Update on the Family Part 1: Ayden

I've taken a long hiatus from the land of blogging.  I feel like there is not a lot to say most days that isn't a repeat of what has been said already.  I am inching in on three years of blogging here.  Yikes.

I want to start posting more.  Our life and how we live with Fragile X changes so often, and keeping up with that for newly diagnosed families is important to me.  I want to continue to be a springboard into the lives of those that are just hearing Fragile X Syndrome for the first time. Even for those whom are facing other diagnosis dealing with just overall developmental delays.   So today I move forward and attempt to do that, but first let me update you on the family happenings starting with Ayden.

Ayden is now six and a half years old.  I have yet to have a day pass where he does not surprise and amaze me - even moreso lately.  His language took a huge turn for the better over the past month and he is talking up a storm.  Not many sentences yet, but sometimes phrases and other times single words bunched together to get his point across.  This morning while waiting for the bus, Mr Awesome went outside to take the garbage out.  Ayden was watching him and said "Bye-bye Daddy!".  I explained Dad wasn't leaving yet, just taking the garbage out and he said "Leave.  Daddy no-no.  Leave.  Ayden.  Bus."  Not sentences, but he certainly is getting his point across.  I find myself having conversations with him lately where he is giving his opinion MUCH more often.  Mostly though, he is narrating the world around him.  It is beautiful and wonderful to watch him learn that his words have power.  I favorite (though I say favorite for lack of a better term) word to say is "Nope".  He uses this quite often when we tell him to do things.  It makes it much less difficult to tell the difference between him being obstinant and over stimulated.  Sometime I will catch it on video!

Academically he is doing well.  We would always prefer more, but we (his team and family) are all working hard to move him towards his goals.  Reading and writing have progressed the most since school started.  I haven't spoken with his teacher specifically recently but I feel he is close to on-par for his peers right now in reading.  The writing will come eventually.  Math is our problem area and biggest focus.  Somewhere between school ending last year and starting back up he stopped understanding 1:1 correspondence.  This is a key component of math.  (Side note:  for those that don't understand what 1:1 correspondence is - an easy way to explain it is the ability to understand when you have five ducks and wnat to count them that each duck is one duck.)  This has quite obviously set him back a little in math.  I think we have regained that ability, but not enough to start simple addition yet so we are falling behind in math.  Although not unexpected, it is still hard to see him struggle.  

Socially we have also seen many improvements.  Ayden really loves being around his peers and his friends.  Now that he is learning to communicate with words it is just even better.  We had some problems with hitting at the beginning of the school year where he would hit his friends (and/or teachers) if he didn't like what they were doing.  Many incidents where a peer would be done playing with him and he would hit them because he wasn't done.  I think we have moved beyond that (thankfully) especially as he has learned "Nope".  We are more than blessed that he loves his friends so much - it is certainly what is making inclusion in the gen ed classroom work so well for him.

There really is just so much happening with Ayden that it is hard to put it all down.  I do want to add one last thought though.  As his language is emerging more, so is his sense of humor.  We have always seen glimpses of it in the way he goofed around, but now it is amazing!  He can tell you what he is laughing at most of the time and often will just make silly jokes to make US laugh.  After six years, you become accostomed to communicating with your child in a certain way, and then the game changes.  It is just pure joy to see.  I often catch myself watching and listening to him with just tears in my eyes.  He has come so far and we are so very thankful.

And in case you missed it...Ayden was the face of the NFXF Annual fund this year.  VERY awesome to see his face everytime I visit their website.  I love being a part of an organization that is so close to my heart.  http://www.fragilex.org/support-the-nfxf/annual-fund/