Success Sunday
–Josh Billings
Pillow Jousting
I hear the kids screaming and giggling and the scary pitter patter of feet across the hardwood…
I come out of my bedroom to the following. I didn’t know whether to get upset or laugh. But since the housekeeper was in the house and hadn’t gotten to the playroom yet, I figured I might as well fetch the camera and have fun with it. You can see them looking at me like, “Why isn’t mommy yelling at us for doing this?”
Coming soon…either a post and/or a link to The Hub’s post (whoever gets the post up first which I’m banking on The Hub doing that since I’m leaving for Houston at 4:30am in the morning) re: “A new perspective of the need for routine.” All I can say is Jam On! You don’t want to miss this one!
Yay! I posted a comment!
The winner is Bonnie at Coffee Autism Faith Explored on this her post “A child is more than a label.” Great post and discussion. 10 points to you!!
Bonnie’s post struck a cord with me. I know I was run over by an amtrak when we got The Elder’s diagnosis even though we were warned 6 months prior to his official diagnosis. In the beginning I think I threw out every excuse I could to “prove” he was NOT on the spectrum. Even once I realized what I was dealing with I wasn’t really sure what I was dealing with. I relied so much on what other people were telling me that we needed. Even the school system was guiding him along to a special class (because we know how helpful they are and how much they have the student’s best interest at heart, right?). Once the school system recognized that he needed intervention it was like it really sunk in. Then I did a 180 from the beginning and felt like I had to “prove” to everyone why he was on the spectrum, to justify his special treatment from the school system. I mean, all the other preschool moms had to pay for their child to go to private school and how was their child any different than mine. Well, that was really hard to answer because at the time I honestly didn’t know the answer. As I began to learn more about the spectrum and more about where The Elder was on the spectrum (since each person IS different) I felt compelled to tell them (the people who asked the questions I formerly could not answer) what traits he exhibited that he was accepted into a special school where he get life training at age 4. “Well, my child does that.” “Isn’t that normal?” “Isn’t that just being a boy/kid?” To which I go on the defensive and start being more specific. Now I’m digging my own hole because I’m labeling my own child which makes me feel like I’m being melo-dramatic and attention-seeking which is totally the opposite. I want people to be aware and to understand but I think I have just come to the conclusion that some people just do not and will not. For some people, it just may not be worth even starting the conversation.
