Sailing in Deeper Waters

After visiting several preschools over the last few weeks and after much fretting, I signed Sam up for a "fours" preschool class that starts in the fall. Just three mornings a week, it will be in addition to his special ed preschool which he'll continue to attend in the afternoons. I hope! We still need to get through the IEP, but I know from speaking with other parents that this is not an unusual path to take, especially in their second year of preschool.

I worry, of course. It will be a huge change for him. The 8:1 teacher-child ratio is pretty big in itself. The potty-trained prerequisite makes me panic each time I change another diaper. (Don't get me wrong, we've made real strides here! Filling that potty every morning and every night before bed...) What scares me is the potty-going perfection required, as in "He must be able to pull up his own pants." or "He needs to be able to wipe himself." Seriously? NT kids are actually doing this at 3.5? I'm already looking into private OT to deal with just the potty, and so you can imagine what our summer is going to look like.

But I did choose this one preschool because, as I quietly observed the classroom dynamics during my visit, I could picture my child here. At first I was hesitant to even mention the word autism to the school director. Instead I toyed with euphemisms like speech delay and sensory issues. The power that one word has, at times, to handily precede a person into the room is not fair in my opinion.

"He does have an autism spectrum diagnosis," I said after waiting for over an hour to register him.

I think I expected at the very least a raised eyebrow or a note of concern, but the director didn't even skip a beat. "We've had several kids on the spectrum here," she replied. "It's been really positive for a lot of them."

Yes, it's about being around neurotypical peers. But it's also about being part of a greater community. Many of the neighborhood kids go to this preschool and Sam may very well attend kindergarten alongside them in a year or two. It's my hope that he will start to learn some of the unteachable social skills that I know he lacks, like turn-taking, like conversation. I've seen him study peers and pop a foreign snack into his mouth because another boy did it first (no matter that I have offered him same stated snack a zillion times before without success). I've watched him study a crying child at the playground and go over to see if she is okay.

I know that he is racing towards his future and I can only steer this ship so much. I can't keep protecting him from the world, the big scary one where kids bully and don't understand differences. I don't want to keep him from knowing others, but more importantly, I don't want to keep others from knowing him.

Wordless Wednesday

People! Please witness the sudden and unexplained liberation of those Telly Tubby trouble-makers La-La, Po, Dipsy and Tinky-Winky, after a year of neglect at the bottom of a laundry basket (ever since their unexciting arrival last year from ebay seller A548123). The beneficent liberator, John, arranged them against the wall while parading Thomas back and forth in front of them. A fine homecoming...

Writing My Way Out

I've been tagged by Jordan at The Wonderwheel. Thanks Jordan, for helping me out of my writing slump!

The rules:
A. The rules are posted at the beginning
B. Answer the questions about yourself
C. Tag 5 people, let them know in a comment on their blogs that they have been tagged.

What were you doing 10 yrs ago?
Ten years ago I was a month away from meeting my husband. I lived and worked in a large urban area as a magazine designer. The only children in my life were my nieces and nephew and they lived in the (gasp) suburbs. Ten years ago I did not want to get married or have children. Obviously I don't know that person anymore.

Snacks I enjoy:
Chips and chocolate. Not together.

Five things on my to-do list today:
1. Meet with client
2. Work on project (babysitter here today)
3. Bank
4. Post Office
5. Laundry

Things I would do if I became a billionaire:
I would:
...not worry about every single job I do or do not get.
...stop appealing every denied claim from our health insurance company.
...instead hire a lawyer to fight for us.
...start a fund for those not covered by insurance.
...find the best school/program for my boys and not care about the cost.
...start a magazine that celebrates people with autism.

3 bad habits:
1. Procrastinator
2. Pack-rat (although I love to purge)
3. Eating the entire Chipotle burrito instead of saving half for tomorrow

5 places I have lived:
1. Fort Lauderdale, Florida
2. Denver, Colorado
3. Granada, Spain
4. Arlington, Massachusetts
5. Dover, New Hampshire

Jobs I have had:
1. Waitress
2. Cashier
3. Hostess
4. Windsurfing instructor
5. Graphic designer

Things people don't know about me:
1. I had perfect vision until two years ago when I suddenly needed glasses to read. And see.
2. I was an extra in the movie "Forrest Gump".
3. Worms completely freak me out. When it rains? It's hard for me to go outside.
4. I'm fluent in Spanish.
5. I hate milk.

Instead of tagging five people, I leave it open. If you feel like participating, leave a comment and direct us there!