Everyday is a challenge for us. Ella is extremely high functioning, very beautiful and seems "normal" or "typically developing" in nearly every way. However, she must be supervised at all times. I cannot leave her to brush her teeth or get dressed on her own because she "gets lost" in the process. Left alone, she can entertain herself without much destruction but when assigned tasks, it is very difficult for her to stay on a linear path. For example, if I ask her to throw something in the garbage she must be within sight of the garbage... and even then it sometimes winds up somewhere else (but who am I kidding? My husband does the same thing!).
The most difficult thing to deal with is the reaction of others to her. At first glance, her "episodes" in public seem akin to a spoiled or bratty child. Obsessing about a concept or item and repeating are things that Ella does often. On more than one occasion I have been told that my kid "needs a good smack" both by family members and strangers. I don't purport to be an expert in autism so I can't blame some of these folks, but she does hear the threat and it has, in her words, "freaked" her out.
Today, we are off from school for a 4 day weekend. I am hoping to keep adding to this blog... forgive me if I don't post often!
Thursday, November 4, 2010
Why I Am Writing This Blog
I have two children. They are the loves of my life, the center of my universe and the air I breathe. My son, Angus, is a typical boy of 2 1/2: rowdy, funny, loud. My daughter, Ella, is a typical girl of 5 1/2: gorgeous, loves the color pink and My Little Ponies. She is also autistic.
We are very fortunate to live in a town that has superb Special Ed services in the public system. One of the perks of our school system is that they offer free parenting workshops, classes and on going course series to parents of mainstream students as well as Special Ed students. Last week I began a 6 week course on Positive Parenting. I had assumed that this was another course for parents of autistic children. It was not. At the beginning of the class we had to tell of our greatest pleasure and disappointment in parenting. I was last. My greatest pleasure is seeing my children become more creative musically and enjoying music. My greatest disappointment is autism, with a capital A. As I explained this to the class of parents (and one set of grandparents), I broke down and cried unexpectedly. Having thought about that, I think it is time I share some of our family's journey with others.
We are very fortunate to live in a town that has superb Special Ed services in the public system. One of the perks of our school system is that they offer free parenting workshops, classes and on going course series to parents of mainstream students as well as Special Ed students. Last week I began a 6 week course on Positive Parenting. I had assumed that this was another course for parents of autistic children. It was not. At the beginning of the class we had to tell of our greatest pleasure and disappointment in parenting. I was last. My greatest pleasure is seeing my children become more creative musically and enjoying music. My greatest disappointment is autism, with a capital A. As I explained this to the class of parents (and one set of grandparents), I broke down and cried unexpectedly. Having thought about that, I think it is time I share some of our family's journey with others.
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