The Right Direction

Last week, Little Guy had his initial assessment with a new therapist.  During the session, we discussed many issues, especially my main concern that Little Guy seems to be quite disregulated lately.  The therapist asked if we'd recently had any major changes within the family;  as I thought about it, I realized there have been many disruptions in our household the past several weeks:

We celebrated three major holidays.

Big Guy and Sis both moved back home.

My husband has been out of town more than usual.

We just welcomed a foreign exchange student from Japan who will be staying with us for two months.

Yes, I guess one could argue we've experienced some major changes lately, which might help explain some of Little Guy's increased anxiety levels.  Individuals on the spectrum do NOT take to change very easily - as any of you who live or work with these children know :)  However, I feel this doesn't completely explain Little Guy's behavior, as it began regressing about 3 or 4 months ago. 

Perhaps it's the stress of attending a  more "normal" school? 

Whatever the reason, tomorrow we begin weekly therapy sessions to address Little Guy's anxiety issues.  Our first goal is to help Little Guy begin to recognize when his anxiety levels are escalating.  Once he realizes he's in danger of feeling overwhelmed, his next step would be to let us know so we can help him calm down.  Our ultimate goal is for Little Guy to eventually learn his own ways to regain control over his emotions and behavior when he is feeling anxious. 

I know I can't expect change to happen overnight;  in fact, this could be a long, arduous process.  However, I feel we're taking a step in the right direction!