Maybe it is because he is my first male child to be nearing
puberty, but I feel completely adrift when it comes to dealing with my son,
Samuel, who at eleven-years-old has suddenly become super clingy and more
anxious than ever. He has autism, too, so that just makes every new behavior more
noticeable.
I guess that is what I would call it.
I rumble around the internet looking for ideas. Let’s see: Tai Chi? Not a bad idea. I might be best off to ask if they could do Tai Chi at his afterschool program. He is smart enough to know he can act one way at his afterschool program and as soon as Mommy arrives, he lets his guard down and acts like he can’t manage anything on his own.
It’s “Mommy” and “When are we leaving, Mommy?” as soon as we get in the car… and on and on and on.
I do some research only to find out seizures are a
one-out-of-four reality for spectrum
kids.
Researcher Christopher Gillberg reports “puberty, more often than not, tends to increase (worsen?) the presentation of various autistic symptoms.”
I also learn it is one of those “grin and bear it” situations.
Believe it or not, my daughters have been almost a breeze through puberty.
I remember before Samuel was diagnosed, I thought his behaviors were because he was the youngest and the only boy. I didn’t realize he had autism.
Now I know he has autism, have been working for the past few years as his fiercest activist and advocate yet the thought of enduring several years like these past couple months have been? I feel like I am too old for this!
He won’t even let me follow him around with a camera anymore
unless he has a brilliant pose to show me.
Thank goodness my love for him is absolutely unconditional and full of profound love beyond measure.
And if you happen to have negotiated successfully through puberty with your son with autism, any advice would be tremendous.
I love him so much - I can handle the ornery behavior but it would be so much more pleasant if I knew more successful ways to deal with him!
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Julie Jordan Scott has been a Life & Creativity Coach, Writer, Facilitator and Teleclass Leader since 1999. She is also an award winning Actor, Director, Artist and Mother Extraordinaire. She was twice the StoryTelling Slam champion in Bakersfield.
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