My gideon

I know he's made amazing progress the past couple of years, but I still worry for him. I don't doubt that he has a vital brain, just that it will always work differently than expected.

We had his IEP meeting today. I felt like a fool sitting there. I've pretty much decided I need to get back into teaching gen ed science. Which means applying for different jobs and a move. So, why make plans for Gideon next year here?

Anyway. He needs a lot of reassurance and shuts down when he is corrected. He likes and works well with familiar adults, but can be rude and defiant with people he doesn't know. He is interested in other children his age, but doesn't play well or get along well with them.

He doesn't understand verbal social cues, such as the difference between a question and a statement. He talks over and past people instead of having conversations. He has poor eye contact, especially with people he doesn't know well.

He gets very uncomfortable when his routine is disrupted. The only exception to that is if the disruption allows him to be with me more than normal, then its ok. New places and faces are guarenteed to make him uncomfortable.

He is behind in reading, writing, and math skills. He recieves speech and language therapy.

When I look at the totality of his issues. I think he much have something on the autism spectrum. But I've tried getting him diagnosed and can't. I get told he's delayed or he's going to catch up.

I know both those things. But I still feel like if we knew the root, cause, we could better arrange his education so that he learned, could show us what he's learning, and so that new things didn't make him so anxious that his mom (me) doesn't even want to try.

We went to church in Parsons yesterday, then ate lunch with my aunt, and then to Pittsburg to play with Jason's son. I told gideon everything we were going to do before we did it. He still spent over an hour asking me again and again to tell him what would be happening.

He also appeared to be a brat at Jason's because he has no concept of social skills like sharing and letting someone else play with something he's interested in.

We actually had a good time. But I could tell Gideon was annoying everyone. I am ashamed to say I was a little embarassed. Noah was charming and Isaiah played Halo and then showed Nevik how to do something with his bakugan on the internet. Gideon mostly played by himself.

I just want two things. To know how best to help him, and to be able to explain to people why he's like this isn't because he has a lousy parent.

Oh yeah, I got the whole "it must be hard to be a single parent" comment in the IEP meeting. Sometimes things just wont stop sucking.