It is April, the time of year when I once again reflect on my journey as a mother. I paint my nails blue and reflect...
April is Autism Awareness month and although I know now without a shadow of a doubt that Daniel is not autistic, I have to remind myself that I did live as if that was a fact for a good 5 years of his life. It turned out after extensive therapy and after countless visits with professionals that a doctor led me to the world of sensory integration disorder that helped us address some issues in Daniel's world at the time and within weeks he started sleeping, talking, socialising...
April a year ago, I was in a rough place in relation to his journey. I was revisiting the concern that he may just be... because of difficulties he was going through. We had gone to Lesotho in the January and some of the inputs to his sensory system had been overwhelming for him and he started doing very autistic behaviours again. For a few months after that I was reading extensively again, wondering if there was not a season in a child's life when behaviours they struggled with as little ones revisit them when they start going through puberty... it was quite a difficult time.
I made a choice as a mother in that time last year that I would do what I did when he was 16 months old and showed his first real signs of "autism"....no, not buy another dog!... but, I would listen to my heart as a mother. I would get into my head and find out what I believe about this beautiful boy God had given Holger and me. What I felt at the time was that I needed to apply to a normal high school for him. Even Holger thought I was a little crazy!
At his entrance exam I got shocking news. What I heard, I knew was true and it was that among other things that had in fact brought me to that place of reckoning. He had fallen behind somewhere! Even the subjects he had shown strength in earlier years were not strong anymore. Even though his reports were good at the school he was at the time...
I am very thrilled to say that this school did not leave me and Daniel in that place. They chose to take him on and allow him to be in class with his peer group. He was given the opportunity to stay with the understanding that by the end of the year a decision would be made if he could stay there.
He courageously got up every day and went to school. It was hard work and very challenging. He not only adapted well, he passed!
It is the end of the first term of school in his grade 8 year. His report is not spectacular by any means, but he passed again... he is enjoying school. We did not push him hard this term, gave him some rest to be able to measure when left to himself what he would do. He is doing drama, still learning trombone and although reluctant he is a part of an orchestra. He took part in the school gala while swimming his own style because he does not like water on his face, but got up in there with his peers... He has friends and likes his teachers! He has a lot of challenges still, but he is courageously living out this high school teen life every day... We do not know yet where it all is going and whether he will go all the way to high school graduation at this school, but at peace we know for now we can rest inside, we will continue to work hard and continue to help him put the things in place to be all he can be in his life...
I am so thankful for this High School he is in and for the amazing way they have embraced him and me as a mom on this journey.
My blue nails this year are for all the children who are wired differently and their parents... may we continue to find the help we need to help our kids be all they can be!
Thank you to all who have helped me!
April is Autism Awareness month and although I know now without a shadow of a doubt that Daniel is not autistic, I have to remind myself that I did live as if that was a fact for a good 5 years of his life. It turned out after extensive therapy and after countless visits with professionals that a doctor led me to the world of sensory integration disorder that helped us address some issues in Daniel's world at the time and within weeks he started sleeping, talking, socialising...
April a year ago, I was in a rough place in relation to his journey. I was revisiting the concern that he may just be... because of difficulties he was going through. We had gone to Lesotho in the January and some of the inputs to his sensory system had been overwhelming for him and he started doing very autistic behaviours again. For a few months after that I was reading extensively again, wondering if there was not a season in a child's life when behaviours they struggled with as little ones revisit them when they start going through puberty... it was quite a difficult time.
I made a choice as a mother in that time last year that I would do what I did when he was 16 months old and showed his first real signs of "autism"....no, not buy another dog!... but, I would listen to my heart as a mother. I would get into my head and find out what I believe about this beautiful boy God had given Holger and me. What I felt at the time was that I needed to apply to a normal high school for him. Even Holger thought I was a little crazy!
At his entrance exam I got shocking news. What I heard, I knew was true and it was that among other things that had in fact brought me to that place of reckoning. He had fallen behind somewhere! Even the subjects he had shown strength in earlier years were not strong anymore. Even though his reports were good at the school he was at the time...
I am very thrilled to say that this school did not leave me and Daniel in that place. They chose to take him on and allow him to be in class with his peer group. He was given the opportunity to stay with the understanding that by the end of the year a decision would be made if he could stay there.
He courageously got up every day and went to school. It was hard work and very challenging. He not only adapted well, he passed!
It is the end of the first term of school in his grade 8 year. His report is not spectacular by any means, but he passed again... he is enjoying school. We did not push him hard this term, gave him some rest to be able to measure when left to himself what he would do. He is doing drama, still learning trombone and although reluctant he is a part of an orchestra. He took part in the school gala while swimming his own style because he does not like water on his face, but got up in there with his peers... He has friends and likes his teachers! He has a lot of challenges still, but he is courageously living out this high school teen life every day... We do not know yet where it all is going and whether he will go all the way to high school graduation at this school, but at peace we know for now we can rest inside, we will continue to work hard and continue to help him put the things in place to be all he can be in his life...
I am so thankful for this High School he is in and for the amazing way they have embraced him and me as a mom on this journey.
My blue nails this year are for all the children who are wired differently and their parents... may we continue to find the help we need to help our kids be all they can be!
Thank you to all who have helped me!
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