I had an Asperger's thread on here a while back...and now im back looking for more good info on what i feel like doing vs. what is best.
I am flip flopping. I wanted to have my son tested to see if he had "something". Then I didnt. I stll dont. It would be nice to know if he has Asperger's or whatever it is he may have....but what will I do with that information? I refuse to medicate. I am using homeopathy and herbal remedies when he isnt feeling good, like for the terrible anger and tantrums, but I do not agree with giving a pharmaceutical remedy for many reasons. Number one, side effects. Number two, children should not be on meds IMO, unless it is a condition that is really debilitating that child, or he clearly cannot function. I dont want a perfectly good child ruined on meds. I know way too many kids who are pumped full of medications that I dont believe they need. What they need is support, effort, patience, time, understanding and a parent, teacher, caregiver etc who has the willingness to try to understand their needs and will do anything to work with them. I am a mom of 4, so I know all about not having the time to do alot. But I have to, and I do. I was a homeschooling mamma until last year my children expressed interest at going to school. Since I am all about child led learning to a degree, I decided they could go since it is a small school and very much unlike the other schools around here. Anyway....
In school, my son is doing excellent. He is scoring (and i LOATHE standardized testing, but its what we have to endure if he wants to go to school)above and beyond what his classmates are....except in one little area. He is not very verbal. He does not like to talk much, except to friends. When he retells a story, he cannot tell all the details and prove to them that he knows it. And I know for a fact he knows the material...he has come home and told me all about it. Maybe i can somehow get a little tape recorder and record it for them. But i get the feeling the school wont think its good enough. So his teacher, who is absolutely wonderful, loves my son. She knows how smart he is and makes sure she calls on him frequently because she knows he will not raise his hand and offer an answer. She takes special time with him to go over stories they read so that she knows he's retained the information. This takes a great deal of time, but she does it. However, she said when it comes to the testing, she wont be there to help him through. She wont be there to ask him questions from the chapters...he will be expected to write a book report on his own. This i know he cannot do.
She suggested we get him tested so they know how to better work with him. At first i agreed. Now that I am thinking and thinking about it...why cant they just accept my son the way he is and work better with him based on his nature? Dont get me wrong, the teacher thinks hes absolutely wonderful. But i think shes looking for a diagnosis so she knows for sure. Of course if he is tested, they will find something to label him as. It will be something lol. Then eventually they will suggest medicating him because they dont have the time to educate him according to his needs, and theres not enough money in the budget for special needs blah blah blah. Then I pull him out of school and continue on where I left off with homeschooling.
My homeopath says he will treat my son according to his symptoms and body make up and energies...all that stuff, which i totally agree with. I want my son to not be so angry and not fly off the handle when he is home. Usually it is at home---almost never anywhere else. He never has had a problem in school with other kids or anger...he's just really really shy. He does have facial tics, or movements that he doesnt seem to notice, and he does them every 5-18 seconds. His legs are tired, he says, or sometimes they hurt him. He is not really bothered by them though.
Do I get him tested? What would I do with that info if I did? What good would it do? I dont want the school to label my child. i want him accept and educated as he is. Maybe i should pull him out and homeschool, which i know he would be sad/glad about. He would be sad because he would miss all of his friends. and socialization is important with a kid like my son. I want to let him be...but i know the teacher said she didnt want this little thing to hold him back....i dont want him to repeat 3rd grade if his other grades are off the charts...it doesnt make sense, but she said in the end it could happen. Anyone else going through similar? anywhere else I could bump this thread that may be more appropriate? Thanks!
I am flip flopping. I wanted to have my son tested to see if he had "something". Then I didnt. I stll dont. It would be nice to know if he has Asperger's or whatever it is he may have....but what will I do with that information? I refuse to medicate. I am using homeopathy and herbal remedies when he isnt feeling good, like for the terrible anger and tantrums, but I do not agree with giving a pharmaceutical remedy for many reasons. Number one, side effects. Number two, children should not be on meds IMO, unless it is a condition that is really debilitating that child, or he clearly cannot function. I dont want a perfectly good child ruined on meds. I know way too many kids who are pumped full of medications that I dont believe they need. What they need is support, effort, patience, time, understanding and a parent, teacher, caregiver etc who has the willingness to try to understand their needs and will do anything to work with them. I am a mom of 4, so I know all about not having the time to do alot. But I have to, and I do. I was a homeschooling mamma until last year my children expressed interest at going to school. Since I am all about child led learning to a degree, I decided they could go since it is a small school and very much unlike the other schools around here. Anyway....
In school, my son is doing excellent. He is scoring (and i LOATHE standardized testing, but its what we have to endure if he wants to go to school)above and beyond what his classmates are....except in one little area. He is not very verbal. He does not like to talk much, except to friends. When he retells a story, he cannot tell all the details and prove to them that he knows it. And I know for a fact he knows the material...he has come home and told me all about it. Maybe i can somehow get a little tape recorder and record it for them. But i get the feeling the school wont think its good enough. So his teacher, who is absolutely wonderful, loves my son. She knows how smart he is and makes sure she calls on him frequently because she knows he will not raise his hand and offer an answer. She takes special time with him to go over stories they read so that she knows he's retained the information. This takes a great deal of time, but she does it. However, she said when it comes to the testing, she wont be there to help him through. She wont be there to ask him questions from the chapters...he will be expected to write a book report on his own. This i know he cannot do.
She suggested we get him tested so they know how to better work with him. At first i agreed. Now that I am thinking and thinking about it...why cant they just accept my son the way he is and work better with him based on his nature? Dont get me wrong, the teacher thinks hes absolutely wonderful. But i think shes looking for a diagnosis so she knows for sure. Of course if he is tested, they will find something to label him as. It will be something lol. Then eventually they will suggest medicating him because they dont have the time to educate him according to his needs, and theres not enough money in the budget for special needs blah blah blah. Then I pull him out of school and continue on where I left off with homeschooling.
My homeopath says he will treat my son according to his symptoms and body make up and energies...all that stuff, which i totally agree with. I want my son to not be so angry and not fly off the handle when he is home. Usually it is at home---almost never anywhere else. He never has had a problem in school with other kids or anger...he's just really really shy. He does have facial tics, or movements that he doesnt seem to notice, and he does them every 5-18 seconds. His legs are tired, he says, or sometimes they hurt him. He is not really bothered by them though.
Do I get him tested? What would I do with that info if I did? What good would it do? I dont want the school to label my child. i want him accept and educated as he is. Maybe i should pull him out and homeschool, which i know he would be sad/glad about. He would be sad because he would miss all of his friends. and socialization is important with a kid like my son. I want to let him be...but i know the teacher said she didnt want this little thing to hold him back....i dont want him to repeat 3rd grade if his other grades are off the charts...it doesnt make sense, but she said in the end it could happen. Anyone else going through similar? anywhere else I could bump this thread that may be more appropriate? Thanks!
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