Today as I was getting my boys ready for school and dreaming of springtime, when we don't have to put on all that snow gear, I was struck by the realization that they don't hate the snow. They actually love playing in it, despite their sensory issues. They have rarely complained about the snow, cold and ice even though they had never been exposed to it before last year. And, I am really impressed by how adaptable and tollerant they are. I can't say the same about my husband and I, who have come to hate the snow, despite having grown up with it. It's amazing how five years in the desert can change your whole perception of winter. I used to love the snow when I was a kid, too. It makes me wonder if I should be so impressed with my kids adaptation to the snow. But its more than that, they've adapted so many times, to so many new experiences. Israel has moved 3 times in his life, one of those was cross-country and included starting a new school. He's been at his current school a little less than two years now, and has had to cope with multiple staffing changes, including his second grade teacher moving away a month into his school year, and several of his specialty helpers changing. And don't even get me started with the babysitters/daycare changes they've been through! His teachers tell me that he doesn't handle transitions well, especially at the beginning of the school year, but I think, with all my kids have been expected to handle, they have adapted brilliantly, Autistic or not.
Israel has good weeks and bad weeks at school. I had his IEP meeting last week, and we agreed that his main problem area is in coping skills. If something happens (for example, if someone is cheating or lying) he blows his top. There has been a lot of F-bombs dropped this year, and it usually happens when someone is cheating while playing with him. We are working on coping skills at home and at school. At least his outbursts have gradually progressed from physical to verbal, that is a huge improvement! Let me say that he is at a really great school. I have said it before how gratful I am to the teacher who cared enough to look deeper to find out why he was behaving badly at school instead of just writing him off as a bad kid. I can't say enough about her, she really gave him everything she had in her. Now that he's moved onto second grade, I still see that teacher from time to time, and she always takes the time to say hello and ask about Israel. She even told me that he was one of her very favorite students, and that she would always remember him. The entire school staff has been amazing. They really accomodate him in ways that are kind of rare in public education. His current teacher, for instance, allows him to doodle while he is working on his math work or listening, because she realized that he was paying attention and catching everything that is being said, and that it might actually heighten his ability to stay focused. The occupational therapist has incoorperated so many creative tools for him to help him relieve the stress he feels daily, and even the speech teacher is helping him learn how to socialize effectively, and helping with those coping skills. This is an awesome team, and I am happy that Zach will be going to the same school next year.
Zach's school is good too, I just see them trying to force him into their plan instead of individualizing his learning environment. His special ed teacher even mentioned that we might want to have Zach medically diagnosed with Autism so that we might medicate him. I'm not sure I'm comfortable with that. If he has needs, I would rather uncover what those needs are, and work through them, which will build coping skills he can use throughout his life, instead of medicating him so that he wont be disruptive. As a parent, when you first hear the diagnosis, you take a deep breath and buckle up for the bumpy journey ahead, and deal with it the best you can. There is a lot of learning we will do along the way.
I wonder if any parents out there want to chime in on Autism medications. I'd love to get some input!
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