Why is it...

that when things start getting better in one area, they start falling apart in other areas?

JT is going through a progress spurt/problem spurt.

We seem to have these concurrently every time.

HUGE progress = HUGE problems.

Right now JT is doing well socially. Really well. He is doing cool things like raising his hand at school. Playing with peers completely appropriately (when he feels like it, haha). His speech and communication is skyrocketing. So cool!

BUT...

We are seeing some really troublesome things. He is constantly calling himself stupid. Dumb. Bird brain. Ugly. Stinky. He's SUPER emotional. Cries in huge, choking sobs over seemingly tiny things. This happens both at home and at school.

His OCD is WAY out of control. He repeats things over and over. For instance, when you hand him a drink, before he will drink it he will repeat, "That my chocolate milk (or whatever drink it is)? Yep, that my chocolate milk. That my chocolate milk? Yep, that my chocolate milk.", sometimes at least 15-20 times. Or upon taking the car out of park, he will repeat, "Bucked my seat belt? Yep. Car is moving? Yep." several times. If he is agitated, he repeats it more, and louder. Sometimes he is screaming phrases like these.He does this both at school and home as well.

The teachers and I are keeping tabs on it, and JT's next doctor appointment is mid-November. Logging the behavior seems like the best thing to do, so we can figure out if there is any factors that cause it (we have found that he does sometimes use the negative self-talk when he doesn't want to do something, although that is not always the reason) and that disruptions and interrupted expectations seem to fire up the OCD more (again, sometimes this reason isn't it...). But it's a start, and a great tool for the psychiatrist to help us when we see him again.

We have had some big changes lately, so maybe that's part of it. We got in a wreck and the car was totaled... and JT was very attached to 'Blue Car'. Thanks to the ever-popular 'Cars' movies, he believed 'Blue Car' was hurting, and had feelings. No matter what I said he would not believe me. So eventually I lied and told him even though we couldn't fix the car, a nice mechanic took him home to fix him up perfect for his family.

We also bought another Kia, and told him 'Blue Car' is 'Dune Buggy' (the new car)'s friend.

Dune buggy

Don't judge. You do what you have to do.

He seems to like this, and reminds us of it.

My little guy is having a rough, rough time right now, and it ups the stress level in our whole family, too.

Hopefully we can figure it out and help him, because it breaks his momma's heart to see him hurting.