Difficulty Dressing

It has been a while but here is a time warp post.

Yesterday, I was waiting for Kaleigh to get dressed.  She has been able to get herself dressed for a long time now.  It made me think of Austin, and how at 6, he still struggled with dressing.  He needed help here and there still, but when he was around 3 to 5, it was a terrible ordeal for him to even attempt.  Prior to that, I always dressed him, he didn't seem to be interested in trying and I did not put much into the fact that he didn't.  That was, until it was brought to my attention that it was not typical for a 4 year old to not be able to get dressed independently.

People ask me, from time to time, what was your first indication that Austin may be on the autism spectrum, for me, it was his speech and his behaviours could be a bit unpredictable.  I also had someone close to me saying to get him checked but I did not listen to her at the time.  Once Austin started preschool, the teacher there brought many things to my attention, as I have blogged about previously.  Things he could not do included buttons and his zipper, putting on his snow pants.  I told her, "Well, I dress him all the time, so he just does not have to do it."  She, did not take that as a valid reason.  Sure enough, when I let him try, he could not do it.  It has only been within the last 2 years he has managed to do zippers and he does still struggle with buttons.  We tried to teach him to tie his shoes but he just cried and cried.  We found these wonderful snaps that just click the laces together.  We will try again to tie laces but his motor skills are still not up for the task.  )We always got him velcro shoes, so it was not an issue, until he grew out of that stage and now everything is pretty much laces.)  Thank goodness for the little snaps, for now.

When I look back and think of things that Austin struggled with, I feel like I need to document it.  It might help someone else and it is important to me that Austin see how much he progressed in such a short time.

*HUGS* All the best!