Our Aspergers Teenage Boy

Dad reports:
Tommy just told me “Dad, I had a wonderful dream last night. I dreamed all the cords in the house were tied neatly with twist ties. It was a good dream. I really enjoyed it.”

Monday morning his dream was “no one needed money anymore.”

Dad reports this morning:
Wow! Tommy must have stayed up late last night. Although around midnight when I got in he was asleep. I tried waking him with back scratch, gentle shake, light taps and nothing was getting him to stir. I finally got him up enough to take his medicine. Removed the sheets and pillows immediately as I can see how this morning is going already.

Dad reports this morning:
Tommy responded this morning with his usual “I’m cold” as he stretched, took his medicine and returned to bed. I have to take all his coveres off the bed or he will never get up.

Dad reports last night:
Tommy and I joined his friend, friend’s dad and friend’s dad’s friend for a game of Dungeons and Dragons. Tommy begin getting giddy and worked up in the afternoon. He could not contain himself and called his friend and talked for 1 or 2 hours before the game. His smile was so big you’d think his face would crack. The problem was that it resembled the smile that says “I’m wacked and I’m going to crazy stuff until someone gets mad” and although it was close to that I think it was really just absolute overjoy! He was having hard time maintaining himself.

The bad stuff: He rolled on the floor quite a bit. Every time something happened he said “I stab my own players in the back.” Lots of non-sense statements when I know he can think things out and take it more seriously. When it came time to go he grabbed onto the couch and would not let go. Then he threatened to take their cat home and he was only kidding but he could not see that this was upsetting his friend. He then hid in the shadows in an attempt to not go home. Tommy got louder as the night went on.

The good stuff: When I scratched his back he calmed enough to make good decisions. I must have scratched his back for two hours. My shoulder should be killing me. The adventure was fun and even though Tommy’s character and mine died we had a very good time. Tommy made some good choices during the game and had several moments where his character was the center of attention.

This friend of Tommy’s and Tommy need to have a couple of opportunities to get together soon on another type of activity like Geocaching.

Dad reports this morning:
Tommy got up, got himself dressed without fussing and went off to school.

This evening will be D&D.

Dad reports yesterday:
The glass Tommy joined at church was mostly retarded folks. It’s sad to see such an intelligent person as Tommy not desire to raise above such a level. I by no means am trying to be diminutive of the people in that glass but Tommy is capable of so much more. However, he thoroughly enjoyed himself.

Afterwards we had lunch at McDonald’s where I observed Tommy wrenching his brother’s arm because Noah wasn’t doing what Tommy wanted.

We then went to the pool for a swim. Tommy was absolutely belligerent towards me several times. He was once upset by his sister climbing on him in the deep end. It was scary for him and he didn’t know how to deal with it. I intervened but Tommy would not drop the issue until someone had scolded Sarah. I warned him not to bring it up to the other adults but he refused to listen. Later in the pool he was overed one more quick dive off the board but instead took to swimming laps and making excuses to stay in the water longer. I understand his desire but his disobidence and disrespect is unallowable.

As a teenager I wanted to write my own rules but I still respected adults and did my subversion when they were not commanding me otherwise. Tommy does it right in your face.

Dad reports this morning:
Tommy has had his medicine and remains in bed. Today should be interesting as he has been invited to join a class at his grandparent’s church. The class is a special needs class with as much variety as a typical CDC classroom setting. (Nice word origins site)

Ah! He stirs!

Dad reports last evening:
In the evening Tommy came to life and started acting somewhat goofy as one of Sarah’s friends that Tommy “has interest in” was over until the grandparents picked up the little ones for spending the night and church. After they left Tommy quickly settled into reading and sleep.

Dad reports:
Tommy is fulfilling his prophecy that he will do nothing but eat and sleep this summer and “there is nothing you can do about it.”

His mother reports that lunch was 2 cans of soup, a disproportionally large serving of cantaloupe, and 1/4 of a loaf of Hawian bread.

He promised after lunch to help around the house since all he has done is sleep in the tent. After lunch he said “I’m going back to the tent to sleep now. I never said ‘when’ I would help.”

Dad reports this morning:
At 8:30 I called Tommy in to get his medicine. He groused that he just wanted to sleep. While inside he decided to have breakfast. We are almost out of milk so he pours himself an obnoxiously full bowl of cereal with a ridiculous amount of milk. He then proceeds to sit down at the table where the puzzle is being made and he has been asked not to have food there (he just gets it all over the place). Everything he did was getting on my nerves and I was starting to get unfairly angry at him. He has returned to the tent to sleep now.

Dad reports last night:
Tommy and his brother slept in the tent. It began in the designated spot in the yard and ended up on the front porch. They made it through the night!

Dad reports:
Tommy was allowed to stay at home while everyone else picked up his sister from camp. Tommy enjoys these stays at home but only for a little bit. After a while he starts calling on the phone to ask “when will you be home”?

Dad reports:
I wish I could record Tommy speaking to his mother. She asks him to do something and in return gets a loud, gruff “No!” then later foot stomping and sarcastic “I’m SORRY!”s followed by a nasty, sharp “I’m going!” as he is sent to spend some time on the porch in the rain which of course is followed with a house shaking door slam.

It’s difficult to not want to slip into corporal punishment. That doesn’t work with Tommy though. Taking away privileges works far better for him. Everything MUST have a consequence regardless of how tired the parent is of dishing out consequences.

Dad reports:
15 minutes ago Tommy was asked to take a bath. I just checked on him to find him still dressed from the waist down, sitting cross legged on the floor in front of the commode, with the fingers and his thumb of his left hand shoved to the first knuckle in his mouth just chewing away. I think given the opportunity he’d eat that hand down to the wrist. He never once looked at me except maybe a quick shift of his eye and instead just stared at the toilet making not attempt to change his behavior or do what he’d been asked to do. I left without saying a word.