Waiting for Benjamin
On most Saturdays Phil takes Ryan to the library. First Ryan returns last week's selections and then he browses through the videos and picks out one or two (they are usually about Thomas the Train). Finally, he chooses a book shelf in the children's section and randomly picks 2 or 3 books, and then proudly heads over to the counter to check out with the librarian. Today, one of his random book selections was called "Waiting for Bejamin - A Story about Autism" by Alexandra Jessup Altman.
I just read the book and it is a touching story, one that hits home. The book describes some of the emotional challenges (such as disappointment, frustration, embarrassment, and uncertainty) that occur in a home with an Autistic child from a sibling's point of view.
I often wonder what Julia's thoughts are but usually get interrupted with something else before I can finish a complete thought. At times her behavior can be unlike that of a typical two year old. I wonder if some of her unruly outbursts and rapid increases of independence are her reactions to our family dynamic, and her plead for attention. I'm embarrassed to say that we don't devote nearly as much of our time to Julia as we do Ryan. I feel awful about it, and guilty, and will work hard to set aside time this summer for her and I to do things together when Ryan is at school. She is only 2 and a half and wouldn't fully grasp the meaning of the book, but I can see myself checking it out again to share with her in another year or so.
It actually feels good to worry about Julia for a change, and maybe Ryan's "random" book selection wasn't so random after all.
DC
On most Saturdays Phil takes Ryan to the library. First Ryan returns last week's selections and then he browses through the videos and picks out one or two (they are usually about Thomas the Train). Finally, he chooses a book shelf in the children's section and randomly picks 2 or 3 books, and then proudly heads over to the counter to check out with the librarian. Today, one of his random book selections was called "Waiting for Bejamin - A Story about Autism" by Alexandra Jessup Altman.
I just read the book and it is a touching story, one that hits home. The book describes some of the emotional challenges (such as disappointment, frustration, embarrassment, and uncertainty) that occur in a home with an Autistic child from a sibling's point of view.
I often wonder what Julia's thoughts are but usually get interrupted with something else before I can finish a complete thought. At times her behavior can be unlike that of a typical two year old. I wonder if some of her unruly outbursts and rapid increases of independence are her reactions to our family dynamic, and her plead for attention. I'm embarrassed to say that we don't devote nearly as much of our time to Julia as we do Ryan. I feel awful about it, and guilty, and will work hard to set aside time this summer for her and I to do things together when Ryan is at school. She is only 2 and a half and wouldn't fully grasp the meaning of the book, but I can see myself checking it out again to share with her in another year or so.
It actually feels good to worry about Julia for a change, and maybe Ryan's "random" book selection wasn't so random after all.
DC
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