If so far you have struggled to warm to Alison, the fierce mother of Joe, I defy you not to feel some empathy for her this week as she becomes a self confessed spy at Joe’s school and “a pain in the arse parent” (her own words).
Having decided to keep Joe in mainstream education, Alison and Paul learn that they will have to ‘play the game’ to secure the additional funding Joe needs. Undeterred Alison volunteers to hear Joe’s classmates read and applies to become a school governor….
The countless times I have wanted to look in on my son whilst at school is too ridiculous to mention! For that very reason I started a home school diary with his teaching assistant who worked for him consistently for seven years. By the end of his time at primary school we filled in 39 exercise books. She would write about his day at school and I would follow up with all the stuff at home and the weekends. It gave us a bizarre chronological account of his life between the ages of 4 and 11.
As a doting, loving parent you want your children to be popular and have friends more than anything in the world! Having spied on Joe, Alison seized the opportunity and organised a sleepover with two boys who happened to have had the slightest bit of interaction with Joe at school in the playground. . There is little point in dwelling on the painful reality and outcome of this…..Needless to say, Joe became sick.
Whilst Joe was poorly and off school Alison had some interesting and exciting interaction with him when looking at the family photo album. This broke my heart as I knew the outcome. I often found, when my son was under par, him to be more calm and a little more focused, he had better concentration and would make little steps forward which like Alison, made my heart sing. I soon realised and acknowledged that these little spurts of progress which were often followed by a complete lull happened periodically and I had to bite my lip not to get over-excited at the time. It was so sad to watch Alison report to Paul that he was ‘turning a corner’ and that ‘everything was falling into place’. (thewriteofyourlife) For a very short time she believed that he was ‘different’ and that the real Joe was emerging underneath all the autism. The reality of autism was really starting to show it’s true colours and play with her mind !
I enjoy observing Joe’s relationship with the Polish helper Maya as it is so refreshing and fun to watch. It’s interesting to see how she interacts with him as she is under no pressure to conform and act a certain way as she just enjoys being with the child that he is. Alison admits that Maya has a fast track to her son and is naturally, overtly jealous.
Continuing to be both funny and frank this series which is now over half-way through has plenty to offer as it captures the strong characters and intense extended family who all want the best best for Joe.
Written on behalf of Integrated Treatment Services by Sally Creedon
