Milestone

Alex had a Dr appt yesterday to follow up since starting Ritalin.  His Dr dropped a bombshell on me.  He is taking ASD off of Alex's list of diagnoses because he feels he is no longer exhibiting symptoms of ASD.  It wasn't a total shock since I have been told before that he does not really "seem like a kid with ASD", although no one could really pinpoint his diagnosis so the original diagnosis of ASD stuck.  It's weird, 5 years ago if you had told me this diagnosis would eventually be dropped, I would have been so relieved!  However, since then I have learned so much about ASD and that a label does not define a child.  Alex is still "different".  He is still quirky and often says things that don't make sense.  He still needs to jump and swing way more than most kids.  He still has difficulty paying attention, reading and making friends.  His "label" now is ADHD.  However, he is still the same kid who had an official diagnosis of ASD 2 days ago.  He is still funny, sweet, smart, and uniquely Alex. 

Alex is having surgery on his ears next month.  This will be plastic surgery to correct ears which are very large and stick out.  I have mixed feelings.  We are doing it on the advice of his pediatrician and his ENT who both feel it is important for his social development, since his ears are quite pronounced.  I see their point.  A child who is "different" does not need something ELSE to make him a target of bullying.  However, I am wary of general anesthesia for what is not essential surgery.  This is one of those times when my husband and I have made a decision (to go ahead with the surgery) and then pray like crazy that we made the right one. 

Happy Halloween!!

Oblivious

Yesterday Sara came home from school with a fever.  She was not all that sick but was not allowed back at school today because they need to be fever-free for 24 hours.  DH is in San Francisco and I HAD to go to work today.  We are already short staffed.  My wonderful mom offered to watch Sara at her house so I drove her up there yesterday.  It is about an hour drive away.  I drove her up there while the other kids were at school.  She was gone when they got home and of course all last evening.

This morning Alex said "Where is Sara?".  I was dumbfounded.  I know I had told the kids she was sick and at grandma's but maybe he was not there when I told them?  He honestly had no idea where she was and even  more disturbing, he hadn't noticed she was gone until this morning.

We always joke about Alex being oblivious and "out of it" but this just slammed it home.  How can a 10 year old be this oblivious to his surroundings and activity/life going on around him?  I find it scary for his own safety.  He is so unaware.  He is the opposite of kids on the spectrum who hate change or who have to have things a certain way.  He barely notices change and does not care one bit if things are changed up.  I once changed around all the furniture in his room and he barely noticed that.  It scares me.  I don't know what to make of it.  I don't know what it "means" or if it means anything.  There is tons of information about kids who are inflexible or hate change and how to deal with it.  But not so much on kids who are completely oblivious to much of what is happening right in front of them and who don't even notice even rather large changes.  I am at a loss.