Re: the start of our holiday letter. Might as well say it ...

[Guest guest]

another funny one

In a message dated 12/13/2010 12:42:54 P.M. Eastern Standard Time, dcmusicteacher@... writes:

I think I would write:

We have a good year, considering the 2 hospital stays and multiple mental breakdowns (hospital stays for our son, mental breakdowns for us). We continue to hold steady, though both of us have gained weight, we no longer discuss much other than the kids, and we are both tired beyond belief. The good news is that both kids can go to school without causing us major worries (finally got that dedicated aide for the Aspie). We are considering a bumper sticker that says, "My son got through the day at XXX Elementary School." This is actually a considerable improvement from past months/years.

We hope you are doing well and next time you see an 8-year-old having an absolute meltdown in a public place, consider that he may well have autism and give the mom a reassuring smile or even, gasp, lend her a hand. Literally, pick up the purse that she's dropped and the backpack that her son threw at her and chase after them so that it will be there when the meltdown ends.

Happy holidays to all!

On Mon, Dec 13, 2010 at 12:36 PM, PattiAnnB <pabernius@...> wrote:

Oh my gosh, thank you for the laugh! SO very well said!Patti

From: Debra Balke <dlbalke@...> Sent: Mon, December 13, 2010 8:20:29 AMSubject: ( ) the start of our holiday letter. Might as well say it like it is.

It has now been 1127 days, 7 hours, 3 minutes, and 26 seconds that we have been homeschooling XXXXX. YYYYY remains at school and started the 6th grade, junior high, this year. Both kids are doing very well, although as parents, we are now in the late stages of autism parental burnout. APB is closely related to the psychological condition known as learned helplessness and explains our continual glazed over, expressionless faces and lack of attempts to escape our house any longer, invite others over, or answer our phone. Similar to the 1967 Seligman and Maier experiment in dogs, we have gradually become habituated to our situation. Please take this into consideration if we have ignored you my dear friends and family.