Hello friends, welcome to another blog. Firstly I would like to say thank you to the great Grant Morrison for reading my blog. You have been 1 of the big 3 inspirations for me writing this blog! One more and I have hit the trifecta of awesomeness!
So many of you are probably wondering what the title is about? As you all know from my last blog, I mentor kids with Aspergers. Parents also come up to me an ask different questions relating to Aspergers and what was it like for my parents to deal with little troublesome me growing up. I decided I would do a bit of origin of my species, a story/interview with the people I know. So, here is the first of what I hope will be many interviews. Below is an interview I did with my mum on what it was like having a child growing up with Aspergers Syndrome.
Thomas
Hello mum.
Mum
Hi Thomas.
Thomas
Thanks for doing this. First question, when I was growing up, a wee little boy did you notice any differences between me and other children?
Mum
You had very high temperatures as a baby, there would be sudden changes in temperatures from normal to 41 degrees. You didn't like loud and sudden noises. I remember you having a love for your toys and they always had to be lined up in a particular order. You wouldn't make eye contact. Another thing was that you had an obsession with collecting. First it was the Thomas the Tank Engine toys then it was the Thomas books. You always seemed to love collecting. You were a little bit clumsy and your speech was late you didn't speak till you were 3 years old.
Thomas
I guess I was quite the quiet and clumsy little guy. As I was going into primary school, what made me stand out from other children?
Mum
Well you were always a happy outgoing child. I remember it took you a long time to learn colours. You found it hard to follow instructions, you would run off and do you your own thing. You didn't make a lot of eye contact but following instructions was your biggest issue. You always took things literally. If you were running late for school you would still go at the same pace. If we harassed you to hurry along you would shut down but not in a crying state.
Thomas
I see. I am sure you remember that high school was a terrible time for me, with all the bullying that happened. Tell me, how did the bullying effect you as a parent?
Mum
Tremendously, there is nothing worse than to see your own kid suffer. It was traumatic. We suffered as much if not more than you. We didn't fully know what to do. We couldn't understand the impact it had on you, not knowing how you took it, it put immense stress on all of us. We were trying to help you but we didn't understand what was going on. It wasn't until later that when we found out about your condition that things started turning out much better.
Thomas
Things did turn around when I was diagnosed at the age of 16. I know it had a huge impact on my life. How did my diagnosis help you as a parent?
Mum
Scared and Relieved! Scared because we didn't know how to deal with it and we knew it was a serious issue. We were relieved because we now could research and understand what you were going through. Understanding the issue meant we could now look for help in the right places.
Thomas
When it came to post school education and work, how did you feel about me transitioning to post school life?
Mum
I felt relieved, you were among people that wouldn't discriminate against who you are. Berinda Karp and her assistants like Christine Meredith at Mt Druitt TAFE helped you reevaluate yourself as a person of worth. You were then getting the help you needed and I saw the sparkle in your eye. I could see you becoming your own person!
Thomas
What coping mechanism's would you like to give the readers to help them with their children's situations?
Mum
First of all relaxation and meditation because a stressed out mind due to worrying about your child, needs to be brought down and unwound. It helped me relax my mind. I also would suggest cognitive and concentration training, that would help with getting your son or daughter to become better at concentration and help improve coordination.
Thomas
All good. So what would you like to say to the you of 10 years ago. Lets say something you could say to help out the mums and dads with a kid in their adolescence.
Mum
To do your research, understand it is not a life threatening issue. Talk to people, read books and understand about who your child is on the inside.
Thomas
Thanks mum, that was really insightful.
Mum
You're welcome.
Well folks this week has been as much of a roller coaster as a man getting told he's going to come into a lot of money and getting run over by an armoured truck on its way from the bank. So until next week, some bat time same bat channel!
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