Last night 7 came up to me and said "30,240" is a very special number. It's a counting by 1 number. A counting by two number. A counting by 3 number....." And went all the way to 10. Before looking closely at the number, I asked "did you just multiple all the numbers together?"
"No. I didn't do 3 because 3 goes into 9. I didn't do 2 because...."

This morning I looked closer. He multipled 6,7,8,9,10.

He is so close to the concept of the lowest common denominator. I will have to give myself a reminder on how to find them efficiently. As he plays with numbers and stumbles upon concepts I feel like I have to show him the accepted conventions before he creates his own and doesn't understand symbols and methods that are internationally accepted.

I try so hard to encourage activities other than math but this is always what it falls back on when he's unsupervised.

Even with my engineering degrees, I find it hard to keep up. He's only 7.

7's friends got chased around the yard yesterday when 7 was home sick. We can't figure out how much is bullying and how much is just play going further than the kids want.

This is the 3rd time it's happened and every time has been when 7 is not at school. I now have a theory. It's not that things don't happen when 7 is there. It's that his ability to ignore the world and pay no heed to whatever else is happening, he simply doesn't engage and the other kids don't play. He ends up being inertial force that smoothes things over.

My mommy heart doesn't know what to make of this.

Just found out that the reason one of 6's BFFs clings onto him as tightly as he does is b/c "all the other kids are mean".

I hadn't heard about kids being mean, but partner had observed some strange behaviour and had asked 6 several times if he was ok.

Turns out, other kids are mean to 6 too and his BFF, it's just that 6 either doesn't care or doesn't perceive it.

I do not want to be one of THOSE moms. Not sure what to make of this. Advice or encouragement appreciated.

Daddy is teaching 6 to play Go. It's absolutely fascinating watching the gears in that head turn.

A fellow #AutismMom and PhD candidate took me out for lunch today to get some Intel and advice from me on how I'm handling both.

Conversation got to therapy and I told her I decided against ABA after hearing what adults who had gone through it had to say. She seemed taken aback (possibly offended?).

Say what you will about social media, without it, I would not have known to look deeper into something and get the opinions from people who have been through it, not just experts studying it.

Not sure if she's doing it. I didn't ask after her reaction. Sent her some information from the perspective of people who have been through it. She can decide. Advice is cheap. People have to make their own decisions.

But just wanted to say thanks Mastodon for being a wonderful trove of useful information. The #Autism community here is particularly great for parents like me trying to learn more to support our kids. We don't have a lot to contribute (yet) but we will get there.

Looking for an autism-friendly camp for your kid? Not sure how to tell if it will actually be as accepting as they claim? I put together an eBook on how to find and choose ND-affirming camps: https://payhip.com/b/crx3h

I know that kids going up to ask another kid to play is no big deal but when you're a mom to an #Autistic child, it is a really big deal.

When it comes to my daughter, this is an every day event. When it comes to my son, it is so noteworthy that my partner texted me to tell me.

Whoever at the #TTC decided it was a good idea to make cardboard fold up models of streetcars and trains for kids, I love you to Union station and back again. My 5yo son who is in love with transit has been playing with it non stop since getting one from his sister after the Haunted Station over the weekend.

I wish I could buy these from you regularly whenever they get too busted and need a refresh.

The TTC maps are great too. The boy nearly has all the stops memorized.

This might be common knowledge in the #Autism community but just wanted to share what a lifesaver the sensory swing has been for us. My son is taking a self imposed time out in it after a fairly rough day today. He didn't understand that something wasn't funny and really made a friend upset. ASD or not these swings are great. Even my daughter likes to hide in it sometimes

5 threw his friend's hat today at recess. He thought he was being funny, but really he was being a jerk. We try to explain when people aren't laughing with him, he's not being funny, and other people will think he's being mean.

Daddy sat him down for a nice talk and it took a while, but he finally admitted that he doesn't know when he's being funny.

I feel like this is the most progress we've made on this front in ages.
Additional advice on this welcome.

@CynAq

I'm so sorry this happened. My son (grade 1 now) was acting out the other day and I have massive fears about how he handles school going forward. (he can already to multiplication). I have massive anxiety about how teachers will deal with his boredom and how he will deal with being bored.

Thanks for sharing this. These stories help me as a mom be a little more prepared for what may come my way.

Can anyone in the #Autism community make any recommendations to me for the type of specialist I should be turning to for a child with ASD (not verbally impaired) but has a hard time with social cues. Child is almost 6. Doesn't understand why pushing is bad type of stuff. There's some behaviour I need to nip in the bud but don't know where to turn. What should I be even looking for? Are there behavioural specialists or psychologist that I can turn to?

It's hard enough dealing with my 5yo on the spectrum. It's even more exhausting dealing with his dad (also on the spectrum) dealing with a boy on the spectrum.

Sometimes they get each other and it's great. Other times I just... can't.

My son (5) starts grade 1 next week. He was diagnosed as ASD when he was 4. There's a very cute obsession with numbers.
We play a game called "15". We flip 4 cards (no face cards) and you must use all 4 cards but any of +-*/ and make 15. Then we added 24 when it wasn't challenging enough. I can barely land a point on him now (I taught him to play back in April this year).

Yesterday he took checker pieces and showed me triangle numbers. I have no idea who taught him that. He just sort of did it himself. Dad thinks he mentioned the idea once.

I have huge anxiety of him getting bored and then disruptive and kicked out of school. Some parents might be happy about all this math but I see an obsession that I worry about.

I made a huge effort to find other interests so he doesn't just obsess with numbers but have failed. I have so much anxiety over this. Skipping grades isn't a solution to me. He's already a December baby and very socially awkward. School year starts next week and I'm just full of worry.

Just sharing my anxiety here. Thanks for listening.

At the community pool yesterday, there was a girl there who was on the spectrum. She mostly did her own thing, but at one point took a ball away from my older one (right out of her hands according to my daughter).

My daughter was quite upset by it. as the girl also did a few other less than pleasant things (including almost jumping on me from the diving board... I've never had someone land quite so close to me while swimming before).

When we got home, the litany of complaints started and she said this girl was mean. I tried to explain that this girl had autism and sometimes people aren't as aware about their surroundings or are in the own world. Daddy reminded her about the time she defended her own little brother when someone called her little brother mean. She said "he's not mean, he has autism".

All this is making me worry about how my boy will adapt in a world where he can't read social cues. Even with a little brother with similar issues, my daughter got very upset. I can't expect everyone to be understanding of autistic kids.

#Autism
#AutismMom

We're thrilled about the new book "I Will Die on This Hill: Autistic Adults, Autism Parents, and the Children Who Deserve a Better World" by our board member Jules Edwards ("Autistic, Typing") with Meghan Ashburn ("Not an Autism Mom"):
https://www.goodreads.com/en/book/show/61303116-i-will-die-on-this-hill #DisabilityJustice #RestorativeJustice #ActuallyAutistic #Autistic #AutismMom #TransformativeJustice