Pace, Interrupted

I'm sure you all at one time have been frustrated by having to slow down in order to actually accomplish something, instead of speeding up. This is often true of our special needs kids. And while we know this in our head, it can be frustrating when we don't totally embrace their speed of learning. But this is one of the reasons we homeschool, right? So why do we expect them to go at a 'normal' (which probably could be read as 'public school') pace?

The last few months have given me some insight into how my Aspie daughter actually FEELS when life gets so big for her she MUST slow down.  Allow me to explain.

When my daughter is faced with a FULL production week: at least three 3-4 hour dress rehearsals followed by 2-4 performances over a six day span, more often than not, I do not require, nor do I expect, her to make it to church that Sunday. Someone once said to me, "Well, what time does the last show get over on Saturday?" as if it was that one show that was throwing her. I explained it wasn't just the one show, it was having to be ON all week. And again, I knew this intellectually but I didn't really get a feel for it on a cellular level until I was in a show of my own. That's when my pace, and my perception of my daughter's pace, was interrupted.

A few months back I auditioned for and was cast in a community theatre production. I have been in theatre productions before but the last one was several years ago. I enjoyed the weekly rehearsals and the camaraderie our cast had. Tech Week (aka Production Week) was literally three 4 hour dress rehearsals followed by three days of performances. Saturday was the longest day by far because it was an earlier show AND we were required to strike set and help clean up afterwards. Our shows averaged about 2.5 hours each time. So my Saturday looked like this:

Noon Call Time ( the time you have to get there to prepare: get costumed, makeup on, mic check, etc)
    I arrived around 11am, which means I ate 'lunch' around 10:30am.

2pm Curtain call

4:30pm Show ends
              Greet guests
              Turn in microphone, change into civilian clothes
               Help strike set and clean up
6pm      Leave to go join rest of cast at restaurant to finally EAT.

So, basically my Saturday was 7 straight hours on my feet, more or less,
   after a full week. Oh, and I should mention, I'm a very 'last minute' type of person, so that
   Monday I decided I would make gifts for each member of the cast. I worked on those while not at
   rehearsal.

By Sunday, I was toast. But I still went to church. Not sure why, because during Sunday School I couldn't pay attention and during service, I took a nap in the car. I was SO tired, physically and mentally. And I don't have Aspergers. I now have a fair, yet very small glimpse, into what my daughter experiences during extreme times such as this.

My other 'ah-ha' moment occurred this week. Because I'm a glutton for punishment, or just addicted to learning, I am taking a couple of free, yet intensive classes on coursera.org  One of these classes is Calculus. No, I don't want to take Calculus, and no, I'm not good at advanced math. It is simply a stepping stone to another course I want to take.  So as I stumble along in this course, I realize I am not going to meet the assignment and quiz deadlines.  Thankfully, this class let's you turn the deadlines off. When I went to do that, it reminds me that most students do much better when deadlines are set and met. I agree. But I also had to admit that I could not meet the pace those deadlines would require of me. I had to admit to myself that I would and could still work on the course material, it would just take me a little longer than the rest. And that's okay.

Have you ever worried that your special kiddo isn't going to 'graduate on time'? Ever fretted he/she wouldn't finish a subject 'on time'? I have. But you know what? Ask yourself this: is your child taking this course, using that curriculum, to 'finish on time' or to actually LEARN the material?

Most of us homeschool our special needs kiddos partly, if not wholly, so they CAN learn. Not so they can meet a slate of cookie cutter deadlines.

When will I learn?

There is a Scripture verse in which the writer states when he was a child, he acted as a child; now that he is grown, he has left childish ways behind him.  (1 Corinthians 13:11) Today I'm wondering if I will ever get out of thinking like a child. What I mean by that is, while I am now a mom and have been for over seventeen years, I still don't "feel old enough" to be one and I'm certainly at a loss when it comes to what I call my daughter's Autism Days. Those are the days when absolutely nothing is going right in her world, and most likely won't, until the day is over and done with. It's like her specially wired brain short-circuits on those days and I don't know how to flip the switch or even know where the fuse box is!

This past weekend was a busy one; especially for my not disordered but differently ordered child. Sunday was a trip with her dad to the Arabian Horse Show. Monday was President's Day so Dad was not at work but at home and Monday afternoon was theatre class. Oh, and Monday was the first day of THAT time of the month for her. None of the first three things would be too much of a difference on their own but all three combined plus the fourth - I just think I should have seen this coming.
And yet, the part that still wants to 'fit in' with the world (be on someone else's timetable for accomplished work) pushed the academics today. Did that go well? I think you already know the answer to that.

I get frustrated because we're behind. At least, according to the standard (public school) schedule. But are my kids really behind? They know how to wash dishes, clean laundry, sweep and mop the floors. They know how to carry on an intelligible conversation with adults. They know how to read and write. They both know Jesus! That trumps everything.

So, where am I going with this spiel? To remind myself, and hopefully encourage others, that these days exist. Even if it's been weeks, maybe even months, since an Autism Day has showed up in all it's ugly-side glory!(note: I'm not saying Autism is all ugly. It's not. It just has its days.) These days will show up. So why am I surprised by them? I don't know.

What I do know is this: we are, ALL OF US, fearfully and wonderfully made (Psalm 139).
God is not surprised by anything we go through. And He can handle all our anxiety, even from our Aspie kids! 1 Peter 5:7

May YOU be encouraged that you are not alone in any of this!  Isaiah 40:31

-Noble

DECEMBER TRIFECTA

      So many of us with special needs kiddos know the holidays, any of them with a change in routine and extra stimuli, can wreak havoc on our children's emotional status quo. Our house is no exception.
This past Sunday was the December Trifecta at our house. And I was at work.

      The run down:
     It was my daughter's first day of that time of the month. That alone is enough to derail her usually stable executive functioning (ability to deal with every day life). Thus, the first part of the trifecta.

     The second part occurred when people (boys and girls) from her own youth group started to make fun of special needs folks. She handled it amazingly well when she explained to them how she is one of those folks. However, despite the fact that she pretty calmly explained it, and they were surprised that she was a part of the special needs community, one of them still had the audacity to tell her, "Don't get all booty hurt about it." Seriously? This is how a youth group peer treats another?

      The third part happened, as I said, while I was at work. The rest of the family was at home and as instructions were given to do something, the tectonic plates shifted and the core inside my house evidently erupted into lava - lots of yelling, anger, confusion, you name it.

      It's hard enough for my girl to deal with Aspergers on a day to day basis. Then you top it off with people who refuse to accept you as you are, think you're too sensitive, and won't listen to you when you try to explain what's going on. Honestly, I'm surprised she exploded. Usually, she implodes at times like this. But based on what was happening, had happened, during the day, I'm really not surprised it happened. I'm just sorry that it happened. Or am I?

     I know that some of you deal with some very similar issues, if not the exact same dynamics. My hope and prayer is that we all learn from these experiences and help our kids learn from them, too. But more than just learning from them, I pray we can figure out how to help others who don't deal with this on a daily basis to understand this is OUR normal. And just because my normal looks different than yours doesn't mean it's not acceptable.

     We see so many advertisements, hashtags, etc, asking for awareness of this, that, and the other. I'm pretty sure we're all AWARE of different challenges people have. Let's you and I break the mold and speak ACCEPTANCE of the differences in life's routines and challenges that special needs brings. And may we all teach each other how not to be hurtful but to be HELPFUL.

     Merry Christmas, everyone! If you live with these challenges, don't let anyone make you feel bad for not attending their event. You know what you need to do for the mental health of your family. If you don't live with these challenges, don't be insulted because someone says they can't participate in your shindig. It has nothing to do with you. What DOES have to do with ALL of us is LOVE! Matthew 22:39

-Noble

Black and White OR Red All Over!

While reading through some of my past blog posts, specifically one from 2012, I came across the reminder that our instructions to our children with Aspergers need to be black and white. Crystal clear. You'd think, after five years of knowing this is what's going on, and knowing I need to be extra clear on this, I'd give black and white instructions. And yet, I failed once more. Recently.

A couple of months back, my daughter was invited to spend the day on the lake with a youth group. She'd never done that before but was excited. As I've mentioned before, the water is her home. We made sure she had snacks, sunblock, the obligatory ratty clothes. I picked out the perfect shirt for her to take with her, thinking she would wear it over her swim suit while in the lake. What I neglected to do was tell her what I expected. So, you guessed it, she didn't wear it. And while she did have sunblock on and even put some on later, if you have ever spent all day in, on, or around a lake, even with sunblock, without a t-shirt, you FRY. She fried. And had the chills that night. And was tired the next day.

I hadn't planned on her going to church the next day, even though it was Sunday. That is something I learned awhile ago in this journey - ONE event per weekend and church counts as an event for the Aspie mind. So not only was she obviously in recovery mode, she had to deal with a sunburn on top of it. Well, experience is the best teacher and she won't soon be forgetting that lesson! Within a week we had bought her an actual swim shirt and  she was thrilled. Found them at Costco and they had ONE in her size! I know that was God! The slowness in timing was mine, not His. His timing is always perfect; mine, not so much.

In all of this we learn, again, to be crystal clear in the instructions we give to our amazing Aspie children. We also learn that while we wonder if they will ever survive out in "the real world", away from Mom's and Dad's protection, we have these little tastes of how they'll react to similar experiences. Best they have those FIRST experiences and "oops" within the safety of a loving family
where they can be guided and talked through what follows. And that, my lovely parents, is quite an honor!

It seems my ability to be consistent in blogging is nonexistent. So there's that.
However, it doesn't mean I don't live with the highlights and lowlights (peaks and valleys?) of Aspergers every day.

This weekend the Aspie princess is on a beach trip with her youth group. This is a GOOD thing. My girl feels at home in and near the water, so the ocean is a good place for her to be. Do I worry? Not really. Water, even the ocean, really is her friend.

New this year for her is swimming with the local high school's swim team. She willingly goes to a a gruelling swim practice four days a week. Another first for this year is actual competitive swim meets. She's been swimming with a recreational swim team every summer for the past five or so summers. This fall she does actual timed events and uses the diving block.

About that first swim meet . . .
We did prepare her for it by talking about the noise, stimuli, etc. We forgot to talk about the confusion  that might occur, at the exact time of the event, that might send her into a tailspin. And it did. She imploded and ran off to face the fence, cry, breathe . . .

And she came through it. Yes, we endured stares of other adults who didn't get it. Other teens who didn't get it. But you know what? I ignored them. I helped her. And when it was time for her to swim again, even though she was the last swimmer to come in, some of her swim team members cheered her in, and even some of the competitor team's members cheered for her! Yep, I cried. Tears come to my eyes even now, thinking about it.

So, do I worry about her at the Ocean? No. God has her and watches over her when I can't. I know He watches over her always. As He does you and me. He has given us unique and special children. Kids that would change our lives in ways we never thought possible. And for the better!

May you be encouraged, Mom and Dad, as you do your best each day to raise these unique kids. Is it easy? No. But is it a blessing? Absolutely! Consider yourself chosen - not everyone has the wherewithal to raise such interesting people!

-Noble

Time

It's been over a YEAR since I've posted here! I am so sorry! And I have no good reason to give you. Here this blog is supposed to help all of you as you traverse this strange trail called Aspergers and I've been MIA.

Since I last posted, I know the DSM (the manual that categorizes psychological disorders et al.) has removed the diagnosis (dx) of Aspergers and just lumped it into the Autism category. Autism is such a wide spectrum, though, isn't it? One person can say, "My child has autism" and they could mean anything from non-verbal to has what looks like two-year-old meltdowns even though they're fifteen!

I don't know about you but my journey on this trail has made me much more aware of how people are really doing than how I perceive they might be doing. For example, I've noticed more that when cashiers look mad and distant at the store, they're usually just not feeling well. Or if my son, who is gifted (and that's a whole other set of issues, right there!) says he cannot do something (such as a school assignment right that moment) he literally might not be able to even though I might think he can!

This school year my daughter has started her freshman year of high school. What I've learned since the beginning is she's not as independent at her work as I think she should be, she may not graduate in the expected four year time frame, and while she does have a mind for science, her high school level biology course is taking a lot out of her. Not only that but there are gaps missing in her math, so we will probably be backing her up a bit in that.

Now, if I were to be worrying about mankind's opinion about all this, I would probably stress myself out even more than I was earlier this year  (2014)when I landed in the Emergency Room more than once due to stress! However, I remind myself it really doesn't matter what anyone else thinks. I need to do what's right by my daughter. If we've identified some gaps in her education, we can back up and get her to where she needs to be before moving on. THAT's what is important! That and letting her know, daily, that her parents love her, and most importantly, GOD loves her!

Time is fleeting, the Bible says, and we've all seen the truth of that! Regardless of what anyone else, who isn't traversing the journey you're on, thinks, you the concerned and involved parent, need to follow your gut and get the services and/or diagnoses you believe your child needs, whether she is 4 or 24.  We do our kids no favors by trying to get them to "keep up with their peers" when they just aren't ready. Use your time wisely, moms and dads! Your kiddos will most likely only be with you for a little while longer before life happens and you wonder why your house is so quiet! (I'm not there yet, either, but I keep hearing that's what happens!)

Peace and blessings to you!

-Noble

Forgive me?

How are you? Have you been having a good summer? Great summer? Terrible summer?
I've been thinking for awhile that I need to visit here and update the blog. I had NO idea that
I hadn't been here since April! So, I ask your forgiveness.

Yep, if I were you, I might roll my eyes, too, or think, "You know she's going to do this again",
etc. And you're both justified and correct. However, remember this blog is not really about you or
me but about facing and dealing with the challenges of Asperger's Syndrome. So please don't let
my faults keep you away from occasional good information!

Speaking of forgiveness, do you sometimes find it difficult to forgive the Aspie in your life? When the Aspie in your life has a meltdown do you ever think (and I know you do!), "Again? Why can't they CONTROL it? What is it THIS time?" Or the Aspie in your life does something that you think they should KNOW not to do? And then when it's pointed out that their action was wrong, they either shrug or don't do anything, including saying they're sorry. Annoying, isn't it?

Remember, Asperger's Syndrome is a different order, a different wiring of the brain, not necessarily a disorder. So, the answers to the above questions are: yes, again. No, he/she probably cannot control the meltdown. They may not even know what caused it. And one of the best explanations I heard as to why they don't say they're sorry:

     "If they did it on accident and you know it was an accident, why should they have to say they're sorry?
      If they did it on purpose, then they're not sorry, so why should they have to say they're sorry?"

Most of us know that it's polite to say you're sorry. The Aspie in your life may not yet know that or may simply need reminding. Or it may never make sense to them and they won't ever say they're sorry. We must be forgiving. Don't fault your Aspie for the different wiring of his/her brain. God has a plan for him/her using just the brain he gave him/her. And the result of that plan may very well surprise you!

As for those of us who are neurotypical (aka, erroneously, normal), perhaps the Aspie in our life will some day see fit to forgive us for our difficulty in accepting someone whose brain is wired differently!

Again??

She had a meltdown this morning. Again. I had to decide what to do. Again. I wondered WHAT to do. Again. Do you ever feel like this? Like you have to tread on eggshells. Again. Or you must remember to be as literal as possible. Again. My daughter is 13. She's already hit puberty, hormones and all. Thus, I've also had to teach her the finer points of shaving. She's been shaving for over a year now. Last night I told her to shave her legs and arms when she took her shower. She agreed to shave her legs and then said, "I don't know how to shave my arms. You never showed me how.". It took me a minute to figure out that while I was thinking 'under arms' my daughter was thinking of her literal entire arm! Needed to think in black and white terms. Again. This morning, while I know she is very tired, I did make sure to give her a literal time for when I wanted her to do something. Well, evidently that's not good enough for when your Aspie child is completely exhausted. We had a meltdown. Again. I wonder I'd I'll ever have a moment where I don't have to think "Again??" with her but whether or not I do, God evidently gave this child to ME, and my husband, for a reason. And so I take heart in the Scriptures that encourage us to: "Do not grow weary in doing good" And "Come to Me all who are weary and I will give you rest." Along with "In this world you will have trouble but take heart for I have overcome the world." So, even if I have to deal with another meltdown, again, or wonder what to do, again, I know that the God of the Universe understands and He has put you here as well. We are not alone in this! We have each other. So, welcome, friends! Be strong and courageous! And when you can't be strong on your own, lean on Him. He can handle anything you throw His way. -Noble

I've been distract . . .oh, why is my desk so dusty . . .

Bunny trails. Familiar with those? You begin with matching your loose socks together and discover one that belongs to your son. You go to put it in his drawer and notice his dirty clothes on the floor, so you decide to start the laundry. Then you remember the baseball uniform needs to be washed because pictures are tomorrow. Oh, that's right, you're supposed to bring a snack. So now you go to the grocery store. But before you go to the store, do you need things for dinner? Oh, and don't forget the coupons! etc, etc, etc.

We all get distracted and evidently I've been distracted for over two months now since I haven't posted a single thing here. Oops.

Yep, you're right, I did make a promise a few months back and have failed miserably in keeping that promise. Part of the problem is that I get so distracted. What about your unique child? Do they struggle with distraction? Or maybe they're not "distracted" necessarily because they're hyperfocused on something. Drives you nuts when they don't hear you, doesn't it?

Remember, these kids are Aspergers kids. Their brains are wired differently. We need to remember that getting impatient and upset when they don't respond to us in the way WE think they should does no one any good and will probably just make the situation worse. Take a deep breath, Mom and Dad, and think about ways to interact with your kid that you know WILL work. Don't know what will work? Well, stop whatever you're doing now that isn't working and try something different. Remember, your Aspie child is equally frustrated but they need your help. So please help.

-Noble

It's December?! Overwhelmed!

Please forgive me. Again. For once again I have been remiss in my responsibility of updating my blog. Do you ever feel so overwhelmed with everything that you just do nothing? Or you think, "I know, I know it needs to be done, I'll get to it a little later" and then it doesn't get done? I think that's what happened to me. There are times when it seems I have SO much facing me on the
"to do" list, I just get completely overwhelmed and don't do anything!

Are your Aspies like that? Do you give them a task or two or three to do and nothing gets done? You wonder why a task that should have taken 5 minutes is now taking an hour and a half or more because you have to stand there right next to your child to make sure it actually gets done. Then you get frustrated, you get impatient, and you YELL!!! Hmmm. That didn't work either, did it?

A couple of months back I couldn't understand why my 13yo Aspie daughter broke down when I told her to do a simple Language Arts assignment. Now, I realize that LA is probably her weakest academic area but this was something simple. Hmmm. Simple. Yes, it was simple. But not to an Aspie who had anactivityFridaySaturdaySundayandplayedwithfriendsandactivityonMondaytoo!

Hard to read? Yes. Read it s-l-o-w-l-y. I reckon the first time you looked at or even tried to read that string of words you felt an inner wall go up, you thought,"What?? That doesn't make any sense!" and you felt overwhelmed. Right?

Multiply that feeling by 10, 20, 30, maybe even a thousand, and that's how it seems to be for an Aspie on an almost daily basis at key moments.

I urge you, Dear Parent Friend, when you're Aspie begins to melt down or to go into what I call "shutdown mode", remember those times you have felt overwhelmed. Can you imagine having to face that feeling practically every day and not know exactly what to do about it?

Our children look to us for training or guidance (yes, really,they do! I promise!). Let's not berate them when they feel helpless.

I Peter 5:7 states "Cast all your anxiety on Him because He cares for you."

Proverbs 3:5-6 states "Trust in the Lord with all your heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways, acknowledge Him and He will direct your paths."

May we both let those two passages of Scripture be an encouragement to us when we're anxious and don't have any clue as to what to do with or for our differently-wired children!

-Noble

Summer (Change of ) Routine

Hello! Your sporadic blogger here!

Since the summer is upon us and most of our kids are out of/done with school for the summer, I've been thinking about how I'm going to keep my Aspie daugher "on a routine". She does not do well when left to her own devices for the whole day. The first two weeks we will be occupying the kids with VBS (Vacation Bible School) and swim lessons, followed by lunch and a quiet time. By the time that is over each day it will be around 2 or 3pm. Then I'll be working on a project with my dd for at least an hour each day leaving her about an hour or so of free time before dinner and maybe an hour afterwards.

How do you keep your Asperger's kiddo on a routine in the summer?

Woefully Unreliable

Talking about me, here. I promised you that I would post something at least once a week and I have not. I do apologize. This past Sunday we had a guest pastor at church. His message topic was: Temptation. A big part of temptation comes from within. Wow. Ouch. Therefore, temptation from within my own self has pulled me to focus my attention on other things instead of this blog. That being said, do you think that our kiddos (or spouses) with Asperger's Syndrome are more prone to temptation than the rest of us, given that they can be so focused on ONE thing for a long period of time? And because it often seems that they are only interested in what they WANT to focus on?

What are your thoughts on this?

Look up a Scripture verse this week that talks about temptation and come back and tell me what you learned from it. I'll do it, too.

Blessings!

-Noble

Future Education for Autistic Kids

I'm discovering some new and exciting resources that may be helpful to all of you as you navigate your child's education, now and in the future. While I am a huge proponent and advocate of homeschooling, I know that it's not possible for everyone. When it comes to college and post-secondary education, that may be of even more concern. So here is help. Below I've posted a couple of links for resources that may help you. Please come back and let us know if it was indeed helpful to you.

http://collegeautismspectrum.com/index.html

http://www.npr.org/2011/04/13/135345982/colleges-address-autistic-students-struggles


Blessings!

-Noble

Is it more than just disobedience?

Anyone who has a kiddo with Asperger's Syndrome knows that while our Aspies like their routine and schedules their meltdowns seem to occur at random times and, sometimes, for random reasons. My husband is quick to say that it's blatant disobedience and that our daughter is "playing the sympathy card." He may be right but I don't see it that way.

I do believe there is a deeply rooted issue of disobedience in all of us, regardless of our various issues or neuroses. However, I also believe that you must tailor the discipline of that disobedience to the individual. My husband's response is to immediately get frustrated and yell. Yeah, that helps. I will admit that used to be my response, too, and sadly sometimes still is. Yet I know that our daughter is wired differently so shouldn't I also know that my response must be different? Yes, I should and I do. But not always.

What do you do when you realize your response to your Aspie's meltdown or other bizarre behavior is simply ineffective? Or when responding a certain way has worked before but not this time around?

One day when the kids and I were all yelling at each other and couldn't seem to stop, I ran downstairs, dropped to my knees, and literally cried to the LORD for help. As I opened my Bible the first passage I saw was Proverbs 15. I read the first verse and then tried to read on. I couldn't concentrate on anything but that first verse: Proverbs 15:1

"A gentle answer turns away wrath, but a harsh word stirs up anger."

Ouch. What had we just been doing to each other? Yelling. In anger. Not being gentle at all. I literally was stuck on that verse and could not read on. Then I stood up, picked up the white board and wrote that verse on it. Then I called the kids down, showed them that verse, and made us all read it together.

The point of this is that we all get frustrated and angry. For a myriad reasons. We often choose disobedience. All of us. (When was the last time you spent some quiet time reading Scripture?) We will and often do respond inappropriately. When that happens, as it inevitably will with special needs kiddos, turn to the LORD, in prayer and humility. For that is our first act of obedience: to acknowledge that we need Him. Thank Him for your life. You wouldn't be here without Him. Praise Him for Who He is. Then ask for His help and guidance. In answer, you may get stuck on a single Bible verse but it will be exactly the one you need.

Blessings!

-Noble

Spring Break!

I know! It seems like I was on Spring Break all of March! But I need to take another week or two off to think about this blog and where I want its focus to be. If you have any suggestions or questions, feel free to post away! Be nice. Be respectful. Thanks!

Behavior of other Siblings

Lately, I've been noticing behavior from my son that seems to be copied from his sister. This concerns me only because I don't know if it's just him copying her tantrums and other behavior or if it means that he is showing actual, valid signs of Asperger's Syndrome. You may remember that my daughter was assessed, and confirmed, for Asperger's Syndrome last spring. Now I'm beginning to wonder if I should have my son assessed, too. One more thing to add to the prayer list!

Through it all, and whatever the outcome, I know that God is with me. He is with you, too, whether or not you realize it. He is in control and I must rest on that. I must rest in His arms, placing the worry on His shoulders. I must do that because if I don't and try to carry it myself . . . well, let's just say it wouldn't be pretty!

Are you here at this part of your journey with your special kiddo? Are you at the beginning? Are you further along? May God grant you comfort and wisdom, wherever you are on your journey with the challenges and delights of having a special needs child or children.

Share with me your stories. We're all in this together. You are not alone!

-Noble

Overwhelmed?

Do you ever know that you need to do something, like clean the house, but once you set your mind to do it, when you look around, it just overwhelms you? Think about that feeling for a moment. I think that may have been how my daughter was feeling today when she was working on her math homework. She was grumbling so I asked her what was wrong. She said, "I...I...I feel overwhelmed." However, when I asked her how she was feeling overwhelmed, she really didn't know how to explain it. Is your Aspie, or other special needs, kiddo ever just overwhelmed? Does that ever frustrate you? Next time, let's both take a deep breath, step back, and think about those times that we have felt overwhelmed. Perhaps we'll both gain some insight as to what's happening inside our precious kiddos at that moment! May God bless you with understanding and insight!

-Noble

Unmotivated!

Is your Aspie kiddo unmotivated? Are you? How does that affect your day? Evidently, it affects me, too, and has affected me this month.

Please forgive me for ignoring you. My pledge to you for 2011 is this:
Despite whatever comes my way, I promise to update this blog at least once a week. If I don't, what help am I to you?

To begin, tell me how your journey is going with your Aspie kiddo. Was Christmas a pleasant celebration or did your kiddo have a meltdown amongst all the noise and other stimuli? Ours was mostly pleasant. My daughter did get to know a cement wall up close and personally - still doesn't have the concept of steering (her scooter) down. And she's 12. Hmmm. Maybe this next year?

-Noble

I don't know

Good morning!

I sit here, in front of my computer, thinking, "I really need to post something!" and yet, my mind remains blank. Thinking of my daughter's behavior/challenges lately, there hasn't been too much out of the ordinary. But let's look at a couple of past issues.

The most recent one (last week) occurred when my daughter confided in me that she was still having trouble making friends. From what I've read, this is a typical challenge with Aspie kids, and possibly adults, too. She also said it seemed as though people were saying things about her but not to her. Oh, how I've been there! HOWEVER, what I was quick to remind her of is that she is the daughter of the KING of KINGS and she is beautiful no matter what anyone else says!

Have you struggled with this issue? Has your child?

The other issue is physical pain. Either my daughter has a very high pain tolerance or she just got so focused on other things, the pain was a non-issue for her. Around the beginning of the school year, she decided she wasn't going to wear socks with her tennis shoes. At first, I wasn't too concerned about it. Just thought it was a 'stage', you know? Until the day I saw her feet! They had red spots all over them for where the shoes had been rubbing them raw. I asked her if her feet hurt. Her response? "Only when the shoes rub on them." ?! She hadn't told me her shoes were tight and hurt, just that she didn't wear socks! We immediately went out in search of new shoes for her!

What has your Aspie not told you that could have been, or was, critical?

Next topic (coming semi-soon) is The Self and help through the Bible.

It's November already??

WHERE, I ask you, where, does the time GO?? In October, I promised to write at least once a month and I did but I don't think it was nearly enough. There are so many topics to write about!
So, to you, dear readers, this is my promise: in November, I will write about at least three topics but I shall let you choose! Here are some of the topics currently running around through my head (let me know if they're running around in your head, too!):

*God will never give us more than we can handle.
*Cain, Moses, and Jonah: what did they have in common and what does this have to do with Asperger's anyway? (I know, long title. :^) )
*You at HOW much Halloween candy?? (aka Nutrition, or lack thereof)
*You must have a lot of patience!

Any other topics you'd like to see?

-Noble