Therapy Again

Therapy has been going pretty well.  Last time she bumped us down to every other week.  Woohoooooo!  So there has been progress.  We sit and chat like we are old friends.  I love that about meeting with her, its like its not even therapy, which in my book is how its supposed to be.  In my opinion, more gets accomplished.

When I met with her by myself, we covered stuff from his sessions with her as well as worked on some of my many issues.   She had lots of interesting things to share about Son.  She loves her sessions with him and thinks he is the neatest kid.  I'm discovering that too.

We talked about what may have caused us to deteriorate to the point of more therapy.  She suggested that all kids go through developmental stages and Son may have entered one when we started having problems.  He probably didn't know how to deal with the new things happening to his body and his feelings.  If that is the reason for everything, we very well could be back in therapy throughout different stages of his growing up.  But, I know where and when to get help for us.

We talked about the CHOP study and their diagnosis of ADHD instead of Aspergers.  Vickie definitely sees more sensory issues with Son and while she knows he is a very high functioning AS kid, she doesn't feel that he is ADHD.  Of course, she wants to see the results of the testing done by CHOP to compare with what she knows of Son.  She said she will be glad to point me toward the appropriate doctor when I get the results of the study just to make sure I am getting all the appropriate therapies for Son.

We talked about socialization opportunities for Son.  Given where we live (in the middle of NO-WHERE, NJ) its going to take being creative.  I suggested that we might go back to the Autism Center and she made a face.  Not a good face either.  She suggested that since Son is such high functioning AS, that he might not benefit from the groups there.  He might be the one that the other kids aspire to be like.  And while that is a wonderful thing, Son might not "get it" and might be more frustrated by the groups than getting anything out of it.  She suggested Big Brothers / Big Sisters, finding a mentor from the local fire department, Boy Scouts, or back into swim lessons.  I have to look into some of these options.  If you have any suggestions, throw them my way, please! 

One of the things she told me broke Son's confidentiality so you have to keep this to yourself!  Promise and pinky swear, ok?  Good.

She asked Son if there was anything about me that he would want to change.  He said he wants a "Hot Mom".  WHAT??!?!?!?!?!?  But he was not able to articulate his version of a "Hot Mom". tee he!  Even my son doesn't think I am hot.  No wonder my self esteem is in the toilet.  Yesterday when we were there, I looked in the mirror and was shocked at what I saw looking back.  Crazy hair, no make up, sand on my shoulders, mismatched clothes, it was that "just back from the shore look" (cause I spent the day on the shore!).  I was very much a mess and I was out in public.  OMG.  He doesn't want a hot mom, he wants a mom that is at least presentable.

Last nights session really frustrated Son because I was practicing reflective listening.  Because this technique basically shuts down the argument, Son didn't like it.   He wasn't able to draw me into an argument and push my buttons.  And he didn't like it.  He spent a good bit of time away from us pouting and crying. 

But he wanted to talk about it on the way home and we discussed why its used.  He agreed that it could be a good way to stop arguments between us from getting out of hand.  I think he will be ok with it as long as I don't use it continuously in our conversations.

So that is an update on Son's therapy.  We are still going to be going every other week and I will still be practicing my homework with him.  Eventually, we will have a happy and peaceful home.  Then he will become a TEEN.  Oh help!  lol