Fearless Folks … autism and beyond …

The consensus is: Meghan seems much happier these days.  This is the opinion of her teachers, staff, and me, her mom!  As I mentioned before, I get updates from her contact teacher once a week.  This teacher tells me all about her week:  the good, the bad, and the ugly.  It’s like sitting down with a fortune teller and having your cards read:  Omg, is that the devil card? It’s a nail-biting moment; I just never know what I’m going to hear.

The information that I get is compiled from her own personal experience working with Meghan (so it comes from the heart) and from written reports from every teacher.  The information is so detailed that I even get the lowdown on the very snack Meghan chooses on any given day.

The one thing I know is that she feels comfortable at school.  So much so that she tries to pull her creative manipulation on the teachers at her house—doing whatever she can to try and get her way.  Sometimes she will bite her hand when it’s clear that her tactics just won’t work with them; other times she laughs along with her teachers as if she knows they are catching on to her strategies!  Her latest “amusement” was when she and the other kids were getting on their van after school to go back to their house, Meghan decided to lie down on the parking lot ground.  She went to the center of the parking lot, lay down and starting laughing at herself.  The teachers had no choice, because of a safety issue, to pick her up (it took 3 of them) and “carry” her back to the van, while Meghan laughed hysterically.  If I know Meghan—and I do—then I know how much she enjoyed this extra attention!  And the extra service wasn’t bad either!!  I mean really, who wouldn’t want to be carried around wherever they went. Right?  (That’s my girl!) So I’m telling you, Meghan is a mastermind at figuring out ways to get what she wants. (Meghan the Mastermind at Manipulation:  Hey, I’m thinking a new cartoon character?!) And since she’s a true Gemini, one can never know what her reaction might be when she’s unsuccessful.

But besides all that, one thing is clear, Meghan is so much happier than she’s ever been.  It has taken almost 2 years to reach this level (Oy vey!) and I think it’s due to the consistency of her daily life, and the supports within her school community that has made such a positive impact.

Let me tell you though, Meghan has always been a tough cookie! (Mmm, I’m baking cookies, that’s why I said that!) When she first arrived at residential school, she was as good as gold for many weeks (the well know “honeymoon period”) and she was probably thinking that since she was sooo good, she would just end up going back home (like, hey, this girl’s a SAINT—it’s Saint Meghan!)  But “when” she knew that wouldn’t happen, she started up with her second strategy:  Aggression.  (Hey, who’s this devil girl!) When she thought she could get her way by biting me and pulling my hair, she tried it with just about every single teacher and sometimes all of them at once (hey, it’s Gutsy Girl!).  Little did she know at the time, however, that it wouldn’t work.  In fact, she kept trying it out—putting them to the ultimate test—and it kept failing, so much that Holds were put in place and tested for what seemed like way too long. (jeeezzz)

But a year and a half later, we believe (hope) she realizes, as strong-minded as she is, that she can’t always expect to get her way.  It’s okay to have bad days, moody days, and days that you just want to put up a fight.  But we all have days like that, and I think Meghan is starting to get the hang of it.  (Who knows though, so check back later.  I need to have a cookie…)

But what I’ve learned is this:  The lessons learned in life are just harder to grasp for our spectrum kids. It takes time and patience and good, strong, knowledgeable staff to help you.  I’m telling you, one person cannot do this alone!