The Day My Son Received His Diagnosis
The other day, after years of suspicion, my fourth-grade son who refuses to go to school finally received a diagnosis!
It was ASD, which was neither surprising nor unexpected. Haha.
(ASD: Autism Spectrum Disorder)
Whether he had a diagnosis or not, I had been living under the assumption that it was ASD for the past year, so I wasn't surprised, but I still felt relieved that it was officially diagnosed.
I had been caught in a whirlpool of 'maybe it is, maybe it isn't' for about seven years.
Even so, a doctor who understands is unfazed by school refusal or social withdrawal. No matter what I said, he would just laugh and say, 'I bet.'
He must have seen so many children.
His professional aura and his attitude of not taking anything too seriously made me feel that way.
Also, his typing speed was unbelievable. What was that? He was probably the fastest typist in human history.
#WhatAreWeTalkingAbout
When it comes to your own child getting a diagnosis,
I think many people go through a phase of despair or feeling down at first. I think mine was seven years ago.
From around the age of two, I had a feeling something was off or that he was difficult to raise, and I think the biggest shock was when I searched online and saw the words 'autism'.
But despite my anxiety, no matter where I went for developmental consultations, I was never advised to get him tested.
As my son grew, his shyness around people and places gradually faded, and I started to think it was just part of his personality.
He also loved railroad crossings and puddles. He would cry his eyes out at every hospital visit and check-up; it was his peak period for being shy around people and places.
However, once he became an elementary school student, I found it increasingly difficult to handle him, and in the third grade, he finally stopped going to school. Then, during the first developmental test I took at the recommendation of the school counselor,the unevenness was revealed😂
For the first time, I understood that the characteristics my son has and the school system were catastrophically incompatible.
In other words, I was told that he was refusing to go to school due to secondary disabilities and that the direction of my affection was slightly off and not filling my son's cup properly. Desperate to improve the situation, I joined a course and learned based on parent-child attachment.
I, who used to boast that parenting was fine as long as you had love and was anti-parenting books, having never read a single one, was sadly raising a child with developmental disabilities with zero skills and self-study until now. Haha.
Back then, things like this happened all the time, and I felt frustrated and sad that my son couldn't do things like the other children around him.
It was painful because I couldn't show my weak side to anyone.
A photo taken on the way home when we stopped by my son's favorite park.
and I thought, 'Oh, it wasn't ASD after all!' Haha.
In his hand is a Kamen Rider Ex-Aid toy he was into at the time. He always had to hold something when we went out.
His younger brother was still just cute and they didn't fight,
and this photo of the two of them was truly, truly cute and healing.
My second son patting his head with such a worried look is agonizingly cute 😇
I was so happy I secretly took a picture. It was the most delicious Kappa Sushi in my life, better than any expensive sushi.
We've built up quite a history.
Looking back like this, I feel like we both did our best at every moment.
And after I gained knowledge and skills, my son started to settle down more and more with my responses 😂
(I can only apologize to my son, haha)
He's such a cute son that it's a waste to hide his face♡ I'm a doting parent, but he really is a kind, funny, and good boy.
You only live once, so whether he goes to school or not, I just want him to live with a healthy heart.
That's why I want to build the foundation of my son's heart.
I'm a clumsy mother who can't clean, tidy up, or cook, is bad at managing money, and immediately loses both things and memories, but that is the one thing I want to work hard at.
By the way, regarding the doctor I mentioned at the beginning who is the fastest typist in human history, believe it or not, the next available appointment is in February 2026.
That is not a typo; it is February 2026.
What year are we talking about here!!!!!!!!
Today's song is,
Ringo Sheena / Koufukuron (Theory of Happiness)
It's a good one. Listening to it as an adult, the lyrics hit home all over again. I even teared up a little. I really loved Ringo-chan back around the time of 'Muzai Moratorium' and 'Shouso Strip'!