2/26/15-Autism-isms

My sons constantly amaze me and while we work together in their homeschool activities.  However, the most frustrating part about educating an autistic child is the apparent inconsistency that occurs.  One day they are all cooperation and answers and following directions...then the next day there is almost no indication that they learned anything from the day before.  In fact, it sometimes feels futile and that maybe they aren't retaining anything at all.

More than anything, we as parents look and hope for successes; we hope for all of the great and wonderful things that can happen for any child.  So these seeming setbacks or standstills are discouraging...and then something happens and all if the worry and hard work that we put into our children pays off.  

An example of this would be teaching my sons to read.  I work daily with them and rarely is there any indication that they even know how, but something that happened just the other day seemed to change that all...

I was sitting with my oldest son working on his bookwork; while in the background I hear Aiden saying the lines an lyrics from the movie he was watching...verbatim.  I think to myself:  "Gosh!  He has a really good memory."  And then I continue with Seamus through our lesson not really giving it another thought.

As I wrapped up my time with Seamus, I walked over to check on Aiden and smiled to myself over my child's love of music and Disney when I looked over his shoulder and this a what I saw:

He wasn't reciting from memory, but reading along with the closed caption.  My child whose pure determination to avoid doing anything outside his own desires, was in fact reading!!!  He had been paying attention to me all of those days...VICTORY!!!  There is no sweeter taste that the joy that comes from knowing the fruits of your labors are paying off.  It doesn't take much to make me happy and this; this made me over the moon!!!  

This is also why I find the mandates of schools not to move a child forward in the levels of work according to what children show.  I mean really, it should be common knowledge by now that these children and people on the spectrum are amazing and special and much more capable and smarter than we give them credit for...and that we cannot control anyone that doesn't want to be controlled at any age.  Sometimes part of education is letting go of what you know and letting the child be your guide.  Don't latch onto the antiquated ideas of what should be, but the potential of what could be.