That said, he still struggles, and he's still in a self contained classroom. It's likely that he will be in self contained until he's out of elementary school and moves on to whatever lies ahead once he gets to junior high. I am hoping SURELY by that time they will have some sort of similar program in place for kids like him, especially since there are so many of them getting to that age level in the next couple of years.
Right now his big triggers for meltdowns are all auditory related. He can't stand music or TV that he isn't specifically in control of. This obviously SEVERELY limits our options of taking him places. It had never occurred to me just how much we are exposed to those things in daily life until he started freaking out about them.
It actually kind of annoys me, to be honest. I think it'd be nice to go out to dinner without being surrounded by televisions and being forced to listen to whatever radio station that establishment feels like playing that day. Why do we need so much input all the time? Why the constant need for distraction That's just the society we live in, and like I said, I had never thought twice about any of it until he started having issues.
It actually kind of annoys me, to be honest. I think it'd be nice to go out to dinner without being surrounded by televisions and being forced to listen to whatever radio station that establishment feels like playing that day. Why do we need so much input all the time? Why the constant need for distraction That's just the society we live in, and like I said, I had never thought twice about any of it until he started having issues.
I try not to get soapboxy here too often but today and for the rest of the month when you hear people on the TV/radio/in person saying "Well they are just better at diagnosing it, autism isn't necessarily on the rise" please ask them how many of their peers growing up had the typical autistic traits. How many children in their class were screaming, flapping, covering their ears, rocking back and forth, unable to speak or pay attention in class. If they give you a number then please inform them that the rate of autism RIGHT NOW is 1 in 50 children. ONE IN FIFTY CHILDREN. Those odds are staggering and CLEARLY on the rise. Anyone who says otherwise is frankly an ignorant twat.
This month is Autism Awareness month. If you have the money to spare, please consider donating to an autism organization. I don't tell people what sites to donate to because everyone is trying to help these kids. While we might not all agree on the causes, therapies, or protocols we all share a common goal and that is to help these kids grow into happy, healthy, productive adults. Here are some suggestions for those who are interested.
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