Getting to Know Who Levi Really Is.

I know you're probably wondering about the fern. Right? Well, I'm really excited about that fern in a really huge way!

I have not had any type of potted plants in our home since Levi was a toddler. He has always been driven to dig out the dirt in the planters and sprinkle it all over everything in the room: couches, tables, carpets, windows and sills. Levi's never done this to be naughty, although at a glance, someone may think so.

 Thank God it didn't take us long to realize that in Levi's eyes, everything becomes a canvas. A canvas, not just to create masterpieces, but a way to experience his world, a way to make his world more predictable, a way to shut-out the things that are causing too much sensory-overload and a way to experiment with his senses and how they relate to that medium. How does that black soil look as he flicks the dirt across the red couch? Does it sprinkle across the top of the cushion as a fine powder, or does it land with a light thud the way a clump of brown sugar would? How does it sound, smell, feel and taste? If he mixes it with his saliva, it becomes a way to paint on the windowpane. All the while, taking care of himself in a way to make life more manageable in a very chaotic world that he lives in.

Yes, things like this can at times be frustrating and limiting since eventually, you choose how much normality you'll demand with yourself to have, like having potted plants in the house...or deciding that some things just aren't worth the mess, therefore accepting that other people's "normal" cannot be your own. I cannot lie that there have been times when I've grumbled either in my heart or even outloud about the fact that we can't have flour and cornmeal in the kitchen, toothpaste out from it's hiding place and the forbidden cleanser that can be emptied across the surface of the entire bathroom in a matter of seconds. This has been another test for us that materialism is much less a priority and is never to take presidence in our life over the relationships, needs and desires of the one's that are in our lives, especially our children. Finding ways to store items away so they aren't in plain view or even making decisions to not have them in our home has been a worth-while sacrifice to minimize the stress between Levi's curiosity and our sanity.

Over the past couple weeks, we have been trying to absorb the reality of the positive changes that are happening with Levi and how it is affecting things in our home and even ourselves. It is absolutely mind-boggling and I'm quite sure we've only begun to really see the changes that are already taking place.

Levi isming with one of his favorites...Easter grass!

Four months ago, Levi spent the significant part of his day stimming...usually by flipping books or finding something to get into and make a mess with. What this meant for us in layman terms, is we had at least 12 major messes to clean up in the house somewhere, every. day. The kind of messes I'm talking about most likely are not the kind of messes you may be use to. Lets take a closer look (lol). I'm talking about having to vaccuum every piece of furniture off in the room. Twice. Dusting off the piano, mirrors, TV, coffee table...I mean, dusting off the powdered sugar. Yeah. Or wiping off the butter. Or, maybe just ignoring the coffee grounds on the couch because you're so tired of cleaning them up. Or, maybe even just dusting off the part of the couch you want to sit on. Remember, not because he was trying to be naughty, but rather a way of coping, being curious, a way to learn and to have sensory input. But it *can* begin to feel that way.

Levi might make a mess once a day now! Some days, not even one. And I'm not talking about the fact that we spend the better part of most weekdays in the playroom. In the past, Levi would not have lost any time at all finding a mess to get into as soon as we came into the house.

So, when I realized this, it felt major and I decided to do a test. One that could have been a catostrophic mess if my test had failed! With the cooler weather blowing in, my huge fern from the front porch was put into the basement. I knew it wouldn't last long in the dark dungeon, so I had Christian, my 17 year old son, bring it up and put it in front of the window in the sitting room, more fondly called "the red room".

That was 3 days ago.

It's still there. Intact. Dirt and all. Levi has not touched the plant. One time, he went over and got a few dead leaves off the floor and threw them on the couch...that was immediately after it was brought up. I called him into the family room and he hasn't seemed interested since.

I have a beautiful fern in my house.

But...

What is this saying for our Levi? What does this mean for him?

Levi and I putting a puzzle together. Puzzles are very motivating and very gratifying for him.

Trevor was watching a video of Levi and I putting a puzzle together in the playroom the other day. He was amazed at the quiet, calm, thoughtful little boy as he would look at a puzzle piece, then the puzzle and then fit the piece into the finished part on the floor. He commented at the fact that we were, in many ways, seeing who Levi really is for the first time. With so much sensory overload so much of the time, we had a little guy who ran back and forth from one room to the next, pausing only long enough to get into a mess, loud and rambunctious, jumping from the couch to the coffee table then back to the other couch. Loudly. Levi being in a distraction-free environment, is actually leveling him out and in turn, he is being able to handle his normal environment inside the home in a way that seems much more typical.

Levi being sad because all the balls were out of the pit.

I cannot tell you how relieved I am to see my little buddy having the kind of relief he is experiencing and seeing him enjoy a learning environment makes my heart feel overjoyed!

If you are an Autism parent and have not had the opportunity to be a part of Son-Rise, I would do some research and begin implementing some of the basic principles of the program with your child. We have been doing Levi's program for almost 3 months now and are having earth-moving progress!

I know it's a tough time of the year for many, with it being the Christmas season, but if you are looking for an investment, Levi would be a great kid for the investment and will have big returns! :) Once we put the downpayment on Levi's Therapy Dog, we will have just about depleted his funds. We try to keep new and exciting therapy toys in his room to provide a constant sense of motivation, so I have a toy registry for him also! I am in the process of updating his registry so if you're interested in purchasing something for him from his registry, give me a day or so to finish. Thank you so much for supporting us the way you have over the past year. There Is NO way we could have gotten this far without all of you!

Happy Holidays to all of our family and friends!

<3 Angela, Levi's Mommy