When C was first diagnosed with ASD, a friend who has faced the same challenge told me that I would come to appreciate the littlest accomplishments just as though they were gigantic.
Yesterday, C was jumping on a trampoline, feet flying above the elastic surface. To most parents of a three-year-old, this would be a pleasant experience, but to me it was a victory worthy of celebration.
You see, C couldn't jump. Not at all. He would crouch and push, but he could never get air; this is not uncommon in ASD kids. No matter how he tried, how much we cheered him on, he just couldn't do it.
But with time and therapy and lots of practice, C now jumps, and he counts each jump, up to 30. Then he starts over again. He is joyful.
My friend was right: the small victories have come to mean just as much as the big ones.