the Highs and Lows of life......

A.J. doing wat he does best lately
...finding food.

This is the part that gets difficult….

Facing the day-to-day school situations of total mayhem that others call every day high-school life, although when adding the confusion, sensory distractions, misunderstanding of instructions, trying to keep up with classwork, and many other ASD related issues; you may have a small clue to where we’re at……?

A few highs and lows presently at school, starting with the cold weather, this can affect all of us in some way and sitting in a cold car waiting for him after school I can definitely sympathise, especially when our weather changes so dramatically, add to this A.J. has Sensory issues running thick and fast, beginning with clothing sensitivity and his refusal to wear a jumper or an undershirt with his uniform as the ‘Layering’ causes distress; 

The change in weather also causing distractions as the school stated he is ‘refusing’ although we have agreed he is ‘struggling’ to stay focused and concentrate on his tasks.

Then I was informed he has had a different Teacher’s Aide working with him and he hasn’t become comfortable with her differing techniques, add the different subject topics he’s started with this term and the end result is obvious.

During the first term of school the teachers were impressed with A.J.’s academic ability and included him into 5 mainstream subjects, English, Science, Geography, Technology, and PDHPE. He has been maintaining general involvement throughout his lessons with pleasing comments from his teachers.

Now facing the area of homework and assignments A.J. displays confusion in understanding what is expected from the instructions and process steps to complete his work.

A.J. still struggles with the concept of script writing from the board, re-writing text in his own words, or putting thought and verbal expression into written text, etc,

I’m unsure if he’s missed some class work, so knowing his issues; I would have thought a quick explanation note would have been helpful.

I may not have gained the top HSC school grading although I did go through to year 12 and I have ventured through many different avenues since leaving school between raising kids, and doing it all again with A.J.; although looking at all this in front of me is like saying I’ve been plonked in another country with a new language to learn

Reading each Assignment received, they were set out in an order with a brief description in each section outlining the required task, some descriptions were vague at best, some quite confusing.

Add to that he is working on a webpage for one assignment and a PowerPoint for another; this from a child who has only had a few months of computer/iPad technical knowledge involvement.

……I guess I’ve been out of the school process too long……

Excuse me while I go outside and scream…….arrrgggg….OMG….what are they thinking….

So I might have to touch base to gain a little additional advice and information.

Anyway although I may be quite out-of-touch with all of this, it seems  that A.J. is just taking it all in his stride and not phased at all by the process, even if it is confusing and difficult for him.

Back to other distractions……A.J. needs to make sure everything is set out just right, worrying about outside noises distracting him, the birds-dogs-cars-and more, so he ‘needs’ the TV on to drown out the sounds, and help him sleep.

Packing his bag for school, along with other daily ritual processes he goes through, from the specific order of doing things, to repeating a cycle process before moving onto the next thing. Are his clothes in the exact position, does his hair sit right and away from his face, to the ‘cracking’ of his knuckles-hands-arms-neck-shoulders-etc, all in a specific order and a number of times; once all that is done we can finally leave for school.

After the school programs were setup on A.J.’s iPad, he was allowed to send home an email to confirm it was all done and he enjoyed sending them so they have allowed him to continue.

Below are some of his posts, as he has allowed me to post here……..

 

“Hi……I’m contacting you by having to use student portal. This communication method was a worse Idea then when I tried to move a poker card with my mind, just to see if it was an ace on the other side of it. Well, I'm at period 5. Luv you…….”
me-“Luv you too, will see you at bell time xxxxxxxxxxx”

 “…I am finding it impossible to search ANYTHING at all using the schools Internet wifi connection. It has to go through 500 security things just for me to be able to go on to a simple site that turns out to be a 'blocked site'…”

“…I am at period 2. The only thing this lesson is telling me is to look up and search things that I already know, or that I have already previously searched. Furthermore I have already found 7 ‘blocked sites’…

I am doing quite ok and luv you. I will read your reply at 11:00 if you reply, so I can chat at recess…”

Me-“Hi, I'm so pleased you’re doing ok
If you are researching things you already know,  try to learn a bit more about it 
Luv you too,  see you after school,  xxxx Nan xxx”

“…Does the computer make a sound when you do a message? Or does it only make a ringtone sound when you have a messaging communication application instead of Google texting?...”

Me…”It sends a sound when I get a message”

“…Excellent, well, I'm having lunch now. Luv you.

Ps. Plz remember to bring my blue drink bottle on the kitchen table, and jumper, on my bed...”

Me…”ok will do”

“…thnx, Lov you…”

“…This was a bad idea to have an undershirt under my school shirt. It's extremely uncomfortable Anyway; apparently I can’t play my iPad during geography because I had to go to a different class despite what it says on my time table. Luv you, if you do, I will read your reply at 11:00…”

A.J. decided he couldn’t use the long way to find the email so I set up a link to his Gmail messenger and now…

“…If you get this message, reply. I am using Gmail now and if you get this message, then this is an extremely easier way to communicate you than using student portal, I may not have had proper sleep, but I am still quite awake and focusing well….”

Me…” good boy I am so pleased xxx”

“…Nan, I am at sport and the bows AND arrows are plastic, terrible design and, the fletchlings are plastic, not feathers, terrible

Me…”You can still enjoy it, Luv you”

“…Actually, that was like 30mins ago when you got that message, I'm at the base now, wait not yet....”

Me…”Hope you are enjoying your day xxxxxxxxxxx”

“…Okay, now I'm at the base. Ps lov you…”

“…Were you planning on going shopping any time soon?

If you are, please remember, what about ice cream? We are completely out of ice cream.

Anyway, I also hope you have some peanuts left, they are delicious, I can't stop thinking about food....Ps I don't think I can put a photo in a Gmail message, can I?...”

Me…”ok, I will show you at home xx”

“…Nan I'm just got tired just at English, I just got all of a sudden tired.

I could sleep on a wall with nails.

If ya don’t mind I need to sleep in the car when a pick me up…”

Me…”Ok, not long now 💙💗💖💞💕💋💋”

  

“…I’m coming Home with work, but at school I had great time, party, whatever ya wanna call it, but I'm fine…”

Me…”Yay”

  

We always focus on the good things and it makes everything so much easier.

Spending these past few months watching our little man grow in so many ways

Physically- he has grown so tall and almost catching up to me in height

Emotionally- Working hard to control his sensory sensitivities, the daily process to ‘stabilise’ himself, assisting to making it through the day, although with perseverance, and understanding from others, has helped him to understand and accept himself.

These may be little things to others, but they can be a big thing for our kids.