A Punch On The Nose

Today was a hard day for me. I have a severely autistc boy in my am/pm school age program. He makes my son look like Mr. Perfectly Well Adjusted. A few times he has gotten upset and has slapped out at me or tried to hit me, but we were always able to deflect him or divert him. Well, today, he caught me totally off guard and hauled off and punched me in the nose! I wasn't hurt badly, he's 7 after all...but my son was flipping out. I was more bothered by the idea that my son thought I was hurt, than being hurt. But it really brings home, what a dice game Autism is...here is my son, so on the edge of "normal..." and then there is this boy, who is locked inside his brain...unable to process correctly, the world around him. That hurt more than the punch on the nose.

A Punch On The Nose

Today was a hard day for me. I have a severely autistc boy in my am/pm school age program. He makes my son look like Mr. Perfectly Well Adjusted. A few times he has gotten upset and has slapped out at me or tried to hit me, but we were always able to deflect him or divert him. Well, today, he caught me totally off guard and hauled off and punched me in the nose! I wasn't hurt badly, he's 7 after all...but my son was flipping out. I was more bothered by the idea that my son thought I was hurt, than being hurt. But it really brings home, what a dice game Autism is...here is my son, so on the edge of "normal..." and then there is this boy, who is locked inside his brain...unable to process correctly, the world around him. That hurt more than the punch on the nose.

Back To School....

Here we are, wrapping up the end of a 2nd week back at school. My son's new teacher came up to me on Monday before the dismissal bell rang. My initial reaction was to prepare myself to listen to an account of a difficult moment for my son, at some point during the day. Instead, with a huge smile, she wanted to let me know that he had already exceeded his reading goal for the year! His teacher was so proud and happy for him, her joy so genuine! These are the moments he workes so hard toward. It is also these little successes that make all of it worthwhile as a parent.

Back To School....

Here we are, wrapping up the end of a 2nd week back at school. My son's new teacher came up to me on Monday before the dismissal bell rang. My initial reaction was to prepare myself to listen to an account of a difficult moment for my son, at some point during the day. Instead, with a huge smile, she wanted to let me know that he had already exceeded his reading goal for the year! His teacher was so proud and happy for him, her joy so genuine! These are the moments he workes so hard toward. It is also these little successes that make all of it worthwhile as a parent.