Thursday, October 17, 2013

Notes from Tate: Part Two of Three Steps Forward and Two Steps Back


STOP! If you haven't read the last post (yesterday's post) then this one will not mean much. So click on the purple link, read it, and catch up! Thanks for joining in my "fun" with autism.

We are one day into the elimination of fantasies and Tate is doing very well. He is past crying and seems to be okay. He is not verbally arguing but still he seems to have gotten the last word. Ha!

In the past, on occasion, when Tate feels the need to argue with an adult but knows he will be stopped, he has written notes. The first note I ever remember him writing was around third grade and he was upset with a teacher. He wrote her a note to continue an argument that she thought she had won. He’s been writing notes ever since. Not all of them get delivered but it may be a good release for him. I’ve written my fair share of notes to school board members and various others that I never sent. Now I blog for therapy. Ha!

Last year, Tate wrote a couple of notes to his well-loved para to fire him from his position because he was asking Tate to do things that Tate did not think were “worthy” of him. Things like reading and math. Ha! We explained that students cannot fire school staff and then went around the corner and laughed hard. Three steps forward: Tate is initiating interactions with others, trying to advocate for himself, and using communication skills that are really hard for him. Two steps back: Tate is unable to “drop” the “argument” that he lost and is sometimes, boarder-line, disrespectful, both typical of autism.

Following is a note Tate wrote to his Dad regarding the babysitting service he wants to open based on a television show scenario. It was in a folder at school and the para sent it home so we could see it. We’re not sure when he wrote it.

Dear DaD I thank I will Be a GOOD BaBY SiTer  The BilDing Will Be a wonDerful Place and I canT waTe To Be a Bother [brother] and Manager  We Will have Dinner every Day aT 4:00  I We will come and viste you MosT oF The TiMe  Winever the Kids GeT sik I will TaKe them To The DoTer and Me and SiDNey Will Go To the Computer every Day at 5:00  I will NoT Give UP intell This New Year’s Day From TaTe  PS I will aso BaBYSit NaNs KiDS and The aParTMenT Will Be for KiDS and animals Who Need a BaBYSiTer only

The reference to being a brother and a manager is from an unrelated joke we have also been trying to eliminate (also from a television show.) The joke is never delivered in a context that is understandable to his “audience” and only makes Tate appear very odd. I have been trying to extinguish this one for two or three weeks and Shawn addressed it when he spoke to Tate about the inappropriate fantasies and stories he has been telling people. 

Three steps forward and two steps back.

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