An Update at 3.5 yrs old

It's been a crazy few months.  Coco started a new school in September with all new therapists and teachers.  I've been reading the book Son Rise and took a few ideas off of it.  One of them is the logging.  Each week they do a log and compare with what they had the week before.  After reading most half of the book, I realized their situation is very different from mine.  Maybe their kid was not that severe and they sure had a lot of resources and help.  Although I'm not lucky enough to have everyone helping, I am doing the best I can to get her to live a normal life. 

Log at 3.5 yrs:

Observations:

1. No special interests except for watching Dora.  She would run from another room upon hearing a Dora episode starting.  When watch Dora and you talk to her, she would have the deaf ear.  You don't exist at the moment.
2. No spinning or repetitive behavior.
3. #1 and #2 leads me to think she might have brain damage rather than PDD.
4. Still does the seizure like behavior and yells at the same time.  I am adopting the OT's brushing and joint compression that I saw in class yesterday.  Will observe results in the following weeks. 
5. Still bites and scratches people nearest her if she gets mad.  I get plenty of those.
6. Sometimes turns head when called when she's alone, short eye contact. 
7. Tends to scratch herself a lot at the joints (ezcema).  Nothing seems to help except the use of medicine which I was advise to use sparingly. 
8. Makes more sounds when she's alone.
9. Understands and does 'lights off' (new one since two weeks back).
10. Minimal motor imitation; no verbal imitation.
11. Does try to say 'more' when asked.  Would say something approximate and does the more hand gesture when requesting.  However, will also make the same approximate sound AND gesture when ask to say 'mama'.
12. Will also point to request if specifically asked to.
13. Still very short attention span.  I went and observed her classes' one on one with the teacher.  She seemed uninterested.  The teacher thought it was because I was there, but she wasn't looking at me...  
14. Will pee if put on a toilet and have pee, otherwise will get up and get off the toilet.  Would not request to go herself.  Been like that for a few months.  This past week, after she pees/poops, she would turn around and take a look. 
15. Fascinated by the calendar hung on the wall.  Stares at it lots of times.

What we are working on at home:

1. Toilet training.
2. Identifying body parts (head shoulders knees and toes etc).
3. Identifying people around her.
4. Counting numbers up to 31 on the calendar. She holds my hand to point or I would hold her hand to point).
5. Recognize letters by singing the alphabet song.  She knows to do the 'X' when asked "show me X" and would do the 'me' gesture at the end.
6. Coloring/tracing.  Had to force her to sit down.  Afterwards she doesn't pay attention.  Not interested in this activity.  Would doodle on the iPad for a few minutes. 
7. Unzip jacket. ('zipper down')
8. Put on / take off shoes. ('Sit down for shoes, foot in, tight your shoes, up and over (velcro)') (Shoes off)
9. Put on / take off pants. ('Pants off', 'hands here hold on to your pants, pull')
10. Having her say 'bye bye' and wave at the same time.
11. Having her request by saying 'more' and by pointing.
12. Trying to make her make the sounds 'ba' 'ball', 'beep', 'mmm-a', 'ha' etc.
13. Teach her to roll the big exercise ball. Sometimes have her jump on it. She likes to jump on it.
14. Trying to teach her swimming or at least let her feel the water.  She loves it.  Will continue to bring her. 
15. Introducing more foods (bought the same yogurt she ate at school, she wouldn't try it at home), was able to mix some different cereal into the Lucky Charms (oats).  I forgot to get the Chex (gluten free) today! 
16. Using more soy milk instead of normal milk.  She doesn't drink almond milk but no complaints about soy milk.  

What we succeeded so far:

1. Since October 2011, we've been succeeded in feeding her fish oil.  This is a major achievement for us.  It took us 1 month to get her to not refuse it.  I'm not sure if the stuff if helping but worth a shot.
2. Getting her to sit down and let me brush her teeth (tough to rinse though).
3. Able to mix some minced broccoli and minced pork into the steamed egg.  She's been eating these for the past month or so.  We tried a few different veggies, but she seems to like the broccoli best. First time she saw the broccoli her face turned red and screamed but she eventually ate it!  I was shocked.