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Through his eyes

I've noticed lately that J hangs out a lot with children that have special needs. I saw him and Ivan on the bench in the dugout last night - Ivan's arm around him. Today at camp - when I picked him up he was playing with Peter - when asked he told me that Peter had an aide but "wasn't like S". Is it possible that he truly doesn't *see* her disability. ??

On the car ride home S and J were planning tomorrow. They're going to do the Lazy River together and some water slide where "S has to be in back". It's almost scary when they get along. But I have to admit it really melts my heart. I so hope it continues into adulthood and for the rest of their lives.

Talked to the G-parents. They're coming next week on the train. They'll get to see the last baseball game this season AND get to see S bowl. She had a big 57 today - with her new shoes! :-) I ordered her shirt today - I'm praying it gets here by Thursday. :-)

I'm planning on taking Wed and Thurs off and since I got a lot done today - maybe even Friday. :-)

Got a HUGE surprise last night - one of my little daycare kids is babysitting now!!!! Little M - was here from the time she was 6 weeks till the time she was 8. She asked if she could use my sig line for her business card. I am SO flattered. B and I decided we NOW have the perfect babysitter for when we go out. I have to call H&S and let them know anytime is good for us. :-)

"Serious Tower"

This is what J was excited to see this morning. (Sears Tower). Camp is going to the Aquarium today and I told him that it was such a clear day that he would be able to see the Sears Tower from the road. When I tried to explain "Sears" - he said he'd rather call it the Serious Tower. :-)

S got to go garbage picking last night with Daddy. He's been promising that when school was out they could go - last night was S's turn. She's on the hunt for a drum. I have no idea why.

Daddy dropped her off early (10:30) they hadn't found anything and she was yawning so much he decided she should hit the rack. *He* went out again. :-)

I read Little House to J last night. He stopped me and said "Mom, I'm just going to shut my eyes - but I'm not going to sleep, ok." He was out complete with snoring in less than a page. That little one plays hard - and I mean hard. From the time he gets the cereal down his gullet to the time I *insist* he come in for a bath. The thing is - it's beginning to show. His emotions are at the surface and he's whiny. I *hate* that.

Sometimes.......

Things go from bad to worse and you feel SO helpless. Bad news from the South makes it tough to stay positive. You want SO much to DO something. Again - to "fix" it. And you feel angry about WHY. It makes you want to "kick some a**". You can kind of see how people get to the point where they do really CRAZY things. It feels so hopeless sometimes. And even though I'm kind of typing in code - it helps to kind of get it out.

Weird stuff with Camp again. I don't know - S has an aide - but not the same one and then there was talk (from S) that she had cried yesterday because someone wouldn't let her play a game. I hate that - you can't get a full story from her. She's also going through this cry thing when she's told no about something. She can be very obnoxious. Nagging and whining and CONSTANT wanting. ugghhh - I know a lot of it has to do with not knowing what to expect next - but such is life and she's GOT to learn too. Plus the no thing is prob more like a developmental thing - flexing her independence. Celebration yes - but also aggravating as hell! :-)

The October List

Most of you have heard me refer to this group at one point or another and you probably don't *really* get what/who they are. In 1997 we all (I think there are about 80 of us left) joined a Yahoo group called Oct 1997. The meaning of this was that we were all pregnant and had due dates of Oct 97. We had only one thing in common then: our due dates were in October - since then we have come to know all sorts of things in common. (and a lot of us didn't deliver in October) I think I joined in July sometime - a lot of them joined earlier. An email group is one where when you write to the addy of the email group it then goes out to all members. We started out as a public group - meaning anyone could join and after a year we closed the group - because 1. We feared no one just joining would be able to "catch up" and 2. We had become so close that we were sharing things that we didn't feel comfortable with "strangers" knowing. We have been together for almost 11 years now - emailing daily about EVERYTHING. We've had battles over breast vs bottle, homeschooling vs public, democrat vs republican, hospital birth vs home birth, you name it - we've covered it. Some drift off and on in times of heavy activity in real life and then check in again when we have time.

We've been through the death of still borns, miscarriages and a special little boy who managed to make it 5 years before cancer took him from us. I say that almost in passing - but believe me each one has a name and means a LOT to the list - it wasn't/isn't in passing that we think of our lost angels. Our members are all over the nation along with France, Holland, and the Netherlands being represented. We've had divorces and tales of brutality. And we've rejoiced in all of our good things and especially our other births that came later.

We face more opposition - we have two members with cancer and one with a fairly extreme heart situation. The members taking a break have all been summoned and are checking in to show their support. We all feel helpless and desperately want to be with the ones afflicted but distance stands in the way. We write notes of encouragement and tell them we're with them in spirit - we light candles and say prayers. Times like these we feel like men - wanting to "fix" it. Wanting to use our strength and make *it* go away. I find it particularly interesting that we band together - that we rally the troops and bring in our "lost" to help defend our stricken members. We are true soul sisters. When I pray with S at night I always think about my sisters and mentally bless them and send them healing thoughts.

You may think this a very trivial group - but it isn't. These unseen women - even though we've posted pictures and exchanged Christmas presents and year books - have changed my life in drastic ways. I've been forced to look at things from many points of view. I've had the advantage of being "well traveled" without leaving my house. ;-) I've become a better mother by being able to vent about things with them and having new ideas given to me from different walks of life. My spiritual side has been strengthened and opened, by people who I probably would never come into contact with in real life.

They mean the world to me and I'm amazed how deeply I feel about people I've never met face to face. All my love, cyber sisters - and THANK YOU!

Mark's Mom

I met Mark's Mom today. Bare with me as I try to explain who, what, and where. I first met Mark - well, not really met him but saw him at SRA Christmas Party where he sang Silent Night and of course I bawled my eyes out. I since then got him and another young adult confused and saw Mark on the front page of the paper doing some sport (I forget which) - and as I said to the young man who I thought was Mark - "oh, I saw you in the paper" - "no, that was Mark" he said and since then I've *kind* of kept them straight. :-)

Anywho - Mark has been in the paper more and more with track and field and Special Olympics - and I've seen him at chorus practice at the PD. So when I saw him again at the Torch Run and he ran the whole thing WITH the torch - I thought to myself "I've got to meet his Mom, she's GOT to be something." And I was right.

The reason I was so interested in meeting Mark's Mom was that even though I don't know exactly how old Mark is - I do know he's at *least* 10 years older than 2 and that means that in "those days" the special needs world was a WHOLE different arena. How true my thought was.

His Mom and I started to talk and when I asked his diagnosis she told me that she was one of the "refrigerator mothers" - that *lovely* term that was coined to describe the mother of an autistic person and *why* the child was autistic. She was told that she should put Mark in an institution. Thank GOD she did NOT listen!!!! Hurrrayyyyy for those refrigerator moms!!!! He is truly and inspiration! A very tall dark headed lad. He's always got a smile.

Well, you can imagine what happened when I told her that I thanked her from the bottom of my heart for doing all that hard work and not following "the rules" - we both started to weep (ok, you know me too well - *I* bawled). Here I am standing in the shadow of a true pioneer. She was on the first board of the American Autism Society. And her BEST work - well, he waved to us from the back of the van as they drove off to bowling club. I bawled all the way home....

Bowling Club- it was S's first time and her score was 63!!!! I'm totally impressed. She had a BALL! I can't wait to get her shoes and now I need to order a shirt for her. Daddy and I are going next week and we'll take pictures. She needs something to put up on the wall next to J's baseball picture.

Me on my horse again

This is from an About.com newsletter I receive:

" More Topics:
People with Autism? Or Autistic People?Which is the proper way to refer to people with an autism spectrum diagnosis? Vote in the poll!"


Are they kidding me with this????? WHO CARES????? WHAT DOES IT MATTER?????? When the h*** are we as a people and I mean ALL people going to get the heck over ourselves???? I mean, REALLY!!! I heard a blurb the other day that Tiger Woods apologized for saying he didn't like to watch Hockey. SERIOUSLY??????? Is this REALLY all we have to bitch about??

I'm very serious when I say that the people who respect me will ALWAYS respect me - no matter what I call myself. The people who don't 'get it' - will never. I swear people have WAY too much time on their hands if they're THAT upset by WORDS!!! WORDS, people!!! Read the book "Frindle" - you might start to think differently about WORDS!!!!!

What's next - looks? I don't like the way people look at me. They hurt my feelings when they look at me. Good God. How about we forget the WORDS and focus on insurance paying for treatments and therapies??? How about we HELP people understand our kids instead of PREACHING to others what they *should* say. I don't know - I swear some people wear autism like a badge that entitles them to be - well - nasty.

Ok - I'm climbing out of the saddle.

Camps and Concert

We got through the first day of camp. Not real happy with S's aide - but what else is new. Seems that because she's "high functioning" (HATE those terms) that they kind of put her at the bottom of the list when it comes to aides. :-( Which honestly - she may not even NEED an aide (since she's gotten MUCH better with potty). She's not a "runner" and she really doesn't push the limits - very much a rule follower - to a fault sometimes. And really ALL the counselors know her and are SO good with her. They really see to her - well to all the kids.

Again - I'm in awe at the "kids" (young adults - and probably older than I think) that work at Camp. They're all so very polite, and helpful and really full of energy. AND they all know the kids' names. One of the fellas stopped J as we were walking in and was talking to him about what group he was in. I couldn't keep all those names straight!

S starts bowling club today - after camp. It will be interesting to see how that goes. I've ordered bowling shoes online and I'm PRAYING they get her today. I think she'll have a good time.

Special Olympics Torch Run

What a proud moment - seeing my little Auti and her Daddy and MANY police officers along with all the other JBSRA athletes running by as several squad cars escorted their leg of the torch run. (3 miles)

It was a perfect day for it. Bright shining sun, no rain and just a little breeze. We all traveled from Town Center to Joliet Road with the company of the Bbk Police, Joliet Police and the JBSRA bus. S got into the bus about half way through. Daddy made it all the way!!!!

Mark carried the torch. I HAVE to meet his mother. She must be something. That boy (adult now) is really a success story! I have tears in my eyes every time I watch him do something.

J got to ride in my car and "wait" - which I had to remind him of all the times his sister waits for him while he plays baseball or does TKD or whatever the sport of the month is. It's good for him to experience her life once in a while.

S was pleased as punch and LOVED seeing all the police! I got to see a lot of my favorite tax clients (since we seem to be CPA to the cops lately) :-)

We start camp today. S seems to be VERY excited - couldn't go to sleep last night - up very early this morning. And already on my butt to make her lunch and snack. So summer starts as usual. ;-)

Another Year Gone,

Eyes are watery and hugs exchanged. School came to an end for my guys yesterday. S had Dr's appts and then today we do the Spec Olympics Torch Run.

The amount of "stuff" S brings home is always amazing! All the work my team does to make sure we have things to do over the summer - so she doesn't loose what we've worked so hard for.

S met her new aide - Mrs B and her "new" (she was Tech Club advisor) teacher - she was SO excited.

She did VERY well at the Dentist. She got her teeth cleaned and Dr G was able to get in there enough to see no cavities. We were all pleased. I assured Dr that he would indeed get money off of J. That boy has a mouth full of problems.

We got report cards yesterday. SO good. They both brought up the numbers part (follows rules, participates in class, does work neatly, etc) J of course, had MANY "exceeds" and S actually had several A's. I was VERY pleased. J's reading went WAY up (again). I can't get over how well he reads. We need to make sure that doesn't get lost over the summer either.

So we're off for Torch Run .....

I Need a Re-Post

I had to re post this because I need the lesson again. I am daily surrounded by SO many people that not only accept S but seek her out so when confronted with people who shun her I'm surprised. The look you get is SO unbelievable. And when it happens I find myself getting almost ballsie about it - just daring them to say something.






Sunday, February 18, 2007

Sunday
"You Are Understanding:Maybe you never realized how important it is to have a truly understanding friend until you had a child with special needs, and found so many friends to be unable to reach out and give you the support you needed.Whether they couldn't deal with your changed circumstances, sympathize with your problems, keep from hurtful judging, or allow you child to associate with theirs,some of the people who were once important in your life may have fallen away because at the deepest level, they were unable to understand.It's made you value those who are always there for you, unconditionally, without agenda. And it's helped you to be much more understanding parent, family member and friend yourself."

Terri Mauro

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Oh, sing it loud and proud, Sistah!!!!!!! YES, many people have fallen by the wayside and mostly it was their choice. And what's sad - they don't know what they're missing. She is a true joy. I learn stuff from her every day of my life. Yes, it's a struggle and life is harder than I ever imagined, but it's also better than I ever imagined. The people who HAVE stuck or been added: Topping the list -- L. I don't know what I would do without her. She is the friend they speak about above. She treats S just like she would anyone else. She loves me unconditionally. We have had our growing pains but we have made it through a lot! I know that if I call her she will put me back on the right track. I value her so much. She has always been in my cheering section and always pumped me up when I needed it. I so wish she could see herself through my eyes. She is a VERY special person.My sister has also been a guiding force in my life. She also sees no difference in S. She has imparted wisdom of years and relationships. She has also made me laugh along the way and provided a very much needed refuge to escape and dial down. I value her more than she knows or will admit. :-)My cyber friends have both entertained, informed me and let me vent. We've been in space for over 10 years now. I value them because they incorporate so MANY walks of life. When we started we had "only October in common" and now we have SO much more. What I find most interesting about the relationships that have been lost along the way, they were never positive ones. It's taken (still is) me a LONG time to realize that no matter what I did - it wasn't going to work out and in reality I didn't want the prize. How many years have I been in that same mess, just different faces. And what's worse - realizing all the energy that was lost on stuff that really didn't matter and wasn't going to make a difference. Energy I could have used to do other things. But you live, you learn, hopefully. :-)

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Well, I'm STILL learning this lesson. I have to say - on some things I'm very *thick*. I do the same thing over and over and over. Never *really* learning. So I question - exactly WHO has the learning disability??????

S went to social club today - out to DesPlaines. Had a GREAT time! As soon as she was back she was off to Connie's birthday party down the street. The two didn't get home till around 8:30!

We started the day off (and MOST of the rest of the day) with NO air conditioning!!!! It is the most humid and hot day we've had yet and with no air there was really nothing to do but lay around all day. B fixed the air - thank God -it's now BEAUTIFUL here!

So tomorrow I get to do all the chores I was supposed to do today. Woo hoo.

It Takes a Village...

This was written by a lady that I don't know - and I apologize for not giving her name credit - but she has an Autistic son and evidentially she and I were seperated at birth - because I SO could have written the same letter. The only thing I could add is that OTHER children learn FROM *our* kids as MUCH as they learn from others.


"It takes a Village to raise a child.

People say it so much that it sounds cliche, but if you have a child, then you know it's true. What you do as a parent is important, but you can never underestimate the power and influence of the other people in your child's life - especially the people who are with him when you are not. You choose some of the people in your child's village; others are assigned to you. You hold your breath, hand over your child to the village elders, and hope for the best.I've been thinking lately about how much courage it takes for parents - any parents, but particularly those whose children have developmental challenges - to trust the village that is the public school system.

I've been thinking, especially, about two different public school villages: the village at the regional elementary school that Bud attends and the village at the Morningside Elementary School in Port St. Lucie, Florida, that Alex Barton attended.

The villages are a study in contrast, though my hunch is that the boys in question may not be. I don't know Alex Barton, so I don't know what his school year was like. My sense, though, is that this year in Kindergarten, Alex, who is in the process of being tested for Aspergers Syndrome, exhibited some combination of aggressive behaviors, verbal and physical outbursts, emotional dysregulation, anger and defiance. So did Bud in his second grade class this year.

As I said, I don't know Alex Barton. My only information about him comes from this mind boggling news story. I'll sum it up for you: It seems that Alex's Kindergarten teacher, at wit's end with Alex, adopted an intervention strategy straight out of the reality television program Survivor. She gathered together her class of five-year-olds and held a tribal council, in which each child was encouraged to tell Alex exactly what they thought of him and his behavior. Then the children were asked to cast their votes on whether or not to keep him in the classroom.

They voted him off the island.

The day after Alex's horrifying experience at school, I joined Bud and his classmates for a field trip to a farm museum. As we prepared for the trip, I wondered how it would go - How would Bud manage the dramatic change in routine? Would my presence at a school event be a comfort or an additional source of stress? And I wondered what I would see in the interactions between Bud and his classmates. Out of necessity, we have kept my presence in Bud's classroom at a minimum this semester - a quick kiss goodbye at the door each morning with no time to linger to watch Bud with his peers as he settles in to his day. So, I wondered how Bud's classmates were reacting to him these days, after a year of witnessing what was probably startling and possibly troubling behavior from him.

I was surprised by what I saw.

Bud and I had a completely different farm museum experience from the rest of his classmates. While they gathered in small groups to learn about milking cows and raising chickens and churning butter, Bud and I set off on our own, seeking out the places that were quiet, peeking at cows from a distance, making sheep noises to each other, and walking, walking, walking, walking towards emotional regulation as we tried to work out the jitters and find a way to settle in.

But though Bud and I did not spend the day with a group, we were never outsiders. When we passed children on the grounds, they greeted Bud. They engaged with him when he responded to their greetings, and they gave him space when he didn't. By noontime, we'd found a rhythm and I convinced Bud to join a group from a distance, for just a few minutes. He stayed near (but not with) the group, and then, with a little encouragement from his teacher, worked up the confidence to reach out and stroke the downy feathers of a remarkably docile chicken.

Later, we joined the larger group again for ice cream. Bud's friend Kelly plopped down on the bench beside him, asking about his ice cream and reporting on her own, and then, when the ice cream was finished, she raced out to the field with some other children to roll down the hill. Without prompting from me, Bud ran out to join them.

Then Bud asked his teacher if she'd play hide and seek with him. She readily agreed and ran to hide while Bud closed his eyes and counted. Several children saw what they were doing and asked if they could join in. Tom was one of them. When it was Tom's turn to be "it," he closed his eyes and counted while Bud pulled me over to "hide" with him behind a slender birch tree which left all but a tiny bit of us in plain sight. Tom finished counting, looked up, and looked directly at us. Then he turned and walked in the other direction and said, puzzled, "I wonder where Bud is!"

Tom's words weren't striking - but his tone was. He wasn't playing down to Bud. There wasn't a hint of condescension in his voice. He didn't sound like an older boy playing with his baby brother. He sounded like an eight-year-old playing with another eight-year-old. Tom got it. And when he "discovered" our hiding spot a few minutes later, the thrill of the find was genuine for all three of us.

Later that day, when the field trip was over and Bud was at home with Nana, I met with the school team about Bud's IEP for next year. I recounted the story of our day, and especially Bud's interactions with his peers and his game of hide and seek with Tom. They smiled and said they were glad that I got to see what they see every day. Then one of them offered, "That's what inclusive education is all about."

And that's it, isn't it? That is what inclusive education is about. It's what all education should be about. It's what should be at the heart of the villages that raise our children. All of our children.

But it wasn't at the heart of Alex Barton's village.

In the midst of a difficult, troubling year, Alex Barton's teacher called his village together and rallied them against him. Bud also had a difficult, troubling year and, interestingly, his teacher also called his village together for a tribal meeting. Unlike Alex, Bud was not there for the meeting. And the agenda for Bud's tribe's meeting was distinctly different: one of the special ed team members came in to talk to Bud's class and help them understand Bud a little better - help them understand the things that are difficult for him, the things that are easy for him, and the things they could do to support him through the challenging times. Like Alex's village, Bud's village came together. But Bud was embraced instead of exiled.

Because that's what inclusive education is about.

Inclusive education recognizes that it takes a village to raise a child. It recognizes that Kelly and Tom and the other children in the class are an important part of the village that is raising Bud. And - more to the point - it recognizes that Bud is an important part of the village that is raising Kelly and Tom and the other children in the class. They need each other, and they know it.

Our children's lives should not be played like a game of Survivor. The real-life stakes are too high to take our cues from a reality game show. Our kids need to know that survival doesn't mean pushing others down and fighting to be the last one standing. They need to know that survival - real survival - means that we all emerge, triumphant, standing together at the end.

Bud's tribe has spoken. I hope Alex's tribe is next."

Some Obviously Smoke the Crack

"I'm trying to remember the name of a book I saw on how to vaccinateusing a safe schedule, no mercury, etc. Can anyone help? Also, whatare your thoughts on the measles outbreak in D county? I saw somepeople saying they wanted to have a party to get their kids exposed.Is that better than vaccinating? Thanks- N"

This is from a mother on one of my lists. Can I just say "Are ya kidding me with this???" Measles is NOT something to screw with. People DIE - really die - not get autism die - from measles. I know these mothers *think* autism makes their child "dead" (thank you Jenny McStupid) but measles can = the GRAVE. To me this is kind of a child abuse. What kind of mother knowingly BRINGS suffering and sickness to their child???? Have we just gone off the deep end again???

I also read some of the comments from the March on Washington and God forbid - some mother spoke up *for* vaccinations as they are now and questioned the nontesting done about "green vaccines"!!!! She will now be burned at the stake. These people are DETERMINED to just steam roll this thing - paying NO attention to those of us whose children DIDN'T get autism from vaccines and STILL have autism!!! Just burns my butt. Just like the stay at home Mom vs the work outside the home Mom debate - we scratch each others eyes out instead of joining forces and supporting each other. Ugghhh - will we just NEVER learn. Shouldn't we be learning FROM our children too - instead of being SO consumed with teaching THEM????????

My Youngest....

I went on a field trip with ALL the first graders yesterday. Oh My! I rode the bus, played on the playground, went on a hike, and ate watermelon. I got to sing "Sponge Bob" and "Everywhere we go". I also found out a few things about my youngest:

1. It was VERY important to him that I go on this field trip.
2. He has more anxiety than S does - esp about being late.
3. He has been moved (desk wise) back to the general population.
4. His teacher next year will be the one he had hoped for and the reason????

5 - He is VERY good with the special needs boy in his class - so much so that the
school feels it's important for the two of them to move up together!!!!!!!

Can I just tell you how much I had to hold the HUGE lump in my throat. See, I didn't expect that. No, I knew he wouldn't be *mean* to the boy - but to be that big a part of the child's life is HUGE to me. He gets so much of that at home I just never expected him to *seek it out* . He's become S's Quinn. It still brings tears to my eyes. I've just never been as proud of him as I was yesterday when I heard that. Challenge can bite me - I'll take someone who is good to those that society sees as "less than".

He fell asleep on the bus ride home. Drool and everything. :-) They call him "wild man, J" in school.

And my little Autie - S. Well, she's all about what the last days of school are about. She's excited to be a 5th grader next year. She also got into shopping recently. Her and I went to the store to get sandals the other night and she started looking at the clothes and we came home with 3 outfits for "good". She's so funny - wandering from rack to rack with that "oohhh" sucking in of the breath.

I haven't heard anything about the computer yet. Figure I'll kind of shake the rafters on Monday. I also need to touch base with Speech so I can get the prompts - since she insists on doing them. ;-)

Some of the Good Things About Autism

By Lisa Jo Jody

If you're sick of hearing about all the "deficits" challenging people on the autism spectrum, join the club! But for every down side to autism, there seems to be a positive -- an unusual trait that rarely appears among the "typical" community, but shines out among autistic folk. These plusses are well worth celebrating.

1. Autistic People Rarely Lie We all claim to value the truth, but almost all of us tell little white lies. All, that is, except people on the autism spectrum. To them, truth is truth -- and a good word from a person on the spectrum is the real deal.


2. People on the Autism Spectrum Live in the Moment How often do typical people fail to notice what's in front of their eyes because they're distracted by social cues or random chitchat? People on the autism spectrum truly attend to the sensory input that surrounds them. Many have achieved the ideal of mindfulness.

3. People with Autism Rarely Judge Others Who's fatter? Richer? Smarter? For people on the autism spectrum, these distinctions hold much less importance than for typical folks. In fact, people on the spectrum often see through such surface appearances to discover the real person.

4. Autistic People are Passionate Of course, not all autistic people are alike. But many are truly passionate about the things, ideas and people in their lives. How many "typical" people can say the same?

5. People with Autism Are Not Tied to Social Expectations If you've ever bought a car, played a game or joined a club to fit in, you know how hard it is to be true to yourself. But for people with autism, social expectations can be honestly irrelevant. What matters is true liking, interest and passion -- not keeping up with the Joneses.

6. People with Autism Have Terrific Memories How often do typical people forget directions, or fail to take note of colors, names, and other details? People on the autism spectrum are often much more tuned in to details. They may have a much better memory than their typical peers for all kind of critical details.

7. Autistic People Are Less Materialistic Of course, this is not universally true -- but in general, people with autism are far less concerned with outward appearance than their typical peers. As a result, they worry less about brand names, hairstyles and other expensive but unimportant externals than most people do.

8. Autistic People Play Fewer Head Games Who was that woman, and why were you looking at her? I know I TOLD you I didn't mind if you went out, but why did you believe me? Most autistic people don't play games like these -- and they assume that you won't either. It's a refreshing and wonderful change from the Peyton Place emotional roller coaster that mars too many typical relationships!

9. Autistic People Have Fewer Hidden Agendas Most of the time, if a person on the autism spectrum tells you what he wants -- he is telling you what he wants. No need to beat around the bush, second guess, and hope you're reading between the lines!

10. People with Autism Open New Doors for Neurotypicals For some of us neurotypicals, having an autistic person in our lives has had a profound positive impact on our perceptions, beliefs and expectations. For me, at least, being the mom of a son on the autism spectrum has released me from a lifetime of "should" -- and offered me a new world of "is."

This Guys Is Good - Thanks Steph

What Teachers Make, orObjection Overruled, orIf things don't work out, you can always go to law schoolBy Taylor Maliwww.taylormali.com

He says the problem with teachers is, "What's a kid going to learn from someone who decided his best option in life was to become a teacher?" He reminds the other dinner guests that it's true what they say about teachers: Those who can, do; those who can't, teach.
I decide to bite my tongue instead of his and resist the temptation to remind the other dinner guests that it's also true what they say about lawyers.
Because we're eating, after all, and this is polite company.
"I mean, you¹re a teacher, Taylor," he says. "Be honest. What do you make?"
And I wish he hadn't done that (asked me to be honest) because, you see, I have a policy about honesty and ass-kicking: if you ask for it, I have to let you have it.
You want to know what I make?
I make kids work harder than they ever thought they could. I can make a C+ feel like a Congressional medal of honor and an A- feel like a slap in the face. How dare you waste my time with anything less than your very best.
I make kids sit through 40 minutes of study hall in absolute silence. No, you may not work in groups. No, you may not ask a question. Why won't I let you get a drink of water? Because you're not thirsty, you're bored, that's why.
I make parents tremble in fear when I call home: I hope I haven't called at a bad time, I just wanted to talk to you about something Billy said today. Billy said, "Leave the kid alone. I still cry sometimes, don't you?" And it was the noblest act of courage I have ever seen.
I make parents see their children for who they are and what they can be.
You want to know what I make?
I make kids wonder, I make them question. I make them criticize. I make them apologize and mean it. I make them write, write, write. And then I make them read. I make them spell definitely beautiful, definitely beautiful, definitely beautiful over and over and over again until they will never misspell either one of those words again. I make them show all their work in math. And hide it on their final drafts in English. I make them understand that if you got this (brains) then you follow this (heart) and if someone ever tries to judge you by what you make, you give them this (the finger).
Let me break it down for you, so you know what I say is true: I make a goddamn difference! What about you?