Bless the phone call
The Batsman's schedule is intensive and intense right now.
In a week there are twenty-one hours of ABA therapy, ten hours of kindergarten and a meeting with the whole therapy team. The ABA therapy happens in our home, in a room set up with loads of equipment and toys and fun stuff - just for the Batsman and his team to use. The work they are doing is amazing.
But there is no getting away from how intrusive it is, every single day, to have the program running in our home, for all of us. A morning session runs from 8:30am - 11:30am, the afternoon from 1pm - 4pm.
The doorbell rings, therapists come and go, the Bowler's head spins with all of the visitors we have.
For the most part the Batsman loves it and manages admirably with the team being in his space, pushing him to greater developmental heights. For both the boys, it's like it has always been this way.
In a couple of weeks it will have been a year since we began the ABA program..
For me, it's a bit different.
I love what the program is doing with and for our gorgeous boy.
But I don't always love what it means for me to have the program here in our home.
The therapists are amazing and respectful about being in our home but at times it all still feels intrusive.
I spend a lot of time "getting out of the house" with the Bowler to prevent him from wreaking his own special toddler brand of destruction on the therapy session.
Our daytime privacy is limited.
I feel under pressure to always be "on my game". Even on a day where I might want to curl up on the couch and have a little cry, more often than not there is always someone else here.
My week day parenting is pretty much constantly in view of someone else, someone who is not part of our family.
I know it's not forever. It's the best thing we could be doing for our boy.
It's just tough sometimes.
So today, when the phone call came to cancel the afternoon therapy session, I heard myself exhale.
Both boys went to bed and napped for three blissful hours.
And I had some space in my own home.
I may have dozed off.
Every once in a while, bless the phone call.
Blessed restful image via WeHeartIt
I'm glad you got some time to yourself, Suz. Sounds like it was much needed. I admire you so much for all that you're going through with the Batsman. I think you already know how amazing I think you are.
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Sometimes these useful intrusions are sent to us like a gift.
ReplyDeleteMy nephew came to live with us for a long period of time after his dad (my brother) died.
It was an incredibly stressful time for me, on every level - emotionally and practically.
At times I just wanted him to be gone, so that I could melt down in private. Instead I had to parent my littlies, and him, consciously and peacefully and carefully.
Looking back, it saved me. It saved us. Without his presence, I am not sure how many rails I would have skid from...
xxx
I'm really interested in this ABA Suz. We only do 1 session per week of OT at her facility. Early Oct Big Bear is starting FULL time at AEIOU {have you heard of it?}. They teach ABA style but essentially we drop him off at 9am and pick him up again at 2pm.... FIVE DAYS A WEEK! AND he'll still be doing one on one OT once a week. He's my little man and I can imagine the hole this will leave in my day and home. We're in QLD and this was really all that was offered/suggested to us... Have heard of RDI which I must look into as well. All so overwhelming, but I'm glad it's working and you are seeing some improvement! x
ReplyDeleteI'm grateful to have stumbled across this post. I am 6 months new to the community and we will be starting ABA in a few months and I wondered about this very thing. Having someone watch your every move who is not part of your family. It hasn't even started for us yet and I can already feel the "intrusive" feeling creeping up.
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