A week full of milestones

This week, we've got kindergarten roundup. I've been worried sick about it, and local cuts to the school budget have not helped any.

The boy, however, refuses to let such things get him down. He's busy using more words than he's ever used before and trying his best to work sentences into the mix. A lot more echolalia, but I take that as a good sign, too.

He's exceeded the kindergarten math goal of learning to count to 100. He's not reading Shakespeare or anything, but he is reading, and he can both sight read and sound out unique words.

We're taking one of his therapists with us, so he's got a familiar face. If we just shoved him in a room while everyone he knew went in the other room, things would not look good for our hero. It might still end up being me in that room. We'll have to see.  I still have to write a letter.

Dear school district,
this is my small human being who is capable of great things and also has great challenges. Remember all those things you learned about autism in school? Good. Now unlearn about three quarters of them. We want him to be in a regular classroom. We think he'll learn best that way. He needs a full-time para. Yes, we realize that is asking a lot, but once you get to know him, I think you'll understand what his preschool teacher meant when she said, "This kid is going to be underestimated."
Love, me.

Something like that.

And then the week after that? Potty party. Damn, I hope it works. He's ready. He's very ready. My research says there are only two hard and fast signs of potty readiness. Asking for diaper changes and waking up dry. Boy's ready. But if you ask him to use the toilet he resists. Hopefully we can find a reward that works for him, and then once he does it on his own, it will be its own reward.