Summer's Here

Summer is here and we're flying solo. No therapists. No school. No OT or PT. Some days it is refreshing to be on our own. Other days (the bad days) I regret my decision not to send Abby to the extended year program. On the days where we can get outside we do pretty well. Abby is fairly well behaved. On days when we're stuck inside or at the doctors or something it has felt like torture. The temper is back. The not listening is back. The out and out defiance is back.

We'll be in a store and I will tell her not to touch something. Instead of listening she'll take everything on the shelf and knock it on the floor. I just stand there and want to cry. It's not like she doesn't get disciplined but very little works with her. We are using a "token economy" this summer. They earn chips by behaving and listening. They can turn their "chips" in for time spent alone with Mommy or Daddy. I'd love to say it's working but for Abby she just doesn't care that much. She's perfectly happy to be in the dog house.

Her OCD has been alright. We've become MUCH better at managing her obsessions. The doc gave us much better strategies than what we were using before. That doesn't mean it isn't there but it's a little easier to handle. The worst problem for her right now is the perseverations. She gets "stuck" in a "loop" and she either has to dicsuss the same thing over and over and over or listen to the SAME song over and over and over. It doesn't sound like much but if you try to divert her it's pointless. The developmental pedi explained that this is hard to deal with in childhood. Hopefully it will get easier in time.

For now we're trying to enjoy the "easier" days and survive the tough ones.