Hi Friends!
Sorry it's been so long since my last update. Things have been very busy, but I was reminded recently that there are more people who care about what is happening in our lives than I even knew. Thanks, Aunt Sharon, for pointing that out!
So...what's new? Well, Buddy is officially attending school with Jonathan every day. Actually, he's been sick twice (although, I personally think he chewed up another toy that didn't agree with him!) and the teacher marked him absent. They think he's a wonderful dog, and is fitting into the new routine beautifully. Last week he came home with his own proof packet from picture day at school! The teacher wanted to make sure that he showed up on the class composite because he's definitely one of the class! I feel so blessed that they not only accept him at school, but they miss him when he's gone, and love him for what he does every day for Jonathan. So many families have to fight to get their dogs in school. There are court battles all over the country, and yet we are so fortunate to have wonderful teachers and aides working with Jonathan and Buddy.
We ran another practice track a couple of weeks ago. I was wondering if all the time Buddy is spending with Jonathan at school and at home would make a difference in his tracking. Did it ever! When Jonathan was out of sight, Buddy started lunging at the end of the leash and whining frantically (if he could talk, I know he would have been saying...do you people not see that our boy is gone!!!). When we gave the command to 'track' he was all over it! It was the best one ever! I was so thrilled at that moment to know that our dog knows his boy and know his job. There is no doubt in my mind that he could find Jonathan if we needed him too. What a comfort to us to know that!
People ask me all the time if Jonathan and Buddy are bonding. My response is that Buddy is bonded to Jonathan, but it is taking Jonathan awhile to bond. But when I think about it, I have to say that Buddy is making a difference in Jonathan's life, and maybe (like everything else) he just shows it differently. Jonathan is having the best school year he's ever had. He is participating and interacting with his peers and teachers. On good days, he is even responding verbally. He took and passed a phonics test where he had to verbally identify two letter sounds multiple times. I about fell on the floor when I got a phone call from his teacher saying he passed a test and is being moved on to the next level!!! What an answer to prayer! He's starting to respond to sign language, which we've tried in the past, but evidently he's ready now. It's just been an amazing time of growth for him. We have glimmers of hope almost daily.
Something we're struggling with is food. Jonathan has always had a very limited diet, but it has become a real problem in the past month. We could use your prayers about this issue. I've ordered some books about food issues with autistic children and something called 'food chaining' that is a multiple-step therapy to try. I am determined to figure this out, but it may require a medical intervention if I'm not successful soon.
I will try to post more often. Thank you for your prayers and encouragement. It means a lot!
Heather
