Remy Update

We had our evaluation at the local Early Intervention office yesterday. The good news is that Remy qualifies for a lot of assistance, the bad news is that Remy is showing many delays and failed his autism screening. Ross, Remy and I met in a large playroom with two very nice ladies, a PDC and a DSIII, and they simultaneously worked through thick evaluation packets over the course of the two hour evaluation. It was grueling and increasingly sad as it went on. Before it was even over the DSIII told us that he had qualified. He is testing in the 9 month range for communication skills. His emotional/social was a little better but she said had large weak areas like eye-contact and affection. He is normal-to-advanced in the gross motor skills but lagging in the fine motor skills. A SI/DS (special instruction/developmental specialist?) is going to come twice a month to our home and we have appointments in early January with the speech pathologist, the BAT (for the autism concerns), the nutritionist because of his picky eating and low weight, and the audiologist for a hearing exam. They would also like us to get his vision checked out. Our homework is to wean him off the binky (we'll see about that!), work on animal and other fun noises, and teach him to point outside and say out when he wants to go on the balcony or to get the mail. I feel overwhelmed, but I am so glad I have help now and that I have a plan!