A Breakthrough!

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As PJ has been having difficulties with anxiety leaving for school in the morning and has expressed more of a reluctance to socialize with kids his age, we decided that a new approach was needed. My wife Dawn had arranged an interview for PJ with the director of a summer camp that specializes in helping kids with social difficulties related to ADHD, Asperger's and LD's. That was the easy step. Now, how do we get PJ to go? It meant a couple of anxiety nurturing hours of travel to meet the director. Additionally, PJ had been stubbornly resistant to working with a counselor or therapist, other than his psychiatrist who he sees regularly for his meds. I was sure he would not get in the car with Dawn, or worse yet, he would take off from her once outside the director's apartment in Manhattan.

I had spoken with PJ in the days before. We discussed how he wasn't exactly happy and that this was a chance to meet someone who might be able to help him in dealing with ADHD and the other resulting conditions. I appealed to him that the only challenge was meeting someone, putting his hand out and saying "Hello, I'm PJ- nice to meet you." There was no discussion yet that this was about a possible 6 weeks away from home.

I was surprised! He was receptive and said that he would do it. Promises of a stop at Nintendo World didn't hurt. But I knew he wasn't in the car yet. Sure enough, the night before he said he changed his mind - he did not want to go.

I explained to PJ that he had agreed and we had committed to meeting this person, tying up the director's weekend. After much back and forth, PJ relented. Again, I knew this was not a done deal yet.

The next day, I was at work and expecting the phone call to come. I called Dawn many times that day. "Is he getting ready?" "Is he still on board?" "You're on the train?" So far so good. To my surprise, the appointed time came. It was 10 minutes past the appointment time and no phone call! Could this be it or has she been chasing him around NYC for the past 15 minutes?

An hour later I checked in. He did it! The appointment went well. PJ was polite and spoke openly with the director. He had finally made a concerted effort to reach out and be receptive to some possible help. This was big!

As it turned out, the director felt that the camp was not as well suited to PJ's needs as we had hoped. He recommended another camp that he felt would be helpful.

That's OK. This was a very successful day!