Update on Ty

Have I ever mentioned that transitions are difficult for this little guy? After a rocky start to a new school year, we have finally found a norm. Even though Ty has the same bus drivers, teacher, and schedule as last year, it was just hard for him to settle into his school routine.

I attended a team meeting with his teacher and therapists at school a few weeks ago and they all had good things to say about Ty. The most significant was that they had witnessed him initiating play with another child during free time. He tends to play alone and engaging in social play with other kids doesn't come naturally to him. I mentioned to his teacher that Ty says "thank you for Miss Alicia" in his prayers every night and she got a little misty eyed. You know your kid has a good teacher when they are invested emotionally in your child. I remember when I was teaching that some would advise against it, but I surely appreciate the passion Ty's teacher shows for her students.

We also restarted private speech therapy at the beginning of September. An acquaintance from high school contacted me through Facebook to offer her services and Ty just loves Miss Jessica. He is slowly improving his articulation and learning new words.

We have decided to exclude dairy from Ty's diet for the most part. He is a huge milk fan and after a little experimenting, he seems to get less belly aches when he doesn't drink cows milk. He now drinks almond milk and only gets cheese, yogurt and ice cream once in a while. I'm still not sold on the idea of a completely gluten free diet, but I am making more deliberate choices about the products I buy. For example - Jif peanut butter is gluten free, Skippy is not. His doctor and I are happy with the improvements we've seen so far and I still think moderation in all things is the best way to approach Ty's diet.

Ty advanced into a new swim class about a month ago. I shared Ty's diagnosis with the teacher - Mr. C. Mr. C smiled and said, "Don't worry, I have Aspergers. We'll do fine together." I instantly had a million questions for him but didn't want to interrogate him on the deck of the swimming pool. But I found joy and hope as he told me a little bit of his own story and how he has been able to attend college, serve a mission for the LDS church, and just last week got married.

I joined an online support group for autism/aspergers and the stories I read every day are really helpful to me. Even if the experiences I read about don't directly correlate to Ty, I find comfort in knowing that there are other parents out there facing and coping with similar struggles. The fascinating thing about the Autism Spectrum Disorder is how differently it affects each individual. I am continually thankful for the teachers, therapists, doctors, friends and family who love Ty and help our family every day. I read on my support group website last week that it takes a village to raise a child, but it takes a special needs child to raise awareness in the village. Thanks to our village for being aware, proactive, and supportive of our sweet boy.