22nd
February
2006
Wednesday February 22, 2006
posted in Uncategorized |
I want to thank you all for the kind words of encouragement. It helps me as I tryand figure out what to do.
ummm..no, that disorder is recognized in the US.
That is good to know. Everything I had found so far (granted, I have only been really looking since last Friday, so that knowledge is very limited at this point) said that it wasn’t recognized in the U.S. How is it classified? Is it considered at communication or language disorder or a part ofthe autism spectrum? I would love to know more if this is an area you have knowledge of!
…but happy that you guys (kind of) have a name forit and hopefully that will lead to more/better ways to help Zane.
I agree. This is why we sought help. As a friend put it…there is no reason to re-invent the wheel for this. My instincts on how to relate to him might be good, but getting information from people who have already dealt with similar or the same issues means I don’t have to figure everything out from ground zero. I am able to take the knowledge and help him to find his way more effectively.
You know, the latest issue of Mothering talks about all sorts of”cures” for Autism (chelation, homeopathy, diet, etc.), I wonder if any of those things would help in a case likeZane’s?
Funny you mention that. I don’t have asubscription to Mothering (so pricey, IYKWIM), but Zach happened to pick up this issue for me a few weeks ago. It got shuffled aside in the insanity of new baby, but I discovered it while cleaning yesterday. I was going to put it on my bookshelf and the cover caught my attention and sort of sucked the breath out of me for a moment. Very coincidental that they would choose this time to address those issues. I have begun reading them and hope to have a good grasp of the information before my pediatrician appointment Friday so I can discuss some of these things with her.
Did you get Zane Checked throughRainbows United?
Sort of, yes. They are who I called. They sent me to WSU’s speech hearing and language labs where we did a screening. The evaluation we are waiting for could have been done at the main offices of Rainbows United, but they also go out to the schools to do theevaluations. We choose to have it done at the school closest to us when they come out here because Zach does not deal well with downtown. He would be so anxious by the time we navigated around, found parking, and walked to the place that I am concerned his anxiety would influence the test. (did I mention that Zach has some of the same issues Zane does..lol) The school playground is the closest park-like setting to us, so we often walk there when school isn’t in session to play on the equipment.
…but you know, it sounds like a lot of math/science/computer wiz’s out there. You know the stereotype about the scientist who is so smart, a genius, but has really poor social skills. Or the one who understands these complicated programs and theories, but has no common sense. It makes sense that this disorder is actually more prevelant than people know.
I hadn’t heard that stereotype. 
As we were reading some of the different descriptions of the various disorders on the autism spectrum, Zach kept commenting that it sounded like either himself, his friends/acquaintances or one of his colleagues. (He works in the department of Computer Science at a University, his best friend designs & optimizes web pages, and my best friend’s dh is a network engineer working with UNIX) I could also see some of the traits in my family.
As we were reading some of the different descriptions of the various disorders on the autism spectrum, Zach kept commenting that it sounded like either himself, his friends/acquaintances or one of his colleagues. (He works in the department of Computer Science at a University, his best friend designs & optimizes web pages, and my best friend’s dh is a network engineer working with UNIX) I could also see some of the traits in my family. As geeky as Zach is, he looks like a social butterfly when he walks into a Linux Users Group meeting. The “pocket protector” crowd is not just a stereotype.
Zach does have a lot more common sense than he once did, but I understand the irony of a genius IQ and difficulty with social nuances. Zach is much more adept socially than he was when I met him. His primary defense mechanism then was to weird people out so they would leave him alone and he wouldn’t have to interact. He has since chilled out a lot so people are more likely to get to know him. He still does a lot better 1-on-1 than groups or crowds though, unless he is teaching…for some reason, that is different.
Personally, I think that it is better to homeschool when your child has special needs then to not. You can always continue working with an organization who can help Zane, but he doesn’t need to go to school for that.
On further reflection, I think that is probably true. My initial reactionwas an all-or-nothing view. Incorporating the best of both worlds will go further to helping Zane than one or the other. I just need to find a path that fits our family the best now.
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