AUTISM CHILD BEHAVIOR

It has been a while since I posted and I wanted to get this all down before the details started to fade.

Our ABA tutor could not come this morning (due to her car not starting in our -50 C weather) so I decided to sit down with Avery without the ABA programs and binders and reinforcers etc etc.
 I just wanted to be with him and see how he was doing without any data sheet next to me.
So I pulled out the Math curriculum we use (see my curriculum page for details) and started to go over the lesson the same way I would have with my other children. It involved popping a DVD in so that he could have a teacher infront of a class of his peers explaining the lesson on the white board and I pause for him to answer the questions. Then after the lesson is taught, I review it with him and we do work sheets together. I only explained things once and didn't give him any extra time to complete the questions but that didn't seem to matter because he mastered the whole unit in one sitting! The lesson was on place value (units and tens) and by the end of our math session, I could point to a number in the book (48 for example) and he would "build" the number ( 4 ten blocks and 8 unit blocks) and proudly exclaim "FORTY - EIGHT" .
It was so awesome to see him retaining the information, following the instructions AND having the attention span to complete the whole lesson!

I then pulled out our reading curriculum (info on this is also in my curriculum page) and sat back and listened to him read to me. He wasn't guessing, he was sounding it out on his own!
I pulled out his favorite book - Green Eggs and Ham - and he proceeded to quietly and shyly read the whole thing to me!

This is the kid who doctors told me he may never speak again just 2 years ago. He is the reason doctors were pressuring me to learn sign language so that I would have a chance to somehow interact with him. Now he is not just questioning things by asking "why not" after every time we say "no" but he is reading at a grade 1 level.

here is what my facebook status said to describe the excitement:

"one of THE best moments since I started homeschooling happened today! It was the first time I sat down with Avery and taught him a math lesson the same way I would with Garrett and Colin and he totally mastered it and finished the unit all in one sitting. THEN to make me even more proud I can officially say that he is reading at a grade 1 level. Guess what folks?! That is considered developmentally appropriate compared to "normal" (I hate that word!) peers!!! <happy dance> "

Yes, my sweet Avery.... I KNEW you had it in you! <3