Hello, to those that are sharing their stories of autism this month. I will partition the moments of "Autism Making Me Aware of Life," by **. I have quite a few short stories that will be too hard to tell as a complete essay. I think you will appreciate the break by ** once you read the posts.
*********Forget the Inteligence Tests Listen to Them First
My father, George Tanner Mallo had died shortly before this had happened. Thus, my son, Tanner Mack Adcock was jumpy at the word death, died and gone. I was driving the MGB Midget my father had given me or agreed that I could have before he died.
I only asked him to play me cards for it in the hospital as a way to get his goat and side track him from the pain. It was a bad move because he said I could have it and took it that I was waiting for him to die. Once I explained to dad he understood. Tanner spoke up at this time and said, "No Grandpa you have to stay here!"
I only included that to show you how close we both were to this man. We would have done anything for him to stay with us on Earth longer. Yet, that was not to be.
Back to the driving the car. It died. I used that word! OH NO! Tanner went into meltdown mode. I said, "Don't worry Uncle Gary will go get a battery for it."
Thinking me an idiot, my son exclaimed, "Well let's go get Grandpa a battery!"
This was enough to show me my son had logical and reasoning skills beyond what he was showing at school. He grasped a concept for which his testing revealed he could not. Therefore parents listen and key in on what your children say and do. This doesn't mean they are a genius but it may mean they have strenghts and reasoning above what they show to others. Or, that others are seeing.
**********Toilet Paper in the Pool
Children see what grownups fail to see. Next time your child says something look carefully again. My son kept asking me why the old people put toilet paper in the pool. I kept saying they don't.
I took my son swimming almost every day after preschoool and kindergarten. I cried when he went to first grade as I did the day I went back to work after his birth.
He was so persistent that I almost yelled at him to stop talking about it. I was patient enough to say they don't Tanner. Finally one day bending over to grap out towels I grasped what my son saw. I laughed all the way home and my poor son was mad thinking I was laughing at him.
The old people in the pool were senior citizens that had a Water Aerobics class after our family free swim. Can you venture a guess what he saw for toilet paper? Think or try! The dumbells they use in water aerobics sound familiar? Well the ones they used in this class were all white. Look close and they resemble toilet paper on each end of the stick!
See what I mean about looking closer the next time your child says he sees something! Tanner was right it looked as if the old people were putting toilet paper in the pool.
********My son diagnosis me correctly after a car wreck
A neuropsycholigist couldn't diagnose me correctly or admit she might be 0.1% wrong. She ended up being 100% wrong. I had a mild Traumatic Brain INjury. I was dizzy, mood, irriatiblae and tired all them time. Sometimes I still am.
My neuro-psyche had me labled something clearly I wasn't. Finally, an audilogy test showed I had vestibular dysfunction of central orgin. Meaning not to do with the ears but in the brain. Thus, it had to be due to the brain injury.
My son had tole me I was different since the wreck. He said mommy you are different. Vestibular physical therapy helped. I still get tired easy but it is quite a bit better.
**********The lighter side of autism and concrete thinking.
My son asked me about milk money. I knew something was up and thought oh no a bully moment. I explained what milk money was.
I asked him why. He told me some kids wanted his milk money.
Guess wha he told them? No because he had no milk money.
LOL!!! He had money but no "MILK MONEY!"
**************Most gentl and thoughtful again blowing theory of mind!!!
When my son was little he wanted me not to work. I gave him an allowance for completing chores he did. I remember one day saying I had to go to work. He said why! I said I had to earn money to pay the bills.
He so innocently offered to pay me out of his allowance.
*************These are what autism has made me aware of in life.
These moments have shown me a world of awe! They show me that these kids think quite a bit more than most. They may appear to be lacking in thought but are really deeper in thought than most.
