Delay. Developmental delay.
Have you noticed that ASD's are medically described as a 'delay'. Yes, I'm repeating that word. I tend to do that when the delay is looking like a yawning chasm; when the race leaders are so far in front that I can hardly see them in the distance.
Delay. Delay. Something which can be overcome with time. Your flight is delayed - it'll get there, but not quite as soon as you'd hoped.
Not deficit - which has uglier implications of falling short, gone.
Delay. When I realise at the end of the day that I've been giving Speedy and Curly more responsibility than my eldest son Dreamer, and they've coped and Dreamer has not.
I have to say delay. I have to remind myself that those 12 year old skills today are so much better than the 8 year old level skills of last year.
There is progress.
I remind myself that after the rest of the world finishes their developmental process and arrives at the finishing line of adulthood, Dreamer can, and will, keep jogging along, getting back on track after regular distractions by the side of the road to get to the finish line.
It's just a longer journey.
(This blog post brought to you by: Year 12, Semester One report cards)
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Deflated
5 months ago
thank you, I needed to read this today. We have our younger son's semester one report for kindergarten. Academically, he is right on target for his age group, which is awesome. Other areas, well, he is not so much on target. But you remind me about 'delay'. He is getting there. He has already come such a long way on a very short time.
ReplyDeleteAgain, thanks, this really helped me remember the bigger picture.
Stinking report cards.
ReplyDeleteWendy Lawson says autism is about disordered development, not incomplete development.
I like that. Like the shampoo commercials promise, 'it will happen'.
Sometime. When it's ready. When it's necessary.
:)
Exactly, disordered development at their own pace.
ReplyDeleteNo ASD kid will conform to any old line in the sand!
They make their own line in the sand and dare themselves to leapfrog over it when it suits them.
Tell the NT teachers they're dreamin'... ;)