Summary of 2014

There were a lot of changes in 2014.  Jonathan had a great year.  He finished elementary school (in our area, 6^th grade is still considered elementary) and he changed schools to start middle school.  We made the decision to change from public school to Catholic school.  So far, he is doing fantastic.  He was accepted with a probation letter pending proper academic performance and proper behavior and he has done absolutely great.  He is getting over 90 in all his courses with no help other than my help with some projects. 

Jonathan is now taller than me.  He is 5’5” tall and weighs about 130lbs.  He looks thin and older.  He will be 13 soon.  Amazing how much has happened in the past 10 years.  He made new friends in his new school and he is genuinely happy.  He is no longer doing Tae Kwon Do or Baseball.  The school commitment is so much more stressful, that he cannot spend more than 2 nights a week out.  He is attending Spanish lessons and he goes to an Athletic Performance training that keeps him in shape.  His passion is still video games J L.

Regarding biomedicine, he still takes about 30 pills a day. But we no longer do any special therapy or major biomedical therapy.  Because he does have ADHD now, in addition to his autism, he takes Concerta to help him focus.  I really would like to get back into proper research to help him overcome ADHD without Concerta, but my job schedule and extra-curricular activities does not give me time.  I am also 10 years older and do not have the same energy level.  I stay as current as possibly by helping others, but not deep enough to help Jonathan further.  He is very high functioning and the therapies that I research for the younger kids that are more severe, do not apply to him anymore except for the supplements he continues to take to bypass his nutrigenomics.

After Research Volunteer Appointment

Today we had an appointment at Children's for a research study we are participating in.  The appointment went well and Jonathan finished a bit earlier than expected. After the appointment, we went to his baseball clinic. On the way there, I asked Jonathan if they had told him what the research was for and he said no. So I explained to him that it was to collect data about how his mind works now that he is so high functioning. So that grabbed his attention and we had a great conversation. I explained that this research is intended to study kids like him who are recovered or very close to being recovered from autism and compare their behaviors and responses to the evaluation of other children that are not as high functioning. And that the idea is to learn what can be done to help other children that need more help. And he liked that. I told him that today the ratio is 1in 50. That blew his mind. He told met that he had read somewhere that there are studies trying to find the cause. Then I mentioned that I am working with other parents of small kids with autism trying to guide them and help by sharing what I had done with him when he was little.  That shocked him and he said "that is so great of you mom". 

Then I asked him about how he feels. I reminded him of how he felt when I had first told him of his diagnosis and he said that he felt pretty good these days.  I asked him if he felt he needed to talk to a therapist and he said no.  I asked him if he knew of other kids with autism at school or outside and he said that he knew a few that were in the autism class, but no one in his class besides him. Then I asked him if he had to anyone, like Vanessa, and he said "not Vanessa.  I forgot, but I told my class". I asked him how that had happened and he told me that everyone was talking about something personal and his friend Christopher talked about his brother who had autism. I asked him what about it and he said that Christopher was annoyed with his brother because he behaved like an 8-year old. So I asked how old the brother was and he said 14. So I asked him why he told everyone about his autism and he said that his teacher was explaining about autism and he raised his hand...  He told me that he explained to them what I had told him, that it was like a crack on the road. And that he just needs to make a road around it. I can't believe he remembered !!!  He also told them that Albert Einstein had autism. He relates so much to that. I told him what his neurofeedback Dr had said to me when she did his fist brain map that his brain looked just like Albert Einstein's, and he was sooo thrilled!  He told me that at first he was worried and scared to tell his class, but he was fine afterwards. I asked if his friends treated him differently and he said no.  I asked if anyone bullied him and he said no.  I asked him how people and other teachers treated him and he said that they treated him really well, especially the teachers. So I told him that if anyone ever bullies him, he has to tell us. I don't want him to do anything crazy because he is very sensitive.