I picked up Taylor from school and her teacher told me she actually had a great day!
It was her teacher's birthday today and when I was struggling with Taylor this morning, Mrs. R said, "Taylor, it's my birthday today!" Taylor quickly responded, "I don't care!"
After school, Mrs. R relayed the following story:
Taylor drew a card for her on the white board to wish her a Happy Birthday. As they walked out to meet me, Taylor said, "I'm sorry I said that." "What?" asked Mrs. R. "That I didn't care about your birthday." It made her heart melt and I guess helped make Mrs. R's birthday special. I'm sure the cupcake I brought her from our favorite Cupcake Eatery called Batch helped a little as well.
When I put Taylor to bed tonight, I told her that I expected her to get to school easier tomorrow. She told me she was sorry she was so difficult this morning, which was the second time she apologized. I told her not to worry about it -- that we all have our bad days, or days that we would rather sleep in that get up and go somewhere. But that's why we have the weekend -- those are our special days to look forward to and make the week a little more manageable.
I think it shows a lot of maturity in Taylor, and you're probably wondering ... "Is this child really Autistic?" Yes she is, but this change in behavior has come over a period of time with the help of some wonderful educators and therapists. There is hope if we look for it and work to achieve results! But when your child finally does learn to say "I'm sorry" when they've thrown a fit, it means more than the world!
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
A Doggone Day
I had a rough morning with Taylor. She was resisting going to school so I had to get her dressed and into the car. Once we got to school, we walked in together, but she refused to go into her classroom.
Taylor goes to a school with a wonderful staff that is always ready and able to help when needed. What helps the most is that we are a team -- a team of cheerleaders in Taylor's life. Without that kind of support, my life would be so much harder dealing with this disorder. I wish I could take the anxiety away for Taylor and help her realize how much fun school can be. But for now, she's focused on how "boring" it is and I have to focus on encouraging her to continue on. Each day is a new adventure and I learn a little more how special Taylor is.
On the way out of the school, I saw a little girl from the Early Childhood class coming in with her mom and they were having a similar struggle. While I was glad to know it wasn't just our family having a rough day, I wished so much for that mom to be able to drop her child off without so much work. I wondered how many other families of children with Autism were struggling today ..... maybe it's the moon or the barometric pressure? Maybe all our children have some innate sense that communicates to each other, "Let's make today extra hard for our parents." I wonder what thoughts are going through other parents' minds -- "I wish I didn't have to do this today." "I haven't even had my breakfast yet." "Can't we just have an easy day?"
To all of you who had a challenging morning like I did, I feel your pain! Stay strong, stay focused, and don't let it ruin the rest of your day! We each have so much to offer our children, and I believe they were given to us for a reason -- we are blessed in our lives to have these children.
Blessings and good thoughts ....
Lisa
Taylor goes to a school with a wonderful staff that is always ready and able to help when needed. What helps the most is that we are a team -- a team of cheerleaders in Taylor's life. Without that kind of support, my life would be so much harder dealing with this disorder. I wish I could take the anxiety away for Taylor and help her realize how much fun school can be. But for now, she's focused on how "boring" it is and I have to focus on encouraging her to continue on. Each day is a new adventure and I learn a little more how special Taylor is.
On the way out of the school, I saw a little girl from the Early Childhood class coming in with her mom and they were having a similar struggle. While I was glad to know it wasn't just our family having a rough day, I wished so much for that mom to be able to drop her child off without so much work. I wondered how many other families of children with Autism were struggling today ..... maybe it's the moon or the barometric pressure? Maybe all our children have some innate sense that communicates to each other, "Let's make today extra hard for our parents." I wonder what thoughts are going through other parents' minds -- "I wish I didn't have to do this today." "I haven't even had my breakfast yet." "Can't we just have an easy day?"
To all of you who had a challenging morning like I did, I feel your pain! Stay strong, stay focused, and don't let it ruin the rest of your day! We each have so much to offer our children, and I believe they were given to us for a reason -- we are blessed in our lives to have these children.
Blessings and good thoughts ....
Lisa
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