And no. I am still not feeling productive
Again told in Hanai's point of view and modernized for brevity's sake.
Summer has always been a very loosely structured time for Tikaani, Maka is at work as is Amana and Tikaani is often under stimulated. As a parent to my growing autistic nephew (who shot up another inch this summer and is getting close to 6'2" by the way) I feel it's my duty to make sure he is simulated and enriched. Code words out of my hair and out of my face. I can only deal with "AUNTIE!" only for so long before I shout something vulgar and throw him outside.
Mondays have been pool days when the weather is over 85F, if it's rainy or too cool it's Movie Day or going to the rec center. Tuesdays have been going to the library, Wednesdays have been hiking days were we drive out and go for long afternoon hikes at the nature park, Thursdays is going to see a Movie at the dollar theater, Fridays are Soccer days playing at local team at the rec center and weekends are "Boy days" which my husband and brother drag my nephew's brown ass into the Mini Van for whatever half-baked attempt for male bonding. Normally it's fishing or canoing which Tikaani adores but Maka had brilliant idea of taking Tikaani to the shooting range with he and Amana. Yeah brilliant idea, lets take the kid with sensory processing issues to a place with a lot noise and weird smells(not to mention GUNS!). Tikaani came home exhausted and grumpy and threw a huge fit around shower time. When I heard why he was so surly, you best believe I cussed our my spouse in five different languages and had him on the futon that night.
Now the routine is becoming too familiar to him. Movie days are not enough and Soccer is over. So my nephew has been outside on the trampoline or in the garden or riding his bike. That is until he gets bored again, then it's "AUNTIE CAN I HAVE ______" for three straight hours. School can't come quick enough.
However I have not been looking forward to the IEP meetings and getting back on the routines for Junior year. His last aid Mr. Howe, was retiring. He was one of the best aid I had with Tikaani, he knew his strengths and challenges and worked withhimnot with everyone else. Tikaani liked Mr."Jack" as well and often referred to him on his keypad as "Very nice good guy with Game Boy. Now we had a fresh out of undergrad school bubblegum chewing white chick to be his new aid. I met her Yesterday at our first IEP meeting, setting goals for him for this year. Tikaani was with me for this one and had his laptop and used that to communicate. The primary teachers for his grade this year asked him questions on what he wanted to do for this year, he told them he wanted to make more friends and get "Surprisingly Good marks" We've set up goals for graduation including him going to a Career center as well as him learning to manage his own schedule as well as his own money and time. Then the aid showed up, she was running late which didn't impressed me but when I saw her I knew things were going to be tough year. She was upbeat over bearing and over energetic. She was a typical well..NT. Tikaani who had calm body language and was doing well, immediately recoiled when "Micah Thomson" started gushing on how excited she was about working with him and how much fun they were going to have this year. She talked fast and wore too much body splash. Needless to say Tikaani was bit off put by her.
I told her about this years goals including
-Job Training
-Social skills building
-Refining communication
-Life Skills training at school (like managing lunch money)
-Extra circular actives
-Minimizing time in Special Ed
Tikaani was still spending mornings and late afternoons in Special Ed we're hoping to have that just one period a day by mid year. She was enthusiastic to work with him and talked mostly to me and never to him which was red flag to me. But I didn't give up on her yet, time will tell.
End of the meeting we headed to do some groceries and Tikaani said that he was "Unsure" about Micah. I told him to give her time that she'll eventually mellow out. Tikaani looked dubious about that, I couldn't blame him, but I still had faith that things will work out.
First day of school is next week, this will a good test to see if Micah is really a good fit for Tikaani.
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