From where we left off on last week’s post, you can see that Tony has what are called “highly splintered skills.” This means that he’s doing much better in some areas than others. Currently, the gross motor skills we talked about last week are not the highest functioning domain for our little man. Tony’s highest
Change is like an erratic pulse…sometimes the beats are slow and the space between can stretch out, only to sprint wildly towards a rapidly winded staccato. This has been a month where we’re experiencing more changes and emotionally I’ve been a bit more breathless, as two of Tony’s providers (Madi and Rosette) have accepted
After I finished last Sunday’s update, I promised family and friends I would keep today’s post shorter to compensate for that extra bit of reading. I know each of you have busy lives, and the words in my head can multiply on a screen quicker than dust bunnies for a pet owner. But I promise
As I have mentioned previously, when it comes to successfully working with Tony, his bond with a person matters. Evidence of this can be seen in many areas, and currently he is at his most cooperative only with the people he has more trust in. This is something that always has to be respected when
When people meet Tony in an environment he’s less threatened by, I am often asked: “Is he always this active?” I can only go with the truth here, and that would be…Yes. Now go ahead and close your eyes, imagining that word as a flashing neon sign. While Tony certainly struggles to do certain movements,
To Madi, For Her Kindness & Caring… As many of you know, there is another incredibly cool music therapist who works with Tony during one of his two weekly sessions with Emily. Madi has worked with Tony for over a year and a half now at NMTSA and, like Emily, has always believed in his
One post can not even begin to contain adequate explanations for all of the challenges Tony has faced and continues to face on a daily basis. I have very little spare time, so it is a story I will continue to unfold slowly as I share with you bits and pieces of our journey each
Some things changed for Tony on October 17th, the day Whispie died. He had done amazingly well in our vet’s office just 5 days earlier when Dickens, our beloved Catzilla, passed on. I think it was too soon for Tony to be back there after such an emotional scene, too soon for all of us,
Hello! For those of you who might not know my name, my name is Hannah. I am the 11 year old daughter of the creator of this blog. My school district (and others too) are taking the Az Merit right now. While I was taking the test, I thought about Tony and how we would
Tony feeds off of the emotions of those around him, especially people he deeply loves. So if a member of the family of his heart is having a bad day or rough moment, he can rapidly careen out of his own emotional equilibrium. Sometimes these situations can cause deviations to the schedule he’s used to.
