A Turning Point

Ethan has been in Early Intervention since he was 2 years old. He is now 5 year old and attends Kindergarten full-time with the help of a personal aide. The road to this point was a hard one full of ups & downs and a lot of amazing people. To deal with all of the newness that autism brought to our family, I started this blog. The first 3 years are documented at www.courageandcoffeetheearlyyears.blogspot.com. I poured my heart & soul into that blog in order to help others, find support and leave a diary of our experience. Maybe one day Ethan will want to read it....that will be an interesting day.



All of that.....has led up to a turning point. Since starting Kindergarten, we have all noticed a shift in Ethan. The only way to describe it is that.....he has come out of a fog. He is aware of his surroundings, he is aware of others, he has become extremely social, his brain is constantly yearning to soak up information....even more that before. He cries when he comes home from school because he, "misses his friends." He isn't using his headphones. He isn't using his fidget toys. He WANTS to go to church.....both services on Sunday morning & on Wednesday nights. He wants to go to birthday parties. He wants to go to school functions. He wants to spend the night at Grandma's house....even asks to go to her house very frequently. NONE of these things have been exhibited from him.....ever. He is THRIVING.

I love this turning point. I am praising God for this MIRACLE.

He is realizing that there is more around him...and he wants to learn all he can about what he has been missing. He was playing games with my mom, and she mentioned playing the card game WAR....a game he didn't know how to play. "Grandma, will you teach me?"

"Will you teach me?" That is Ethan's wish......

He has worked so hard to reach this point, and yet he isn't slowing down. I'm so proud of him.

Have you ever watched the movie about Helen Keller? It's SUCH a great movie. I have watched it many times since I was very young. It is one of my mom's favorites. She always said that he learned how to parent from The Bill Cosby Show & The Miracle Worker movie. There is a scene at the end of The Miracle Worker that has me reaching for the tissues EVERY TIME. It's the moment where she realizes that the strange hand movements (ASL) her teacher has been putting in her hands MEANS something. Once she realizes this is her way to connect with the world, she goes from thing to thing....asking her teacher what each item is.....thirsting for more......wanting to learn what she has been missing. I think Ethan is at a similar turning point. Praise the Lord!

To help illustrate my words, I'm including 2 video clips today. The 1st one is an overall summerization of The Miracle Worker. The 2nd is just the specific scene that I am referring to.

This movie was made in 1962, and according to www.biography.com, "Helen Adams Keller was born on June 27, 1880 in Tuscumbia, Alabama. In 1882, she fell ill and was struck blind, deaf and mute. Beginning in 1887, Keller's teacher, Anne Sullivan, helped her make tremendous progress with her ability to communicate, and Keller went on to college, graduating in 1904. In 1920, Keller helped found the ACLU. During her lifetime, she received many honors in recognition of her accomplishments."

What an amazing woman......and an amazing teacher.......and amazing examples for us.