IEP Time.

I'm not sure I have it in me to get into details right now, but we had Jake's IEP meeting yesterday. It went really well, overall. We discussed the results of the PEP-3 that his special educator did with him, and that was very enlightening. He needs a ton of work on fine motor and gross motor - yet he is the most balanced, coordinated kid you've ever seen if you just watch him move on his own. It's the motor planning part that I think is - well, broken. I do feel that the intensity of his need in this area speaks to possible neurological damage. My own gut feeling is this happened when he was malnourished before his cystic fibrosis diagnosis.

The good news is that he is only mildly affected socially and emotionally. I think that is pretty cool. He is a very social kid, given how significantly his autism affects him. All that DIR and floortime and RDI and having AP parents who are in touch with their emotions and such - well, I'll take credit for it, okay?

But I have to give huge props to the school team. When we reflected yesterday, on where he was a year ago, it's just phenomenal. The difference is night and day. He's doing just amazingly well, and the program is simply awesome. I don't even really have enough superlatives to throw at it. He's in an intensive environment, a well-designed, well-executed one, for 3 solid hours a day, and it's having a huge effect on his progress.

So, we're hitting fine and gross motor goals hard on this IEP. And language. That's my goal, anyway. Yes, we need to continue to move him along socially - absolutely. But I would like to really see emphasis on ameliorating the motor planning issue. I think that motor planning difficulties are part of his language issues as well - and why scripting works well for him.

Another little proud mommy note. He is just such a love, and kids and adults alike are completely head-over-heels for him. He brings joy and smiles to everyone he meets. I just think that's so cool. He's a very special kid.

And on the being a love note, we have a complete goofy love of a labradoodle. He's somehow out of the mouthing phase (I know, I know, he is only five months old) and just settling in as a lazy, labby, snuggling loaf of a pup. We need to exercise him more or something! But he's calmed down so much, and he and Jake have developed a method of playing together that is pretty neat. Jake has figured out how to hold the top of his muzzle so he can't mouth him, and that's opened up a world of play because Jake no longer feels threatened by the possibility of mouthing. Burke sometimes whines and cries about his snout being held, but stays to engage Jake more, so it's all puppy drama. They will wrestle and play on the king-sized bed for many minutes at a time! All I can hear is Jake giggling and laughing...it's great.