My son is being tested today for having asbergers syndrome, often called “high-functioning autism” or other names. Could just be social awkwardness. Makes me think a lot of my own childhood. I was known for intellectual precociousness, reading almost before I could talk and certainly being well ahead of my age group peers in educational matters until I hit junior high. I was also known for being the kid that no one liked, except for a very small population. Didn’t help that I knew I was a budding genius, and had no problem letting anyone else know that I was better.
My son is in much the same predicament. He doesn’t have the same love of the written word that I did, but that may be because there are so many more intense sensory experiences through cable TV, home video and the Net that wasn’t available back in the Dark Ages of my youth. I had to settle for what I could see in my own mind’s eye while reading.
At any rate, it brings to mind the ongoing, though probably futile, discussions about the various types of learning disabilities that have sprung into the diagnostic lists of the mental health profession over the last few years, and the (what appears to be increasing) attempts to deal with childhood behavior issues by medication. Someone, I think on Jerry Pournelle’s site the other day, suggested that the likely solution for all the boys diagnosed with ADHD would be a much healthier does of recess and physical education. There is some logic to the suggestion. After all, we didn’t have quite the same issues when I was in elementary school, but we had much more significant recess time, IMHO, up to 3 times during the course of the school day when I was in first grade.
The entire thing has me wondering though: since medical professionals don’t seem to be able to point to a specific physical indicator in the brain that denotes someone with ADHD or Asbergers, is it real? Or, have we come onto these explanations – and their treatment options – in an attempt using the best science at our disposal to explain and handle someone who is different. Just as, for instance, we used to explain and handle those who were different by calling them “possessed.”
It was a very good trip down to below-mentioned All Virginia Elementary Chorus. Tessa and 119 of her fellow 5th grade musicians did a wonderful job. I couldn’t be prouder.
I’m not usually one for tears, but my eyes were welling through the entire concert.
Side note….Now that I’m converting my Acer Aspire One to Ubuntu linux, anyone have an idea how to get it (and Firefox) to hit the intercept when you try to login to free wifi at someplace like Panera? I could get the network recognized, but the browser didn’t want to play games with the new proxy. 
One other thing….Any WordPress junkies out there reading this? Not counting on it, of course, but….how come I keep getting that oddball spacing in the middle of my posts?
Blogging from Columbia, South Carolina (okay, West Columbia, like it really matters), from a Chick-Fil-A with free Wi-Fi. Love me that free WiFi. Malia and the bride are checking out South Carolina University. She was accepted there and its still high on her list of probables. Personally, I’m hoping not, its out-of-state tuition, after all.
But, I’ve liked what I’ve seen of the campus and the town. Much friendlier here than even at home. The desk clerk at our hotel was more than happy to provide directions to us, The manager here at the Chick-Fil-A has been by twice to refill my soda while the two younger kids play in the playground. Everyone has been more than willing to be patient and polite to the foreigners from Virginia.
The campus is on the old side, which is not a bad thing in my opinion. Lots of history here. I grew up with the campuses of SW Texas State (now called just Texas State) and the University of Texas. Both have some history, but Texas grew from its original 40 acre sized campus to be a monstrosity. Don’t think any of the schools Malia’s considering are that big.
Now just have to map out the drive home tonight for maximum coffee effect.
Taking my daughter to a swim meet the other day, I noticed parents who were videotaping their kids swimming. Normally, I wouldn’t think too much of it until I realized they were taping the warm ups.
I mean, I can see taping a race that your kid was swimming. One, it can provide visual examples of good and bad technique. Two, it gives other relatives (like grandparents) the chance to cheer the kids’ good performance as well.
But? Warm ups? I guess its similar to the parents who will videotape every school choir concert, every dance recital, every soccer game. When did that really become necessary? How much memory is….too much?
Went to the oldest daughter’s Back to School night. It’s her senior year in high school, and its slightly less important than her junior year. It went just fine, in case you were wondering. Her teachers all seem to care about the kids and their respective subjects. She’ll be heavily challenged in some of her classes and less so in others (Student Council leadership seminar, for instance), but that’s not what I took keyboard in hand to tell you about.
Did you know….and I have it on good authority, the High School principal….that the difference in lifetime earnings between high school dropouts and high school graduates is $250,000? That’s right! A drop out can expect to earn a quarter-million bucks less than the high school graduate over the course of a lifetime.
I realize, this runs the serious risk of putting me at odds with parents from less affluent areas, but that ain’t much. Let’s face it, the difference in lifetime earning power between a high school grad and a Bachelor’s degree recipient has to be much, much larger.
What it really says though, is that just having a high school diploma doesn’t really prepare you to earn much in today’s world. I’m told it used to, but sure don’t anymore. I’m not so sure that’s necessarily a good thing to say about modern society.
April 21, 2009 9:11 pm | 