Out of the Funk, I Think

I think Ethan is finding his way out of the rough phase that started back at the ended up March. I had been warned about this. No kid (typical or not) makes solid, non-stop progress. There are bumps in the road and sometimes steps back. The rate of progress, the ebb and flow, is not nearly as important as the fact that progress is happening.

The weird thing is that I can't exactly figure out what put Ethan into a funk or what exactly has caused him to come out of it. And I can't even completely explain what the "funk" is. It wasn't just bad behavior; there was more to it than that. I guess I'd sum it up as: 1) Major distractability/lack of focus 2) More stress which led to more sensory seeking behaviors which then led to an increase in his fixations on doors, lights, etc. 3) Less flexibility 4) Some oral issues (mainly drooling like I've not seen since he was a baby).

I wracked my brain trying to figure out how to help him during this phase. There were numbers of conversations with Dan, other family members, therapists. We tried to pinpoint just what was going on...was it his diet? The change in seasons and possibly allergies or an undiagnosed inner ear problem? Teething at this late age? The many trips to relatives' houses and a vacation? Fatigue with six months of therapy?

I walked away from this with a whole lot of ideas but an uncertainty about which to apply, when, or really how. Diet? We cut down on sugar, juice, junk in general, and have tried to stay from artificial flavorings/colors, but haven't gone crazy overboard. Sensory diet? I was doing the brushing on his skin and the joint compressions, and also letting him jump on the trampoline. We also were going to work on having him carry a weighted backpack or push heavy objects around, but hadn't really done that yet. I couldn't really tell if the brushing, compressions, and jumping really helped him. Allergy season seems to be winding down for most people I know; who knows if that made a difference? We had our first relaxing weekend at home in a long time...did that help ease the stress? How I wish I knew!

There is one thing that I believe has helped. At the beginning of each day I tell Ethan which day it is and what everyone is doing ("Anna's going to school, daddy's going to work," etc.). I remind him again before every transition, and he will repeat things back to me. Just talking about the schedule does seem to make a difference. And having all of the therapists be a bit stricter with him about sticking with an activity, or two or three, before running to mom, has helped, too.

The other thing everyone has noticed in the past week is that Ethan has started to do more running, laughing and yelling around the house on his own. He'll get excited and yell "Run, run, run!" as he runs into another room. Or he'll say "jump!" and start jumping on the couch. He's had a lot of these expressive moments that aren't really inappropriate, more just bundle-of-energy-little-boy stuff. Yesterday during his OT appointment Sara noticed he wasn't as sensory seeking, and we all wondered aloud if maybe these bursts of energy and expression are Ethan's way of figuring out how to regulate his senses a bit on his own. That just might have something to do with it.

I know we are going to run into times like this again and again. But what I've learned from this first one is that there aren't always clear answers or quick solutions. Sometimes a really simple solution can make a big difference. And sometimes patience is the only answer. I don't have to do everything! There will be times when issues just resolve on their own, with time. Of course, sometimes waiting is the hardest thing to do.