then come into the hallway all on his own, and it just hit me how far we have come. It is a journey that is often filled with frustrations and sorrows, but there are moments of joy to be celebrated. This is what means the most and keeps us going!