Has your child ever had a melt-down tantrum while waiting for fast-food or at the grocery store in a check-out line? How about at a park where there is a stranger's colorful, balloon bonanaza birthday party in progress? Has your child, who is often a perfect angel, ever been the worst-behaved child at an event FOR autistic children? Yes, this has all happened to me.
Waiting in line is such a big part of life, unless you can fork out $7.95 for grocery delivery. Yes, if only I were agoraphobic and not inclined to leave my house! But that is not the case.
Today, I have to go to a meeting at the Regional Center, the county agency that provides therapy hours for "life skills," in this case for 3 to 5 year-olds. There is a strong possibility that they will cut our therapy hours down from six hours per week we now receive. They warn us parents that they do this "phasing out" of assistance, that they are slowly pushing us baby birds out of the nest.
These are the therapy hours where we do "community outings." What it boils down to, for me, is having another adult there--not to help me--no, that isn't allowed. No, I'm serious, they are not allowed to help me! (So, you are wondering, why do I even care if our hours are cut?) No, what is really great about these outings is that another human being is there when some grisled woman emerges from the McDonalds we are leaving and says, on the way to her beat up van filled with small yapping dogs, "You ought to beat the @#!% out of that kid!" It is really rather wonderful to have another [presumably qualified and professional] person there who is on my side, who knows my kid and is amazed by the progress he has made, who loves his little smile and giggle and who will give me a "No, she did not just say that!" look of horror about the trashy doggie van woman.
The other fabulous thing about these therapy hours is that they are total brain-storming sessions. Often, the "therapists" are college students who have had a two-week crash course in working with autistic kids. When you add that fact to the fact that no two autistic kids are exactly alike and what works for one child might not work as well for another, it is not to big of an intellectual leap to realize that we are all, in a sense, "brain storming" and then "winging it."
Thanks again for reading my brand-new blog! Wish me luck today at my meeting!
Sadly I have to admit, yes
Sadly I have to admit, yes things like that have happened, especially comments about crazy annoying people. Well the sad part is, I have yelled nasty things back at them. I once asked a man if he has ever beat his child so I can call it in to Social Services, and one old woman I asked if I was mistaken and she lived with me and knew everything about my son. I have only had a few melt-downs. Thankfully they are usually when my mother is also with me and she is fighting with Michael while I am telling off the rude people out of Michael's earshot. It is amazing what people will say to you. I guess sometimes it is better to just ignore the ignorant people of the world. I know 149 other parents can never relate to what we go through....