The Mighty Movers

We'd been reveling in Evan's success and forging ahead with his weekly therapies, when November 12th rolled around. It was a day that I had dreaded, but had no choice but to face. It was the three year anniversary of my father's death, but the passing of time did not seem to make things any easier. Although I wanted to live under the covers for 24 hours I knew I had to throw it into Mommy gear at the first sounds of mumbling over the monitor. The morning rituals kept me busy and after dropping off Evan at school I had some time to run a few errands. Apparently they transferred that giant magnet under the island from Lost to Target. That store draws me in every week and I can't walk out those automatic doors without a cart full of stuff I had no idea I needed.

After some strategic trunk rearranging to fit all my purchases (yes, I need a snow cone machine) it was time to pick up Evan from school. I perked up when I saw his excitement after reminding him of our upcoming outing. We were all going to see the Imagination Movers in concert that night. It was his favorite show and also his little sister's. I dreaded the moment when that would change and there would be serious fights over the remote control. But for now we were all looking forward to the big show. Since we had front row seats and this was Evan's first real concert I knew I had to prepare him as best I could. Evan has sensory issues, so I talked to him about the crowds, bright lights and loud noise we would be encountering. He had come a long way in the last year in that department, so I hoped that there would be no major issues.

After a lively 45 minute drive to the venue and listening to every Imagination Movers song twice, we were ready to rock. Our seats were great and Evan seemed to understand that we were about to see Rich, Scott, Dave and Smitty in person. I'm not gonna lie...I was excited too.

The show was amazing and the kids were having a blast. Evan was dancing and singing and loving every minute of it. He did cover his ears a few times, which is what he does when he feels overwhelmed. Other than that, it was a major success. Since the guys were so close, Evan got lots of waves and high-fives throughout the set. The highlight was when Rich came down and knelt right in front of Evan. He was jamming on his guitar and Evan had his hands over his mouth like he couldn't believe it. He kept looking back at me with a face I will never forget. His eyes were in awe and his smile was huge. When I thought it couldn't get any better, Rich handed Evan his guitar pick. It was such a great moment!

An otherwise sad day was made a whole lot better. Evan was practically ambivalent toward the crowds and noise, which was a great accomplishment. The concert was so much fun and there is just nothing like your kids' smiles to lift your spirits.

www.nytimes.com/2009/11/03/health/03asperger.html?_r=1&scp=1&sq=aspergers&st=cse

A Powerful Identity, A Vanishing Diagnosis.
By Claudia Wallis
The above article was published on November 3, 2009 by the New York Times.

2012 may or not be the end of the world, but Asperger's Syndrome as we know it may be headed for extinction. According to Wallis, the diagnosis is "headed for psychiatric obsolescence. Though it became an official part of the medical lexicon only in 1994, the experts who are revising psychiatry’s diagnostic manual have proposed to eliminate it from the new edition, due out in 2012."

This news must be troubling and unsettling to anyone who is in the Asperger's community. Though it is currently considered a form of high-functioning Autism, The label "Asperger's Syndrome" carries it's own definition, characteristics and pride. For as many general similarities present there are distinct differences. Yes, labels may be insignificant in that it doesn't change who a person is, but it does matter. The diagnosis is one of the important building blocks that lead to a better understanding of the individual. First there is Autistic Spectrum Disorder, then Asperger's Syndrome, then more precise issues. For example, a child may be diagnosed with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, Sensory Processing Disorder or Pragmatic Language Disorder. On top of that there are the very unique characteristics and quirks that are specific to every person. Like the quote mentioned by John Elder Robison, "When you've met one Aspergian, you've met one Aspergian." Everyone is unique, but I truly hope they let the community hold on to that thread that binds them all together because it does matter. Here's an example:

Just imagine, the President passes a bill to eliminate Georgia from the United States. Georgia will be there geographically, but the name will be eradicated. He says, "it's so close to Florida - mine as well just consolidate and call it Florida too. Hey, that's one less state flag that has to be made. I know you guys got peaches and they have oranges, but it's all fruit. It's pretty much the same thing right?"

No, it's definitely not the same thing.

Birthday Surprise

Evan turned four years old on September 7th. We gave him lots of goodies to commemorate the occasion, but he gave us one big surprise. Since Evan was 15 months old he loved to memorize things. First it was words, then pictures from books and flash cards, then maps and names of composers. When Evan started memorizing all of his books we weren't too surprised. He loved playing computer games that taught pre-reading skills and I had briefly touched on the concept of sounding out words.

One night when Evan was reciting one of his bedtime books I realized he was now following the words and sentences on the page. I didn't think too much of it. My Mom came down to visit and celebrate Evan's birthday (and his sister's who turned two years old the day before). She brought with her the set of phonics books I had when I was little. I remembered learning to read from the books and was so happy she held on to them. We gave one to Evan and he opened it up and read...the whole thing! Surprise, my son knows how to read! I was in such shock. As a former teacher, I know what a long process learning to read can be. I couldn't believe Evan had basically taught himself. What a feat! I gave him the next book in the series and he read that, pausing to sound out any unfamiliar words.

A few days later I took Evan to his weekly speech therapy session. I mentioned to the pathologist that I had just realized that Evan knows how to read. She said, "Oh you didn't know? He has been reading for me since he started here in July."

Another perk of being an Aspie!