Welcome to 2012!! I predict this will be a GREAT year - for Samuel and our AS findings; for Don and I; and for our family in general!! Awesome things are happening - all around us. Now I will attempt to fill you in on the last six months.....maybe.
We still struggle with behaviors - we have seen a Psychiatrist in hopes of finding some 'help' in disciplining Sam and understanding him. Not much help there - if anything, gives me a place to vent, I guess. But for now, that's done. Don't need to pay for that:-)
The holidays were okay. Why so blase, you ask? Well, 'immediate family' functions are not the best for our foursome. Having talked to many parents in our situation - most say the same thing. They find frustration in the fact that the closest family - the one's who are supposed to care the most - are the one's who show interest the least or care the least; have the least understanding of anyone else in our family/friend bubble.
Some AS resources incorrectly state that aspies do not desire to be social - FALSE!! They either do not want to be social OR they are socially inappropriate and want nothing more than to fit in, but struggle!! Sam is the latter. He is so self-conscience about how others perceive him - it is almost an obsession - especially for a five year old boy to even care!! He adores his two boy-cousins. However, we do not look forward to 'hanging' out with them. Not because we don't love them or desire for them to play with Sam, but because of how they are with Sam and there is no adult 'help' or interest in making things better for all involved unless Don or I take over. We usually have to step in and moderate or encourage the other boy not ignore Sam but answer his questions!! If a person does not simply answer Sam - it will escalate - people think if they ignore him, the 'problem' will go away. One thing that happens regularly is the other children will VERY blatantly play with Nasya and run/have fun/be silly with her and ignore Sam. That breaks our hearts - I cannot tell you how devastating that is to us as parents. This happened last weekend - and Sam is not stupid - he sees what is going on - as he's watching we hear him say repeatedly - "Why does **** hate me??" And so he doesn't keep excalating or get even more depressed - daddy went over to console him and see if he wanted to build something. I digress....
School is going great - the only times he has gotten in 'trouble' is when there is no structure and a lot of commotion. Before school - all the kids congregate in the gym, not the best idea as far as I'm concerned, and during lunch. Sam hates too much noise/talking - much of the time in the car if Don and I are trying to talk - he yells and makes obnoxious noises from the back so that we'll be quiet. I got him some headphones that muffle loud noises but he is very reluctant to wear them. We're still working on this......
