Summer Goals

Christian's last day of preschool for this school year will be May 19th. I have gotten very spoiled having so much extra help with him while he has been attending school. He will be out for the next 2 1/2 months and I am going to pick up the slack while he is out. First, I had to figure out what services if any he would receive and what he really needed to be working on over the summer.
First I figured out if I was going to get services for him and where I would get them. I felt as though he needed a break from everything. But I was very scared about him not getting any type of services because he has been receiving some type of therapy since he was 8 months old. It has become somewhat of a security for me. Having people in our life who can help professionally deal with his issues has gave me great comfort, regardless how minor or severe the issue is. However, I also felt giving him a break could push him back. I thought maybe taking him to the rehab center (where he had received PT before) but I talked things over with his SLPA. She felt he still needed services over the summer and told me he could receive them at the school. Which is awesome. I talked things over with his OT and she wants to see him to over the summer if she can get it fit into her schedule. So I know for sure he will get speech once week, still not sure about occupational though. If she feels he really needs it and can't do it, I may have him referred to a rehab center for the summer. But I don't know for sure yet.

Secondly. I had to figure out what I was going to work on with him at home over the summer. I knew regardless of whether or not he got speech or occupational therapy through the summer, I was going to work with him on a issues that still needed to be worked on. Just because I may of allowed him a break didn't mean I was going to let him get lazy!

The things we will be working on for the summer include;

• Yes/No
• He can say no and shake his head no when is asked a question. He can do this very well I might add! But he will say no even if he means yes. His answer is always no. His teacher has been working with him on shaking his head yes which I will continue to do. He can sign yes when prompted so I will continue to work on that as well. I don't care if he verbalizes, shakes head or signs as long as he can answer yes when he should.
• Bottle
• Getting him COMPLETELY off of his bottle. He is still mainly using it when he goes to sleep. But he is 3 1/2 years old and it has GOT TO GO!!!!
• Potty Training
• I hope I can have him going to the potty by the end of the summer, or go outside. He knows when he is wet and has an "eww." I have tried off and on with him over the last year, but he hasn't really been ready. But I think he is now. 
• Communication
• As always, communication is a top priority on my list of things to work on. Considering this is where he is delayed the most. Whether it is signs or verbal...I don't care. I will take whatever I can get. But I will encourage the heck out of verbal!!!
• Sensory
• His two favorite sensory activities are swinging and bouncing on a exercise ball. These are about the only two things he will let me do at home anymore. Which they are great and they do help calm him. But me bouncing him up and down on a ball several hours throughout the day is exhausting. So I am trying to get him into some of the things we use to do last summer, fall and right after he started school. 

I'm going to miss all the help from school. Especially now that I am going to school myself and the extra help is much needed. But, I am excited that him and Graci will be home and we can do things like we use to before school was apart of our life. I know I have got my work cut out for me for the next few months but I am determined to keep working till he is right where he is supposed to be!