Change

First Day of Kindergarten

It seems that I have taken a little vacation from blogging. I have lots of catching up to do and I owe a post on our favorite apps for the iPad. I promise to post all of that in the next few days! I've spent the past few months contemplating whether or not to continue writing this blog. I realized that this space has been my sounding board. This is the way I make sense of what is going on around me. I also want to be able to help others who are going through something similar. So here I go!

 There has been a lot of change in the works. Finn started Kindergarten a few days ago. This is a big transition for any child, but for a child with ASD it can be extremely difficult. I planned for every possible circumstance! I made a list of "Finn Facts" for the teacher with the help of an amazing woman, Marilee Emerson. I listed his likes and dislikes and basically any information the teacher could make use of. This was Marilee's brilliant idea, of which I have also used for babysitters. During meet the teacher night I had my own little photo shoot in the classroom. I took pictures of Finn's cubby, the rug for circle time, his seat, his teacher, the front of the building and put it all together in a book called "Finn's First Day of Kindergarten." We started reading it a few days before school started, so that he knew exactly what to expect. I couldn't have been more prepared, so I thought.

 A week before school started we had Finn's appointment with the Developmental Pediatrician. She gave him an IQ test to further investigate the possibility of Aspergers. He scored very high, but he would have done even better had he been able to sit still for more than a few seconds. And so there is this little thing called ADHD. I thought we could get away with not talking about it for at least another year. I knew it was coming... MEDICATION! There is no way around it, unless we keep Finn home and hire a private tutor for the rest of his school career. This was a big blow to say the least. I am an extreme type A and this was not part of my plan for the transition into Kindergarten. We filled the script and started over the weekend. He was tired and a little grumpy in the afternoon for the first week. Then I started noticing changes that were absolutely amazing. He was thoughtful and focused instead of the usual impulsive behavior. I could have a conversation with him and stay on subject for more than a second. He has gone to school all week and we haven't had one problem. My sweet little boy is growing up right before my eyes! Once again I have learned that flexibility is at the top of the list when it comes to parenting a child with Autism. I need to remind myself of this more often! As parents we can plan and prepare all we want, but if we can't adapt quickly then we are no help to our children or ourselves.