Autism's Voice
It's Saturday morning and Blue has a meeting with his ex-social skills teacher from elementary school. I am so proud that she has invited him to present again at the Teachers Continuous Improvement Conference in our school district. He is becoming the voice of autism in the district, which makes me an exceptionally proud mama. This is the second year he has presented at this conference. Last year's presentation was "What You Can Do to Help a Student with Autism in the Classroom." This year he will present on "ARD Meetings -Why It's Important for Students to Particpate".
Last year was standing room only in his presentation. Can you imagine? An opportunity to tell teachers what they do to get on your nerves and then teach them how to fix it. Only better -he is helping more than himself. He is helping those with autism who can't speak for themselves -whose communication skills are not quite as good as Blue's.
I say he's becoming the voice of autism in the district because he is also doing an introductory video at his middle school for students in 5th grade who will need social skills support when they come to middle school next year. On video -he will take them on a tour of the school so that they will become a little familiar with the campus prior to their first official visit.
He will also be doing another video for the school Psychologist (LSSP) at his middle school that will also be used at the Teachers Training conference this year. This presentation will be about behavioral issues and choices.
The fact that he is being chosen to represent a positive image and voice for autism is a huge honor and says so much about his character. He's come a long way baby! His future is so bright -it burns my eyes.
The prep meeting that Blue attended on Saturday included a friend that he has known since pre-school. The two of them have grown and matured so much since the days of their Blues Clues and Toy Story obsessions. After their meeting I took them out to lunch followed by a playdate at our house. I suppose since the two of them are now 12 years-old (Blue will be in 2 weeks) they would be mortified by my using the term playdate. I suppose it's more like -hanging out when you're a pre-teen.
Anyway, they spent several hours watching funny You-tube videos, playing games on the Wii and playing outside. While they were playing in Blue's room, the two of them hatched a plan to go see "Tron" at the movie theatre, even though Blue has already seen it twice. He had all of the movie times in the local area committed to memory by the time he shared his plan with me. He was so excited and all spun up. They had to go! I mean -why not?
"Can we go? Can we go? Can you take us? Can Dad take us? Can you drop us off?"
I'm not quite sure I'm ready to drop him off at the movies. I didn't make any promises one way or the other. I said I'd think about it and talk to his dad. The two of them go over to his friends house where they play for a few more hours. During which time, I am hoping he'll forget about the movies or be too tired to want to go anymore. (A girl can dream...)
Around 6 p.m. he calls, "So Mom are we going? Can you take me? Can his mom take us? There's an 8 p.m. showing."
"I think you've already had a pretty full day. Why don't we wait until tomorrow afternoon?" I say.
"Why would we do that? Why can't you take me? You aren't doing anything."
I had my reasons. I didn't really feel like I needed to explain them all to him. Sometimes the answer is just no. You had a full-day with your friends. Why can't that be enough? I took you guys to lunch. You spent 6 hours playing together. Let's call it a day -and a good day at that.
I do remember scheming and plotting like this with my friends when I was a kid. Enough -was never enough. I never wanted the party to be over. At the same time, I had to learn to accept the answer -no.
He comes home from his friend's house and gives me the evil eye. He comes into my room and takes Harry -our dog. "Come on Harry. Let's get out of here." I guess I don't deserve any company. He is really mad at me. That's o.k. I can take it.
He asks my mom to help him make his dinner. I continue hiding out in my room -alone.
By bedtime he comes in, apologizes and gives me a hug good night. All is forgiven at least for the night.
You bet your bottom dollar -he held me to my word. He saw "Tron" for the 3rd time at the cost of $10.25 for a matinee showing because it's in 3D. What a rip! The things we'll do for our children. BTW- No I did not drop them off. I hung out in and around the theater until the movie was over. They had a great time. But of course, the party did not end there.
"Mom can he come over and hang out at our house for a while?"
I love your comments, suggestions, thoughts, condolences, applause...whatever!
Click below if you enjoyed this post:
It's Saturday morning and Blue has a meeting with his ex-social skills teacher from elementary school. I am so proud that she has invited him to present again at the Teachers Continuous Improvement Conference in our school district. He is becoming the voice of autism in the district, which makes me an exceptionally proud mama. This is the second year he has presented at this conference. Last year's presentation was "What You Can Do to Help a Student with Autism in the Classroom." This year he will present on "ARD Meetings -Why It's Important for Students to Particpate".
Last year was standing room only in his presentation. Can you imagine? An opportunity to tell teachers what they do to get on your nerves and then teach them how to fix it. Only better -he is helping more than himself. He is helping those with autism who can't speak for themselves -whose communication skills are not quite as good as Blue's.
I say he's becoming the voice of autism in the district because he is also doing an introductory video at his middle school for students in 5th grade who will need social skills support when they come to middle school next year. On video -he will take them on a tour of the school so that they will become a little familiar with the campus prior to their first official visit.
He will also be doing another video for the school Psychologist (LSSP) at his middle school that will also be used at the Teachers Training conference this year. This presentation will be about behavioral issues and choices.
The fact that he is being chosen to represent a positive image and voice for autism is a huge honor and says so much about his character. He's come a long way baby! His future is so bright -it burns my eyes.
Hanging Out
The prep meeting that Blue attended on Saturday included a friend that he has known since pre-school. The two of them have grown and matured so much since the days of their Blues Clues and Toy Story obsessions. After their meeting I took them out to lunch followed by a playdate at our house. I suppose since the two of them are now 12 years-old (Blue will be in 2 weeks) they would be mortified by my using the term playdate. I suppose it's more like -hanging out when you're a pre-teen.
Anyway, they spent several hours watching funny You-tube videos, playing games on the Wii and playing outside. While they were playing in Blue's room, the two of them hatched a plan to go see "Tron" at the movie theatre, even though Blue has already seen it twice. He had all of the movie times in the local area committed to memory by the time he shared his plan with me. He was so excited and all spun up. They had to go! I mean -why not?
"Can we go? Can we go? Can you take us? Can Dad take us? Can you drop us off?"
I'm not quite sure I'm ready to drop him off at the movies. I didn't make any promises one way or the other. I said I'd think about it and talk to his dad. The two of them go over to his friends house where they play for a few more hours. During which time, I am hoping he'll forget about the movies or be too tired to want to go anymore. (A girl can dream...)
Around 6 p.m. he calls, "So Mom are we going? Can you take me? Can his mom take us? There's an 8 p.m. showing."
"I think you've already had a pretty full day. Why don't we wait until tomorrow afternoon?" I say.
"Why would we do that? Why can't you take me? You aren't doing anything."
I had my reasons. I didn't really feel like I needed to explain them all to him. Sometimes the answer is just no. You had a full-day with your friends. Why can't that be enough? I took you guys to lunch. You spent 6 hours playing together. Let's call it a day -and a good day at that.
I do remember scheming and plotting like this with my friends when I was a kid. Enough -was never enough. I never wanted the party to be over. At the same time, I had to learn to accept the answer -no.
He comes home from his friend's house and gives me the evil eye. He comes into my room and takes Harry -our dog. "Come on Harry. Let's get out of here." I guess I don't deserve any company. He is really mad at me. That's o.k. I can take it.
He asks my mom to help him make his dinner. I continue hiding out in my room -alone.
By bedtime he comes in, apologizes and gives me a hug good night. All is forgiven at least for the night.
You bet your bottom dollar -he held me to my word. He saw "Tron" for the 3rd time at the cost of $10.25 for a matinee showing because it's in 3D. What a rip! The things we'll do for our children. BTW- No I did not drop them off. I hung out in and around the theater until the movie was over. They had a great time. But of course, the party did not end there.
"Mom can he come over and hang out at our house for a while?"
I love your comments, suggestions, thoughts, condolences, applause...whatever!
Click below if you enjoyed this post:
Logging you in...
Adelaide Dupont · 285 weeks ago
And for those of us who knew and appreciated these points in high school to a greater or lesser extent - always good to have a refresher and feel them through the current and future generations who we survived to be able to see.
I especially appreciated points 5, 7 and 10.
And young women not settling or settling down yet is a good thing.
"It's never too late to live our dreams" - but it may be too early for some of them!
And 8 of course.
nicole · 243 weeks ago
Risa · 230 weeks ago
LAH · 221 weeks ago
Maira L. Coral · 216 weeks ago
I was looking for information for my Multi-Genre Disability Research Project from my Early Childhood Special Education class on the web, when suddenly I came across your blog. I started reading this out of curiosity and I want to tell you that as you said yourself, you will not be Amanda Gorman, but you managed to make me shed some tears, perhaps because I felt totally identified with your words, especially in the part that you speak of your son. My son also has Asperger's syndrome, he is 19 years old and he is in the second semester of College. Also like yours, he takes classes from home, likewise my eldest daughter is also taking college classes from her room. At the same time, that I work as a preschool teacher from my kitchen through a computer, my husband sleeps in the room during the day because he works at night. Also in the afternoons I myself take virtual school classes. I am a 51-year-old Latin woman who began to learn the English language as adult, so maybe you find some deficiencies in my writing, however, I was very moved by how proud you express yourself about your son. Referent your mother, I liked the humorous tone that you give when your talk about her, so I did not want to miss this opportunity and stopped my assignments for a moment to let you know that your words do make a difference, since they reach the heart of at least those who have opportunity to read you. I want confess you that is the most long I have written to someone I don't know, because your words inspired me, thank you...
Gavin Bollard · 209 weeks ago
Thanks for this post. I've been very distracted of late and so this was how I found out about our friend Kate. Kate's struggles were very real but they were so constant and so wide-ranging that it was difficult for people around her to address them. I think it's going to take a while longer for me to process all this.
I learned so much from Kate because she was always quick to point out the many injustices in the world. In her glory days, she was very much a crusader and she cared for everyone. Over the years, as her situation took its toll, I came to realise that it was the fact that she couldn't be put in a single specific category, that made the system fail her. She needed help that they weren't set up to provide.
She needed more care and she needed to be less alone. I'm so sorry that this has happened.
For a long while we were corresponding almost every day but a couple of months ago, I realised that she had become so stressed that nearly every interaction I had with her was starting to trigger her. I backed away to give her a bit more space. She only had a little time that she could stand to be online and there were too many things that she wanted to do in that time. I thought that by taking a step back, she could reach out to more people who might be geographically closer and able to assist.
Kate was a beautiful soul and she will be sorely missed by all of us.
diyalabs6192603 11p · 192 weeks ago
Robots for kids
Robotic Online Classes
Robotics School Projects
Programming Courses Malaysia
Coding courses
Coding Academy
coding robots for kids
Coding classes for kids
Coding For Kids
Spoil your cat · 122 weeks ago
Many of these living arrangement aren't good, and many of the people who run those places really don't have the residents' best interest at heart. Those places are like old age homes and foster homes, where you sometimes hear horror stories. They're hard to trust. But then there are good ones, of course.
The best thing for an autistic adult is either to go on living at home or working and renting an apartment and living independently, but that isn't always an option.
Duncan · 112 weeks ago