Yesterday we started therapy back up with our all-time favorite SLP and OT. They have been involved with our family for four years now. We were their full-time clients until this past fall when I just couldn't fit it into my schedule with commuting for school, so we had been using our in-school therapists for the school year. I was super-excited to start back up with them and for the boys' reactions as they really have a great bond with these two ladies.
Well Brian didn't do so well. He started crying almost immediately and when Miss K. tried to do some facial reflexes and came around to his left ear he started screaming "OWWWWWW!!!" and really became inconsolable.
A light bulb went off in my head as the day prior Brian had had a physical and wouldn't let our doctor check his left ear. We chalked it off to him being his usual hyperactive, oversensitive-to-touch self and we meant to try again at the end of the appointment but forgot. So I'm guessing he has an ear infection.
He was a little cranky, a little tired the rest of the evening. Then I woke up to the sound of him wheezing in his sleep- almost croup-like. I felt his forehead and he felt a little bit warm. I thought today was going to be a terrible, horrible, no good, very bad day.
But I was blessed with the phenomenon that ASD children sometimes have. They have a fever and have less negative behaviors and/or more positive ones.
Not only has he been in a calm, happy mood today, he has been talking up a storm. It started with him pulling me into his bed and saying "Hi" to me this morning completely unprompted. He then asked for "eggs" and "juice" without prompting. He told me something was "broken" today. He was asking for things he generally would just to do, but for some reason he'd independently ask me today- "potty", "juice" (again), "outside", "Wii", "Tommy movie". He said words I haven't heard him say ever- "buckle", "buttons". He repeated a ton of words, "Here you go", "Brian James". He helped make his mini pizzas- something he usually has no interest in doing- and when asked what came after the sauce he said "cheese", then following that he said "roni" (pepperoni). I know there was even more but I can't remember them all.
6 comments:
the whole fever thing is so weird. I just don't get it. It's almost like maybe it calms them down enough for them to function. Who knows. Of course, i hope he's better soon, but I hope you can enjoy a little bit of the reprieve!! Oh, and if you must use antibiotics for the ear, you might have to add probiotics, too. Otherwise, it could be "bring on the yeast!"
That is awesome!!! I wonder if that could be a clue for finding better ways to help them function.
I have the same experience when my daughter has a fever! What is that?!?! She is completely calm without any of her usual fidgety ticks. There is definitely something to it.
Just checking in to see how Brian's feeling...
Thanks for checking in Dani! He's back to his normal self- I've been lucky that I've never had to give him antibiotics (though his father did once- but don't get me started on that)...I just used some homeopathy ear drops and tablets I get from our food co-op here in town and they seem to take the pain away until he is functioning "normally" again...
Though we haven't had miraculous days full of new words he did say "seat buckle" again today when we got in the car :)
Funny how to someone else "seat buckle" isn't such a big deal, but to US, it's 2 words with three syllables :)
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