Another Getting Off My Chest "Thing"

Yes, another. My parents were visiting this past weekend and now I've got a thought running through my head that really shouldn't be there. Or maybe it should, but needs to be better defined. Or maybe it just needs to be developed into something more tangible. I don't know. But maybe if I put it here, eventually I'll understand it all or know what I should do......probably not today, but in a few more days or weeks when things get to whatever that point is......

This is the first time that my parents (or my in-laws, for that matter) didn't notice a significant positive change between visits in both Rachel and Simon since we've learned that they had significant developmental delays (predating an "autism diagnosis"). Maybe this is because we saw them only about 5 weeks before and there hadn't been much time (usually visits are about 3 months apart). They did see it in Rachel, but were questioning me about Simon's progress. I pointed out to them that, just like I tend to, they were comparing them to each other, which leads one to think that Simon is failing to achieve since Rachel excels so well in her development right now. But am I really sure about that?

Rachel and Simon are 2 different children. They are twins, yes, but their similarities pretty much end with sharing a birthday and a diagnosis. They respond differently to their environment and require different techniques to deal with their autistic behaviors. Or do they?

I think that's my current question. I've mentioned many times that Simon isn't making the same progress as his sister. Where she is rapidly becoming more and more outgoing and talkative, Simon is still happiest when isolated and left alone. He doesn't seem to be bothered by his lack of successful communication with the world around him. Give him books and puzzles, and he's most happy. Would he have been better if he was placed in CAPP rather than MPAC? I've been told that he didn't respond to the ABA like Rachel, but what exactly did that mean? Since it's a slightly different technique, was that an accurate comparison?

I woke up this morning thinking this question. But I'm not sure how to proceed. Am I just doing what I always do and making that comparison myself and Simon really is doing just fine? Or do I need to go back and determine why we didn't want to see him in CAPP and address issues there? Should I contact MPAC or should I wait until I know what it is that I'm thinking? If so, should I go directly to the director there or continue working with the education coordinator who I've been working with since we started? Do we need to request another IEP meeting? Or is this lack of progress (currently) a consequence of the flux of his teachers changing? Again, I just don't know.

All right -- this hasn't done me any good right about now. But maybe as I think these things through, I'll come back to this post and I'll be ready to answer these questions.