Work in progress

 

Caring for someone with autism can be challenging during the pandemic. Schools and therapy centers are closed. Parents have to take care of their kids in their homes. In the past months, I have been teaching my son practical things like folding clothes, washing plates, counting money and using the calculator. I have always wanted to teach my son these life skills so I am using this time to teach him something he can use in his everyday life.

This pandemic have left us time to ponder about what are the most important things in life. Our health, our family. We have also acquired new skills and for me it was baking. One time, I instructed my son to help me in cracking some eggs to be put in a bowl. Unfortunately, he broke it too hard and ended up on the floor. Maybe next time he can do better. I want him to realize that it's okay to make mistakes and he can try again until he can do it right.

My son have made milestones since last year. He was able to complete the 16 hour flight to New York from Manila last July 2019. We were able to go to museums like the American Museum of Natural History and the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Met. He waited patiently on the benches of the Met while his father and I looked around the paintings of Van Gogh and Renoir, my favorite Impressionist painter . He was also behaved in the New York Public library.

A major milestone for him this year was I was able to bring him to the dentist to get his teeth cleaned. I was so nervous but I prepared him beforehand telling him that he has to open his mouth wide so the dentist can clean it so he won't have a toothache.  Fortunately, he complied but of course, there was some hesitation and a lot of prodding too.

Yesterday, he was able to try some online learning with his new SPED teacher.  I was nervous that he won't sit long but he did finish his lesson. So I hope this goes well too until they go back to regular school.

There are still other challenges that I still would like to address like him sleeping by himself in his own room. I think this goes hand in hand with his fear of thunder because when it starts raining he would cover his ears and get a little scared. This maybe the reason why he does not want to sleep alone so I still have to address this sensory thing.

Reminding myself of his milestones makes living in the new normal a little bearable. But I should not stop there. I would like to take advantage of this time to teach him new skills and overcome long standing fears so he can be more independent. He is still a work in progress like all of us are. 

Keep safe, everyone.