Oh, the Places We'll Go

It was my privilege a couple of weeks ago to attend a conference in Philadelphia sponsored by Autism Speaks, which used a variation on the Dr. Seuss book "Oh, the Places You'll Go" as the conference theme. More than 200 people associated with Autism Speaks fundraising walks from coast to coast (and Canada) came together in the City of Brotherly Love to share experiences, hopes and dreams for all of our children who have been diagnosed as being on the spectrum. On a more personal note, this was the first time since Elijah was born that he and I had not spent the night under the same roof , which apparently was more difficult for me than for him. (After Elijah greeted me with a huge smile upon my return, his comment a few minutes later when didn't get his way was, "Daddy, I think you need to go back to Pennsylvania.")

Eight weeks of summer camp are coming to a close, and though it has been for the most part fun (or at least as much as we can ascertain from Elijah's limited vocabulary), there have been some moments of angst. Having escaped the "terrible twos," we are now going through the "execrable eights." Tantrums, brought on by the excessive heat, exhaustion or both, have reared their head on a couple of occasions. Luckily, those moments have passed quickly and sweetness (or at least the relative sweetness of an 8-year-old boy) returns. It also appears as if a new vocation -- as a tattoo artist (see photo at right) -- holds some promise

for the little guy.

His social skills continue to be a work in progress. He's moving forward, but the steps are awkward, and he does stumble on occasion. One can sometimes see the frustration he feels as he attempts to say the right thing, which in itself is a breakthrough. His interactions with his new friend Janey range from total indifference (a step back) to taking turns while playing a game, talking with her and responding to everyday social activities (major step forward). A recent visit involving music, bouncing and slipping and sliding featured much of those positive endeavors.

With one more road trip planned for next month (a visit to Sarah's parents and a nature (ugh) trip to the Ozarks), Elijah's summer has been one of real movement forward. Though there have been setbacks (rote speech patterns, short bursts of anger and tantrums that seem to come out of nowhere) the past few months have been positive and fun for the little guy. He continues to do well on the piano, "mom school" is getting him prepared for second grade, and he has actually shown some interest in playing a sport. Elijah loves "Oh, the Places You'll Go," and when I saw that the Autism Speaks conference had the same title, I thought that was a good omen. I can also say today that though Elijah will never be a "normal" kid, with the progress he is making, the words "Oh, the Places You'll Go" mean a little more in my heart than they did before. It won't be an easy journey, but at least he's starting on a path.