Update

So I have decided that I need to get better at posting on here. Things have been crazy, but I am going to try my hardest to post on here more often. I also need a place to document his progress, and share all of our ups and downs. Caleb was diagnosed with Pdd-nos(an autism spectum disorder) on February 3, 2010. He has a significant language delay and has a lot of sensory seeking behaviors. He is still the same wild, funny, sweet little boy we have always known, he just has an official diagnosis now.

Over the past year and a half, he has uttered a couple of words one time, but never again... I was very worried. But in the past month, he has made AMAZING progress. He is now saying, hi and buh bye, as well as waving. He also can identiy and label, star, oval, shoe, ball, cheese, juice, apple, bubble. Lately he has had a big interest in vocabulary books and even points to things and says "what's that" He loves to learn new things. He is not repeating or labeling too many of the things yet, but I know he is holdling them inside and it is just a matter of time until he surprises me by labeling it. Just the other day I was pointing and naming some things in a new book for him, and he started saying "bubble bubble bubble" and there was a bubble on the page that I hadn't seen yet. ::proud mommy moment:: Since his vocabulary and interest in learning new words has greatly increased over the past month, I haven't been using signs with the words. Just the other night he was finished eating his peaches and started signing -more-(first time).

We have a wonderful group of therapists that come into the home and/or daycare and work with Caleb. He has speech therapy, occupational therapy, and special instruction. I'm in the process of trying to get him wraparound services. He will be starting preschool in September, and I'm going soon to observe at a couple of them to decide what would be best fit for him.

Autism awareness is a big thing these days, but I don't think the average person can even recognize autism when they see it. But every one in awhile someone will give me one of those understanding looks; and for that, I am so grateful.