Our Aspergers Teenage Boy

Dad reports:
Tommy woke this day moaning. Everything seemed to get on his nerves.
“Arrrhhhhhhh. My hair!”
“Arrrhhhhhhh. My shoelace. It’s not fair!”
He spent the entire morning bemoaning every little thing. When I tried to talk him down by expressing that perhaps he was blowing things out of proportion (not in those words) he directed the blame on me. Everything became my fault and my name became “DaaaAAAaaaAAAAaaaAAd” so his name became “ToooooooOOOOOooOOOOooaaaaammmmy” which really made him angry.

When his bus arrived he was busy flipping through the pages of a library book and being angry with his mother because “she lost [his] place” and would not get up to go to the bus. After repeated prompting he yelled, “I’m going!”

As he walked to the bus I cheerfully told him “have a nice day!”
To which he barked “Leave me alone!”
So I responded “Have a nice day!”
And he barked louder “Leave ME ALONE!”
I can remember his closing shout but it was loud and a good one.

Dad reports this morning:
Tommy really is doing much better. The Wellbutrin seems to have kicked in and Tommy is less angry, more compliant and almost jovial. He even got up this morning and was ready to go to school with 20 minutes to spare!

For the past two nights he’s gone to bed without a dose of his seriquil so I expect a backlash from that in the next day or two.

Mom reports: Noah and I sat in bed and watched TV together this weekend. A commercial for Super Nanny came on and Noah turned and stared at me for several minutes before finally saying “Maybe Super Nanny could help us with Tommy.”

Mom reports: When Tommy left the house it was 30 degrees out but he was wearing a short-sleeved shirt and jeans. I made him carry a sweatshirt but that was just to make me feel better. I guess I should be happy he doesn’t insist on wearing shorts every day.

Dad reports:
Tommy got up to use the bathroom and was there an unusual time so I checked on him to make sure he had not fallen asleep. He said, “no. I’m just staring at this red dot on my hand.” I sent him back to bed but he’s got the “can’t sleeps” which may be true or may be that he’s keeping himself up for a reason.

This will probably lead to more sleep in school today.

Dad reports:
Tommy’s bus was really late today. It was honking the horn as it came down the street. I told Tommy “your bus is running late you need to hurry” so he got to the front door, opened it, then stood in the doorway bending his thumb backward on the door frame and staring at it intently with his back to the bus and making no attempt to move toward the bus.

Dad reports this morning:
I just woke Tommy and asked “how are you feeling?” to which he replied “pretty good.” Let’s see how that changes as I prompt him to get ready for school.

I can’t tell sometimes if Tommy is just trying to see how much he can get away with or if he really enjoys a good power struggle. His latest thing in the mornings is to ask me to bring his clothes to him. His mother lays out all the kids clothing the night before but I believe like his younger sister and younger brother he can get up and get his own clothes.