Some days you worry about whether you are doing the right thing as a parent. You second guess yourself all the time. My son went to a gaelscoil (school through Irish, it’s not our main language at home). I have second guessed myself about choosing that route, about the age he started etc. As the diagnoses (Autism/ADHD) first rolled in at age 7 when the anxiety hit the roof I questioned and debated again whether I made the right calls. The following year the dyslexia diagnosis came in and I properly panicked to have him in a dual language school. But ultimately their support is great. And we couldn’t get him in anywhere else local. And we worried about moving him from his friends as making them is very hard for him
Two years ago we could not discuss emotions with him. He’s been in play therapy and psychology and has settled completely into himself. But still will not discuss emotions or feelings with us or others. He’s always ‘bad’ or ‘doesn’t know’.
Other days however you can take the win, recognise it and bask in the realisation that right now? Right now his school are doing AMAZING!
Last February they asked could they put him in a small group social support group as they felt he was ready. He came home today with a scrap book full of photos and pictures and writing (writing is a massive problem for him!) describing himself in a positive light, describing emotions, listing out his worries…. NGL I cried. This is just so amazing to see and I can’t believe they managed to get this all out of him
Today is a good day
I’m a speech therapist and that’s really great to hear! Children with autism have a lot of difficulty understanding emotion at all, so it might be hard for him to express it. I’m glad he is getting better!