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his behavior got out of hand, he always had thirty seconds to make his choice of whether to go to the other classroom for a quiet think time or to go to the office and call me. Forcing him to decide now would send him into absolute hysteria. She was also always very careful in wording why he was in trouble. With Asperger's it either is or it isn't, so any slightly incorrect accusation would make him burst because he was being unfairly punished. The need to intervene quickly when he got into an argument landed him as always second in line. This allowed the teacher to keep her line leader as well as keep Daniel close by in case he needed intervention. It may not seem like a lot, but these solutions kept him comfortable and challenged and limited the behavior problems. It helped that his teacher had the patients of a saint. I truly wish I did.

I contributed a couple of ideas that helped ease the anxiety of change when the beginning and end of school came around. We keep a couple of cars and books in his backpack. He escapes into the books or in lining up his cars when he feels very upset, otherwise he gets hyper and uncontrollable. Blocks work as well. He doesn't play with them. He'll just hold them and stare, but it allows him a few moments of escape to calm down. He doesn't hear or respond to anyone or anything when he does this, so it is a little scary to see if you're not used to it because it's almost like he's not there when he does it. When he feels better, though, he joins back in like nothing was ever wrong. It's just important to communicate why he has these items and what he uses them for to the teachers at his school to avoid any confusion that he might be playing or not listening.

As challenging as it can be at times, I wouldn't trade him for anything and love him unconditionally. I pray that he will learn to express his emotions more calmly and slow down before reacting, but for now I have to be there to constantly remind him or pull him aside with a tight hug in reassurance that he is okay and not alone. I often wish that I could see the world through his eyes or understand things the way he does. I adore him with all my heart and he never ceases to amaze and confuse me, but he is worth it. Every parent who has ever had a child or loved one with special needs should know that they are not alone and that their child is loved by every heart they have touched in their own special way. I hope that someone else can use some of these ideas or at least get an idea of how the child must feel when they appear to be just like everyone else, but they truly are not.

Learn more about this author, Laura Landrum.
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