Max's Mood Scale

 

 

Max's teacher has a number scale to help her students express how they are feeling. Here is the mood scale that Max has brought home. I asked him what each one of them means and I wrote what he said next to his mood description word.

 

 

The years that Max was non-verbal and his behavior was sometimes more difficult to keep under control, seem like a hundred of years ago. My heart aches at the memory of seeing his hand go through the living room window, all because he wanted to go for a walk. The countless times he ran out onto a main intersection now seem like someone elses story. I remember the numerous times he would dart out of my parents home and run out onto the street.

A hobby Max had developed was tossing his shoe at me while I was driving during rush hour. I know why he did those things. It was the only way he knew how to express his feelings and desires.

What a blessing that he can now share his feelings with me. Sometimes he has a difficult time, but most often I can at least figure out what he is wanting or needing.

 

Now he talks non-stop and he seems to think that when he ask a question I should know the answer right away. Well, I'm defiantly not a perfect mother and I don't always have the answers, but I try to answer him the best way I know and in a way he will understand.

 

We all have mood swings, we all have days when we are down unable to see any ray of hope of things changing or moving forward. For Max he sees each day as a day to play his wii, attend school and place Lego's all over his bedroom thinking they will permanently stay in that spot. He will have them even put on the shelves in his closet, dresser, floor. When I ask him nicely to clean up his face droops with sadness when he realizes it's the only way I can dust and vacuum his room.

(Yes, Max does vacumm.)

Scale mood number five kind of shocked me. Crazy Mad a combination I have never used before to him or any one else that I can remember. 

Heaven knows after raising five kids and one with autism, I might of said it. Life brings us trials that help us on our course through our trail of life.

Thanks for letting me share the story of a little boy who holds not only my heart, but my life.