where wildly different is perfectly normal
What child is this?
What child is this?

What child is this?

What child is this
Who is so calm
And listens to
instructions?
 

Tom and I are convinced that at some point during the last full moon the boys did some sort of Freaky Friday switcharoo. A is calm, cool, and collected. He is listening to instructions and following through on them. He doesn’t get lost going up to his room to get a pair of socks or something; he goes, gets them, and immediately returns. Usually, I’d go up after awhile and find him stark naked playing with Legos or something else completely random. Last night during the “witching hour” (aka, immediately after dinner, as Tom and I are trying to clean up the kitchen), instead of the running around like a madman with his brother following suit, they sat down and played Candy Land together. And then cleaned it up when asked. He’s going right to bed. He’s getting up before me, staying quiet so he doesn’t wake his brother, and gets himself breakfast. He’s like a different child.

In the meantime, J has decided to flirt with the terrible twos, four months before his fourth birthday. Nothing terribly out of control, and he’s certainly a LOT easier than his brother at that age, but J is considerably more ornery right now.

What’s changed?

I finally broke down and spent a left kidney to get A set up with everything he needs to do the listening therapy his OT recommended. I got him an iPod shuffle and the exact headphones (holy hell, they were expensive) he needed. And he’s been doing the listening therapy every morning for 20 minutes while he eats breakfast.

The difference is stunning. Almost frightening.

I don’t know how it works. I don’t know why it works. But it’s working. And I’ve been walking on eggshells, afraid it will stop working. This is how I felt when he first went on ADHD meds (he’s on the lowest dose possible; I credit the OT…hopefully we can wean him entirely in the next few years), and how I felt when I realized my thyroid meds were working. Tentatively hopeful, but waiting for the shoe to drop.

I talked to A’s OT yesterday after his session. She was not surprised that we were seeing such an astonishing difference. I am, though. Even though I know the brain works in mysterious ways (I’ve read about music and the brain and how music therapy can make a difference), I was truly skeptical about listening therapy working.

I was wrong. I am a changed woman. This thing works!

At the recommendation of A’s OT, this morning I sat J down for 10 minutes or so to do the listening therapy as well. She believes it’ll help him and his speech issues as well. I’m up for trying it, seeing as how we’re getting amazing results with A and that I’ve already laid out the kidney to get the gear.

A is on spring break next week, and with the increased time at home, I’ll increase his listening therapy to twice a day. I’m encouraged by the results we’ve already seen, and anxious to see how he improves in the future.

The brain is an amazing thing.

Have a great weekend.

10 Comments

  1. momunplugged

    Wow! Congratulations on your new child! Isn’t it amazing how the brain works? I am so happy for you that the music therapy seems successful so far. Please keep us posted!

    By the way, I have a little something for you over at my blog.

  2. Hmmm, never heard of such a thing. Dr. Mike and I are kinda skeptics with some of these therapies (especially if the website SELLS the products needed to do them), but dang, if it’s working, that’s proof enough, right???

    The brain IS an amazing thing! Heads up, Pediacast is going to be doing an interview soon with a brain dude. Sort of a “how the brain works” thing. 🙂

  3. yay!!! SOOO glad things are looking up. I could use a little of that “feeling” right now!! I will boldy admit that at this moment, I’m (obviously!!) checking emails/blogs while my class is sitting on the carpet watching “High School Musical” cuz I can’t stand another second with them today!! They are making me want to scream! It’s been a very long, hard week. I wish I were on spring break next week with A! Come oOOON, 2:45!!

  4. I just realized your time stamp is different than our (central standard) time, so I don’t want anyone to think it’s really 11:26 here in Chicago, and that I’m letting my class watch 3 hours of TV!!! It’s 1:26 here, I swear!!

  5. Awesome!! Let me know if you’re up for doing a “listening library” with each other. We have a couple of CDs that I think are getting old for Evan and I’d be happy to trade off whenever the respective OTs think it’s right.

    I wish our results with Evan were that miraculous. But there is definitely a difference when he does it.

    Also — are you sure about the iPod thing? I looked into it and I the iPod cuts off certain frequencies, or so I was told. You may want to check it out.

  6. “He doesn’t get lost going up to his room to get a pair of socks or something; he goes, gets them, and immediately returns. Usually, I’d go up after awhile and find him stark naked playing with Legos or something else completely random.”

    Oh Jen, Jen, Jen, how have we lived such similiar lives and yet we are both still here, alive and well to talk about it?

  7. Pingback: Honored « Never A Dull Moment

  8. Pingback: Five For Friday 2-1-2019 - Laughing at Chaos

Whaddya think?

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

%d