May 2013 update

Carson is doing fairly well but still having some challenges. He is not sleeping well. We give him melatonin at bedtime to help him fall asleep. It helped him for about 6 months but has become less effective. His problem now is staying asleep. He wakes several times a night and when he is awake he is completely destructive. He tears his room apart and we have had to remove most of the furniture from his room.
We took him to the doctor and we have started him on a low dose of clonidine to help him sleep. He has been on it now for 10 days and we have already had to increase the dose once. We go back next week to discuss other options. He has been extremely irritable since starting the medication so we just aren't sure it's the right thing for him.
We have an appointment at the end of June to bring him to a psychiatrist and we will then explore further options as far as medication is concerned.
He is doing great in school and is continuing to meet all of his goals! He has become more social and affectionate. He gives the best hugs and loves physical contact. Many children with Autism do not like to be touched but this is not the case with Carson. He loves hugs and seeks deep pressure.
He has started Occupational Therapy once again. He goes once a week for an hour and he loves it!! Some of the things he is working on is eating and expanding his food choices. His therapist is trying to get him to try new things. He is also going to be working on muscle strengthening.
He also is back in speech therapy once a week and he is doing so well. His speech therapist is incredible and it's amazing how far he has come with her. He is making new sounds all of the time and trying so hard to talk. We still have hope that one day it will all click and he will talk.
Overall he is doing great!! We are very happy with the progress he has made and we are excited to watch him progress further!