We did our best to prep for middle school. We knew it was going to be a huge change for the Boy. Heck, it was going to be a huge change for all of us. I remember middle school. I remember the flood of emotions that were there. I remember the laughing, the tears, the uncomfortable times, the embarrassing times, the fun times with friends, the times I felt like a complete loser, the times of feeling that my parents just had no clue, and everything in between.
Was I really the best person to help a child with Autism Spectrum Disorder navigate his way through those halls?? Hell, I'm neurotypical and I had a hard time, who was I to guide him?
I'm his Mom, that's why it is my job to prepare him as best I can (and still can for the upcoming events in his life) for this little thing called middle school. I read books by some of my favorite authors in the field of autism. I asked questions and listened to advice from parents of other children who've already travelled down this road. And I had him help me in coming up with a plan of "how to help me succeed." His elementary teacher, Mr. R helped me to create an "All About the Boy" one page sheet that we handed out to his teachers at Middle School Orientation Night. We've had a FANTASTIC response to this one piece of paper---several have commented that this has helped them in dealing with the Boy, and have asked if they could also put a copy in with their Sub Plans for those times when someone new will be working with him. YAY!!! This was exactly what we wanted. We also were aware that there may be some teachers who think this (meaning Autism Spectrum Disorder) is just a bunch of hooey, and that "these kids" just need more discipline, but we will deal with them when they show their faces.....for now, the Boy has an AMAZING team, and I am forever grateful.
No matter how prepared you think you are (and we try to prepare for the worst case scenario), there are going to be things that happen that completely throw you off guard...I blame this on kids in general; throw in autism and BAM!!, you get an adventure.
Just before my work day started on Monday, September 12th, I got a call from the Middle School asking me to please speak with the Boy. They wanted to know if I could calm him down, as he was screaming, yelling, and threatening to kill the next person who came near him (yes, I could hear him loud & clear as he was shouting, "I'm not coming to that damn phone to talk to that fat bitch!!").
That's when they asked if I could come up to the school to try to calm him in person. Remember, I work just down the hill at his former elementary school. Of course, I would. I quickly spoke to the teacher & Principal I work for, and was in my car.
When I walked into the Middle School, I could hear him. I was led back to a private area where he was. His Homeroom teacher, his Counselor, the Principal, and the School Police were with him, trying to calm him down. I won't go into what upset him, other than to say that his bus ride was not pleasant due to other students with different special needs bothering him, then once inside his homeroom, a classmate started egging him on, and he erupted like a volcano. The school Police Officer had to put my Boy in handcuffs--he warned me before he did it (the Boy had been trying to kick, bite, and was spitting at all of us), and it tore my heart into shreds, even though I KNEW it was for every one's safety.
Long story short, we found out what had happened, he went back to the classroom to clean up the items he had knocked over & thrown (desks, books, etc.), and we started to work on a plan to problem solve. We also knew that he was going to be good to no one that day, so he went with me.
Things went well until Thursday, September 15th.
Since the beginning of the school year (Wednesday, August 17th), mornings have not been pleasant with the Boy. Since he is now in Middle School, he has been difficult to wake. School starts an hour earlier than Elementary School did, and this is made even worse by the fact that his bus comes at 6:42 in the morning. Next year when he & the Girl will both be in Middle School, I will drive them, but since he qualifies for the bus, I have been cherishing not having to leave so early each morning---I still wake early to make sure he is up and ready for school; after all, he is in 6th grade.
This particular morning was the worst to date. He would NOT get out of bed. He started calling me names: "you fat whore," "f*** you!," "I hope you burn in hell," "I wish you would just die," and a whole slew of others. After 1/2 hour of trying to get him up, I warned him that I was going to get a glass of cold water and pour it on him if he didn't wake up, and he again told me to "f*** off." I took a bottle of water from the refrigerator, pour half of a measuring cup into a small glass, and threw it at his arm.
FOR THE RECORD, YES, I KNEW HE WASN'T GOING TO GET OUT OF BED ALL SUNSHINE AND ROSES.
He got up swinging, attempting to punch me in the face, which I blocked with my arm, he managed to kick my shins several times, then after making his way to the kitchen, started throwing steak knives at me. By this time, it was 6:30am, and he took off down the street in bare feet and pj's!!
Phone calls to Mr. Sassy Pants were made (of course, this was a day he had had to leave extra early for work, so I didn't have backup), my boss (to let her know I was probably going to be late), and voice mails were left for his psychologist and his psychiatrist.
tHE GIRL AND LITTLE BOY WERE KEPT SAFE, AND I FORMULATED A PLAN OF HOW THIS COULD BE HANDLED ONCE WE FOUND HIM.
the Boy came home and was given 2 choices:
1) Get dressed and I will take you to school.
2) Get dressed and I will take you to the hospital (of course, he had no clue what a trip to the hospital would entail, but I needed some help because I was going to put a stop to this behavior and I needed reinforcements from the professionals---please....don't EVER be afraid to seek help if you or a loved one needs it). He chose the hospital.
I got the other kids to school (thanks to my amazing coworkers, the other 2 were allowed in the building early, and they were kept safe so I could help the Boy---I told my boss I would be a "little late" for work).
the Boy and I spent the next 6 hours at the hospital, with him being admitted to the adolescent psychiatric ward, where he stayed for the next 5 days, being released on Monday, September 19th. (PS I was a LOT late for work that day---I had no clue what was going to happen and just how long it would take).
Needless to say, this was by far, my hardest parenting day to date, and I'm hoping it never has to happen again, but like I said, we need to prepare for the worst possible moments, and we are learning as we go.
His week back at school was amazing, and I was so proud of him (still am), but yesterday morning, while on my way to work, I got a phone call to please come & pick him up, as he had punched someone.
REALLY?!?!?!? Well crap......yes, I'm on my way.
When I got to the Middle School, the Boy's Counselor pulled me aside and told me about what had happened. Apparently a teacher who wasn't familiar with the Boy, told him to remove the hoodie from his head, and he just kept walking down the hall to his homeroom. This teacher didn't take kindly to this happening, so she kept repeating, "take your hoodie off of your head young man" all the way down to his homeroom. Once he walked into his BSP homeroom (which should have been a clue to her that something wasn't typical about this student), she announced to his homeroom teacher, "THIS YOUNG MAN IS REFUSING TO TAKE OFF HIS HOODIE, YOU NEED TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT!!"
the Boy reared his fist back (I can only imagine how he was stewing as she was following him down the hallway) and he swung. No one was in arms reach of him. No one except an unsuspecting classmate, whom he has an unpleasant history with---so much so, that the Boy refers to this other student as his "mortal enemy"----great. the Boy's mortal enemy stood there and said, "what the ???, I didn't do anything this time!"
The positive out of this incident is that the Boy was compliant with the Counselor when she asked him to please come to her office (YAY for no handcuffs), AND he was able to deescalate in a matter of about 5 minutes. These 2 things are SOOOOOO important and SOOOOOO huge, that when he was told that he was suspended for the day for hitting someone, I couldn't even be angry. Let me explain....I am NOT one bit happy that he punched (albeit inadvertently) his mortal enemy, I am pleased that he was able to calm down in a peaceful manner. Monday morning, his team and I are going to have a debriefing meeting to discuss how we can prevent this situation from happening again to the Boy or to any other students with disabilities. I am determined to turn this into a learning experience.
So there you have it......I have unavailable because the Sassy Pants Household has been in need of more TLC than usual, and they ALWAYS come first.
Little Boy is thrilled to have his big brother home. the Girl is not picking fights with either boy. the Boy is being compliant and is trying really hard to have more pleasant experiences.
AND.....they are all acting like they love each other for longer periods of the day than they have in the past.
So......
We are back and let's let the shenanigans begin!!!!!
(PS as I get ready to publish this blog post, I see the issue with the size of the photo.....I will attempt to resize later when time allows)
So it's been over a year since I last posted here. If you follow me, you know that our Face Book page is where the action is at. I never promised to do this blog thing every single day. This is a way for me to keep track of life as we know it around the Sassy Pants Household.
So much has changed in the last year, and tonight has me reflecting on all of what has happened as well as being curious as to what is to come.
Last year I went back to work full time as a Paraprofessional at the school my children attend. I started out as a general education, then accepted a position as a special education para, working in a class with children who need help with behaviors. I was in the primary classroom, while the Boy was in the intermediate classroom. the Girl was in a 4th grade class right next door to me, and Little Boy was down the hall. We decided to let Mr. Sassy Pants keep his job; who was going to keep food on the table if we allowed him to join us at the school??
At the beginning of the school year, we found out that starting in the 2016-17 school year, our district was going to have middle school be 6-8 grade. I was devastated. the Boy NEEDED another year to transition to middle school!! How could he function without being in Mr. R's classroom?!? Mr. R has been our saving grace, even tonight, but more about that later. I came to terms with it (what choice did I have?? I had to accept the fact that middle school will be starting sooner than we had planned, and make the best of it).
the Girl and Little Boy had no trouble adjusting to a new school, and made friends easily. the Girl tried out for Show Choir, and had a blast. Little Boy fell in love with Anna ("she gets me, Momma), and taekwondo remained every one's favorite activity.
So I sit here on a Sunday night feeling a mixture of emotions. The new school year starts on Wednesday, and while I'm excited for the fresh beginnings that come with a new school year, I wonder how it will be for the Boy in particular. You see tonight, the ugly side of autism decided to pay us a visit.
To an outsider it would have appeared to be two brothers fighting over an Xbox. In reality, the Xbox incident was merely the trigger for a child full of anxiety for the changes about to happen in his life; HELLO....MIDDLE SCHOOL!!! He couldn't tell me that this is what is bothering him; couldn't do it until just a little bit ago.
Sometimes when the "ugly" side of autism shows up, he calls me a "fat fucking bitch", an "old fatty fatty fat woman", tells me to go to hell, and many things that he would never ever say when he is not in meltdown mode. Punching walls is new too---I did make him get his sparring gloves out of his taekwondo gear bag because I really didn't feel like going to the ER. Taking all of his brother's clothes out of his dresser, then tipping the dresser over, then proceeding to destroy the bedroom is another new thing. To top things off, my 5'5" 11year old child took off down the street--of course, we have no sidewalks in our neighborhood, and I didn't know how far he would go.
So what do you do?? Stay as calm as you can, stay out of arms reach so as to not get hurt should he feel the need to punch, and wait it out. WAIT. IT. OUT. So very hard to do, but I have a husband who is coming around to understanding that we can't react when these meltdowns occur. WAIT. IT. OUT. Consequences can come later. WAIT. IT. OUT. Make sure he is safe. Oh yeah, an added bonus is when your husband tells your SIL to shut her mouth when she tries to give advice on how to handle the situation: "Sit down, shut up and let Mrs. Sassy Pants show us what we need to do!!"
Yep....one of my main character traits I always wanted in a husband was someone who was going to have my back; someone who would defend me. Mr. Sassy Pants has my back. His first priority is his wife and children.
At one point, I sent a text to Mr. R. I knew that he would get what was going on. He offered to call & talk to the Boy. I know that if I had asked him to come t our house to help, he would have. He is a man who loves working with these children whom others see as "problems". He never takes credit for his students' successes, even though he is the one who helped them reach the point of be successful. He is our family's hero.
Anyway, meltdowns are exhausting. I can't even imagine how the Boy must feel when he comes down from this type of thing.
Tomorrow, the Boy will pick up the 2 packages of roofing tiles that he threw on the ground (I bet they weigh at least 50# each), he will pick up his Dad's ladders that WERE neatly stacked in the back part of the driveway, he will pick up the bedroom that he destroyed, and he will help with the list of chores that were already slated to be done.
For now, he will sleep it off. Tomorrow we will talk. Tomorrow is a new day to start fresh. Tomorrow is a day to learn from this. Yes, this meltdown was a learning experience. We will laugh and love and we will always be there for each other.
And the conversation went like this:
"You've never taken your kids to a concert?"
"No, but sometimes my husband & I will go to a concert when we have a date night."
"But you've never taken your kids to a concert?"
"Nope."
"Not even the Boy?"
"Not even the Boy."
"Oh. Is that because he's retarded?"
HOLD THE PHONE!!!!! Did this 10yo little girl just say what I think she said?!?!? She most certainly did, and my jaw was on the floor. It took me a minute (well, it was probably more like a few seconds, but I was shocked), but I knew there had to be a miscommunication somewhere in there. After all, I know her Mom, her Mom's boyfriend, and they don't speak like this.
"My Mom said that he is retarded, and if he wasn't retarded, you'd need to whoop his ass because he is a nuisance, especially when he starts to growl & yell when things aren't going his way."
As I resisted the urge to pinch myself and wake up from this bad dream, I said, "ABC, you've heard our entire family talk about the Boy's autism. Remember, his brain processes things differently than yours & mine. This doesn't make him retarded, stupid, or anything like that. As a matter of fact, his IQ is very high."
"That's not what my Mom says. She says we have to be nice to him because of your other kids. My Mom said that you probably did something when he was in your tummy, and that is why he is retarded."
"STOP IT!! You may not use that word again, when you are around my family. That is a very cruel and untrue thing to say."
"Well my Mom said..."
"ABC, come here!!!"
Thank goodness, her Mom is here. We can straighten this out.
"ABC and I were having a talk, and..."
"I heard part of it, and it's true."
"You think my child is retarded?!?"
"I know he is."
"So his doctors are wrong in their diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder, and YOU think he is retarded, which by the way, is a slang term, NOT a medical diagnosis anymore?"
"Yes."
DID SHE JUST SAY YES?!?!?! I'm going to cut someone....
At this point, I said a few other things, but I won't recount the entire conversation. I did ask her if it's okay if I refer to her daughter as a n**&*r. I don't say that word.....but, I had a point to make.
"Just because she is of mixed race, you may not call her such a derogatory thing!!"
"Exactly."
"No, the difference is that your other two kids are so nice, and the Boy needs some discipline."
"We are done here. I really hope that someday, one of your nieces or nephews aren't diagnosed with a disability. Maybe you can spank it out of them. We are so done here; don't ever speak to any member of our family ever again.
"It's okay; ABC has other retarded friends at school. She helps THEM all the time; her teachers think she is the best helper for them."
"F*** OFF."
Yes this entire conversation took place. I have been playing it over & over in my head for the past few days. This was someone who I thought was a friend. The 'r' word and the 'n' word are words we don't say. I don't care if you use them, I don't, and especially in regards to any of my children.
I will not associate with people of this mentality. We often pick and choose when to educate people and when to walk away. I thought this woman was a supporter of our family. Obviously, she had me snowed.
I don't care if you know someone with an intellectual disability, developmental disability, neurological disability, or any other kind of different ability, we don't use the R word. I don't care if they tell you it's okay to call them a fucktard, or any other form of the word, DO NOT DO IT!!!! I've had people tell me that words only have the power that you allow them to have. Those people don't live in the world, and if you are not living it, all of your excuses are just that: excuses to demean another human being, and I can't have you in my life.
Now I have to tell my children why we won't be having play dates with ABC. I have to absorb the fact that someone who I thought was a Sassy Pants Family Supporter is just an ass.
When things like this happen, I want to rake my kids and isolate our family away from the world. Then there would be no hurt, no pain, & no assholes. I've learned that this will not happen, as too many pioneers have paved the way, and it is my job to educate as I'm able to, and it is my job to help pave the way for the up and coming families who haven't even received their diagnosis yet.
I will start with deciding when, where, and how I'm going to educate others. Right now, I will start by telling you, the R word is unacceptable....
Most people who know me, know that going to the nail salon 2 times a month has been my "me" time. No kids, no responsibilities, no worries. I often times have shared my cute designs, my favorites being Hello Kitty, Gingerbread Men, a Pokeball & Pikachu, & kitty cats, to name a few.
This past year I have slacked in that department, as spending $100/month (more if the Girl went with me) was getting to be too much.
My friend Mary offered to teach me how to apply some Jamberry nail wraps that had been sitting in my desk drawer for over a year. Yes, I had purchased nail wraps for fundraisers to help out friends, but had never learned how to apply them.
Mary has made quite a little living out of her Jamberry business, and has tried to get me to have a party. I have politely declined, as I have many friends who sell them, and I didn't want to be another person pushing something on others. I'm not saying that that is what all people do, I'm just saying that is how I would feel if I were to sell them. Anyway, Mary is my go-to gal if I need new nail wraps. Yes, I've purchased from other people--a friend recently went into the Design Studio & created some wraps for the Boy's team for the 2015 Autism Puzzle Walk & 5K. Another friend had some special Down's Syndrome wraps made that I absolutely had to have, but Mary....my Mary...is kind and patient, & is a no pressure sales lady.
Mary asked me to try the wraps & give a review. So here we go:
These wraps are amazing!!! I thought they were going to be a royal pain in the butt to apply; especially to my dominant hand. NOPE!!! No issues here....there was a small learning curve (for me) to get them to look "polished" and it only took a few applications to get it. You know the saying, "Practice Makes Perfect"?? Well, it definitely applies here.
These wraps are all I want to use, and I've found that it actually quite relaxing to do. When I'm done, I don't have to wait for my nails to dry--that is so cool. Now, I have to admit, I still love the look of plain old polished nails, but Jamberry has a solution for that!! They sell these amazing lacquers that are simply luscious--yes, I said luscious. The lacquers go on beautifully and dry quickly. My favorite thing to so is to apply a clear wrap with a subtle design over the top of my lacquered nails---so stinkin' pretty!!
These wraps are always Buy 3, get 1 free, which is awesome. I don't have to go to the salon to have cool looking nails.
Now, I've just spent a bit of time trying to add some pictures to this blog post, so you could see my pretty nails, but for some reason, I am unable to add pictures tonight, so you are going to have to take a peek when I post them on the Sassy Pants Lives Here Facebook page.
As I said, Mary is the best consultant!! No pressure, and willing to answer any questions that you may have. I am posting a link to her page, and if You have questions, please feel free to shoot her an email/message. I don't usually endorse products, but this one is something I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE!!
Please visit Mary's page & tell Hi from Mrs. Sassy Pants!! :)
Here is the link to her website if you'd like to see things when you are not on Facebook:
www.Omaha.Jamberrynails.net
"I don't know anyone with autism. My sister has a friend whose cousin or someone has it, but I didn't know your son has it. Can he count toothpicks like Rain Man?"
"Does your sister have any friends who are black?"
This conversation took place today between an assistant manager at a grocery store, who knows my husband and myself. My reply was sarcastic. I could have gone off on him, but was too tired, so I used sarcasm, which by the way, probably went over his head.
Telling this Momma that you know someone who has the same diagnosis as her son is usually going to get me asking about said child, and I am going to invite you to our local Autism Society Groups.
My son is on the autism spectrum, and let me tell you, it is a HUGE umbrella. The way my son presents symptoms is not the same as another child with autism. And guess what, he can NOT count toothpicks. His IQ is very high, but we don't tell him that, as he has areas where he struggles, and those are things we work on. We do tell all three of our children that they have smart brains, to encourage them to do their best.
I was brought up in a home with a Mom who taught special education. When I was a paraprofessional in a different classroom in the same building, I was able to observe her in action. She was one of the finest teachers I'd ever seen. Guess what, she had friends with disabilities. She had friends who were black. She probably had friends on the autism spectrum, it just wasn't diagnosed the way it has been in recent years--thank goodness for medical professionals who can help us help our children. My Mom taught me that people are people. No need to classify in a negative light. People are people. We are deserve love & respect. Even our sister's friend's cousins.
We celebrate autism in our house. We acknowledge that it explains WHY some things are more difficult for the Boy, but it is NEVER EVER used as an excuse.
The numbers are 1 in 68. One in every 68 people you meet is on the autism spectrum. the Boy is one of them, and he is proud of his unique brain. Maybe your sister's friend's cousin can join us this weekend at our annual Puzzle Walk & 5k celebration. A fun time will be had by all. Even those of us with neurotypical brains. And those who are black.....
You would never forget your spouse's birthday, would you? How about your children's birthday(s)? Or your anniversary?? Of course not. We even have other 'anniversary' dates that we celebrate, or we at least reflect on.
Today is one of those days for me. 2/1/13 is an anniversary day of reflection for me. It was on this day 2 years ago, I sat in the psychologist's office with the Boy to receive his diagnosis of Asperger's Syndrome; Asperger's I part of the Autism Spectrum Disorder~~you will hear me refer to it as these; or simply Autism. The terms are interchangeable in our house.
I think of how far this child has come in the past 2 years. There was a time when he would cover his ears & run & hide if the word 'autism' was even uttered in his presence. He had horrible meltdowns because of a 3rd grade teacher who would not follow his IEP & Behavior Plan. He didn't want to be different than the others kids. He had absolutely no control once he got overwhelmed.
Now he shouts 'autism awareness & acceptance' at the top of his lungs. Okay, not in those exact words, but he is proud to have a brain that operates differently than most others. He is learning to advocate for himself. He is back in public school, surrounded by a teacher, Paraprofessional, & peers who speak his language.
Is it perfect? Nope. As a matter of fact, I have a meeting tomorrow morning to 'teach' his team how to implement some supports that have not been followed through with. They need to not undo the progress that has been done; they need to trust that the reason I put these things in his IEP was because they work. I'm not worried or upset; I am the Boy's first teacher, so I will teach them methods that will benefit not just my son, but them as well.
As I celebrate how far the Boy has come, I find that I also am celebrating how far the Girl has come as well. If I've learned one thing, it is that behavior is communication. While she was busy sneaking food into her room, and 'borrowing without permission' things that were not hers, I learned that she was in need of more attention. She was spreading her wings & exerting her independence, as children are apt to do, but she needed some of the attention that was being handed over to her brother due to his autism. She needed one on one time. She needed to know that she mattered. She needed to hear these words. She needed hugs & kisses. Is it perfect?? Are you out of your mind?!? Of course not~~she is a kid; she is going to do kid things that a parent isn't going to approve of, BUT...she comes to Mr. Sassy Pants & I more than she ever has. She is still the original Sassy Pants of this house, but we are closer than ever, and I hope to keep it this way.
While we are talking about how far everyone has come, I most certainly can NAWT (you know who I'm talking about) leave out Little Boy. He spreads his wings on a daily basis, challenging our patience more than I ever thought a child could. He is so smart & his imagination is just incredible. He has come so far with his speech~~part of me is an eensy weensy bit sad for the day when his speech is no longer "Little Boy Language." He is doing better in school than I ever imagined, and for the most part, is a role model for his peers, or so his teacher says. When he comes home at the end of the day, his ornery comes out--I would imagine that it takes a LOT of energy to sit & concentrate & behave all day. So when he comes home naughty, I get it--he needs to decompress.
As I share how far everyone else has come, I am going to share more, because I wouldn't be me if I didn't, right?? While I've been concentrating on my Littles, I have stopped concentrating on me. Yes, I am now working 2.5 hours in the mornings, & one weekday evening each weekday, and I love it, BUT...I have neglected me. I got Mr. Sassy Pants on board, and it is time to get back to taking care of me. I will begin my early morning workouts again. I will reactivate my account with My Fitness Pal. I will do what I need to do to ensure that I can be the healthiest & happiest me that I can be. I am surrounded by family & friends who rock my world, and whenever I need something, all I have to do is ask. I am blessed.
As we move forward on this anniversary of 2-1-13, I reflect with great happiness. I celebrate this wonderful family and this wonderful life that I have been given.
For now, we will get back to our daily shenanigans. It's what we do best....
"Mom, I think my friend Dustin at school has autism too."
"You do?"
"Yes, but I think it might be a different kind of autism."
"What do you mean by a different kind?"
"Well, in some ways he is a lot like me, and in some ways he is different than me, but the ways he is like me I think are things that are special to autism."
He proceeded to tell me about how his friend Dustin perseverates on things like Mario & Luigi, the planets, and Sam (from Green Eggs & Ham). I talked to the Boy about how we are all different ie: boys/girls, different ages, likes/dislikes, etc. so that he could understand that whether one is autistic or neurotypical, we have ways that we are alike & ways we are different.
"But Mom, I don't think he knows he is autistic; he doesn't talk about it like we do in our house."
"Well honey, some parents wait to share this information with their kids. Some families aren't as open about it as we are. Some people, even adults, don't even know that they are on the autism spectrum."
"MOM THAT IS JUST WRONG!!!!"
"Whoa...why are you yelling at me?"
"If the doctor tells you that you have something, & you are a kid, you NEED to know about it--it's your body and your RIGHT to know!!!"
"Okay, I get it, but we can't judge others for whether or not they choose to share; they may have different struggles in their house. They may not have fantastic doctors, teachers, OT's, SLP's, & PT's on their team. We can support & love our friends. We can share our experiences if it will help others. Okay?"
"Okay. But Mom??"
"If it's your body, you have a right to know so that you know why things happen, tight?"
"I agree with you, son, but we are not going to judge someone if they do things differently."
"Mom?"
"Yes?"
"Sometimes I don't like my autism; like when I get into the bad realm, then have a meltdown."
"Me too honey, but we are working on things so you can control it when you get overloaded."
"Would you take it away from me if you could?"
"Well honey, that isn't possible."
"I know, but IF you could, would you?"
"Nope."
"Why?"
"Because if the autism was gone, I don't know if other awesome parts of your personality would be gone too. I love you for you, no matter what."
"Thanks Mom."
So....that is how I discovered just how my son is waayyy more observant than I ever knew. He sees autism in his classmate. He thinks that we all have a right to know things about our bodies. He asked a question I didn't think he would ask until he was older.
He's a keeper.....
