gretchen's blog: 10/01/2009 - 11/01/2009

I'm tired of getting on here and making an excuse for why I haven't written. I just haven't. I don't know about you, but for me blogging is/was a compulsion. And lately it's not. I'm sure it will be again one day.

That's not to say I don't have things I need to get off my chest. They're just not coming out as freely anymore. Or they're things that aren't as pertinent to this group. Or they're just not quiiiite ready to come off my chest- they want to weigh down my breathing for a little bit longer.

But I'm glad to know that you're still out there.

We are doing well- enjoying the busy fall. I don't think I've mentioned that Henry is in an inclusion class this year (as opposed to the all-ASD "remediation" class he was in last year). It is a challenge. Not socially, as far as I can tell, but the academic expectations they have for him are impressive. His homework load has increased, and last week he took his first real science test, with a real percentage grade. Although he knew the material (I know this because he informed me about things they had learned each day), he only scored 68%. Most of the questions he missed were true/false, and I don't believe he completely grasped that concept. So that is something for us all to work on.

His newest perseveration, or I should say the newest embodiment of an old familiar perseveration, is youtube. Youtube is a mixed blessing for this parent of an ASD child. He can find just about any damn thing he's looking for out there: the scene from Sleeping Beauty where Prince Phillip slays Malificent/The Dragon; morphing scenes from every incarnation of Power Rangers; the opening theme to Disney's House of Mouse. And he can watch just those scenes, over and over and over and over. But does this satisfy an urge, or just feed into an obsession? And of course there's the worry that he'll click over to something inappropriate by accident.

Tommy decided (unprompted) to sort through toys a couple weeks ago. We have gathered bags and bags of stuff to get rid of. It's tough to give up some of these toys- but maybe a freeing exercise as well. There are so many items that we got in the hope that Henry would play with them. Of course, he never really played with any toys, and now that he's 10 years old, the time has passed for him to play with them.

There's the huge farm set that fills a whole trash bag. I had it setting out in the hallway this weekend when Henry happened upon it and sat down. He took out all the animals and sorted them into groups- just like he's always done. That's the closest he's ever come to playing with this set. The whole thing makes me feel a little sad- how many times I tried to show him how to play with something, or got it out hoping he'd play with it, and all he knew how to do/all he cared to do was put the pigs and piglets in a little pile, the cattle in a pile, the horses in a pile, and he was done.

It makes me sad, but yet my typical son never really played with this toy either. Some toys just don't appeal to some kids- no big deal. I don't need to make it one.

Right?
Right.