A month ago, I wrote about how school is both better and harder this year. Yesterday perfectly illustrated that phenomenon.
Grades came home, and they're the best that they've been since elementary school. Most astonishing was an A in biology. The rest were a couple of B's, and one C. That's a far cry from worrying about whether or not he would pass the grade last year. I'm surprised because the year started with us having to supervise and nag constantly. Now, Simon is autonomous with geometry, mostly. Actually, we're working with him less than the start of the year, which at the time felt like it would be constant. I've been jumping in for the game development virtual course, and Diana assists mostly with geometry and reading.
On the other hand, yesterday also came with a parent-teacher conference that was mostly about behavior. That isn't surprising, because we're having the same battles at home. He has somehow become this angry kid, always deferring his problems to someone or something else, and never owning them. He insists that we don't listen, when listening isn't the point. When adults ask him to do something, he's supposed to do it, no explanation needed. I know it isn't that simple, I suppose because I've always questioned authority, maybe not always at appropriate times. And something about autism seems to come with a desire for social justice, so when something seems "unfair," it triggers us. The difference is that I understand when I just don't like the response, he does not. He doesn't understand that adults are not his peers.
Certainly, the academics matter the most, and this is a huge relief. Granted, he isn't having to do as much work as he would in the big high school, but from the testimony of his teachers, he does get and understand what he's learning. I'm very distressed about the behavior, but he's in therapy for that. We're also trying to get another doctor, because I get the feeling that amphetamines and stimulants are not right for him. We took him off a booster dose of Adderall, because it seemed to cause rage and all of the negative side effects.
So the highs are higher and the lows are lower. We're doing all the things though, and this school represents a huge opportunity. I can't predict where he'll land in two and a half years, but I'm cautiously optimistic that it will be on solid footing, whatever it is he chooses to do.
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