Why did we think there was something wrong?

We didn’t – at least not initially.  Things occurred so gradually that we adjusted our lives as he grew and recognized things that were difficult to do with him – such as going to Target or HEB.  It had been seven years since we had an infant and every child is different….we thought he was just a different child than his brother.

Oh yea – Caleb did not sleep through the night until he was 5.  He would wake up (fully awake!) two or three times every night.  He sleeps now, with sleeping medication L  Needless to say, I was exhausted.

He started child care at 18 months (BK was his primary care giver until then).  He loved going to school and loved being picked up.  After about a year and half there, he started really struggling.  At first we thought it was because he changed teachers and classrooms.  Without being provoked, he would get aggressive especially with his friends.  And then he was throwing wild fits that required restraining.  Truthfully, the child care center tried to protect us as parents so we didn’t realize how bad it was – until it was too late and he became a liability.

Someone thought he had sensory processing  disorder (he was 3 ½ years old) so we started occupational therapy.  Do you know how many ways our minds/bodies process all the sensory stimulation that we take in?  I purchased numerous books and found web sites that would give me some insight to this new, new…..what was this?  Unfortunately, after three months, the therapist and we agreed that progress was not being made with the OT therapy.

In October 2008, he was asked not to return to the child care center.  And they loved him!  He had become a liability and they were concerned for the safety of the other children.  We understood, but really – this precious little boy?  BK quit his job and found one that allowed him to work from home while caring for Caleb.

Sadly, at the same time our own home had become a war zone.  I’ve tried to push that time from my memory but I can’t.  We never knew what might upset him – we walked on eggshells constantly.  A simple “no” could send him into a 45-60 minute full-on fit that included hitting, kicking, throwing things, pushing and biting.  We couldn’t get too close because of the pain he could inflict (he wasn’t even 4 yet).  We would hover nearby to ensure he didn’t hurt himself or come out of his room to destroy the rest of the house.  It was rare that we would all leave the house together because we were unsure when he would have a fit.  We began to find ourselves on our own island.