Friday is early out day at our elementary school. As many of you know, Trent is fascinated with building things, other people building things, tools like hammers etc. I have worried from time to time that something bad was going to happen, I even mentioned that he does this to the team of school professionals at the little meeting we had where we talked about his asperger's syndrome, school goals, etc. They thought this was a strength & we should encourage it, even set up a little workshop in the garage where he can hammer & build things. Well, this early out day he was building a play house in the front yard (that's what he called it.) He pulled the hammer back a little too aggressively and the two prongs in the back hit the back of his head. He & lily ran into the house, he was screaming like none else. I calmly.... breath, breath, slowly... checked out the back of his head & yes it was bleeding. We went into the bathroom I washed it off with some warm water. It was hard to tell- so I called the pediatrician & off we went to her office.
I had put a blue hand towel around his neck when we were over the sink so he was wearing that on his head now. We took him back, he was really nervous, of course. A nurse was looking at it & talking to him. I mentioned to the nurse that he had ADHD and asperger's. She looked at me & said, "I thought so." OUCH - that stung, did someone just hit me in the head with a hammer? I keep lying to myself that it's not that noticeable.
The doctor came in and wasn't sure either so we went into the room where they do stitches. STITCHES ? He was not happy & started to back out slowly at first then started running. Before I knew it he had ran over to a side exit door- & yep, he was outta there. Mortified I ran after him & almost 1/2 a block later screaming, stop- I mean it- I got him. He swung his arms around a little light post at the entrance of the office & wasn't going anywhere. I knew right then if he needed stitches I wasn't going to be enough to hold him down. The missionary in waiting had Brett's car and Jack was taking a math test, so I called the waiting guy. He left work & started over to the doctor's office.
I talked to Trent and asked what was really bothering him? Hey- they still were looking & not sure he needed stitches. He was afraid of the chair/table with the light over it. He didn't want to sit there & didn't want to get stitches. We went back into the room & practiced communicating with the nurse. He didn't want to sit in the chair. No problem, he stood up to be looked at. Guess what? No stitches. Right about then the missionary in waiting arrived. We went to get ice cream & got hamburgers instead.
I've decided, with my limited experience, that kids with asperger's just do what we all really want to do but don't because socially we know it's not the thing to do. Everyone of us would want to run out of the doctor's office, but would be too embarrassed to do such a thing. I am wondering if this asperger's could possibly work sometimes to a moral advantage, such as doing or saying the right thing when no one else has the guts- or socially is too smart? I am a mother you know, wishful thinking?
*do you ever feel like running away from a situation?
1 comment:
I'm so glad he didn't end up needing stitches.
Your take on Asperger's is interesting, and I can definitely see how that might work to his advantage sometimes.
I've wanted to run out of many places, but never have done so. Maybe he's on to something.
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