AutismAwareness

Myspace Glitter Graphics

Well its been awhile since I've shared in here. Perhaps that's because we've been having such an amazing, awesome time actually enjoying our son! Don't get me wrong, we always enjoy our son, he is a blessing for sure. But up until these past few weeks the challenges have been overwhelming, and sometimes it just leaves me...speechless.

But I honestly believe that the intervention from his school is really working.We are blessed to have a teacher, and teacher's assistant, principal, guidance councilor, and several other school staff who took the initiative to get involved and take a personal interest in our son, our family, and the intense behavior issues we were facing at home.

We have actually gone a full week...with no spitting, no hitting, so screaming or cussing or throwing at home!I think what's key here is that we've found Julian's button. What I mean is that he cares immensely what the staff at school think about him; about his behavior at home.

I myself am amazed and thankful that he has reached this emotional milestone, in that he does care what other people think of him. That he feels ashamed and embarassed when his teachers read our daily report on whether his behavior that night at home was good or not-so-good, is a wonderful way to be able to allow his teachers and other school staff to reinstill in him the importance of how he treats his family.

The fact that he was/is so well behaved at school was a huge clue that he could control his behavior, that it was a choice to behave so badly at home.So now that we're all on the same page, working together as a team, we're beginning to see some positive results!

Someone once told me that because every child is different, whether they are autistic or typical, the key is to find out what will get your child's attention. Because as I'm sure you know, there has to be a consequence for bad behavior, but what works for one child may not work for another.

Our son can't stand the thought of his teachers, who regard him so highly at school, finding out about his bad behavior at home, so now he's learning that we're all working together as a team...almost like what he does to us at home, he in a sense does to his teachers and staff at school, too.

For all you who are struggling with behavior problems at home, I hope and pray that you have support from others...family members, school staff, behavior therapists. For us, once Julian realized that others were aware of his outlandish behaviors at home, he started thinking twice about the consequences, and how this would affect his relationships at school.

esther