Off to the school dance

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Well our 17yo teen ASD son has been quite excited this weekend, as it is the weekend of his school dance.

It's being held again this year in a venue which is one of the main venues for bands to play in our city. (Actually, and amusingly, it is near our city's very small red light district, and last year I got the times mixed up for picking him up at the end of the dance and left him standing outside the venue late at night for half an hour, and wondered if he'd been approached by any "ladies of the night" ). I'm now at my office in town waiting for the dance to end and will make sure I don't make the same mistake again!

He is artistically inclined (unlike the rest of the family) and has made a pretty good costume over the weekend (as it is a fancy dress). Wish he would show the same enthusiasm for his schoolwork!

Also, it's kinda strange, but he was conversing pretty normally with me on the way to the dance. As he has chosen a film character (Ash of the Evil Dead Movie Series) he was asking me for suggestions for silly answers if someone asked him what his character was - he then enumerated the list quite concisely (think it was Pee Wee Herman, Spongebob, Milhous of the Simpsons ... can't remember the rest as well as him). Again, his mind was pretty focussed on this - why can't he do the same with his academics?

A difference between him and me - when I was his age I would agonise about which girl I'd ask to the dance etc. Maybe times have changed and you don't have to bring a date these days - certainly our son doesn't - but he seems completely unconcerned by all that. Maybe it is because dances are different now, but it also may be that he is not motivated by some of the concerns of me as a NT.

Anyway, this is one of the year's highlights for him and I think he will be having a very good time.

I'm actually rather surprised that he even wants to attend a school dance. I would imagine that an event like that would be a living hell for a child on the spectrum what with all the loud music and people chattering in your ear and people shoving themselves up against you like you're an inconsequential...sorry, starting to rant again. Still if he wants to attend a school dance all the better for him. Perhaps he'll even meet a new friend and have a good time. I know what you mean about the school work. I can focus perfectly on art or any of the other things that interest me, but when it comes to school work...ergh.

That sounds great, hoegandit! Hope he had a good time!
J.

ACerulean- yeah, wanting to attend a noisy school dance with flashing lights (he said the only place you can talk is on the balcony as it's otherwise too noisy) doesn't quite fit the classic autism stereotype, does it. Still, that's what he wants to do, and he attended it last year and wants to attend it next year too. He has a diagnosis of ASD (originally having been diagnosed ADD) and certainly does show signs of ASD, although he is high functioning.

From a NT point of view there are still issues eg he declined his mother's offer of dinner before he went, was given money for food and drink, but then said he spent it all on coca cola and didn't eat anything at the function. But it may be because he was too excited about the event.

Thanks postcards57, and yes, he did have a good time.