Our Aspergers Teenage Boy

Tommy is griping at Sarah and Noah. Everything they do seems to annoy him tonight. In all fairness, Sarah may be doing things to annoy him on purpose.

Tommy is finally taking his bath. Hopefully it will calm him down. I hate him talking to biological dad because it always works him up. Bio dad never bothered to send them Christmas gifts or even call on Christmas. Bio dad only comes to town about twice a year and even then it’s only if his girlfriend wants to visit her cousin a few hours away. Last summer we allowed bio dad to take the three children to Boston for a one week visit. The stories I got back were so horrible that there is no way it is happening this year. They showed the children R movies, let Tommy spend entire days unmonitored in chat rooms and everyone, especially bio dad’s girlfriend constantly criticized and teased Tommy. Sarah came home with a huge smart-alec mouth that she DID NOT have before the trip so I know it came from girlfriend’s two teens. Grrr.

When I stepped out to chop wood, Tommy was howling The “Scooby Do” Theme song into the phone but didn’t know all the words so he just made noises.

He’s upstairs laughing manically now.

He could control this. He is just not trying.

Tommy is just acting manic now. Singing loudly, repeating the same noise over and over. We really need a soundproof room in this house.

Tommy is wacky right now. 3 calls to his biological father today. Right now he is singing 3 blind mice over the phone to him and yelling at his 10 yr old sister. Earlier he was just dragging his feet all over the wood floors. At the dinner table he asks “can I say something?” as I am talking to his sibling and I say “no” so he pauses, thinks about it, and blurts it out anyway.

Tommy was looking ready to pop so I told him to read for a while and he calmed down immediately. He’s re-reading the Harry Potter series backwards. I have no idea why. He’s also listening to Johnny Cash CDs he borrowed from his grandfather. They are an improvement from him listening to my Pink Floyd Cds (bad idea for Tommy) but I liked it when he was listening to my Three Dog Night CDs (good choice for anyone).

I’m still not letting him play PS2 until he recites the presidents.

He doesn’t like the idea of writing down the presidents and self-testing. Replies “this is STUpid”

Tommy “studying” in front of fire. Last I checked the book was face down on the floor.

Tommy lives in what seems to be a perpetual state of self doubt. He follows up 80% of his conversations with a question. “I think that’s funny. That’s funny, isn’t it Dad?” “This is good. This is good, isn’t it Mom?” If it is not self doubt, it is awkward conversation feeling somehow that he had to have a response to be validated in his own self expression.

There’s just a dusting of snow on the ground but, Tommy’s teacher called and suggested that we keep him home since half the class wasn’t coming in and both aides weren’t coming in either. I guess the aides all live in the mountains. I like it when he’s here. He’s mad at Dad and I because I told him he has just one assignment to do before he can play video games. He has to memorize the presidents in order in honor of Presidents’ Day. He is sitting in the rocker glaring at everyone who walks near. The rocking chair is the place where he calms as well as the place where he builds up steam. I’m going to try to find a mnemonic device to help him.