Andrew will graduate soon

My Andrew will be the youngest member of this family to graduate from college... He will finish his therapy at MC at the end of May. He still needs quite a lot of support and especially in the classroom, however we feel it is time for him to move away from the one-one ABA therapy. Andrew will be 5 in June and is ready to enter Kindergarten. This transition will, I know, bring a whole bunch of new challenges however I tell myself that if we were able to bring Andrew back from the silent world of Autism to the verbal one, there are no challenges ahead that I will not be able to handle.

Andrew, the numbers,the dinosaurs and the cars

Maybe you have heard or read somewhere that some people who are on the autism spectrum are extremely gifted in some ways while struggling with other skills.
Andrew has issues with his social behavior as well as with understanding how to use language appropriately in social situations.
One the other hand, Andrew is quite gifted in other areas. At only 4 years old, he can already read numbers from 0-100, a skill that you usually acquire at the end of kindergarten or in first grade; he can also count from 0-200. Moreover, he can read his name, his brother's name and simple words such as "Yes, no, go, stop". He has been reading the letters of the alphabet since he was two. He is now learning to write the letters of the alphabet.
Andrew is quite fond of dinosaurs. Tonight, he completely impressed me when he opened a book and referred to a few dinosaurs by their names. "look this one is a "Triceratops", this one a "stegosaurus" and this one a "pterosaurs". I have to say, I was floored. I consider myself a fairly educated person, yet I do not know the names of these prehistoric creatures, besides the well-known T-Rex. We have to go to the museum of natural science very soon.
Finally, I would say that Andrew has a gift for recognizing symbols for brands and stores. "It says "target", there goes "wal-mart", this is "AT&T", this is "Whole Foods and Trader Joe's" are sentences I hear on a daily basis.
Andrew also loves cars especially Acuras and Chryslers. Don't ask me why, we do not drive either. Yet, interestingly, he is able to recognize their symbol once he sees the cars parked in the street.
Andrew never ceases to amaze me. He is an adorable, super smart little man. I love him so much...

Andrew at my college's homecoming

 

Andrew is getting defiant

"Andrew, put your shoes on, it's time to go to school" "no, I will throw you in the fire!" "Andrewww, come here" "No, time out for you mami, the police throws you in jail"... my sweet teddy bear is getting some autonomy, which is great, you'll tell me, I want Andrew to be autonomous, however, it is NOT an easy stage to go through...
The problem is that, I am not the only "fortunate" one to be sent to the fire, so is his teacher, his classmates and the cashier at the supermarket who dares to ring the cheese he insisted on holding for 2 minutes... Andrew needs to learn how to use his voice and tone of voice in an acceptable social manner. He cannot send everyone to the fire... His shadows and teachers at the preschool are working hard with him. Another issue he has is that he does not respond to punishment. A time out, or taking away privileges do not mean much to him, so how do you discipline him?
Last time when I picked him up from therapy, he ran all excited and with a big smile towards me telling me "mami, mami, I sat on the naughty chair today!" ... so much for the naughty chair...
as with everything else we have been struggling with, I know that we will find an answer and a solution, however, in the meanwhile, I am spending way too much time in the fire, in the jail, in time out and even in the toilet!

Andrew has a girlfriend

When I asked Andrew the other day what he did at preschool, he told me "I played with my girlfriend". "Oh, you have a girlfriend?" Yes, he replied in his honey voice, her name is Emily. It is so cute... Of course, I am hoping my son will be socially able to hold a romantic relationship. When your child is 4 year old, you don't really think about it, but when they have Autism, even if it is a mild case, you still cannot help wondering whether your child will be able to have a romantic relationship. Of course, many neurotypical teens and adults cannot have one... but still I cannot help but wonder. So, now, I just enjoy hearing Andrew telling me about his girlfriend. Once I hear a little girl tell her mom that Andrew is her boyfriend, that will make me very happy...

my son has Autism, he is not rude

Like every typical child his age, Andrew has behavioral issues: he does not follow request, has little tantrums, tells you inappropriate things. The fact that he has Autism makes these behaviors more pronounced. Recently, some people made the hurtful comment that my son is rude and that he needs harsh discipline. I have learned not to judge others too quickly based on a quick observation; I wish more people would too.