It Seems Like the Right Time for a New Post

My boy. Oh, how I love my boy. I might very well be bored without the challenges he presents me.

John's meds have been affecting his appetite. It's unusual for us since most of the time we have to ensure he isn't just obsessively stuffing his face despite obvious pain and fullness. But he has said he isn't hungry when he wakes up. I proposed a solution: let's switch your breakfast and reading time slots so you can eat a little later.

He was thrilled yesterday afternoon when I mentioned the possibility. He even remembered the change this morning. Now, we don't have a schedule because I need or even want one. He NEEDS one. He wants one. He is comforted by the schedule that has taken us years to develop. He needs it posted. In fact, he even needs to argue with it occasionally. But in the end, it always wins because it is written. And things that are written contain the utmost authority for John.

It was a simple switch in time slots. I had thought that part would be obvious to my very logical and linear son. Everything he would normally do at 7:30, he would now do at 8:00 and vice versa. Except that's not how he saw it. Here's what really happened:

Previous Schedule	New Schedule	What Really Happened
7:00 Wake up/Get ready	7:00 Wake up/Get ready	7:00 Wake up/Get ready
7:30 Breakfast/unload dishwasher	7:30 Free Reading	7:30 Argue vehemently how he should have extra time to get dressed in the mornings. Insist on knowing what breakfast was going to be. Drink water. Lots of water. Starts Reading.
8:00 Free Reading	8:00 Breakfast/unload dishwasher
8:30 Restroom/drink/change laundry/sharpen pencil	8:30 Restroom/drink/change laundry/sharpen pencil
		8:40 Stops reading. Gets a drink of water. Lots of water. Visits the bathroom. Attends emergency schedule adjustment meeting called by Mom. Argues how he is right on time and Mom has grossly miscalculated. Previous diagram is shared and he argues nonetheless that he should be allowed an extra half hour for everything due to the schedule change. “Who care’s about stupid schedules anyway.” Finally eats some yogurt. Dishwashes isn’t unloaded and laundry isn’t changed. Mom reprioritizes, prays silently for His grace which is sufficient.
8:50 Prayer Circle	8:50 Prayer Circle
9:00 Math	9:00 Math	9:00 Math -- “Look Mom, I finally got you back on schedule.”

All I can do is giggle, blog, and wait for tomorrow when I will try again to help him adjust. Tomorrow will be better. I'm sure he'll keep me on track.

Asperger's vocabulary of the day: Flexibility. It can be difficult for Neuro-typicals as well as those who reside on the Spectrum.