Camp: A Progress Report

A few posts back, I said that Ryan “tolerates” summer camp. I believe I understated things. Ryan actually, genuinely is enjoying camp. Now, an uninformed person might look at the camp setting — a giant, indoor-outdoor arcade and pool complex and think, “Of course he enjoys camp. Who wouldn’t enjoy spending summer in that setting […]

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(Another) Coach Who Gets It

One of the real bright spots of our summer so far has been Ryan’s participation in our town street hockey league. As I wrote a couple of weeks ago, we had “the talk” with his coach before the season about Ryan’s diagnosis and challenges. He offered to meet at a coffee shop before the first […]

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An Eye for Detail

I have to remind myself to appreciate Ryan’s gifts — the things he not only does better than average, but extraordinarily well. It is hard, especially when he struggles. We spent part of Sunday at the town pool. For some reason, Ryan decided this summer that he no longer really enjoys being in the water. […]

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Well That [Stunk]

Yesterday was no fun. Things started well. I actually got to sleep in a bit as I was burning a vacation day during the slowest part of my work year. But I awoke to find Ryan curled up on the couch, covered in blankets, watching a replayed game on NHL Network. And crying. He was […]

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The Signs of Progress Are There

It has been, at best, an uneven summer. Ryan is managing his anxiety about moving to a new school in the fall. He tolerates camp, although “likes” would be too strong. On off days from camp, he tolerates going to the town pool. On the other side, we continue to deal with challenging behaviors: defiance, […]

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