Yesterday Michael stopped by with my mom to visit, and we made a quick trip to the beach to see the last part of the sunset. Michael doesn't get too many opportunities to see the ocean right after sunset, so it was a cool little experience for him. He still wouldn't take his eyes off the waves; when we were walking back to the car he kept on turning around and watching the water :)
Something about the waves really soothes Michael--whether its the relaxing vibe from each wave crashing, or just how mysterious the whole wave phenomenon may be to him, he really loves being around the ocean. Because Michael lacks the ability to speak, when he gets upset he expresses it in a more aggressive manner than others do. One thing that really irritates Michael is when children are screaming-- yesterday a group of small kids were running and screaming next to us and Michael was not having it. He wasn't necessarily being violent, but just making really aggressive humming noises, making it really apparent how uncomfortable he was.
Many people are misinformed that individuals who are as severely disabled as Michael have behavioral issues that are intolerable, and therefore believe that raising a child with such a disability would be a hassle. When in reality, all it takes is a little bit of patience to understand where their behavior is coming from, and doing the best to alleviate their discomfort.
As for Michael's behavior, he's a pretty calm and serene kid. He loves peaceful environments, listening to music, and being outdoors. He really hates loud screaming, but has significantly improved in loud environments. During fire drills at school Michael used to get irritated by the loud alarms, but has now effectively learned to stay with the class and keep calm with the rest of the students. All it takes is a little understanding of the situation behind a misbehavior flare-up, because in most cases, many of these individuals are not much different than you or me.
Many people are misinformed that individuals who are as severely disabled as Michael have behavioral issues that are intolerable, and therefore believe that raising a child with such a disability would be a hassle. When in reality, all it takes is a little bit of patience to understand where their behavior is coming from, and doing the best to alleviate their discomfort.
As for Michael's behavior, he's a pretty calm and serene kid. He loves peaceful environments, listening to music, and being outdoors. He really hates loud screaming, but has significantly improved in loud environments. During fire drills at school Michael used to get irritated by the loud alarms, but has now effectively learned to stay with the class and keep calm with the rest of the students. All it takes is a little understanding of the situation behind a misbehavior flare-up, because in most cases, many of these individuals are not much different than you or me.