My DD who is on the spectrum is doing awesome. I can't step into her school without teachers stopping me to tell me how wonderful my child is. I can't even begin to tell you how wonderful that is. She has come out of her shell of distrust, anger, and withdrawl. She has positively blossomed under the guidance of educators who use effective Postive Behavioral Supports.

There are about 30 kids in my daughter's middle school. Of those 30 only 2 are girls.
The school "PTA" was considering having a dance for Halloween. I had to point out that a dance would not work very well with two girls and one of which does not like boys or music.
My daughter hates loud noise or constant noise. She has always hated boys unless they prove themselves useful in some way. She is germ phobic and gets upset when anyone is in her space. You can not imagine my surprise when I got a call from the mother of a boy in her class inviting my daughter over.

At the end of the month my family is going to visit the inlaws and I am staying home all by myself!!

By ED I mean Emotional Disturbance and not the one they advertise a little blue pill for on late night commercials. (Or as my daughter asked "Daddy What's Reptile Disfunction"?)
I have been attending a lot of ARD's lately which are IEP meetings elsewhere.

Is it just me or is anyone else ticked at the "Snake Oil" salesmen trying to cash in on the autism crises?
Last year I attended a support group for parents of children with Asperger's and it turned out to be a marketing ploy for a supplement that "Made non verbal autisic child speak and advance to the point of beind indistinguishable from neurotypical children". At 100 dollars a month if you don't see immediate results than double the dosage!
I am interested in hearing from parents who have found something that they believe works but not if they are profitting from this.

After the hideous incident with school last year we needed to medicate my daughter for anxiety so they would not find a reason to accelerate her behavior and call the police. The drug is Abilify. It does work. At the first dosage she had a seizure so we tried a quarter of the original dose. She showed immediate changes in her levels of anxiety and behavior.

I just got back from attending the COPAA conference in St. Louis. I would highly recommend that any parent who has an interest in special education join this group. Their website is a wealth of information.

A very strange thing happened. I have found my place.

I am copying a poem written by friend's daughter. The author's name is Rachel Laviola. I have permission to copy it. I really loved this poem and hoped it would lead to dialogue with my teenager daughter about her feelings. It did not.
This was first puplished in "Age of Autism"
The Poetry of an Autism Sibling
By Rachel LaViola
Casually spread
over striped sheets and throw pillows
purple, blue, red
I lie on my bed
phone by my head
chatting away with an old friend
one of those routine correspondences–
monthly
ok, bi-monthly
ok, I should call her more often.

I usually write when in crisis mode. That is when I need to connect with others who understand and accept.
This time is different. I am writing while things are going very well. I have been afraid to write as everytime I thought we had some peace - bam some awful crisis and we would be thrust into chaos.