Parenting Course

We're taking a parenting course. It's based on this. It's put on by our school board and I've met lots of other parents of autistic kids. I'm hoping we'll glean some stuff out of it. I think we already have. Our first job was to track a behavior that we wanted to change.

Tantrums. Good times.

Seems, as I track things, that beyond the weird, out of the blue tantrums that she has... our little girl has trouble with transition. Go figure. Just like Will did, only 10 times worse because she can't use her words very effectively. So...

My goal this week? To get some picture schedules going for her. I've been planning to do it for awhile, but I'm not doing well getting my head around it. I will this week - with Brian's help. I will.

Oh yes, I will.

I'm tired (WHY am I not in bed yet???). And sick of people telling me how to parent. Seems that you have a special needs child the first step is to learn how to parent.

Or rather, relearn.

The thing is, I NEED help. I need someone to tell me how to parent my child whose behavior doesn't always make sense. The child I can't reason with. The child who makes her brothers look normal to me. Including the one who was seen by a psychologist today for an intelligence test who then concluded that he was most definitely "on the spectrum".

I think my perspective is skewed.

But, my pride is still a bit hurt. I hate that I can't figure it out on my own. Parenting Willem was tough, but we figured it out and while life isn't perfect, our everyday life is pretty comfortable with him. Finn, on the other hand, has left our life slightly in shambles. Slightly? ha ha ha


Tomorrow, however, is a new day. With new tools and new strategies. And at least a few hours of sleep.

Until then...