More Than a Number

Yes I am talking about the new CDC numbers, and yes I am taking my cue from Diary of A Mom. You see when we started our journey into understanding autism she was one of the first blogs I followed. She has a way of writing what we all feel and wording it better than I ever could.

I agree with her I want no part of the shock and awe. My facebook post yesterday after the news broke was:  
 What do you all think? This says autism and related disorders. I think the numbers are up because of better diagnosis. If you remember back in the day there would have been no dx just institutionalization so we really don't know what the numbers were. I also think more parents know what they are looking for.

There was an article attached to this post and shortly after I posted:
  
Now the CDC's numbers are all over facebook. Here come the alarmist pushing the panic button. I said my piece in a previous post and I will now step out of this one.

For the most part I did. I commented on a couple of pages I follow but for the most part I had to bow out. I don't want to be part of the infighting of why this is. To tell you the truth I DON'T CARE why the numbers are up they are and that's how it is. Fighting over why is not going to change a thing. 

Come on people lets put the boxing gloves down. Lets remember these numbers you are fighting over are not just numbers they are people. Living breathing people who have feelings. Remember everything you say they hear, everything you do they see and I for one will be damned if my kids hear anyone say or see anyone do anything that makes them less than.

Yesterday was the shock and awe which I stayed out of. This morning when I logged on there were pictures with the heading on 1 in 88. That's what we need to see, the people not the number. It's easy to ignore a number or a make a number unimportant but when you see the person you cannot deny in Dr. Temple Grandin's words "Different not Less"

The Faces Of Autism

1 in 88 1in 54 boys one is my boy

 
 

Is it Bullying or Not

A little while ago Roger wrote this post about being weird.

My facebook post Monday night:

As if this day can't get any worse. Details later. Roger shows me his thumb it's a little bruised and a little cut not to bad. conversation goes:
Roger: Does this look bad it still hurts
Me: No what did you do?
Roger: Some kid slammed my locker closed on it. I'm 90% sure it was a accident.
Me: Is his locker near yours?
Roger: No its a couple lockers down. I'm 90% sure it was a accident. 10% that it's not.
Me: so he had to walk to get to your locker? Did he have Mr. Z that class. (Rogers locker is right next to a classroom not in a main walkway.)
Roger: No
Me: *in my head*I'm 99% sure that was no accident.

Follow up post Tuesday morning:

  Just got off the phone with the assistant principal. He says he will look into it and call me back today. He says someone may have been playing around or it could have been accidental but he will see what he can find out.

A few hours later I got a call back:

  Well the school is claiming the kids are just playing. Really he's being called names and I am having meltdowns almost everyday after school. They may think they are playing but they are not. As for Roger really is you ask him are you just playing he will say yes.

I used to work in a middle school, I understand kids do play around and sometimes injuries happen. Do I really believe that is what is happening here. No! If was just a smashed finger ok yes probably playing around and accidental. Even Super Uncle at first said middle school kids do dumb things. When I then said what if I told you this incident came after weeks of name calling and increased meltdowns at home, and grades dropping? Super Uncle said that was no accident.

Typically is Roger says "I'm 90% sure it was a accident" means it's not. He is also the kid that someone could walk up to him punch him in the face and so oh I'm sorry it was a accident and he would believe it.

Now we have to figure out what our next step is. I will be sending the school an email reiterating my concerns (always do it in writing so you have proof). Our IEP is next week so we will bring it up then as well. The school may think talking to just Roger and having him say it was a accident is sufficient but it is not. I don't know if the other kid was talked to because it falls under some privacy crap. I didn't ask for a name just if he had been talked to as well. 

When are schools going to wake up and realize this is serious. This is not just teasing, I live in a county that has the highest suicide rate of students. Something NEEDS to change, not soon NOW!!!  The Bully Project has a documentary coming out from the previews ever kid should have to watch it as well as every school administrator that thinks they can just sweep it under the rug.

I'm Weird SO WHAT!!

Hey I know I'm the weird kid at school. How you may ask:

I say random things at random times, I don't do it to be annoying it just kind of comes out.

I read A LOT!!! Like I carry at least 5 books with me everywhere.

I read all 5 books at the same time. You try and do that and keep them straight.

I go to two clubs each week. Conquest Club is strategy games and video game club.

I want to be in Honors classes because Regular classes are to easy.

I don't care about sports.


These may make people think I'm weird but what I can do is:

Remember lots of facts in my head. I almost never have to study for tests.

I play 3 instruments, Tenor Sax, Alto Sax, and Guitar.

I get almost perfect scores on my state SOL's.

I understand very complicated (so called nerdy) video games.

SO IF YOU WANT TO CALL ME WEIRD OR A NERD, GO AHEAD, I WILL BE YOUR BOSS SOMEDAY!!!!!! :D HA HA

ROGER