Week o#1 at Perrinville ECP

Well our first week was a busy one but it was very good. I spoke to Carol, AJ's speech therapist, on Tuesday and met with her today. She sent home some handouts about visual cues for short vowel sounds and she taught me the Beckman Method , (facial massage to stimulate the muscles in AJ's lips, gums and mouth.) She has been very helpful and seems excited to be working with him. We are currently working on v/c (vowel /consonant) words like in, out, up, arm, ouch, oat, etc. AJ is doing very well but he is having some problems with arm. Instead of making an "ah" sound, his comes out "aw" We have lots to work on but it seems like there is a good, progressive plan and he is interested and willing at therapy times.
Behavior-wise he has changed. I don't know if it is an adjustment to the new routine, excitement about more people who can mostly understand him, or some strange side efffect to the fish oil we've been supplementing his diet with, but he is a much more wild child. I hate to use the term hyper but it is the one that best describes his behavior. He is rolling around on the floor and rough housing and sassing and just wild! I hope that this "phase?" will pass soon and I'll have my sweet boy back. I just read a post on apraxia-kids about a child who seems more hyper after starting fish oil but I don't know if it really is the cause in our case. He is attempting to speak more and trying new words. I don't understand what he is saying sometimes and while it is frustrating it is also exciting because he used to stick with words he knew I understood. We frequently repeated "safe" conversations- some of them routinely. I think it is because he wants to reassure himself that someone understands what he is trying to say. Today in the car however he was going on and on about something and I had no idea what it was. I pretended to understand at the end so as not to frustrate him but - no clue.
I am excited and hopeful. It is easier to believe that things will improve when his teacher and speech therapist say they feel strongly that he will do well. I am grateful to them for their understanding and supprt.
I attended a PTA meeting at Perrinvile Thursday night. There seem to be a lot of parents who support the school and work to make sure that their kids get what they need. The school has a great lending library with several books about apraxia that I hope to borrow very soon. I lent "The Late Talker" to Carol and she is reading it now.
I have to say that my ex-husband's mother and stepfather have been so helpful and supportive. They are learning the visual cues and prompts and are willing to learn the massage techniques as well. They also have been transporting him to and from school much of the time so that he can attend while I am at work. I thank God for them daily and know that this could never work if not for them.
I am more hopeful than ever that AJ will succeed in beating apraxia. With such a great team of devoted people behind him I know he can do it. He seems eager to communicate more. I'm sure someday I'll look back and find it hard to remember when he was quieter.
As a side note; AJ will begin taking the bus next week. He is so excited about it he could burst! I hope he likes it as much as he thinks he will. The harness contraption he has to wear to be safely secured in the bus provides serious restraint. I think his movements will be even more restricted than when in his car seat. We'll see.
I am pleased with our first week and looking forward to next week. I am glad, however, that it is the weekend. I am exhausted after so much activity and thinking and learning about so many new concepts. I think we all need a nice break.