Off Topic: playing outside

[Guest guest]

To all of you parents of older kids,

Well, Spring has hit and the kids are outside again. I have a question

about something I am completely baffled with and struggling to

understand. How old are ASD kids when they can play outside with other

neighborhood children, without supervision?

My son is such a mystery to me. He plays outside, riding his bike,

playing tag etc., then when the other kids go off to play in backyards,

or where I can't see them, he wants to follow - but I don't feel I could

trust him yet. He is so close to being just as capable as the other kids

his age, then he does something completely foolish or unsafe. He wants

to play with the other kids so badly, but I can't trust him yet to make

good decisions about safety. There is still so much he doesn't understand

that the other kids do understand. This is so hard on him.

The other kids play outside and lure my kids out onto our street, then

they go wander off out of site - to other places in the neigborhood. A

complication for my son is that he has a NT twin sister. So he wants to

do whatever she does, and she wants to follow the other kids. My current

rule is that they have to stay in front of the houses where I can see

them. Well, of course as soon as the other kids go in the backyards (no

fences), mine are left in the dust and very miserable.

I am wondering if I will ever be able to let him go. And I can't hold

back his sister because of him. This is getting very difficult and they

haven't even hit first grade yet. I am sure to get an ulcer and my hair

is turning gray rapidly. Nobody, and I mean NOBODY who has NT kids

understand my dilemma. My son appears so normal - just a little odd. I

appear completely irrational and overprotective. I don't even care how I

appear. It's just that I don't want to hold him back and deprive him,

but I don't know how to judge how much independence to give him. Is

there a way to test him? Like in small doses or something? What do you

do?

{{{sigh}}} I know this is a diet list - sorry to complain. Just looking

for some advice from the only people who understand the predicament..

CLUELESS Charlene in Virginia