As some of you know, my four year old son has autism. I have recently received a bit of good news.
My little one did not qualify for the summer school program that is provided by the district for special needs children because he is doing well and had no 'regression' during the school year. That is great news in itself...but then what to do in the summer??? Well, on Saturday, the school district sent over an Autism Specialist to show the family things that we can do around the house to help my four year old son progress over the summer. The meeting went well and she will be returning a few more times to complete the visits. Now.......on to more good news. The Autism Specialist mentioned that she is attending school for another degree. She was interested in my son and liked the qualities he has. She asked if she could visit him throughout the summer and work with him one on one for the hours she is required to complete for her degree. Ummmmm......YES!!! Wow! I was so happy and quickly agreed. Do you know how much a specialist would cost for one hour? An Autism Specialist all to ourselves for the summer. Ohh my goodnes.....I just felt like someone was looking out for us.
Thanks for reading. I just wanted to share some good news. :-)
Autism Society of America
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Comments: 29
Lisa Gensheimer~I am so glad you enjoyed their company, and participated in the race.
Trudy~His diagnosis is~ PDD~NOS.
Thanks again, everyone. ♥
I once worked at 2 different group homes for mentally retarded people and my biggest beef was with how the families had babied their kids too much (out of guilt? Who knows) and then that just made things worse than they should have been.
Back then, in the 90s, mentally retarded people were called "developmentally disabled". I've lost track of the current lingo. Those scientific fields always have their lingo.
Thanks for your comment.
Speaking from my own experience, I don't think it is guilt when families baby their special needs kids. Of course, there are limits. However, it may be because they want to protect them a bit more than they would a typical child~ who understands the world better~ and from a world that does not understand special need children. I think it is purely out of love. I don't baby my guy a whole lot, but do give him extra tender love.....but then again...he IS my baby and still so young. ♥
Thanks all.
:-Þ
One mother got super mad at us and threatened to call the State because her daughter had picked up "F--- You!" I had logged the event, happily. I was thrilled! She came into the home not using a single word at all!!!!! She had just CHIRPED LIKE A BIRD (while clapping like an "idiot", for no good reason). Ug! I think the daughter was a bit of a lady by the time I left (not all my work) and she got to where she could go out in public without attracting attention to herself. Boy did I HATE her mother!
I suspect you are happy to no longer be in that field. It doesn't seem like something you enjoyed doing. Saying that a special needs person was clapping like an "idiot" would not be something I'd want anyone saying about my family member....especially if that person was there to care for them. *sigh* I find that statement a bit harsh. I'm glad she got some help.
All of us staff would NEVER say anything like that where the clients would hear it. We were very kind and very professional (for one, it just makes your job A LOT easier). But we also weren't Pollyanna about any of it.
I did burn out from it all but it wasn't from the clients as much as it was management making us feel like it was impossible, or working under a nursing license and always feeling "set up" when nursing things went wrong, and the parents getting on your nerves because of things like - they think their daughter has such pretty super long long hair so they want it kept long but she can't comb it herself and you don't have the time to do something like that. We don't house barbie dolls. Of course I could go on and on.
Oh, and I forgot to say (there's so much to say I've written a novel on this topic), the pay was so bad, just a bit over minimum wage, that the burn-out was terrible for everybody.
I ended up being an Old Timer, staying a lot longer than most. But the longer you stay the more responsibility gets dumped on you (just because you're the one who knows everybody, and things) and that just takes you to a final dead end of TOO MUCH! I was at one (with Catholic Charities) almost five years. Most days were mundane. But BOY there were days I'll never forgot! Ever!!!
I think the pay was so bad because being a counselor in big group home is traditionally considered "women's work" and we know how "that" works - wink wink!