Elliott was diagnosed a little over a year ago with PDD NOS, and was rediagnosed with Autism last April. He his 6 years old now, just starting "Big" Kindergarten (we elected to hold him back along with his twin brother). Holding him back has turned out to be the best decision by far for him (I am so glad that I trusted my mommy gut with this one!) He goes to Speech and OT weekly and has a developmental therapist that comes 40 hours a month. He gets OT and PT and 1/2 of developmental therapy at school (we hope that they will also include speech). He is improving and progressing with all these therapies in place. It has been financially overwhelming at times, but now the insurance is covering a majority of his therapies and we are grateful. Without his therapies I don't know where we'd be, praying that the insurance continues to cover (we are having issue with speech being covered). The paperwork involved and case manager meetings and DT interview are so time consuming. It is hard at times knowing if I am coming or going. It has been so beneficial to have a DT in our home for a few hours (Mon, Wed and Thurs) . It has literally been the only help I've received as we have no family support. I am hoping to attend future seminars on autism and some support group meetings. It has been emotionally and physically demanding since I am the sole parent (dh works 7AM to 7PM...which means he is gone from 6:30AM until 8PM) so I do not have any relief during the day, it all falls on me. That part can be taxing. When the DT is here I still have Cooper so it isn't as if I get a break then. I take moments when they are in school...but that is usually filled with cleaning, errands and getting things ready for his afternoon therapies. He has some pretty awesome moments, where for brief periods I tend to forget all his struggles. He has fine and gross motor delays. He has developmental delays, cognitively his scores have been extremely low. He has OCD (not too extreme..but it causes conflict and tantrums when change is involved). I worry about him being bullied in school...he does speak up for himself...but kids do realize that he is "different" and are asking questions. Sometimes Cooper comes home and says that kids in their class will come up to him and ask him what is wrong with Elliott. There is not a big enough bandaid for a mommy's heart at times! The past two years were hard but Elliott didn't realize that he was not like all the others in his preschool and private kindergarten.....he was in his own "world" full of noise making, imaginative play.....and now he is starting to realize that his behaviors are noticed by others....he hand flaps when excited and scared and has now modified his "tick" to finger flicking (which is less noticeable and he has perceived it is more acceptable since no one asks him why he is doing it...ie kids at school or at the playground). He still has boundary issues, has no understanding of personal space....and he has no fear of stranger danger! We are constantly adjusting to whatever comes at us next. I am so thankful to have FB and HP as an outlet on days that I want to pull my hair out! I am just so grateful with his progression, there was a time he was so "lost" that it was scary! Looking back at home videos and putting them on DVDs recently has been such an eye opening experience of sorts, things that we overlooked in the beginning.....and also a marker to when things started to really change...to watching him progress and learn things. Big news for this month......HE CAN COUNT TO 20 ~