P.D.D. yeah You Know Me

The ground constantly shifts with our son. It's hard to predict if it's going to be an easy morning or not. Mostly, it's been not this week, and yet, at school, he's mostly been in a good place. Focusing better academically; seeking less physical stimuli; and oftentimes being a kid who isn't too atypical of his classmates.

Exceptions to this can be devastating, however. On Wednesdays, a sweet retiree comes in the Library and works with M. on his reading. Reading is a non-preferred activity, and as such, can elicit rude comments and erratic behavior. And the past Wednesday, our guy ran out of the room after using some choice words on the volunteer. A letter or something of apology is forthcoming. But this is the type of wild swings that cross the line; that demonstrate atypically-developing kids.

Years ago when we were first working with all sorts of Early Intervention Therapists (for Speech; for OT; for PT...), we met with pediatric neurologist who had both good and bad things for our ears. That M was responding really well to the therapies and that by age 5, he would be 'mainstreamed' with his classmates. Well, didn't happen til almost 7, but we're there now. He also said that as parents of an atypically developing child, we would have to work about four or five times harder. It was like sentencing from a judge. Still, it gave us some sort of border, some sort of solid idea of what we'd be looking at. At that time, this Doctor gave no diagnosis for Autism. Rather, it was a general 'PDD' or Pervasive Development Disorder. More a big net that includes many things. NOS (Not Otherwise Specified). It took us a move out West before we'd get a diagnosis on the Autism spectrum.