Category: challenge

Tough Day and a Rose

Just about every day can be considered a tough day when you are a parent of teen boys with autism.  The criteria change daily of what is a tough day.

What may make a tough day today becomes easy to handle tomorrow.  What was easy yesterday becomes the challenge of today.

I know I can chose how to react, and sometimes my initial reaction is not so good.  Even Pollyanna got to the point of not wanting to be happy.

Taking a step back is so important to keep perspective and patience.  The proverbial line of taking time to smell the roses is true.  It’s those small moments that can make memories.  Good or bad memories.

So this morning I got up early and stopped at a coffee shop.  I can breath! I can relax. It’s short-lived, but it eases the turmoil  Funny how just a simple change of scene helps. 

I found my rose for today.

Remnants of Autism: Language Still Weakness

Cameron!

I started home schooling Cam last week.  Part time.  He’s in honors classes in math and science, so I’m not pulling him out of those classes.  I am starting with a few classes, specifically English.

Why?  In the local junior high, the class is actually called Language Arts.  AND it’s a joke. Cameron was enrolled in ANOTHER English class to improve his LANGUAGE ARTS grade because Cameron doesn’t write well. Does that make sense?

 I emailed the teacher a few times to ask why she is not teaching grammar and writing.  Her answers were not direct.  I met with the teacher, and her responses were “commercials”.  They really seemed to be well rehearsed lines from the salesman who sold the district on the new Language Arts program that has been “tested throughout the nation and parents are thrilled with the subject matter.”  Well, not this parent. 

Although Cameron was “UN”diagnosed with autism last year, any language-based subject is a weakness for Cameron.  So far, he’s responding very well to home instruction, but he’s a typical pre-teen. He is spunky and spirited.  He is curious, always needing input.

Cameron admits to being lazy, but when focused, he blasts through a ton of info.  He’s quick to grasp the concepts.  I definitely have to stay 2-3 (or more) steps ahead.

Autism or not, this kid will challenge me more than I’ll challenge him!