Autism is ALL about routine.
Routine staves off anxiety and helps to regulate emotion.
So when we have genuine progress, it is a “deviation,” and you are so used to the “usual” routine, these moments just sneak up on you.
For us, it is Jonah’s new fascination with writing. I would have NEVER guessed Jonah would want to write. Even when we work with him on writing, it was usually just “hand over hand” stuff that he would do at school or with the therapist.
When he picked up a crayon or a writing utensil, usually he would just scribble on everything.
But since yesterday, it’s turned into letters. Unprompted, all on his own. He uses any writing tool he can find, (currently magna-doodles to save us cleaning up a mess), but since yesterday, he wants to write his letters ALL THE TIME. (Mostly “J’s” and “G’s”)
It’s is actually a preferred activity! He took the magna-doodle to bed with him!
And while these simple activities like writing letters for a 4-year-old may seem like an “ordinary” activity, when you throw autism into the mix, writing becomes a HUGE accomplishment!
Because with autism, we are never guaranteed developmental progress.
We do the best we can as parents and push our children to excel, but there isn’t a “magic formula” that “makes” our kids develop.
We don’t know WHERE they will end up developmentally so when we see ANY REAL progress, we are OVERJOYED!
Thanks to Cat on a trampoline for sharing!