Struggling with my 12 month old - development concerns

[Kstar7]

My DS is 12 months old. It hurts me to say this, but the first year of his life has been the hardest year of mine.

Since day 1, following traumatic birth, we've dealt with major struggles with breastfeeding, sleeping, settling. In the early months he needed to be bounced or walked in the pram to fall asleep. Still struggles with sleep. He's now on solids and cows milk and feeding is generally OK.

By now we've spent thousands on lactation and sleep consultants, chiropractors, osteopaths, cranial therapy, allergy tests, books, courses.... nothing seems to make a difference. We were told it's the fourth trimester / 4 month sleep regression / high needs baby, etc, and that things will start to improve. They haven't.

He's also displaying the following behaviours which worry me, which follow a pattern from his birth, really:

Wants to be carried, but only facing out, so he can see everything. I cannot sit down while holding him, need to move constantly or he will scream and wriggle away. Doesn't like cuddles or affection.

He will not sit still, ever, not in a highchair or anyone's lap, or the floor, very restless, fidgety. I am not able to read him a book, or even when I sing to him, he will look for few seconds and move away.

Very short attention span and easily distracted, more than his peers.

Struggles with nappy changes, dressing, teeth brushing etc

Poor eye contact, especially up close.

Not much intrest in interaction with others, little back and forth communication. Is only intrested in me if i hold an object he wants or if he wants to be picked up and carried around.

Extremely sensory seeking with excessive movement, and always crawling / cruising along and touching things around him. We have to bathe together as if he's alone in the bath he's moving around, trying to stand up and touch the shower screen, tiles, anything really, and it's too dangerous.

High risk taking and not scared of anything (although I appreciate he is very young).

There are positives too, he does show some joint attention when something happens he will look at me (like if the microwave pings, he'll look at me like "what's that?"), he has some understanding of language and understands at least 5 words. Won't point, but looks in the right direction when I say these words. He's babbling and I think he's trying to say his first word.

I'm exhausted, overwhelmed and scared. I have recently been diagnosed with ADHD myself, and I suspect I'm on ASD spectrum too (although haven't been tested for that). That's a whole other story. But in the context of my diagnosis, DS's behaviour, and my gut feeling, I think DS might be ND too. Yes, I know he's too young for a diagnosis, please don't come for me, but I think there are a lot of indicators pointing this way. But it is not even the point of this post, I guess I just want to see if anyone has/had a child like mine or has any advice? I obviously love him dearly and it's heartbreaking watching him so dysregulated.

DS goes to nursery 3 days a week while I work. They noted he won't ever sit still and moves more that his peers, but no other concerns from them yet.

I paid for private Sensory Processing Assessment from OT, he observed DS but said he wants to come back again in few months when DS is older before writing a report, as he wasn't quite sure what to make of him yet as DS is so young. He did say we will have to "work on lowering state of arousal" though.

DS had a development review with HV at 9 months where he "failed" on communication. We're due another review in few weeks, DS still can't do most of these things and will fail on communication and social/personal. I spoke with HV who said they wouldn't even be able to refer him to anyone until he is 2 years old, is this true?!

I saw GP few times over the year and he just keeps repeating that all babies develop differently, or that it's his temperament.

What else can I do while he is so young and nobody is taking my concerns seriously? What would you do if you were me?

I've been through some hard things in my life, but this is the first time I'm really not sure if I'm going to make it.

I have a wonderful DP who is fully involved and supportive, but it feels like we're both giving 100% but don't see any effects of it.

Sorry it's so long, not sure if anyone made it here - but if so, I'd appreciate any comments.

I relate to this so much. You aren’t alone. I have been through this with my first child and now my 6 month old son is also displaying behaviours very like what you describe. My instincts tell me there are ND factors at play. I strongly suspect I have ADHD. My nearly 3 year old is on the pathway to an autism diagnosis and needs a lot of support from me in all areas. With her, we didn’t think anything was ‘wrong’ until we were already pregnant with our 2nd, but looking back the signs were all there in the sleep, delayed milestones, differences in social interaction and never being able to rest. Things I have found helpful:

• it is beyond frustrating that no one takes you seriously or does anything at all until child is 2. My experience was that I had to effectively bombard HV with lists of concerns, repeatedly asking to bring the 27 month old review forward to 22 months as that review is often the point that they make onward referrals from. Getting that completed earlier meant getting on the long waiting list 5 months earlier.

• get a notebook and keep records of who you talk to, when, referrals made or mentioned, options for support / groups and services, things you have tried to implement at home. Contact details for professionals you speak to and things to follow up on. Keep any documents/ letters in one place. It helps keep track of progress and you can more easily recount details when asked about them later down the line

• Many avenues of support can be accessed without a diagnosis - look at what is available in the local area, SEN groups, any play and learn sessions for development (the children’s centre near me does a 6 week playgroup for this), local fb groups for parents of SEN children, local charities that can be amazing advice givers, advocates and educators, who also facilitate events for SEN parents to connect and might run interesting / informative webinars on relevant subjects

• i signed up for everything I came across to get us ‘out there’ and to make my daughter known to as many healthcare professionals. Often they talk to one another and it can be so advantageous to have good relationships with them. They can make referrals or supporting statements and give their observations of your child as evidence. This is especially useful if child isn’t at nursery.

• research and try out different strategies at home yourself, learn a few makaton signs, try picture cards, objects of reference, lots of floor time interaction.

• develop understanding of your child’s sensory needs and how to best support them. you can do this at home by observing if they seek or avoid experiencing each of the different senses (don’t forget vestibular and proprioceptive). My daughter is very much a sensory seeker and responds well to swinging, deep pressure, fidget toys, spinning, water play, being upside down and needs this extra sensory input and lots of movement to regulate and calm down. Lots about building a ‘sensory diet’ of activities on the internet

• go easy on yourself. Get support for yourself too, do activities for self care whenever you can manage, allow yourself to feel all the many emotions that this journey brings and grieve the loss of the experience you expected, try to connect with other parents in a similar position, observing other children doing similar things helps validate your instincts and feel less alone in it all. Try not to judge yourself too harshly and don’t compare your family to neurotypical families. You are on your own path and celebrate the small wins. Progress IS made even if it doesn’t neatly follow the milestones.

sending all my love and support to you. It is HARD. You can feel stuck and like progress isn’t being made but a year passes and before you know it lots has changed and developed for you and your child. Honestly a year / two years ago I thought my child wouldn’t do any of the things she is doing now. I spent so much time worrying about the future (still do) but if you can try to take it one day / week / stage at a time that is much better all round. Things will change and you will evolve too, your capacity to handle all this will grow and you will do what you need to do xxx

Thank you so much for your reply, which is really fantastic and useful. And makes me feel less alone already!

I'm sorry about the struggles of your DC. With your 6 months old hopefully you might get referred for support sooner, if needed, considering his sister is on diagnosis pathway? And now you have all the knowledge and experience from supporting your daughter... Great that she is making progress, what sort of things is she doing now that you didn't think she would be able to? If you don't mind me asking.

It's just so frustrating. Everyone is obsessed about spotting ND traits in children asap, and pointing out how important early intervention is. But it seems pointless if you can't actually get any referrals to services for literally years. I see what you said though about SEN groups, charities and other support we might be able to get, and I'm already researching anything that might be available to us. But few things i found are only available from the age of 2, or need a referral to access it. It feels we are in a no man's land as DS can't cope in normal baby/toddler groups but i haven't found any SEN support currently available to him. But i will keep looking and I'll make myself known to every group or professional in my area!!

Like all mums, I just want my baby to be happy. If my DS was a happy baby with delayed milestones, I'd probably be worried and seek support, but i wouldn't feel as desperate as I feel now since my DS is struggling so much. He's always in fight or flight mode and cannot relax at all. Opposite of a content and chilled baby and it feels like everything is a battle:(

Thanks again for taking time to respond and I wish you all the best and lots of strength x

Oh man your post hits hard. Your son sounds EXACTLY like mine was at that age. He's now 9. I only really realised something was off when his brother was born and even at a few weeks old the younger one would have 'conversations' where he'd coo and make eye contact and respond appropriately in the way my eldest didn't until he was about 7.

Anyways the whole world gaslit me, told me I hadn't bonded because I had postnatal depression (I don't think I did... I just think 5 minutes feels like an hour with a baby who won't stay still or communicate in any way...) and that all babies were hard work.

I don't really know what advice to give you so maybe more of a handhold / things I wished I'd done sooner.

Earliest diagnosis probably around 2 but even then, there's no silver bullet. The diagnosis can feel like a vindication (because mums know don't we?) but then also a 'what now' moment, as you enter into a million small battles to fight for support and help and understanding.

So how to survive until then? I'd say don't compare your child to others. It'll make you miserable. I wish I'd stayed away from playgroups and structured activities my son hated and focussed more on just taking him to the park or places he could just run around in his own unstructured way and burn off his energy. Yes, that's lonely, but actually being in places where people are judging your kid are more lonely in a sad way.

If he'll only settle when being carried around, do what he needs at this stage and get in any help you can to help you meet that need. Partner, a few hours of a babysitter here and there. It's not worth fighting it, if he's neurodivergent it's coming from a place of his physical need and can't be trained out.

Focus on yourself. Something I found helpful was a gym with a creche. I worked out most days which gave me the physical and mental strength I needed (I am also ADHD) to keep going and something to do which wasn't jigging the baby. The creche ladies stuck him in a bouncer and he just bounced for an hour each time and was happy with that.

Adjust your expectations. You say that 'nothing you do is helping'. Well... yes, if he's neurodivergent you won't fix that through anything you do. So it may not. These things develop at their own pace and you'll find the things you do make an impact over a waaaaaay longer timespan, like, the next decade. I know it's hard. But this is the longest year. The others go faster. One day you'll want it to slow down or even go back and try it again, I know I do now and truly I fully disliked my first 2 years of motherhood (whilst loving and adoring my child etc etc).

Make SEN parent friends. There will be groups on Facebook or locally, there always are. SEN parents tend to find each other and help one another. My SEN parent mates are THE BEST. They get it. These people will be your tribe.

Fast forward 9 years and my experience.

Some things get way easier. He is now great company and has cracked reciprocal communication so a minute doesn't feel like an hour any more. I'd rather hang out with him than anyone, we spend our time crying with laughter, and he's my total favourite person in the world.

Some things don't get easier. He still struggles to go to bed and doesn't sleep through. Most (as in, more than half, not all) of the other autistic kids I know (a lot of them as son attends special school) co-sleep with parents into early teens as they just can't self settle and no amount of sleep training will change that. Most parents I know in this situation find just giving into it is easier and at least everyone sleeps.

Friendships and general life have got easier. Partly because I ditched my judgy perfect-mum friends and made SEN mum friends.

What all the above is getting at is... if you are on the path you think you are, the next few years will probably be more about survival. But it will be worth it. You will be OK. Your son will be OK. If people tell you he isn't a hard baby and its just you being a snowflake mum, punch them on the nose and tell them it's from me.

Good luck x

Thank you so much, I'm actually ugly crying right now - but these are tears of feeling seen and understood. Far from being a "nest of vipers", I've found the interactions I've had on MN so far really thoughtful and invaluable.

These are really good tips. I've actually just called and cancelled swimming lessons as they were making me feel bad. I was comparing my son to other babies who would look at their mums and interact with them and easily follow instructions. I've also started to notice subtle digs from swimming instructor about how the other babies are well behaved and mine is not - if you give my son a toy or object as part of swimming lessin activity, and then try to take it away when activity moves on - he always screams as he wants to keep the object and in general wasn't doing what the instctuctor wanted. Anyway, I'll take him swimming separately and don't want to subject us to this anymore.

I will try to make SEN mum friends in real life, once I meet any. I'm trying to access some support groups now.

Noting the challenges you describe, I'm happy that you have such a positive relationship with your son now, and I really hope I can have this with my son too. One day. I will keep working on it and just keep loving him through this as best as I can.

Thank you again ❤️

Oh on the activities thing. You are so seen!

When your kids are older it's also mad to think that people brand little tiny babies as naughty but of course I remember it and know they do.

Funny story;

When my son was about 20 months old I took him to this super cute and quite bouji art class for toddlers that sounded lovely.

Problem was they had the paints all set out on the tables on arrival ready for the activity. But the kids were meant to sit and listen to the instructions and sing a song first. ALL my son wanted to do was charge to the paints and start playing. The whole first half of the session was me trying to restrain him whilst he wriggled away and climbed on the tables to grab the paint and start eating the paint and painting his own head. All the other mums tutting. Then when the activity actually started he was already over it and took the paint and started painting everyone's posh bugaboos that were parked up at the other end of the room. He was expelled, never to return.

That day took 10 years off my life but honestly I look back and laugh now.

The hardest thing about being a SEN parent is not knowing what the future holds and thinking it will be this hard forever.

I can't make you promises but my sample size of SEN parents is pretty massive and I would say for all of them, it gets easier.

Adjust your expectations. Reduce the pressure. Live in the moment. Enjoy the happy times on their own merits x

I feel like you described my son and my experience exactly here - same struggles with feeding, sleeping, etc. Money spent on lactation consultants.

He was a really unhappy baby - wanted to move constantly, even as a newborn. He didn't want to be held unless he could be allowed to stand and facing out. He never "switched off" for anything. Rarely smiled at me, eye contact next to none. Screamed/cried/protested through most of his baby classes. Just pretty miserable. I was desperate to go back to work.

I had the same concerns about his development. On top of all that his feeding was pretty atrocious and he didn't say a word really for months after 1. He failed a few portions of his ASQ at his first development check.

I'm an anxious mum so I still worry a lot about his development but I'm pleased to say he has really caught up in the last few months and has just passed his 2 year check with flying colours.

He's also a much, much happier boy now, though his capacity of patience is still non-existent. Being able to walk, run and jump helped (his sense of danger is improving) and now he has more words it's so much easier to understand what upsets him and what makes him happy. He seems to realise that the world is not against him now too, now that he understands how it works a bit better.

That's not to say you're not onto something - but unfortunately it's probably too early to tell right now. It's hard to enjoy a baby when they don't seem happy and they make things trickier than they need to be.

My advice would be to keep an eye on him and the ASQ for his age (there's a new one every few months), and flag to the HV (rather than the GP) any concerns you have. Keep a diary (even if it's in a notes app) of progress he's making and things you're concerned about it. It'll be valuable at a later date if there is something up, but it also serves as a reminder of what he is capable of and how much you do for him as his parent.

For full transparency, my son has now been referred for extra support as there's a chance he might be ASC but the doctor says it's way too early to say and that he's a "mixed bag" - so it's not really clear either way, despite his previous struggles.

It is unfortunately a case of wait and see a lot of the time, but if you keep bothering your HV and keep a record that will help you further down the line - and agree with PP it hopefully will get easier the more he understands and is capable of.

Hi, I’ve just read this post and all the replies as my LO is so similar in so many ways; but he’s abit older than yours. He’s just turned 2. How are you now? Do you still suspect ASD? Have you had any more referrals? It’s such a mind field

Thanks so much for your reply, and sorry for coming back to this few weeks later. Lovely to hear your son has made such progress between 1 and 2 years old. I'm sure it's a relief for you seeing him communicate better and being a happier little boy, even if he needs some additional support. I hope this will be the case for my son too. I feel exactly what PP said: "the hardest thing about being a SEN parent is not knowing what the future holds and thinking it will be this hard forever." I really hope you're both right and things will get easier, and I'll get stronger and more capable of dealing with this.

If you don't mind me asking, what additional support has your son been referred for? Just trying to understand the processes / system. Unfortunately my HV is very dismissive, despite my son now "failing" few areas of ASQ for 12 months old, she says she can't refer him on to anyone until he's at least 2 years old. I'm not sure that's true, and I'll keep contacting her / escalate, as I can't just sit and let my son wait for another full year before they even consider a referral! And then it's of course months/years on a wait list before they get to see anyone. We do a lot at home to support him and he goes to a lovely nursery, which helps. I'm also trying to access to SEN groups locally.

Hi! This post is only from few weeks ago, so not much changed since. My son is making progress in some areas, he has some understanding of language and has just started giving us things (which is so lovely that he is showing some interest in us!). But he's got lots of sensory seeking issues, and he is like a Duracell battery on speed. Zero attention span or patience. He gets so distracted by everything around him that he can't do anything, like listen to even one paragraph from a book or stack blocks or play with anything longer than 10 seconds.

Not much outside support right now and no referrals, as I described in my previous comment.

Sorry you're going through a hard time too. How's your DC doing?

Hi @Kstar7 hope your baby is doing well.Could you please provide aome update with your baby please.If anything changed in these couple months?I am goong through something similar with my little one of same age also she is jotvreaponding to her name as well.
i am first time mom and going through a bad anxiety because of this.
could you please please reply.

@Saiaryal24 Sorry you're worried about your child, how old are they?

Unfortunately not much change for me. My little boy is 14 months old. Low score (in black) for communication and social/personal in ASQ for 9, 12 and 14 months. HV is useless and says they won't consider referral until after he is 2 years old. The lack of support is shocking.

He's making progress in some ways but clearly is not where he "should" be. I'm trying to support him and love him as he is but it's a stressful time indeed.

Hi I just wanted to say I hear you on this - going through the exact same thing. A bit behind as my son is just 11 months but I know there is something going on. Particularly when reading all of the replies I can relate so so much - and isn’t it so hard to explain to anyone else what you’re going through!

Hi, can I just check how your son is doing now? My son is 11.5 months and sounds very similar. He has also failed the ASQ on communication. I'm so worried about what the future holds for us. I'm the only person I know whose baby has failed the ASQ so have no one I can talk to who's going through the same thing.

Not sure who you were asking @Hydrangea60 but sadly it’s just a wait and see game I think, we are at 14 months and I still have lots of concerns but some things have improved but if you are in the UK no one seems to take you seriously until like age 2 so it just feels like limbo until then. Just wanted to reply and say I’m here if you need anyone to chat to as I know how isolating it is x

Hi. I'm sorry you're both struggling too, I can definitely understand this and it's a horrible place to be.

My DS is now 19 months. Some things have improved. In the last couple of months his language exploded and he knows well over 100 words and combines 2 words. He can communicate his needs and wants quite well for his age, I think. This has been the biggest improvement as until about 16 months he only had 2 words and I was worried. He started pointing around 13 months and still points a lot. He likes other children and sometimes tries to engage with them. He's a bit more interactive and even says "mummy cuddle" which is sweet. He knows many body parts, animals, animal sounds and some shapes and colours and in general picks new things up quickly.

On the other hand there are lots of issues still too like massive hyperactivity, restlessness and lack of attention span. He's so wriggly and sensory seeking, always needing to see / touch everything around him. It's been the case since day 1 really. He can't just "be" or relax. He's literally climbing walls and never EVER sits still even after many hours of being outdoors every day. Sleep is still terrible. Eye contact not great. OT said we need to work on lowering his state of arousal and we have a sensory diet we follow. His play is also not typical, he largely ignores toys and is obsessed with things that have buttons / knobs / cables / lights / handles. We were in a waiting room yesterday, with a bunch of toddler toys and books in the middle, which he paid no attention to. He tried to open every door, pressed all sockets and buttons he could find, pushed chairs and tables around and constantly tried to escape from the room. We are quite limited in what we do as a family, outings to restaurants etc are very rare as he just won't sit in a highchair and causes havoc and screams until he can go outside. Planes and any enclosed spaces are a nightmare. He tends to escape from playgrounds and just wants to run around like a maniac. He's quite clumsy and falls over a lot, I'm wondering about dyspraxia. He's just still very intense and we're all exhausted.

So I'm not really sure what to say. The biggest difference is that I'm now on medication which helps me manage my anxiety and overwhelm. I try to remember this is a marathon not a sprint and my mental health is important. I was so close to having a complete breakdown last year. I'm still not great, but better. Also nursery is a godsend - even though I work a stressful job, having a break from my DS is necessary and he's very happy and well looked after there. We saw a private developmental expert who noted a number of red flags for potential neurodiversity but says he's still way to young to say for sure. We are following some advice from them on how to help with his development etc. I also recommend "more than words" book if you have issues with communication. So much to say but I don't want to waffle on and need to get back to DS but I wish you both well. I know the feeling of desperation and exhaustion. What i can say is, just take it one day at a time, try to get breaks and rest where you can, and continue to engage with your children and play and smile... I love my DS so much and I'm trying to shift my thinking to believe that things will be OK even if he's ASD/ADHD. I also have ADHD too, diagnosed last year, so if you have a genetic link in the family this would be more likely. But our children can change and develop even if it's slower / different than pears. If you told me when my DS was 16 months and seemed to be in his own world so much more, that he would speak and understand so much at 19 months, I wouldn't have believed it. So there is always hope :)

That’s so great to hear there has been language improvement as we only have uh oh at the moment. The middle paragraph about never sitting still resonates SO much, it’s mind blowing how it can overwhelm you. Interesting on the medication as I am close to having no choice but to go down this route. Thank you so much for your update x

Yeah I'm so happy with the improvement. He understands so much. And now answers questions yes/no. Usually for things that motivate him like food and going outside. I was shook the first time he answered yes. I asked "do you want a cookie?", and he was like "YEAH! Cookie! Yesss" 😆

You're right that is so exhausting having a child that is hyperactive and never stops. Always on full alert mode. I'm dreading the winter as the last one was just awful.

Look after yourself. Medication isn't right for everyone but worth considering. It's not a magic bullet but even a bit of help to lift out of this pit of despair was welcome. Reading about stoicism and radical acceptance is still also helpful to me.

Thanks for the update and glad to hear there's been some improvement. I'm on medication already but I'm not sure how much difference it's making. I cry most days about his development and am really struggling to bond with him even though he's nearly a year now.

I'm being discharged from the perinatal mental health team once my son turns 1 and don't feel ready for this. They've said I need further therapy to explore why I'm so scared of autism and ADHD, but given how it presents in my family I'm struggling to see any positives at all so I don't know how therapy would help.

Thank you :) I feel like nothing is improving for me at all, I definitely get your point about feeling in limbo. What's the point of telling you your child is failing at everything and then not offering any support?! It's just devastating to have it stated so clearly how different and behind he is compared to other babies and to be honest I'm drifting apart from other mums whose babies are developing normally.

Hi OP, I wonder if you would be able to give us an update on your child? I found this thread incredibly supportive , I’m going through the same thing with my nearly 13 month daughter. I felt there was a difference in her communication as a newborn, faced feeding challenges, struggled to bond as she doesn’t give much back. She’s incredibly busy and inattentive, doesn’t really giggle. She is pointing and clapping and waving but joint attention is poor. I just feel she’s not developing as she should be. Doesn’t babble much after starting late and no sign of first word. Would love to have an update from you

Does anyone else on this thread have an update as to how things have gone with their child’s development?

@Kstar7 wondering how your LO is going? We are in a similar situation

For anyone following this thread, my little boy is much better has lots of words and strings them together. I feel there is still differences in his behaviour and his drive to seek our attention or to show us things is low, he definitely needs us but it sometimes feels like he’s happy in his world.
at the end of the day you can’t change who they are, I am seeking help from a HV to support with some of his differences. Now he is 22 months he has some sensory challenges and finds transitions difficult but despite all of the hard times there are times of pure joy. I was in a mess 12 months ago, so if you are where I was it can only get better!

My son is now 18 months and has made some improvements as well - he started walking suddenly at 16 months and became a confident walker very quickly (much quicker than other babies who walked earlier). He loves walking now, has lots of stamina and has barely had any falls or accidents. We hardly use the pushchair now which is amazing.

His communication is still not great however. He's saying a few words now and can nod and shake his head to tell us what he wants. He has started a one finger point within the last week (after months of a whole hand point). Still no waving yet though which I am worried about. His understanding is great but it's just not translating into speech (lots of babbling but very few words, although he is starting to do a new animal sound every few days).

I've got an appointment with the HV at the end of the month and am going to ask their honest opinion about whether we need SALT. If they won't refer yet we'll probably go private as it's a bit depressing seeing him so far behind other toddlers with his speech - most of my mum friends can have proper conversations with their 18 month olds now.

His fine motor and problem solving skills are brilliant, definitely above average for his age, and his gross motor skills are pretty much on track now I think. It's hard to know whether he's just prioritising these over communication, or if there's actually a problem.

@sunshineandrainbows1990
so nice to read your feedback. When did he start with babble and then words? Not much change for me, mine is 13 months now and babbles less than ever. No sign of a word. Never shows me anything but does play peep-bo , does understand some things I say like ‘where’s the dog’ etc etc and will point. Never points for interest and looks back at me though. She can clap and wave hi and bye. Not always but fairly regularly. She can do some actions to songs too, which is lovely.
I find her really hard to entertain, likes books but sits for about 5 seconds to be read to, can play with toys appropriately, but just has very little interest or attention. All she wants to do is get hold of someone’s phone or tv remote or walk and climb steps . I’m very worried, to the point of being in a state about it and feel like I’ve had this worry for so long now, it’s hard to see the improvements and not just focus on what she’s not doing. Hope your little boy keeps going from strength to strength now 😊