Purple Space Bubble

FASD behaviors play out in lots of different ways in our home. Some of them are funny.

Being 4 years old, having sensory processing challenges, and impulse control issues is tricky business. Sometimes, without even knowing it, Babycakes annoys her siblings by being oblivious that she is encroaching on their space. She smooshes in, talks too loud and generally bugs. So, we've been talking about each person having their "personal space bubble." I have the big kids hold out their arms and slowly spin in a circle. We call the space within that imaginary circle our "personal space bubble". We always have the right to ask someone in our "bubble" to leave. People need their space.

I felt like we were getting some traction with this concept.

Then, the other day Abi-bo-ba-be came to me in tears. An older sibling had hurt her feelings with harsh words. "Hims popped my purple space bubble." she sobbed.

Okay, we are still working on the concept of personal space, and the subtle, yet important, differences between that and purple bubbles.

Here's another one. A prediction Emma made. Emma said, "Someday, when Abby is a grown up she'll be driving and a police man will pull her over. He'll say, "Ma'am, do you have any idea how fast you were going?" Then, Abby will chirp, "I got a new kitty; hers cute."

Eddie busted up laughing. Because it is so true. Funny and sad.

Abby is sweet natured. She doesn't hold a grudge, but neither does she make the connection between her actions and their potential consequences. And she's impulsive. Very likely, she would be genuinely puzzled by the officers frustration. And very likely, she'd strike up a totally irrelevant conversation. She's friendly, and her default when confused is to be charming - so dangerously charming.

People see Abby's cute little frame, and big brown eyes. She's just adorable, and she chatters merrily, stringing along a whole bunch of infatuated grown-ups. She's 4; it's cute. But it is also troublesome when she receives compliment from a random delivery man, and then declares, "I love that guy." And she means it from the bottom of her innocent little heart. Abby doesn't meet strangers. And when she is 4 that is probably just fine, but when she 16 it could be absolutely devastating.

We're in a conundrum about school for her next year.
-Private christian school is the better part of a grand each month. Lil' pricey - that.
-Public schools here have a great special ed program - that Abby doesn't qualify for. After all she knows her colors, and shapes. She can write her name and charm the socks off any therapist in sight. Abby would have ZERO classroom supports. She could get no supports until she demonstrates consistent failure in a typical setting. Lovely. Also troubling: FASDers do what they see; chameleons. Ethan is in one of the better schools in the district, and this year, in his classroom kids have been given detention for, cussing at and hitting the teacher. Yelling is par for the course. My neuro-typical, gifted, and totally confident kid comes home fried after a day in the classroom. Doesn't seem like a good place to send my little chameleon, now does it?
-We're left with letting Abby be a preschooler as a 5 year old, and buying us another year for her to mature, and us to decide. Sounds okay, yeah? or homeschool. That's a "maybe" too.