Autism's Sweet Spot

The hunt for the so called "sweet spot".  It exists in so many aspects in life.  In horseback riding it's the perfect takeoff spot for a jump.  I used to be able to hunt it down 7 strides away.  Usually I'd hit it, sometimes I'd miss.  With life it comes and goes - but practice doesn't always seem to make it easier to find.  Or maybe it just takes a lot more practice.

You see in Grace's earlier years there simply wasn't a sweet spot at all.  Every single minute of every single day was a heartbreaking challenge.  Occasionally we would see a faint light flickering in the distance and move in it's general direction.  But that was as much hope as I had most of the time until we started seeing small changes with interventions.  But slowly, with time things have changed for her.  And I want to be very clear about who she is now and where we are.

Grace Hoiness has high functioning autism.  But due to all of the work she and all of us put in during the last 7 years we are now being rewarded by spending most of our time in what I call autism's "sweet spot".  While she struggles with social cues, eating, has compulsive behaviors and tics she is an unbelievable child.  She is a joy to be with.  Grace sees and hears things that most people miss.  She has an IQ in the gifted range and is brighter than almost everyone she meets (including her mother).   She isn't typically bothered by or interested in other people's problems and pays almost no attention to "drama" at school - in fact I'm not sure she even knows it's happening most of the time.  She is an avid reader and remembers every fact she's ever read.  She is also excellent at math.  She is honest and doesn't really even know how to lie.  While she doesn't like people to touch her, she loves to cuddle with her momma.  She loves science and looks at specimens she finds under her microscope - then researches them online.  She enjoys hiking and nature.  Grace can communicate with animals better than anyone I know and often prefers them to people.  She is, quite honestly, amazing.

This does NOT mean that she doesn't need support, or that she doesn't have difficult days.  As she grows into a teenager her needs will become much more complicated.  But for now, we are basking in our sweet spot.  Loving every minute of our brilliant, gifted, amazing girl.