Friday, February 1, 2008

Use Your Words

Careful when you say that to your kids to express anger/frustration.
We've been saying this to Wyatt cause he's picked up some really bad habits- ie: smacking his own head, growling, stomping. So, now he uses his words and we get things like this:
Me: Time for School Wyatt
Wyatt: I HATE school, Im going to burn the school down, so we can't go anymore.

Dad: Wyatt, don't do that!
Wyatt: I'm going to "smoke" you with the car! (run over in Wyatt speak)

When did my kid get violent ? Is this how those 2 Columbine boys started out their preschool days? Is this normal ? Should I worry ? Naturally when he says things like that I explain the consequences of such violent actions. Does he understand ?
Urgh
You know....I know this sounds bad, but sometimes I think Wyatt plays the autism card. Sound crazy ? Well, Wyatt's in a class where there are kids with far more pronounced disabilities than he. He adopts some behaviors there as a result. Grunting, growling, "I can't do it attitude"

Sometimes I think he plays coy on purpose. For example. Today. I KNOW he knows what a yellow square looks like. Yellow is his favorite color and square was the 1st shape he knew. I asked him to pick out the yelloww square with a "1" on it for our calender today. He points at everything above and to the side of it. Not laughing though, like he's teasing me. But acting like he really really didnt know which one it was, to the point where he was actually getting mad at me. It was so frustrating.

Thankfully his IEP is next Friday and maybe the teachers will say he could work in a regular education room. Either way, next year he won't be back at Unified. His teacher is lovely, but its undeniable that he's picking up bad behaviors. I think the only reason they want him to stay in that room is because he's helping the other kids that don't have his verbal skills. While I think that is great, that Wyatt can be a good example, I think its holding his own potential back.
Do I sound full of it ?
Besides i'd really really like him to go to a montessori school. I'm just not sure if they would have the patience for a kid who just need an extra minute. Ya know ?

About Me

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Im the mother of a 7 yr. old and a 10 year old. Married for 100 years to a sailor. Formally a criminal justice student that got lots of sleep and laid on a bed not covered in goldfish crackers.