Asperger's-- the anti-nit treatment??

"Mom, you know how there's another nit outbreak at the school right? --erm, yes. "Well, I don't have any, I never get them now, and you know why? --well because we've been using tea tree and special shampoo to ward them off-- "NO, no, no, its because of the Asperger's, well that and the ADHD, they don't like it so they don't bother me."

Oh, so that's a good thing then...

Photo Friday

More Help? More Paperwork!

I met with my son's teacher again on Friday and spent the weekend writing a letter to the council requesting a statement for my son, and also filling in more paperwork for the school to submit on his behalf. The behavioural support woman spoke to us about observing our son, she was dismayed at some of the things going on at the school. Music class for instance, is a particular bane to my son (and many other kids as well), and she told us that there are 60 kids in this weekly session (with an outside teacher), all sitting for the one hour lesson. They get to play an instrument (BORING triangle as my son says, whereas he'd rather have a bongo, but is not allowed?!) but otherwise the teaching is dull, uninspired and well, boring. For someone with my son's issues, this is like being in a torture chamber.

But I can respect where my son's teacher is coming from in that they have to work with the resources they have, and while they are trying to get more, its all about money, unfortunately. This doesn't necessarily account for creative strategies, but then, I'm not a teacher and I don't want to demand they 'think more outside the box' as I'm not sure how I'd handle a class like this.

In the meantime I'm still reading more and more and right now am enjoying John Elder Robison's memoir, Look Me in the Eye, My Life with Asperger's. From the Prologue he says:

Sixty years ago, the Austrian psychiatrist Hans Asperger wrote about children who were smart, with above average vocabulary, but who exhibited a number of behaviours common to people with autism, such as pronounced deficiencies in social and communication skills....

Aspergers is not a disease. Its a way of being. There is no cure, nor is there a need for one. There is however, a need for knowledge and adaptation on the part of Aspergian kids and their families and friends.

I have read this part to my son, as he is now starting to wonder what it means to have Asperger's or anything else for that matter, questioning why he's different and helping him to realise that 'normal' is really a myth, everyone is slightly different, unique in their own way. Despite taking medication to calm down a bit and concentrate more, this is something he was born with, and I suspect, while most of us spend a great deal of time searching for our path in life, his path is already pronounced in that it might be difficult but it could also be a wonderful surprise gift.

Photo Friday

Moving Along

Wild Garlic in the village

I feel as if I've been neglecting this blog a bit, as I find I sometimes don't have much to say. I seem to have alot to write about on my other blog, mainly because its one point of focus. We are also fairly broke which means there haven't been many days out, at least none that cost money, so I have nothing to report on that. There's a Big Green weekend happening soon in Hebden Bridge and also our own little village will be hosting an international music festival (which dh has been designing the logo and posters for), so June should be a bit more exciting!

However, things are moving along with my son's aspie/asd diagnosis as the next appointment with a Paediatrician is in the works and he has just seen the psych for his medicine.

We have agreed to a trail run of medication for the hyperactivity portion, but not Ritalin, something similar but more mild as there was some concern that the ritalin would make his tics worse. I've had to acquiesce on the medication side as I really don't agree with it, and I've heard all the arguments about if he had cancer etc, we wouldn't refuse treatment, and this is a medical condition, and yet I see it as not life-threatening and not within the same realm as cancer treatment. The psychiatrist was of the opinion that it might not help at all, and the school has to make accomodations, they have to work with the child, and yet the whole ethos of schools is to fit the square pegs into round holes.

If the medication makes my little guy feel better then I will be happy. If it makes him feel worse or nothing at all, then I will stop it. In any case, we will have to wait about a month for it to start to work.

Photo Friday

Driving Me Crazy..

Like the seemingly millions of lego pieces scattered about, these little things have been taking over the house, getting under (painful) foot and generally creating daily nagging sessions for more and more.

These are crazy bones incase you didn't know, and the current obsession for my son, and many kids at his school. The good thing is that he has now moved on from collecting football cards, doctor who cards and magazines (although he still reads them), and can now actually engage in games with these little things. This helps alot in terms of social skills and he is getting better with waiting his turn, and following along in a game setting. My son has been trading them as well, and like the cards before them, he quickly developed the understanding of rare and hard to get ones. I'm still a little concerned though when he trades three for one in return, but since he always has a full bag and seems to be happy with his lot, then I guess there's no point in worrying too much about it.