More Than Words

This fall is shaping up to be the fall of classes. Mondays Sam and I are taking Music Together, and soon enough our ECFE class will begin on Wednesday nights. (Next week, finally.)  But last night I attended an orientation for a class offered by Sam's speech therapist and her sister, also part of the early childhood special ed program in our district. They received a substantial grant from the state, and last winter were able to attend a weeklong training in Florida to be able to teach this class. Due to the grant, they are also able to offer this class free of charge for eight families at a time. Last night I sat in a room with those parents, some of whom have children in class with Sam every morning.

More Than Words is a program that teaches parents of children with autism how to work directly with their children, in their everyday routines, to improve their communication. It meets each child where they are, whether verbal or not, and works right in with their current activities. Sam's therapist has done some of this with him in class, and he's made so much progress even with that small amount of help. Of the three classes we're going to be taking at the same time, I think this is the one that will be the most important. I've asked Dan to make it a point to leave work early to come with us, since I'll need him to be as involved as I am with the program, as he spends a majority of his time at home playing with (and feeding and bathing, etc) Sam. I just don't know if we'll get another opportunity to do something so beneficial to Sam for free again.

And now I'll leave you with the song that's going to be in my head every dang time I think about this class.