Jim took my parents to the airport on Wednesday morning and, before and after, Charlie had the usual, somewhat messy, struggles he has had, before an excellent cold morning bike ride and in the evening while were in the drive-thru lane of our local McDonalds, just as Jim was paying for a meal Charlie had asked for.
It really makes me wonder, how can anyone have ever said that autistic children and persons are 'withdrawn into the self' and feel no emotion? Charlie feels the most of all and expresses what he feels directly.
Inbetween, Charlie had his yearly physical and did ultra-fabulous, I'm not making that up. He had a full examination with the nurse practitioner who's been seeing him for years, after getting his stats (he's 68 1/2 inches, 143 pounds) by a young nurse who was my size (not quite 60 inches). He followed all the nurse practitioner's directions when he had his eyes, ears, reflexes checked, his heartbeat and pulse checked. He smiled, too.
Love and autism, all the time.
Good for him at his physical. I'm wondering how much of some of the 4% will equilibrate with the waning of adolescence.
Posted by: Emily Willingham | 29 December 2011 at 12:06
I'm wondering too. Charlie's had SIBs on and off before adolescence. It's all certainly more challenging with him being older (bigger), but also he's in some ways more in control of himself after the initial 'difficult moment.' Hoping the understanding and the ability to self-control, and direct those energies to other outlets, will keep growing.
Posted by: autismvox | 29 December 2011 at 13:00