I am finally here to share the results of Dean’s PEC test. These results are personal to Dean’s development and I am very proud of him. He has come such a long way in just 6 months. I am not bragging about my son’s development. I am sharing his journey with others who might be going through the same thing to share that there is hope that one day your child might be independent. Honestly, I have had the best experience with ABA therapy. The three women are amazing with him and he has bonded to them. Simply put, he loves them and I do think that they really care about him. They are invested in our family and Dean’s life. They want to be a part of his life and cannot wait until he is older to help him cope with other life situations.
I will compare him from where he started to where he is now.
Development Area:
- Imitation
- Previous Age Equivalent at 2 years old: 0-6 months
- Now at 2 1/6 years old: 0-6 months
- He was able to pass 1 test out of 16 with an emerging score for waving goodbye
- So, there is no difference in his age score, but he couldn’t attempt waving goodbye before. There is some improvement.
- Perception
- Previous Age Equivalent at 2 years old: 7-8 months
- Now at 2 1/6 years old: 16-18 months
- A big leap in developing these skills.
- Out of 13 tests, he passed 5 of them and had emerging skills in 3 other tests.
- He can find items under a cup, show interest in a book, and hear and respond to a clapper. He has emerging skills in responding to gestures and completing a form board.
- Fine Motor
- Previous Age Equivalent at 2 years old: 8-9 months
- Now at 2 1/6 years old: 19-20 months
- A huge improvement in this area
- Out of 16 tests, he passed 5 and had emerging scores in 2.
- He can grasp a dowel, threads beads on a spindle, and flip on a light switch. He has emerging skills in stringing beads and using hands cooperatively.
- Gross Motor
- Previous Age Equivalent at 2 years old: 17-18 months
- Now at 2 1/6 years old: 12-13 months
- He has regressed a bit in this area, because there has been greater focus on other areas to learn more in. Still, he has lost a few skills that he used to have and will have to relearn them.
- Out of 18 tests, he passed 3 and had emerging scores in 4. He also lost 4 skills.
- He can walk alone, carry a ball, and jump up and down on both feet. He has emerging skills in climbing a chair, drinking from a cup, and displaying hand dominance.
- Eye Hand Integration
- Previous Age Equivalent at 2 years old: 0-9 months
- Now at 2 1/6 years old: 14-17 months
- Another huge improvement in this area.
- Out of 15 tests, he passed 2 and has emerging scores in 2.
- He can fit shapes into slots and put blocks in a box. He has emerging skills in fitting pieces into slots by size and stacking blocks.
- Cognitive Performance
- Previous Age Equivalent at 2 years old: 0-8 months
- Now at 2 1/6 years old: 11-12 months
- A really decent jump in this area as well.
- Out of 23 tests, he passed 1 and has emerging scores in 1.
- He can find hidden objects and he has an emerging skill in 2 way sorting.
- Cognitive Verbal
- Previous Age Equivalent at 2 years old: 0-15 months
- Now at 2 1/6 years old: 0-8 months
- He didn’t regress here. As a child gets older, it is assumed that more words and verbal skills are developed. Dean hasn’t learned anything more, so he scored lower this time around.
- Out of 27 tests, he didn’t pass any or have any emerging scores. No different than his last test.
- Overall Development Age Equivalent
- Previous Age Equivalent at 2 years old: 10-13 months
- Now at 2 1/6 years old: 14-16 months
- It is looking up and the improvement means so much more when you break it down by category.
The rest of his PECS, I will not be sharing because it is personal to him and what he needs to work on. I don’t want him to look at my blog later and see me saying what he can’t do all of the time. I want him to see me be proud of him. I just wanted to share how far he has come and share this milestone with all of you. As a fellow parent with autism, you can see how much improvement good ABA can give your child. I don’t think he would have improved so much without it. The rest of the PECS is about his Behavioral Skills, Behavioral Observations, Current Problem Areas, and his corresponding treatment plan. All of this stuff is really personal and I would only share with people close to me. I hope you all understand that some things are just private. I put a lot of our life out here.
With Love,
Home Sweet Phoenix Cove 
Aww congrats Dean!!! I love how you focus on all the positives and things he can do instead of what he cant do. Having an attitude like what is what will help to continue to succeed in the future. Good job mama!!
What he can do are such HUGE milestones. Focusing on what he can’t do or what makes him different isn’t going to change that he’s different. My mother always picked at me for all the things that I did wrong. I am never going to do that to Dean. Focusing on the achievements big and small is going to encourage him to tackle the challenges ahead. He may never gain full independence away from me. He may never marry or have children. But I am going to do my very best to make sure that he is happy, healthy, and ALWAYS trying to challenge himself to achieve a goal. Do I focus on the can’ts and the negatives? Yes, I do. I am human. Sometimes I cry myself to sleep thinking about how people are going to treat him b/c I’ve seen how mean kids are. But focusing on the good makes those other things seem so small and manageable. I need to stay focused on him. I love him so much. Hearing your encouragement helps me to know that I am doing something right even if it feels like I’m doing it all wrong. 🙂 Thank you.
Don’t ever feel like you’re doing anything wrong. Just being by his side and giving him all your love makes you a great mother! Try not to fret on the thought of the future either, you never know what it may hold! Plus, all the little things he is learning now is setting him up for a better future regardless! Hugs xo
Awe, thank you! Sometimes, it’s hard when you are in a rut. I try not to go there too often. I’m not much of a worrier or I thought I wasn’t until I had a kid. I should make a post on aspects of my personality that has changed since having a kid.
That’s a great idea! I feel like a whole new person too lol so it would be interesting to see some comparisons