“Progress” – Lacy

My son recently said my name for the first time. I don’t mean he called me Mommy. He says that about a hundred times a day, even when he gets a response. He said my actual name.

Jacob and I were talking about school and other things. He can say a lot of words but they aren’t always clear and he doesn’t speak in sentences. I try to ask questions so that one day he might finally answer. Usually, the answer is “No” even when the question warrants a “Yes.” I asked him what his name was. He hesitated but then said “Jacob!” I then asked him what my name was. He just kept saying “No”, but I kept asking. He finally looked at me and said “Lacy”. It sounded more like “Haycey,” but I will take it. I was expecting him to say “Mommy” so it completely threw me off guard. I started laughing and he joined in. It was so amazing to hear my nine-year-old say my name. It was more than that though, it meant that he understood what was being asked and responded correctly. He was not just going through the motions or giving a generic response. This moment showed me how much progress he has made.

Since the world has been a rough place, Jacob has not been able to go to school for almost two months. He is missing out on important therapy and learning. I can see the behaviors start to creep in, but know it is because of the change in routine. We are now talking to teachers once a week over video conferencing. Assignments and therapy ideas are coming through email or a school app. The whole family has been on board to work with Jacob and his assignments. It is not the best situation but we are doing what we can. Jacob has done very well with some of the activities. There are some struggles but we just have to push through and complete them. We will be glad when things get back to normal but are grateful for the skills he has learned so far. It is amazing to see the progress even in these crazy times. I have had doubts in the past that we would see changes but little things like saying a name gives us so much hope for the future.

Having a child with special needs means looking for miracles in the little things. A minor milestone for anyone else is huge for Jacob. Saying my name was just one of many little miracles and we are seeing more and more of them lately. I am not sure if it is him maturing, the medicines and supplements working, or learning at school and therapy. Whatever the reason, we are happy with the progress.