What Would You Tell Them?

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-22-2003
What Would You Tell Them?
21
Mon, 02-26-2007 - 11:09pm

Since this board serves as a source of support for so many of us, it stands to reason that it typically focuses on the challenges we face every day. So I thought that posing this hypothetical situation might give us all a reason to smile, even if only for a moment or two.

If a reporter were to ask you, "What is the BEST thing about your child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder?" How would you answer?

Meez 3D avatar avatars games

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-02-2004
Tue, 02-27-2007 - 11:24am

I don't know if it has anything to do with ASD or not, but my youngest has been blessed with an extra dose of sparkle! She has this aura about her that she is completely unaware of. Even though she could care less whether other people care about her or not, she somehow wraps everyone, from the school janitor to the cashier at the grocery store, right around her finger. It goes without saying that she also has her entire family wrapped around her finger too!

Amy~Natalie & Lily's mom

iVillage Member
Registered: 06-02-2004
Tue, 02-27-2007 - 11:28am

One more thing (although I know there are many others), I love Lily's incredible sense of humor! The things that she says that seem so random to us are quite hilarious!

Amy~mom to Natalie & Lily

iVillage Member
Registered: 12-22-2003
Tue, 02-27-2007 - 11:33am

Oh Amy...I think it has everything to do with autism. Our youngest is the same way, and until I read your post, I'd never been able to describe it! Thank you! It's Claire's aura...and you're right, they are COMPLETELY unaware of it!!!

OMG! For sooooo long I've been wondering how to describe this experience, now I finally can.

Thank you~

Amy

Meez 3D avatar avatars games

iVillage Member
Registered: 01-29-2005
Tue, 02-27-2007 - 12:03pm
exactly! Nathan's one liners and sense of humor is great. He also has the biggest heart of anyone I know.
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-07-2003
Tue, 02-27-2007 - 1:07pm

Oh I really need the positives here. As I have victim number 3 sleeping off the stomach bug that has been going through our house this week. 3 kids down, Mom and Dad last 2 standing and fearing.

But positives about Josh.

Persisitance over what he wants. If it is something Josh truly wants, he will stop at nothing till he gets it.

I agree about the aura. As far as Adults are concern,Josh is a truly lovable kid, even if he doesn't realize it. He may agrivate the crud out of us many times because of his stubborness(which can be a positive) but many other people just think he is the best, polite, etc

The ability when he was younger not to dwell on the negative and the persitance also helped him when he was going through all of his surgeries with his foot. and when he broke his leg at age 7 he was able to deal with it and not whine(although right now he is starting to be a typical sick male right now on my couch) I think it helped him get through them easier and he is very matter of fact about the prospect of any future work on his foot.

Sometimes being the loner is not the worst thing either. Josh has some friends and I think the ones he becomes friends with are of simialr speed to him, not necassarily on the spectrum but the quiet kids the ones not likely to be overwhelmingly popular either for their vaious reasons.
between that and his taking things literally, i am hoping we may avoid certain things that teenagers go through (sorry sick child puke break but we made it to the toilet yeah!)such as drinking and drugs.

He also when he is a good frame of mind can act some much like the young adult and all and some of his reasonings.
The abilty to remember people and faces. He can usually pinpoint a person and when he met them even if it was a couple of years ago.he has no problemgoing up to these people and saying hello, I can be very shy and all but Josh has no such problem.

He likes to read the newspaper and remember what he has read. He likes to watch the weather channel sometimes. Etc

Is this enough?
I am glad we had this exersise it helpes me to remeber the good stuff about Josh even when I am ready to strangle him.

Rina

iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Tue, 02-27-2007 - 1:49pm

The best thing about Henry is his creativity and excellent memory for details. Also, I really love that he is still into "younger" things than his peers--like he still likes Elmo, Max & Ruby, all the things that his baby brother likes, too.


iVillage Member
Registered: 03-26-2003
Tue, 02-27-2007 - 1:53pm

I liked what you said.


I was trying to think of how to say that Henry is such a mama's boy (and I think that's great), but I couldn't think of the right words.


Henry loves me like no other. No matter where we are or what we're doing, he's calmer, happier, and more well-behaved if I'm there.


iVillage Member
Registered: 10-03-2004
Tue, 02-27-2007 - 2:09pm

I could echo what most of you wrote, honesty, aura of loveliness, sweetness of spirit, the novelty of his takes on the world, tenacity.

If I were being interviewed, though, the thing I would most want to convey about my son is my awe at his courage. He is quite literally the very bravest boy I know. He gets confused, angry, he is working so hard all the time to figure out what is going on around him and process everything, including the strangeness of other people's reactions and expectations.

And yet, he is always stepping right back up to the plate, over and over and over. He has been thrown some real awful curve balls, and sometimes he really has to take breaks and recover for periods of time and calm down and regroup -- DUH -- so do we all. His brain keeps asking questions, and I love to watch how he reasons and picks things apart, wondering, searching. But when he is ready, he is out there trying again.

I admire him so much.

Sara

iVillage Member
Registered: 07-06-2006
Tue, 02-27-2007 - 3:27pm

Thanks Robin! Its hard for me to put my feelings about my kids into words. I don't want to say that I have a "favorite" child, but my bond with Hayden is so intense, I can't even explain it. And to think, I never wanted any boys, lol!

Chrissy

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iVillage Member
Registered: 06-25-2003
Tue, 02-27-2007 - 5:40pm

"What is the BEST thing about your child with an Autism Spectrum Disorder?"


Everything!


It's all the best thing.


Sometimes it's all the worst thing too.

-Paula

visit my blog at www.onesickmother.com