Mike Now

by Mrs A. Sebastian

When I last wrote about my son, Mike, he was 5 years old. I have been told that there are some mothers who are curious to know the person that he has become, and I hope that this short piece will prove useful for them.

Michael is now 11 years old. He is a tall, lanky boy with unruly hair, cheerful eyes and a face that often sports a cheeky grin. He is in Year 5 at an international school, and is doing wonderfully well. Academically, he is ahead of his peers. His teacher tells me that he is an “impressive and inspirational student” who “embraces learning”, has a “flair for performance” and “mixes well with his peers”. For his CCA last year, he participated in the Tournament of Minds (“TOM”), the choir and Computer Animation. This year, in addition to TOM, he is participating in Softball, the Science Club, and “Save the Planet Action Heroes”.

Michael reads extensively, both fiction and non-fiction books, though non-fiction books form the bulk of his reading diet. He loves Calvin & Hobbes and Tintin comics, and has a great sense of humour. Like most brothers, he alternately plays with and irritates his sisters. Good-natured ribbing and trading of insults feature in many mealtimes and car rides. He is extraordinarily patient with his baby sister and is tickled by her many antics. He complains that four sisters, a mom and a female dog are just too much estrogen for any male to handle, and consequently loves to hang out with his male cousins who live nearby.

Mike’s first love has always been, and still is, anything related to animal and wildlife. He wants to be a naturalist when he grows up and declares that his mission is to save the environment and endangered animals of the world. Jeff Corwin is his hero.

Mike still has certain autism residua that we try to address. For his motor difficulties, he swims twice a week and attends Aikido lessons. At school, he works hard to overcome his problems with untidy handwriting and work presentation. At home, he has lessons once or twice week, during which he works on essay-writing and social skills. He sometimes forgets his audience when he is talking about a topic he is passionate about (last year he took 20 minutes instead of the recommended 6 minutes to finish presenting his animal-related school project). He is a picky eater and dawdles over his meals. He sometimes misses social cues, interrupts conversations and occasionally gets into trouble as a result, but not much more than anyone his age. Every once in a while, he flaps his hands when he thinks about something particularly exciting (eg. bats flying out of a cave), but mostly, he exercises good self-control.

Mike continues to make good progress. When I pick him up from school, I often see him chatting with his pals. He has recently started playing soccer with his friends during recess, an indication of increased confidence in his own sporting abilities. He plans to spend a day out with his friends next weekend, and is looking forward to a 4-day school trip to Malaysia.

With the exception of his father and I, most people have forgotten that Michael was ever afflicted with Autism. To Michael himself, Autism is not even an affliction. He understands it to be a condition in which his brain is wired differently from most other people, a condition that has endowed him with many special abilities and skills. He understands that he has certain difficulties that he needs to work through, but he does not see any impediments to a successful life.

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For more information on the Bright Starts Programme for ages 2-4yo, please visit our website at www.weecare.com.sg.