I’m a struggling single mom. My son has autism and based on his assessments, he isn’t higher functioning (I know it’s not a good term, but I don’t know how else to describe this)… but he is eloquent, funny and super smart. So people have expectations that don’t really fit his ability. People like me… so I’m struggling. He is in a regular classroom with time out for social work and some work related classes because his ADHD makes it hard to focus in a regular setting. He has had a lot of tools learned and there is a basic impression that he’s really high functioning. But the deficits don’t go away just because he has been able to use his tools to cope… and puberty is making it harder for him. He’s 12 and this year he is becoming aggressive. He hits his chrome book if it doesn’t work, shoved past his tiny spec teacher when he doesn’t like what she tells him to do and injured her… 2 days ago he was screaming in my face that I don’t listen when I disagreed about a YouTube video… while I was driving. His dis-regulation happens maybe once a week now. He acts like everyone else is responsible for keeping him inline and has no motivation or personal accountability… like me fighting for 20 minutes to get him to wake up… and other 20 to get him to put clothes on… and continually reminding him his chores are his chores and he needs to do them. We had reward charts where the amount of things he completes is worth money and there are pictures of things he wants on a board next to it… and I’ve taken his electronics… because his black and white perspective makes him think that YouTube videos are smarter than me. For example, I love Mark Roper… but I don’t care if it’s easy for a rich, ex NASA rocket scientist to kill bedbugs in a controlled environment… bed bugs are hard to get rid of and I’ve experienced that as a caseworker for foster homes. (My sons fixation is insects fyi). No reason to scream in my face that I’m wrong and not listening while I’m driving. So yeah, no YouTube for a while. Anyways, my family thinks I should spank my sensory stimulated child, or kill the bugs he has as pets… so I’m basically on my own and struggling with no reasonable support. I guess I want somewhere to vent so sorry about my ramble.

Posted by MsG at 2023-03-12 02:23:55 UTC