Some of Max's ace achievements in 2014: Walking downstairs, independently. Increasingly using his iPad to make sentences and improved reading. Getting overnight toilet trained. Making a "k" sound. More understanding all around. More willingness to visit new places all around. Oh and, yah, charming our fire department into giving him a ride on a fire truck to his birthday party!
I asked Facebook friends to share their children's major achievements in 2014; check out some of the responses below and join the joyfest. As bliss-inducing as your kid's accomplishments are, it's always thrilling to hear about other kids doing great things. Because we so know what it takes to hit those milestones and inchstones. First step, first haircut, first "no," first sip from a straw—it's all amazing.
The accomplishment in 2014 that I'm really celebrating is...
"At age 7, Julia started walking!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"—Laurie A.
"My daughter (11, cp, autism) started expressing her opinion and selecting her own clothes to wear. While we celebrate this accomplishment, I am a little sad that I can no longer dress her however I like!"—Karen P.
"My 4-year-old with developmental delays and seizures said 'I love you' for the first time this year. We eat it up now every time he says it."—Molly M.
"Learning to ride a bike without training wheels...at age 8. Andrew has cerebral palsy."—Andrew's Angels - Miracles in Motion
"My 24 weeker (now 18 months actual, 14.5 months adjusted) ate a spoon of puree by mouth. There is hope she will someday be tube free."—Stephanie B.
"My 16-year-old boy with CP was able to be the football manager for his High School team."—Emily H.
"Sitting thru an entire movie in a the theater, Planes Fire and Rescue."—Angela S.
"My son, who has autism, making his First Holy Communion!"—Catherine B.
"Oldest (CP) in 8th grade was able to march infield with high school band and play cymbals after dad built him a special cymbal holder for his walker. He stayed in tempo and stood proudly the whole time! Next oldest (autism) in 6th grade was in summer drama camp with his younger brothers and did great with a good-size role!"—Carole S.
"My 6-year-old daughter (who has Down syndrome) learned to read earlier this year, in kindergarten."—Beth
"My severe spastic quad, nonverbal but communicative daughter correctly identifying all 26 uppercase letters in the alphabet! NOT part of her IEP, but she learned them just from being in her regular ed 4k classroom! Yeah!"—Michelle R.
"Daniel, 5 with CP and a feeding tube, eating solid foods—and his first Happy Meal."—Alana K.
"Carder said 'No!' He is 5 with CP and has long struggled to express a negative response. Every single time he manages a good 'No!' we celebrate."—Stephanie B.
"Jack passed his power chair test, so now we get to order him a new chair! Independence is good!"—Jana W.
"Ian, 5 with CP, microcephaly and sensory issues, finally vocally expressing to his school peers that he doesn't want to hold hands or give hugs or be touched. He was having a rough transition to Kindergarten and after-school care. Part of the reason is that the kids love him for being the smallest (and cutest!) kid in the group and want to do everything for him."—Frances R.
My 13-year-old (ADHD, autism, complete agenesis of the corpus callosum) got a part in the school play!"—Cindy R.
"My 6-year-old son with CP and CVI, Dante, reading a kindergarten book independently. So amazing!!! Also, he was featured in Sports Illustrated in an article by Steve Rushin about how he was drafted by the Yale Football Team through an organization called Team Impact."—Jeanine C.
"This year I heard my son say 'Mom' for the first time!!!"—Maya W.
"We have a LOT this past year!!! My Charli will be 3 in March. In January she started walking, June she started eating regular food (this one was HUGE—she would only eat pureed baby food) August started drinking from a sippy cup. Charli has Down syndrome, Down syndrome does not have her!!"—Heather J.
"Our 7-year-old girl taught herself to swim underwater! For the first few months of the year, she wouldn't even let her face be splashed!"—Steph C.
"My 5-year-old son with developmental delays asked a 'wh' question—he asked me 'What happened?' one day when I had to honk my horn at another car. It came as a surprise to me and I was elated!"—Jaimee F.
"We got some independent steps at at 3.5 years!"—Vanessa G.
"My 9-year-old daughter started doing her math homework independently for the first time ever! Such an accomplishment as math is a huge struggle for her."—Julie C.
"Teddy has spastic diplegia and at the end of March he had surgery to lengthen his hamstrings, Achilles tendons and also to split and move a muscle in the top of each foot. The goal was to enable him to walk on his heels without his toes pointing in. He was in casts for 6 weeks but was in the most pain after the casts came off. Surely but slowly, he stomped on the fear monster and now he walks with a much more normal gait. Six months ago I worried that the surgery caused more harm than good, but seeing him walk easier now makes me believe it was worthwhile."—Mandy S.
"This year my 10-year-old beautiful daughter learned to drink from a straw!!!"—Caty E.
"My 20-year-old autistic son, who struggled to get a standard diploma from high school, is now a sophom*ore in college, out of state, getting all A's and B's and flying home independently!"—Peggy M.
"Gabriel says one or two words—Apple and iPad—properly! He ASKS for his iPad to use his communication tool, by name! iPAD."—Elisha D.
"He peed in the potty! He also correctly identified his numbers and letters...he said MOM for the first time ever!! Such an amazing year!"—Ariel W.
"My daughter, Megin, eating by mouth and having her g-tube removed! We had a huge party to celebrate! It was her 'coming out' party!!! She was 9."—Sue M.
"Max 3.5 with CP finally consistently started to sign more. It's not much but it's a start and he gets so happy when he sees how excited I get."—Ashlee A.
"Our 11-year-old (with ADHD and developmental coordination disorder) made the Honor Roll for the first time this year."—Barbara J.
"Being able to take our first flight internationally with a child that you couldn't take more than 40 miles from home any direction due to significant sensory challenges."—Stacy L.
"A little different but, my 19-year-old kid is medication free for the first time since 5 months of age and seizure free. And just a couple of weeks ago he said my name—Jane—which was music to my ears after 10 nonverbal years and thus, I've never heard Mum."—Jane D.
"My son has been in a power wheelchair since he was 2. He is now 9 and walked in a gate walker!!"—Keri C.
"Sitting so calmly and letting one person cut his hair using clippers!!!!! So proud of him."—Marilyn M.
"My 9 year old (who talks with a PRC Vantage Lite) just wished me a Happy Birthday WITH HER MOUTH."—Rita S.
"William (8, Asperger's and developmental delays) decided he wanted to 'push his limits' this past summer, and not only learned how to swim (with his face in the water—HUGE for sensory), but also learned how to ride a two-wheeler without training wheels! My heart is still flinging glitter."—Pilar C.
Honorable mention to Veronica Navarro, a young woman with CP, on her accomplishments in 2014. As she writes, "Became more mature and got my first job and paycheck at the bookstore."
