Feeling GREAT!

[Guest guest]

Hi guys!

I thought I best check in since it has been a while since my last

posting… Things are going… really GREAT!!! I can not believe the growth I have

seen Tyler go through in the last two years… I am so proud and amazed at what

he has been able to accomplish!

Gone are the days of animal noises, extreme rigidity, incredible sensory

integration issues, massive social deficiencies, and the inability to sit still

(without rocking, tapping, flicking, moving his head, or some other form of

major movement). Gone are the days of crying at school, getting picked on,

getting lost when the directions are individually tailored to him, having

troubles focusing unless he was in the front and center of the classroom, or

melting down if his schedule deviated from the one he typed up and printed out

at the beginning of the day.

What does Tyler do now? Well, he has made some

friends, is a mentor to some younger boys (ages 9-11) who have had difficulties

with trauma or social situations, sticks up for the “little people”, is able to

empathize with others, is able to act appropriately most of the time in social

situations, is able to handle sensory stimulation, no longer fidgets or has repetitive

movements, is able to organize his school work and work off of generalized

directions, can work as part of a team without taking over or shutting down, is

able to handle conflict appropriately (without melting down, shutting down, or

obsessing over it), and is excelling academically.

I was called in for a team conference the week before

school let out (very scary). When I got to school, all his teachers and

counselor were waiting. They wanted to let me know that they had added things

into his 504 Plan to make sure he didn’t fall through the cracks as he

transitioned into the high school. They also talked about all the growth they

have seen this year, how much they have learned from Tyler (who now is great at

self advocating and appropriately educating others). Because of his academic interests,

they got approval from the high school to have him placed mostly in advanced

courses (mostly with sophomores and juniors) at the honors level, which means

he will be with others who are academically focused (nerds, spectrum kids, etc).

They had also collectively written up a letter to the dean of our local

community college asking for the dean to consider Tyler as a “student who would

excel at perusing his intellectual pursuits while maintaining full time status

in ____ High School”. They had all signed it. As a group, they wanted Tyler to

have the option of taking college level courses to supplement his education

while still getting the social interactions and growth that occurs in high

school. They also figured it would make the transition from high school to

college easier for him and would also show him that the attitudes and behaviors

common in high school are very temporary and that there is something to look

ahead to beyond his high school years. Well after talking it over with Tyler

(who was very excited about the prospect), we took him to the college the day

after he graduated 8th grade for both placement tests as well as to

meet with the dean. The tester couldn’t believe Tyler at age 14 wanted to take

the college placement test and let us know she thought we were all nuts for

even considering having a kid spend his summer on academic pursuits. She seemed

to change her mind when he scored perfect scores in both reading and writing

placement tests and high enough to be placed into Math 60 after the math

placement test. Tyler was a bit disappointed about the math score, but not

having taken high school math classes yet, he did well! Anyway, the meeting with the dean went

really well. Though he tried to scare Tyler away with the promise of

challenging work and responsibility, the more he talked, the bigger Tyler’s

grin became! He is now allowed to enroll in any courses he wants other than

math, which he will get more of in high school. The dean looked at his high

school plan that the teachers laid out and said with just a couple more classes

over the next four years, Tyler will graduate from high school with his 2-year

college level AA transfer degree already completed. Anyway, needless to say,

Tyler is enjoying the idea of having the choice.

Within 2 days of taking the college placement exam,

Tyler had been approached 3 times by different organizations/people and offered

paying jobs. They had observed him “just being him” and thought he would do

really well for what they were looking for. (Tyler still neatens things as he

comes to them, is now very conscientious of helping others, and is seen as a

hard/enduring even if slower worker). This is during a time when almost all the

teens and college kids around are complaining that there aren’t jobs in the

area to be had! Tyler accepted 2 of the three, one that he has started and the

other that will start when he comes back from a weeklong church teen camp. He

was also recruited by the church to help lead the vacation bible school this

year, as the younger kids have started to really look up to him (the actually

like his antics!). He is a weekly volunteer at the church, where he runs the

lights and projection system for the service. Because of his volunteering and

now working as well as going to camp, he didn’t end up finding the time to take

a summer class at the college… Yet, he knows that he is able to now when the

opportunity presents itself!

Is Tyler still considered an Aspie? You betcha! He

still is working hard at recognizing social cues and body language. He is still

awkward/stilted in his walk and has some sensory issues, though not as major.

He still becomes obsessed with things and is unable to tear his thoughts away

from his new “interest”. He still sees girls as people instead of “sexual

beings” or “objects of obsessions”. There is no real interest in that

direction, thankfully!!! He still operates emotionally at about age 10-11 (but 10-11

is better than 7!!!!) Actually, he still has all the traits he had before… He

is just better at controlling and masking them, especially in public and around

other people! He has learned to “look normal” and “act normal”. Yet, some of it

goes deeper, like the empathy… He is really starting to get some of it!!!

So there’s my update… Tyler is 14, going on 11

emotionally and going on 19 academically. He is able to work well for and with

others now due to being able to “fit in with societies standards of conduct”.

He is growing socially and is making friends… and kids look up to him!!!

I hope everything is well with all of you… Have a

great long weekend!!!

~hugs~

Rabecca