Da boy in da basement

Image by AltoExyl via Flickr

Playing da video game.
I don't like it.
I'd rather he be gainfully employed.
Fishing. Biking. Camping.
Volunteering.
But he's in the basement playing Xbox.
Sleeping til noon and playing Xbox.
Like any teenage boy on break.
But this teenage boy has autism. On school breaks he used to fall apart. Completely.
Now he acts like any teenage boy on break.
On July 4th, he's off to his beloved Camp Kodiak for seven weeks; seven learning-rich, social skills-building, tightly-structured weeks.
That will be followed by a camping (there it is: the camping!) trip with the Treehouse gang.
And immediately back to school.
So I'm gonna try to lay off and enjoy the "teenage boy on break" experience.

reBlog from Susan Berkson: Teen Clean Your Room

I found this fascinating quote today:

In a house with a teenager. In other words, at wit's ends. The stepping-on-legos years were tolerable But this is ridiculous. You're not going in there anymore so the kid is going to have to take care of it. June 11.  That's the day we rise up and force those kids to clean their rooms.Susan Berkson, Teen Clean Your Room, Jun 2010

You should read the whole article.

Last day of 8th grade

Image via Wikipedia

"It's been a fun year," says Elmer.

So what's wrong with me? My 14-y-o teen with autism just had a great year in his mainstream middle school, after a year in a Level III ASD classroom, after dropping out of 6th grade and going through due process.

So it's a miracle that he has had this year. Yet I sit here and think, "His acne is awful. He is so overweight."

It's not enough that he is successful in school? That he fits in? That he has a friend?

What is my problem? Is it never enough?