Denver Diary Day 23: Nerf Guns and Mud Pies....and Homeward Bound (for now)!!

Today was our last therapy session before we head home for our two-week hiatus.  It's hard to believe we've been here over 3 weeks!  Today was a great day at therapy...Cade found a new toy that sparked his interest and his ideation was excellent today.  As he was running through the gym he stumbled across a box full of interesting and colorful things.  Friends, my son has just been introduced to the Nerf Gun!!

Here Julianna is explaining to Cade how the gun works -- she was very specific with the rules...never point it at people, only objects (thanks for that one, Julianna!).

Ok, so Cade was super excited about this thing!  We played for probably a half hour...Julianna was able to help him try all kinds of ways to play with the gun.  She was even able to get him on the swing -- a huge feat  because swinging is so good for regulating Cade, but he hasn't chosen to get on it as much as I would like.  You can see he is organizing here, so the language drops off a bit:



Cade thought it was great when the "bullets" landed and stuck to the mirror or glass.  Once he got started he played and played -- eventually they made it into a target game.  You will see that each time Cade hits the mirror Julianna draws a circle around the target.  This helped her to engage him -- we have found that ENGAGEMENT is really what Cade seeks from us.  External rewards just don't work for him.  The most success here has come from us being able to get in his world and engage him, to truly get him.

I could go on and on about this Nerf Gun game...it was so wonderful!!  But I'll spare you that and move on.  Cade also found a bin of sand, beans, and water today in the "Messy Room."  It has been interesting to see that, as his regulation has increased a bit, he is choosing to play with "messy" things when he wouldn't before.  Julianna is again engaging him here as they play with the "mud":



Today at the parent meeting I got our "marching orders" for our 2 weeks home.  We are going to spend 20 minutes two times a day playing with Cade...not just any playing but in the form that we have done at the STAR Center.  That's when the true neurological changes are taking place.  Julianna has explained to us that it will take many times of experiencing a feeling (whether it be happiness, frustration, love, etc.) before Cade's brain will actually process that feeling naturally.  For example, he will need to experience how to wait (the stop and go game, etc.) many times through play before his brain will "learn" what that means and begin to develop a concept of time.  We are going to just engage Cade...give him language when we can but not inundate him with questions where he is expected to give an answer.  Intentional Play -- we are retraining his brain to be able to handle typical neurological responses. 

When we return we will be working with both Julianna and a psychologist at the STAR Center who is also DIR/Floortime trained...this is a therapy that we have researched and believe will be the best for Cade's progress.  It is a therapy based on developing relationships - working on teaching him how to interact and play with others while also working on continuing his sensory development.

I must say that on our last night here for this trip I am surprisingly a little sad.  It is amazing how quickly this place, though hard, has become our home.  We have made such dear friends here that we hate to leave, but many will still be here when we return in 2 weeks.  We all will forever be bonded by the experience that each one of us is having here at this time in our lives, and I have made some dear, lasting friends here.



Ok, I have to share some pictures of things I will miss from good old Aurora, CO:

 

Yes, folks...those are pink high heels...Kai absolutely loved these shoes and even wore them to the kitchen for meals.

The boys loved the playroom...we spent many hours here each day!



Cade loved the bikes...he and Kai rode many a mile over the last 3 1/2 weeks!

This was just so funny I couldn't resist...we laughed every time we passed it.  What a fitting name for a funeral home!

This window in our room was Kai's favorite spot.  From here he could see the playground, the parking lot, the sky (lots of airplanes!), and the highway.  We could always find him perched here!



Ok, so I know this isn't a great picture.  But you know no idea how hard I worked to get it!  This is one of the adorable prairie dogs in the field in front of the Ron McD House.  He sat perfectly still...until I moved about 2 inches and then he squeaked at me and took off down his hole!

Our journey is far from over.  I will continue to chronicle our daily progress as we enter our "home time."  We have so much work to do over the next two weeks - beginning a new structure at home, beginning therapy with our new OT Heather, and working to continue the progress we have made here.  I am anxious about home and what that will bring...especially without the safety net of the STAR Center.  We will be returning to Denver, and hopefully staying in the Ron McD House again, on August 17th for another two-week stay.

Please pray that Cade's new medication will be effective  - he started it today to help with the impulsivity.  Also, please pray that we can make a decision about a school placement for him next year.  He has been attending a church preschool for the past 3 years, but we are unsure that this is the right placement for him now.  This is especially hard for me - I just want to make sure we put him in the best possible location for his success and happiness.  Since school, whether private or public, will begin while we are here the second time we must make a decision while we are home over the next two weeks.  Please pray for clarity, answers, and that we move quickly on those answers.  

Being here has been such an experience for our family...we have gained so much knowledge about Cade and what we can do as a family to help him.  I know we will, we already have, experienced so many trials as we work so hard to make true neurological changes in Cade.  I am reminded of Psalm 30:5:  "...weeping may last through the night, but joy comes in the morning."  I know we will experience that joy.  And I cannot wait for the sunrise...



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