Growth

If you would have told me a year ago that Charlie would be able to go to his older brother's hockey games and sit through the entire game, I might not have believed you.  You see, last year we were able to make it through one game.  And even then we made it through by the skin of our teeth.  I wasn't able to get to many games last year.  But this year....this year has started out different.  So far we've been able to make it to two games, one of them a double header.  And Charlie was able to make it through each time!  Now, I can't tell you what the rest of the hockey season will bring, but for now, I'll take this!

Sunny has been a key factor in helping Charlie stay occupied during Easton's hockey games.  Sunny, and well, lots of things to keep him busy.  Charlie sits with Sunny, hugs her, plays with her ears and gives her kisses while watching Easton skate.  And Sunny even likes to watch Easton skate!

I'm sure there will be games we'll need to miss this season, but as long as we can get Charlie to go, I won't stop going.  This is just one indication of Charlie's growth this year.  And it's not simply because he's another year older.  It's not because he's starting to "outgrow" Autism.  That will never happen.  Autism will always be here.  This growth is because of all the incredible hard work Charlie has put into everything he does.  This kid is amazing really.  I guess therapy services 3-4 times a week for the past 4 years has made a difference.  

Each week Charlie sees a lead therapist and a skills worker that work on certain things with him over and over again.  Things like recognizing emotions in himself and other people and how to deal with those emotions appropriately.  Or going out into the community and interacting with other people, how to have a reciprocating conversation, learning to vocalize frustrations before it turns into an epic meltdown.  Sometimes they work on playing games, following the rules of the game and taking turns.    Seemingly simple things that most kids learn easily, but that have been a little more difficult for Charlie to grasp.  

One thing they've worked on a lot is being patient and waiting.  Which has really paid off.  Because you can see he has been able to sit at Easton's hockey games and be patient until the end.  Which means this mama has been able to watch her oldest baby play hockey the past couple of weeks.  

There are still struggles.  But today I'm going to focus on the growth.  Such wonderful growth.  Part of this growth is owed to Sunny too.  She supports Charlie in ways that Tyler and I cannot.  She gives him confidence and helps him feel more secure no matter where we are.  On days like today, she helps him transition from each activity, provides deep pressure to help Charlie calm his body and stay regulated- especially during car rides, she helps him stay occupied and focused and can sometimes help bridge social gaps for Charlie.  

Sure, Charlie has some great tools to help him along, but it's the hard work Charlie puts into everything each day that has made the incredible difference we see.  

Unexpected Tasks

When we were in the process of getting Charlie a service dog we knew a few tasks that we wanted the dog to for Charlie- help with sleep and deep pressure therapy for sure.  There were other tasks we learned of from the trainer that could benefit Charlie too- blocking, walking safely through a parking lot, and waking up in the morning to name a few.  But along the way we have found some unexpected  tasks that Sunny has been able to help Charlie with.  Focus being one of them.

We have found that having Sunny with him, Charlie is better able to focus on what he is doing.  Whether it be staying at the table to eat his meal or doing his homework.  And trust me, the homework help has been so good!  When Charlie is done with school at the end of the day, he has very little energy or focus left over for homework.  Charlie uses all of his energy at school to stay regulated, cope with sensory overload, transition from subject to subject and stay on task all day long.     When he gets home he has little tolerance for much of anything else the rest of the evening.

When we have Sunny involved with homework time, Charlie seems to be able to focus a little bit longer and can tolerate getting the task done.....most days.  And as you can see, Charlie's does his homework wherever he's most comfortable.  No tables for this kid!  Thank you, Sunny, for being so sweet, patient and amazing.  

Becoming a Team

Charlie is starting to give more commands to Sunny, walk her more when out and about, gaining that trust together and teaching Sunny to rely less and less on Tyler and I.  We are still right with them to help when needed, but this is a big step in their future together as a team.  Did you know that's what it's called?  When a person and their service dog are together it's called a team.  In our case, the team includes Charlie, Sunny &/ Tyler and myself. As he grows older and more capable of handling Sunny on his own, it will be the Charlie and Sunny team.

There are still times when Charlie just wants to run and play and not have to worry about Sunny.  Which is totally fine!  He needs to be a kid too.  But we're seeing him want to be in charge of Sunny more and more.  Every chance we get we ask Charlie if he wants to walk Sunny.  Or we'll get him involved if we're doing some training with Sunny.  And this is important because the more Sunny sees Charlie giving commands, the more she will realize that he's in charge.  As Charlie gets older and big enough to handle Sunny on his own, it's our goal that he will become the sole handler of Sunny.  She is his, after all.

Charlie is also starting to ask for Sunny more and more when he is having a hard time managing his emotions, feeling scared or having a hard time sleeping.  Until now it's usually Tyler or I noticing Charlie having a hard time and giving Sunny a command to help Charlie.  But lately, Charlie has been doing that more on his own and giving her the commands himself.  Charlie is realizing how much Sunny helps him and is reaching for her in his times of need.  

And seeing them together is always remarkable.  I cringe to think of where we'd be in life without Sunny.  She's made such a huge difference.  The bond they've already made is incredible.  We're excited to watch them grow together and see what they can conquer together.