Quick catch up with Aspie teen

Hello again, stranger!
Haven't wandered through this landscape for a minute or 3....but have been thinking of it and you.
There has been ups and the usual downs with horrid not-so-little thugs at school making the Feral Aspie teen feel as dreadful as themselves.
With their fists and feet and name calling.
*sigh*

There were a few explody moments at home that were curtailed with great finesse and elan by yours truly.
Yes, I do fashionable interventions.
Apparently.

Much time at Dunolly of late has soothed the anxiety, brought the irritations down a few notches and slipped this thing called Life into first gear to tackle the hills.
Dunolly is filled with eccentric characters (in suburbia they'd be called weird) and there is no pressure to conform to an expected "norm" as defined by "The Beautiful People".

The Aspie teen will be warbling his bass in the Gilbert & Sullivan production of Trial by Jury - in both the celebration of the refurbished heritage-listed Court House and at the Festival in October - as well as lending a hand to renovate/complete the gorgeously splendid old Junction Hotel (with Ballroom, thankyouverymuch!).
And he'll be on hand during the weekend of the open house of said Junction Hotel (with Ballroom, thankyouverymuch!).
I may be roped into plonking my arse on an upstairs chair, in Victorian dress, to crochet and keep an eye on people wandering through (possibly the Ballroom, thankyouverymuch!).

The Feral One is happy to continue seeing his psychologist via the school; he has a great rapport with him and finds him easy to natter away with.
Something that has been worrying him is the possibility he may have Bi Polar/Personality Disorder like his older sibling, so he discussed it with the psychologist and may be assessed for it at some date in the near future.
I don't think he fits the criteria but it's a worry he has and it needs to be addressed - he has seen the mess an out of control, unmedicated person with it can experience and has a fear he may develop it as he matures.
If an assessment gives him the relief and removes all question, then it's well worth it.
IF, on the other hand, it proves he does have it then we can tackle the bumps with a better understanding and forewarning we didn't have with our other child.
Plus, the Feral Aspie is also fully aware of the need for therapy and medication, something we fruitlessly fought to achieve for his sibling.
Yes, I'm looking for silver linings just in case.

Heat stroke Xmas pressie Happy New Year!

Thank you for your kind words in my previous post.
At the rate this kid is going he'll have 'speed walker' or cat walk model as his main career.
Let me explain....

I won't mention the fact he said something, somewhere and later told me about it and that I *may* have over-reacted to this thing that he said.
But I still maintain it was wrong....
I won't mention that he packed his bag, kicked out the fly-wire screen in his bedroom window (which was less like Chuck Norris and more like Sheldon trying to escape a swarm of flying ants) and took off on Christmas Eve.
Hot Christmas Eve.
With no money.
With having no brekkie or meds or fluids.
Because that would mean listening and doing as his parents had nagged him for a gazillion times.
Cos...what teen would do that?!

I won't mention that the police were called, that the air wing (helicopter) was alerted and in the sky searching for him.
I won't mention that he eventually returned, several hours later, with a delightful dose of heat stroke having speed walked to Carnegie station, then caught the train into the city and wandered about in the heat for some time (carrying a heavy backpack) before realising how thirsty he was.
I won't mention how ill he was, vomiting up all the fluids he drank until my nagging finally got through to him to sip it s-l-o-w-l-y.
 Oh, yeah, I did the whole "I told you so" thing.

I won't mention how the little bugger has always been a challenge for keeping his fluids up in the heat but this year he's being contrary; digging his toes in and deliberately refusing to drink the more we nag.
Plus insisting on wearing cold weather clothing and sleeping under his thick, heavy, weighted blankets.
Which is his normal thing but it's becoming more marked as his anxiety rises with passing time, despite the increased meds (which could be feeding my anxiety but let's not mention that, ok?).
And complaining about the noise the fans make....him, not me.

Nor will I mention how getting him to eat is an adventure game in itself, as ceasing the Risperdone has robbed him of the false, increased appetite and we're back to the usual picking like a baby bird with the ritual "I'm not hungry,".
Unless it's chocolate...then he'll eat it until he's sick.
Literally.
Brown waves of a sickly ocean washing over the floor...not pretty.

He's dropping weight without even trying, which he's loving cos he was getting all self-conscious about the tiny pot belly he'd developed.
Tiny!!!
Now the non-existent hips aren't holding up the board shorts (no budgie smugglers in this household, thankyouverymuch).

I won't mention how much bribery runs this household... from this morning if he doesn't drink or eat when he's given fluids/food then he loses 30 mins of his precious game of Minecraft.
Any lip and he loses a further 30 mins.
He told me what he thought, which wasn't a lot, let me tell you.
But it's working.
For now.
Until he finds something else to irritate him.

Now, seeing as how I haven't mentioned a thing, let's hope 2012 is a splediferously wonderful year for us all!

I'd rather he was in the chook house than up the tree

 I'd rather he was in the chook house than up the tree

Yes, I really did utter that statement to Hubby last Saturday.
We looked at each other and snorted  as we realised how bizarre it would sound to most people.
Well, he did the eye rolling/head shaking thing while I snorted enough for both of us.
Cos our son was in the chook house hiding from the police.
Again.
As you do.

The chooks were a tad put out but I'm sure, given time, they would have learnt to share the space.
Perhaps.
That's if the Aspie child hadn't tried to convince them to stand in front of him and hide him...Trinian and Latte apparently didn't get the memo on team playing and supporting the hand that feeds you so they galloped out of there, leaving him under the eyes of two lovely police people.

Then we did the usual merry-go-round dance of going to the children's via ambulance where more wonderful people bent over backwards to help.
Scary thing is we're starting to recognise the doctors and nurses who are starting to recognise us.
Next thing you know we'll be exchanging Chrissy pressies, inviting each other over for BBQs, calling each other BFF and swapping clothes....
No, wait!
Seriously.
I'd marry the gal who shared my shoe size only for the fact I'd never have to tackle the sales assistant for the Very.Last.Ever ladies size in Omgyourfeetarehumongouslady!
But, I digress...

So, after a gazillion appointments this week with a squillion more to come before TGI Friday kicks in, Aspie offspring is on new meds which appear to be helping (and, judging by his improved lap times, are probably a banned sports enhacing substance but, shhhh, we won't mention it to the swim coach).
Had a MILD moment this afternoon where he simply ran outside.
So I left him to it (after ascertaining he wasn't going to do anything silly).
Then we heard noises so we checked.
He was cleaning the spouting on the shed.
He keeps this up I'll hire him out...

I'm such a party animal *snort*

So far, so good (touch wood, fingers crossed and all that).
The medications have found their way down his throat with only a mild reminder each morning without any meltdowns, grunts or glaring looks - such a nice routine rut to get stuck in, don't you think?
He's currently doing textbook work !!!!!
Without complaint!!!!
Explanation - up until a few months ago he'd happily do textbook work as well as online work but he's been unable to focus/concentrate/get into the groove of the textbooks, preferring the online studies.
But today he's trotted off to a quiet room to complete his textbook work.
And...he got up out of bed without anyone calling him.
He also got his brekkie without being reminded.
Only one small quiet reminder to take his medicine and it was gone in a flash!
Someone has either frozen Hell or he's been abducted by aliens.
He's in a happy groove right now, double woot and bust out the party streamers!

Wiggling the happy dance on the quiet

Dragged the Aspie offspring off to the paed this morning, he was a tad unwilling as he thought he was going to be in trouble so he impersonated a limpet and wrapped himself around his fathers ankles.
Yeah, his dad thought it was just dandy.
Not.
It's not like his paed is ever angry with anything Aspie kiddo says/does so we peeled him off his fathers legs and got him to the appointment.
Got several things sorted along with the importance of taking his medications every day without the barriers/excuses/waffle he keeps throwing into conversation (which result in meltdowns, big and little) when he's asked to take his meds.
Excuse me while I do a small happy dance over in the corner without the offspring noticing his weird mother too much.
*wiggle it, just a little bit*
Ahem.
So, tomorrow should be hunky dory.
In theory.
Let's see how sturdy theory really is *snort*.

Comorbidity

Comorbidity  - containing the word 'morbid' anyone would sense that it doesn't bode well - is a word to describe weight, heart-ache, struggles.
It defines other people's ignorance.
It allows the medical profession to post another label on someones forehead.
It means, in a nut shell, that some conditions/syndromes/disorders go hand-in-hand with others.

An almost oops

The meet up was a great success all around; was lovely meeting the online friend I've yakked to for the past 12+ months, both online and on the phone, plus the kids all got along famously.
We were up at 5am to get breakfasted and ready to catch the 8.30am train from the city - which was cancelled and replaced with road coaches.

Mantra

There is no magic cure.
There is no one answer.
Things will not magically resolve themselves in the blink of an eye.
No matter how determined you are children move at their own pace.
No matter how determined your children are Autism lets them move at its own pace.
The Spectrum short circuits our kids' wiring, creating the need for us to repeatedly repeat repeatedly what we want them to learn.
One lesson will not a neurotypical child make nor will a child grasp a lesson within your determined time frame.
Parents of those on the Spectrum can be certain of only 3 things in life = death, taxes and the long wait for Autism to let our kids pass the next goal.

When school happens shit happens

Sometimes the whole school system idea works and other times it fails children miserably, depending on the school/teachers/child/if the moon is full that month...you get the picture.
My kidlet went to an Autistic-specific school for 3 days per week in a type of pre-prep programe.
He loved it - heck, any parent would love it! - average of 5 kids per class with 2 teachers and they closely followed the curriculum of mainstream schools as well as incorporating sensory and speech therapies.

More not so merrier

Tourette's showed up at our house one day when I noticed the very subtle head shake.
I don't remember inviting Tourette's in the door but there it was, blinking rapidly at me and jerking the head to the left ever-so-slightly.
So, we had medication for the anxiety, medication for the aggressive behaviour and now we had to consider medication for the new unwanted guest, Tourette's.

Sunnies aren't just cool

Loving the hugs from my son.
Tactile issues put up a huge wall stopping hugs for a long time.
The more anxiety he had to cope with the less he could tolerate touch.
The anxiety over-ran his life and dictated his behaviours, ruled by an ethereal non-physical thing from afar, the whole family held within its grip twisting us here and there at the whims of those who'd crank up the anxiety metre.