This is our life with autism. My son was diagnosed with autism almost 1 year ago since then we have been threw a lot of ups and downs. Don't get me wrong we are luckier than most the second school he went to (yes he has been to 2 schools in a year if you want more on that please read this blog ) they took his medical diagnosis and seemed to want to work with us on his education. Then almost a year later things have seemed to change.
When we first went to his "new" school they did everything they could to help him transition and it went well he took right to the school and his new teacher. His teacher was wonderful she did research and really seemed to want to help him he also got a day treatment therapist (DTT) who helped a lot. At his old school I would have to go get him at least once a week and they even suspended him one time also. His new school thought that was awful how could they ask you to come get him, how could they suspend a 5 year old with autism he doesn't even know what that means. He only had 6 other kids in his class so that helped too. Deep down I knew the following year would not be the same he would have a bigger classroom, a different teacher, it would not be good. I always look at the negative it helps me so when things do fall a part it is easier for me to deal with.
School year starts it goes as I figured he hated it did not want to go the first 2 weeks were awful one day he was carried in screaming by his DTT that was hard on me to watch but I knew he needed to understand that the behavior he was using would not work and he had to go to school. After that he settled in and it wasn't too bad he had episodes but they were controlled. The school was supposedly working on amending his IEP to include his autism (why it was not already in will be in another blog) it seemed things were falling into place. Until he got sick.
About 5 weeks after school started he got a cough that stayed with him for over a week, we went to the dr. to find out he had bronchitis so he was put on antibiotics and cough syrup. That was the down fall, the cough syrup caused his behavior to go out of control he took his clothes off twice and peed on the principles office floor (she doesn't really like my son so this did not help and fyi he didnt really know what he was doing the med. had his mind going crazy but she won't see that) before we found out what was going on with the medicine. Ever since then it has been down hill. He gets sent home at least once a week and <gasp> he just got suspended earlier this week (only a year ago it was so awful for a school to do that to a child like him). This last time I had to go get him the principle had enough nerve to tell me my child didn't act like a normal 6 year old........................... I gave you a moment to let that sink in. Yes the principle of his school said my autistic child did not act like a normal 6 year old. I was livid.
No ma'am he is not a normal 6 year old he has an IQ probably larger than hers, he can do addition and subtraction in his head, his teacher hands out a paper and before she turns around to tell the kids what to do my son has already done the work because he can read on at least a 3rd grade level. So no he is not a normal 6 year old he is an awesome 6 year old who happens to have autism so he does have quirks but I wouldn't change a thing about him. He was sitting right there when she said it too so later that day we were talking and he told me "momma I try to be normal" and that right there is why I made the decision along with his case worker to send him to a different school that has an autism program that knows how special and "normal" he is because we have it bad enough with out people that are supposed to lift a child up but instead want to hold him down. My son is not perfect and yes he can be a hand full but to me he is "normal".
