The Amazing Logan!!

I feel like I havent talked about Logan in awhile (if we are being honest I havent talked about anything for awhile until yesterday) but I thought it would be nice to give an update on how he is doing since entering PPCD, getting the autism diagnosis and starting his 4 hours of speech & occupation therapy a week.  So how is he doing, AMAZING!!!!!

The progress he has made since September is just mind blowing.  Now he is still being where he should be in many many areas, but when you look at how far behind he was to how in some areas he is caught up or even in a few doing better than children his age, it just makes you so proud.  His therapy and schooling might all be play based (how else would it be for a 3 year old) but they work him hard and he almost always meets their challenge ;)

So lets get right down to it, shall we....

Speech Progress:

• he is speaking at a 3 year old level, can you believe it!!!  
• in September he was saying maybe 15 to 20 words, there is not a word he will not say now
• he is a super fast talker (no clue where that trait came from) and he doesnt pronounce the ends of his words (again, whose child is this!)
• he repeats everything you say (has also starting mimicking faces)
• he repeats every line Curious George (well really the narrator) says
• he sings along with a few Curious George & Veggie Tale songs (only when nobody is watching)
• he can say everyone's name in our family, including his own (he finally did that over Christmas)
• he talks all the time, for me its amazingly clear about 96% of the time, for the rest of the general population Im not sure, but I would guess about 75% maybe.  still just amazing progress

Education Progress:

• he can count to 36
• he can count backwards from 10
• he can say his ABCs in his sleep im sure
• he can spell probably around 30 to 40 words
• he can read probably 20 to 30 words (and not just from memory, we have all tested him out with new words or books to see if that is what it is)
• starting with the new school year (so end of August) he will be in his PPCD class until 2pm (he gets out now at 10:45am) so it will be a big adjustment for him.  he will go to lunch with his class and even spend part of every day with one of the Pre-K classes.  the goal is to have him ready to start kindergarten that next year, with probably some PPCD inclusion but who knows, maybe he wont need it?!?!

he rode the christmas train at the mall all by himself, he did it probably 10 times  he always looked worried but he had a blast.  this was a big step for him!

the boy loves trains, i turned around and he had done this all by himself

  Motor Skills Progress:

• this is where he is still the most behind, but still making great strides everyday
• he will now let people try to correct his grip on a crayon, pencil, scissors about 20% of the time
•  he will now color, not anywhere close to staying in the lines, but he at least tries
• he can cut paper, but is crazy dangerous with scissors!!!
• he can draw a triangle, rectangle, square and circle
• he can write the entire alphabet (i think in caps and lowercase)
• he can write all the numbers
• he can write his name (its the cutest thing ever, his g is hilarious)
• we are 90% certain he is left handed but he just cant figure it out yet, he switches constantly!!!  there are 6 people who have been watching him for months and none of us can come to a 100% conclusion on this
• he is great with blocks and stacking things 
• he can do the pedal motion on his tricycle, but doesnt have enough strength yet to move it more than about 2 or 3 feet
• he jumps all the time, but still on both feet.  same thing with the stairs, he still puts both feet on each step.
•  he can finally climb pretty much any playground equipment, and loves it!!!
• he sorts knows how to use a spoon and kinda (that is less than sorta) knows how to use a knife
• he can take his pants, a pull up, or underwear off and on.  he can get his shirt off 75% of the time.  he can take off socks.  he can take shoes on and off (and most of the time they are on the correct feet).  he can not use buttons, zippers, snaps.  he can kinda use velcro but needs a little help.
• he is also an excellent climber, hopefully we arent dealing with any broken bones soon, but Im not hold me breath about that

Sensory Progress:

•  he will now finger paint (and paint it on his body)
• he will use foam soap (isnt happy about it, but will use it)
• he will play with play-doh (but is very cautious)
• he will play in dirt, grass or mulch, even without shoes on
• he will sorta brush his teeth for about 10 seconds (still wont let anyone else)
• the last time we cut his hair he was not screaming the entire time and was thrashing less
• he no longer cries when I was his hair
• he will put on his puddle jumper for about 10 seconds
• he wore one hat (an old hat of mine & lisas) over the winter, no coat or gloves but a hat
• he also puts on hats around the house to play in and will also wear play masks and glasses
• he lets his speech therapist use different texture pillows on his face and lets his occupational therapists use the brush on his arms every now and then

notice george looking like he was shot, it is red finger paint everywhere :)  he wont wear a smock quite yet!!

see those finger prints in the play-doh, woo hoo!

i know he doesnt look happy, but he was, he was just making a silly face

playing in daddy's hat

the hat that got him through the winter, i cant tell you how many comments and/or smiles we got about this hat :)

Eating Progress:

• he still has a long long long way to go on eating, but we are very slowly making progress, like teeny tiny baby steps progress, but progress 
• he eats the following foods:
• dried blueberries, cherries and mangoes (all 3 dried, not fresh)
• honey nut cherrios
• welch's fruit snacks
• mixed berry fruit & grain bars (but not the entire bar, wont get the jelly on his fingers)
• swedish fish
• red licorice bites
• peanuts
• colby jack and monterey jack cheese
• string cheese (but i have to cut it up)
• french fries
• sweet potato fries (only about 25% of the time)
• yellow froot loops (only the yellow)
• orange juice
• chocolate milk
• diet coke
• tortilla chips
• most chips (doritos, bbq, cheetos, classic lays)
• goldfish and cheeze-its
•  he will touch the following foods, but not put them to his mouth:
• jello
• crackers 
• whole apples, bananas, green or red peppers, oranges, avocados, tomatoes, mangoes, pears, and strawberries
• he will put the following foods to his mouth, but not eat them:
• fig newtons
• peas
• marshmallows (will put in his mouth but spit out)
• raisins
• pretzels

yeah, we stock up on these fruit snacks

i told you he liked cheese!!!

Now remember this post is only talking about progress, this little boy is far from perfect and is a typical 3 year old in his testing of my patience (and sanity). He picks his nose, doesnt listen, pushes the babies, doesnt share, etc..  But he is super loving and funny and adorable and I wouldnt trade him for a perfect child even if there was one!!