Zach was seen by a developmental pediatrician for another evaluation this morning. We did not give him a copy of the first report from Yale so we could get an independent evaluation. He concurred that Zach is ASD. As for a specific diagnosis, the doctor stated that Zach appears autistic but that he is too young for anything much further. We scheduled a follow up for 9 months, at Zach's 3rd birthday.
Once again, this doctor recommended ABA therapy - if we could only get the damn stuff. I am going to try and look into bringing someone into Syracuse and train people on our nickel. Let's see how long that will take. Wish us luck!
Language is down right now, and eye contact is hit or miss. He said "bubble" in his playgroup this morning and "pop", but refused to say "goodbye".
Zach had fun with his cousin's in Rochester yesterday. He was shy for about an hour, but he warmed up to his cousins - particularly his one cousin Morgan, who is 10. She probably has no idea how special that was. He can be such a social little bugger at times. Another cousin had a puppy with them, and by the time we left, I was surprised to hear Zach say "Lou" as if calling to the dog. Where did that come from? Zach loves dogs - maybe one day, we can get another.
We sure do miss Buddy. His ashes came in today. I guess life is simpler without him right now - we don't have to feed him, take him for grooming, wake up early to let him out, worry about how he is with all the therapists in and out of the house. But I don't think that life is easier without him. I crave having him in my lap and petting him constantly.
For those who don't know Buddy, he was our 30 pound black cocker spaniel. We got him when he was a puppy. At some point in his first year of life, he began to have behavioral issues with strangers and children. I remember how I cried when I realized I had (for all intent a purposes) a mean dog. He never once showed aggression to me, and it seemed to be protective. My mother told me the experience was good for me, because one day I would have children who wouldn't do what I wanted them to do, and I would have an idea how that felt. Boy - she probably had no idea how that would manifest itself, huh?
I hired a dog trainer who did behavioral training. Did it get rid of the aggression? No. But it taught me how to cope with it. Buddy learned a few ways to deal with it, too. In the end, he was a terrific dog that readily accepted my husband when we started dating, and my two children when they came along. He was great with them in fact - I can recall Zach sitting on Buddy riding him in the grass in our backyard just last summer.
So now on to getting Zach (and most likely me) a "trainer". It shouldn't have to be this hard. I sometimes feel like we are drowning and being thrown water balloons instead of life savers. My dog was treated better than my kid. How wrong is that?
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