Or what ASD looks like on paper.
On Friday, Sine and Cosine moved on and out of preschool. They had a "ceremony" in which they sang about a dozen little ditties with their fellow students. Pretty cute. At one point, Sine got distracted by a baby in a carrier, and stopping singing for a few minutes. And, Cosine spent a few moments correcting a follow student on how to count into a song. I was impressed by every moment of it. Equally, that I managed not to verbal attack their teacher was impressive. Her name shall be known far and wide, coast to coast, as one of the WORST teachers ever. I think I have previously mentioned her sensitivities and skill (lack thereof) of dealing with two beautiful, gifted, and loving girls with ASD.
On Friday, I received their "report cards". And, it's happening all over again. Reading their subjective reviews was like reading fistfuls of report cards from my youth. They were something I used to emphasis what ASD can look like to an educator or parent if not diagnosed and intervention started when I spoke on a panel of ASD adults. Fortunately, for Cosine and especially Sine, we have started that process.
Lacking time, I will briefly list the areas where they needed "learning". However, there were ten times as many skills that they have mastered. I do not want anyone to think I don't celebrate their achievements. I have been told many times that academically they could skip kindergarten. So, it isn't so much the concrete skills giving cause for alarm. I, too, did very well academically... in subjects I found interesting. These areas of needed improvement are strictly in behavioral/social areas. Just like their momma.
Sine's troubled areas: follows class rules/routine, follows direction, plays cooperatively with other children, shares with others, waits for turns, can suppress tendency to interrupt, and displays self-control. She also was marked as unable to do a somersault. Sine expresses a bit more physical rigidity than Cosine. I have mentioned this before as like trying to fold an ironing board.
Cosine's troubled areas: shares with others, waits turns, can suppress tendency to interrupt, and displays self-control.
Some of these things seem age appropriate to me in ANY child. However, it is when patterns start to emerge and level of their severity. I wonder how many of these things would have been better mastered if the girls had a teacher even remotely informed about ASD or somewhat interested in teaching a child who wasn't an easy product of a cookie cutter. Unfortunately, I have heard other complaints from other parents. Apparently, there were issues with this teacher in high grades. So, as the Catholic school system is so well-known for doing, they just moved her around instead of dealing with it. And, they wonder why we aren't going back.
I am very hopefully that early intervention on many levels will give the girls the tools they need to climb over obstacles. They are smart girls. I have seen changes in them already. I look forward to a fun summer with zoo classes, swimming classes, summer reading program, and a week-long nature camp for the girls. I am already finding some resources to reinforce some learning over these next few months. But, I will demand there be plenty of goofing off as well!
Another recent consideration I may write a bit more about alter, we considering buying a security system for the house. Not so much because we fear a break-in. It's because the break-outs have been on the rise. Both Sine and Cosine have taken to letting themselves out of the house. Apparently, this is symptomatic aslo. And, I remember being disciplined for leaving the house and wandering without telling anyone at a VERY young age numerous times. I spent a lot of time not being where I was supposed to be in my youth. As a parent, this is a very scary development.
Also, I recently had to take Cosine to a specialist because of her acid reflux. I didn't even know a five and a half year old could get that! It was suggested she may have a food allergy-- gluten. She is also allergic to tomatoes, making her mouth red and itchy. The physician recommended a prescription to be used daily, but I have concern about putting my child on a maintenance drug (ghosts from working in a pharmacy for years). So, we will be modifying our diets as a start. Thanks goodness we already belong to the food co-op. Sine also has some digestive issues, but her's are more southern in latitude. Again, it amazes me how cliche some of their (our) symptomatology seems. But, that only convinces me more there are universal physiological markers and processes taking place in person's with ASD. Why? How? What code is being written or unwritten to make these changes?
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