"Hey, Mom! 3+6+9+12+15+18+21+24+27=135."
"No. I don't think that's right."
"What! I just took a long time adding that in my head!"
Later that day:
He's losing his afternoon helper this week because he's doing so well. We are thrilled by his progress over the last two years! He's had ABA technicians break down social skills in real time so that his social skills can keep up with his academic skills. (His standardized test scores just came back; and again he is in the 90th% on everything, but 98th% in math.) He told me last weekend, "Mom, this is Maribel's last week." "Are you going to miss her?" "Yes." "Perhaps you can make her a really nice card and draw a picture so that when she misses you, she can look at your note and remember you."
As soon as we arrived home and he'd eaten, he disappeared. I found him at the Firstborn's desk writing this note.
This is such a far cry from two years ago. He threw extremely disruptive tantrums when his people left. After a year of therapy, healthier emotions came through like crying (though he seldom cries); and now, thoughtful discussion and actions taken to ensure an amicable parting. It's edifying to see his emotional growth ... and to see him seeking to process difficult emotions through trusted adults.
