Listening therapy report

We have been using listening therapy for about 10 days right now and I see changes in Julia. Clearer language (not articulation, but structure), more descriptive words, easier transitions with toys, a new concentration with her desk work. Last night, after we got home from our weekend and we were all rather tired and a bit grumpy, Julia and I sat down to do some work. I didn't have much hope that we would be able to do anything, but I wanted to get us back to our working schedule.

I had put the magna-doodle on her table to work with, the same think that she was working with the night that she refused to do the work that I wanted her to do which was writing numbers. No matter how many times I made a 4, Julia would not copy it. Last night, she safe down, picked up the "pen" and made a 4 and looked at me. I had not remembered and had not put the magna-doodle there to finish that lesson at all. I praised her a good deal for (1) knowing how to write 4, and (2) for giving into me even though it was five nights later. Oh my girl!

We then worked on letters. I made the sign for random letters and she wrote the letter. We had 18 letters by the end of this exercise. She had gotten 3 wrong. She even drew a rose for R before she made the R. Then I pointed to letters and she made the sound for it. The sound of the letters has been a weak point for her and she did not get as many correct, but she was able to give me more sounds for more letters than ever before.

The down side of this new clarity seems to be much more expressive anger. Julia is angry with me! Oh, I must be so safe for her to be so angry with! The trick of giving her choices when she is angry is still working at time, but at times, I can't even think of a set of choices. I lost it this morning with her as we tried to get ready for camp and I grabbed her roughly. She responded with such indignation. "Mommy, you hurt me," "Mommy was mean to Julia," "Mommy is bad." It went on and on. This was after she had been trying to hit, punch, kick, and spit on me, AND was describing all sorts of bad things that she wanted to do to me. Okay, the bad things were not so bad but she was very descriptive.

In the past, whenever Julia perceived that someone hurt her, she would go on and on about it for days -- poor Seth, who loves Julia, bumped into her one day on the playground and I thought we would never hear the end of it. Today, I apoligized for handling her roughly and told her that I would try to be better. She then forgave me (I think) and agreed to not hit me anymore. I don't think that such a truce will last for any amount of time, but she was much more reasonable when she said it.

Yes, we are going with this listening therapy. I expect there will be more positive and more negative behavior associated with her changes, but then again, maybe being clearer about her feelings and impulses will help us when we start family therapy at the end of August.