Sunday, March 14, 2010

Reality...

As some of you may know, Brandon my oldest has Aspergers Syndrom.Asperger syndrome is an autism spectrum disorder, and people with it show significant difficulties in social interaction, along with restricted and repetitive patterns of behavior and interests. (I got this on Wikipedia). It's always hard to explain it. But anyway, everyone is different. Every child has little quirks that makes them unique. So anyway on with my story...

Brandon has been struggling with reality. I know that "normal" children have some issues...but this goes to the extreme! Lately Brandon has been watching a Disney show called Phineas and Ferb. He LOVES it! They basically make fun and cool things during the summer. So for awhile now Brandon has been telling us that he is going to build a rollercoster in our backyard on the 3rd day of summer. Not the first or fourth, but the 3rd! This concerns me because if things don't go as "he wants", a big temper tantrum will soon follow with a bad day as a whole. So being a smart and savy mom weary mom, I try to head this off from the start. Here is a little of our conversation:

Brandon: Mom, on the 3rd day of summer I want to build a BIG roller coaster in the backyard like Phinus and Ferb did.

Mom: Brandon honey you know that Phineas and Ferb are not real.

Brandon: Yes MOM I know! People don't have square heads!

Mom: Yes Brandon but what they make are pretend too. You can't make a roller coaster in the backyard.

Brandon: **Silence** (This is what I think he is thinking) "Well sheesh, what they make is really cool and it looks real and sounds real, it must be real and Mom just doesn't want me to do that. Why does she do that all the time? She must not know that I am really smart and that I can build anything)

Mom: (This is where I become very smart) Brandon why don't we make a small roller coaster out of popcicle sticks for your cars! That would be fun.

Brandon: Okay Mom, then we can get a "big making machine" and make it REAL big so we can put real roller coaster cars on it!

Some things are just doomed from the start. But regardless we will still continue to watch Phineas and Ferb while I continue to try to convince Brandon that it's not "real".

***A BIG thank you to April for introducing this to us! I will get you back some way....

5 comments:

Teresa said...

My son also has Aspergers but he will be 40 this year. We used to think he would always find understanding people and life in general very difficult but with us behind him he did leave home and now has a very fulfilling and interesting life. We always get phone calls when things are difficult but what are parents for.

JT, Carly, Boston, Jocelyn and Snuggles said...

Why am I laughing?!! I know it's a real challenge in your household, but it just gives me such a glimpse of what's to come with our Boston. I can totally see him doing stuff like that when he gets a little older. I just love our Aspies!! It's such an awesome roller coaster ride!

Diane said...

Brandon is an amazing boy. I remember last year he told me all about incline planes! You are amazing too! I know it is hard, my 15 year old with Aspergers thinks he is going to discover the the biggest dino bones in the world in the little patch of dirt in our back yard this summer, but your strength is what helps him through. It shows in all three of your amazing kids!

Crystal Hendrix said...

Teresa thank you so much for your comment!! I wish I had a way to email you, but it's always nice to find people with autistic kids!! It's kinda like a nonoffical club that you join, as soon as you meet someone you feel automatically connected!! My Husband also has asbergers and he is now 33. It's always nice to know that there are caring people in the world to help be there for your child!

Crystal Hendrix said...

Thanks Carly and Diane too! :D