One of my biggest struggles (we have many) with having a teenager on the spectrum, is keeping him on track with his daily tasks. He has a way of slipping into his thoughts (obsessions) and straying off of the path....which means that I am constantly repeating and reminding him of the sequence of events that make up our predictable routine.
Of course, he gets frustrated with me, and insists that he knows what to do.....so I will back off until he is distracted with the girls, the dog or himself and I have to ultimately step in and redirect him. I realize that it is not his fault, but because he is so rigid, it can be incessantly difficult for all of us.
There are 11 days left of school and the steps have been the same all year, yet I still have to oversee everything..... even though he knows what needs to be done before getting to the bus. We can do charts and lists, but it is inevitable that I still have to keep pushing him along, he simply cannot merge his thoughts and actions without getting sidetracked, its all part of the disorder.
I am hopeful that a summer planned with fun activities will be favorable to all of us and I can work on life skills with DJ allowing him to have input and practice for 8th grade.
Sometimes, as we get older, these things start to click and just make more sense......I am hoping anyway.
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3 comments:
Oh this must be so challenging for you. You are so patient. It's hard to know exactly what to do. You should get involved in some group with other parents going through similiar things. Maybe that might help?
omg....I feel like I have no patience....
I agree with you, I do need to find a "real life" support network, although I do some things online, it would probably help me deal better :)
I hope I didn't sound like I was telling you what to do...I just know from experience that it helps to meet with other families who can relate.
And you are patient.
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