The anxiety goes on

Liam has had a couple of better days, but his anxiety still continues to be more frequent. Thursday Jill had to again coerce and push Liam to go into school. He would cling his blanket and not want to go in. Jill would boost him along while his teacher would calmly try and talk Liam into the room. Once in the room and once activities were started he calmed down. His teacher told Jill that by the end of class Liam was wanting his blanket and ready to go home. His teacher also noticed when his anxiety was up, his body and hands would vibrate. This is something that could be a side affect of the risperdal. We are keeping an eye on this when he becomes anxious. It may also be a physical reaction to anxiety. Liam continued to have good days in class. As Jill observed, she believes the closer attention Liam receives at Middleburg helps him stay focused and remain calm.

Liam’s anxiety again showed at his Adaptive Aquatics class. Jill had to carry him into the changing room. Once there he got ready for the pool, but when it came time to start his lesson he got very anxious. Miss Karen then asked Jill and her mom to leave. This helps Liam focus on her only. Jill watched through a window as Miss Karen walked Liam around the pool talking to him and settling him down. Liam then dove right into his lesson and continued to do well. Jill said Liam at times would look anxious, and that was usually when Miss Karen was really working with Liam. By the end of the lesson Miss Karen invited Jill and her mom back in. Miss Karen then had Liam swim the width of the pool (~30ft!) under water, coming up for a breathe or two of course, and eyes open without his goggles! Jill was absolutely amazed at what she saw. We are both so thrilled with how well Liam is doing at swimming. I consider this achievement by Liam a huge milestone. I have observed Liam in our pool and when he swims, it is almost like our pool is not big enough for him. He easily swims from one end to the other, it’s a mere 12-13 feet across. How nice it would be to have a nice big in ground pool……!