Asperger Diaries: Jamie's New School (8 page)

Nana Edith
didn’t come over today, but Lesley’s friends came over after lunch,
so that spoiled the day. Lesley and Orange were being noisy again
this afternoon, but mum has bought me some ear plugs. At first, I
didn’t like the idea of putting anything in my ears, but I watched
a video on YouTube which showed how to put them in without damaging
your ears. They feel strange, but are really good. I couldn’t hear
a sound from Lesley’s bedroom once I had them in. I might take them
with me to school, and put them in while I am in the cafeteria.

I managed to
get my history homework finished. It took me hours. I wrote five
sides.

*****

Angela's
Diary

Happy birthday
to me. My best present today was Edith not coming over. Seems that
it was my fault Jamie hadn’t bought me a present because I hadn’t
told him what I wanted. We go through this every birthday, and at
Christmas. Unless you specifically tell him what you would like,
you will get nothing. To be fair, he always makes sure he tells
everyone exactly what he wants for his birthday and Christmas. I
got a jumper and flowers from Andrew, and a purse from Lesley. I
did eventually get a card from Jamie. It looked as though he had
wiped the floor with it, but it’s the thought that counts.

I’m not looking
forward to tomorrow. If things don’t improve this week I am going
to make an appointment to see the headmaster.

19th September
(Monday)

Jamie's
Diary

I handed my
history homework in first thing this morning. We had to leave it in
the teacher’s pigeon hole. He said he will have it marked in time
for tomorrow’s lesson. I think I will get a good mark because I
spent hours on it, and have written everything I could find on the
Industrial Revolution.

After lunch,
Stephen Mason gave me a folded piece of paper. He told me Mr Avery
had said I had to take it to the reception desk. I had to run
because the next lesson started five minutes later. When I handed
it to the lady in reception, she read it, shook her head, and then
gave it back to me. On the paper it said ’I’m a Prat’. I was five
minutes late getting to my next lesson, so I was told off by the
French teacher. Stephen Mason was sitting at the back of the
classroom laughing.

The maths
teacher had a go at me again today because I didn’t show any
working out for the equations he had given us to do in class. I got
them all correct. After dinner tonight I looked on the Internet to
see what I could find out about solving equations. I found a number
of different methods which detailed the steps involved. I tried to
follow them, but I got totally lost. I don’t see why I should have
to change the way I work when my method is quicker.

*****

Angela's
Diary

Today was the
first day of the school run. The traffic was terrible, and it is
going to cost a small fortune in petrol. Andrew said I should make
Jamie go on the bus. He said it was stupid not to use the free bus
pass. Doesn’t he realise I know all of that. Does he think I am
doing this for the good of my health? I told him about the boys who
have been picking on Jamie on the bus. I told him about Jamie
walking home in the rain last Friday. Andrew shrugged it off, and
said I was making too much of it.

I offered to
take Lesley with us in the car, but she didn’t want to know. Jamie
didn't speak all the way to school. I tried to make conversation,
but he ignored me. I didn’t get so much as a grunt out of him not
even when I asked him about his model trams. There are lots of
parents dropping off kids at that time, so I was forced to park a
couple of streets away from the school gates. Instead of a thank
you, and a kiss goodbye, Jamie complained because I had parked so
far away.

I told Jamie I
would stand by the school gates after school. I didn’t want him to
panic if he couldn’t find the car. He was certainly right about the
mad rush down the school drive at the final bell. I nearly got
trampled under foot by the kids rushing to get on the buses. Jamie
appeared about five minutes later. He walked down the drive at a
snail’s pace without once looking up. He climbed into the car
without a word. I tried to ask him about his day, but he snapped at
me every time I asked a question. When we got home, he went
straight to his bedroom as usual.

He was doing
homework again right up until bedtime.

*****

Lesley's
Journal

Tram boy won't
go to school on the bus. What the hell is the matter with him? He
worries too much about the other kids. They are only having a
laugh. He should loosen up. He might make a few friends if he did.
No one is going to talk to him while he acts like a prat.

All the time
I've been at Armthorpe, mum's never once offered to take me in the
car - until today. She can stuff it.

20th September
(Tuesday)

Jamie's
Diary

I received my
history homework back today. I had written five sides, and it had
taken me almost three hours. The teacher had given me a mark of
65%, and had written ‘Unfocused’. 65% is a terrible mark. I don’t
think I have ever had a mark as low as that before. I had read all
of the information in the text book, and I had looked up loads more
information on the Internet. I had put all of that information into
my essay.

I stayed behind
after the lesson, and spoke to the teacher. I told him I had spent
ages working on my homework. He said I had included too much
detail. How can you include too much detail? That doesn’t make
sense. He said the essay read as though I was throwing random facts
around without properly understanding the subject. That is so
unfair. I understand the subject perfectly. I said he could ask me
any question on the subject of the essay, and I would know the
answer. He said that might be true, but I had to learn how to
distil the facts into a concise, relevant essay. He said I
shouldn’t worry unduly because it was early days, and 65% was not a
bad mark. I think that 65% is a terrible mark. He should give us
instructions on how to distil the facts. I don’t even know what
that means.

*****

Angela's
Diary

Jamie put his
ear plugs in on the journey to and from school today. I think that
was his way of telling me that he didn’t want to talk. It breaks my
heart to watch him walk, all by himself, to the school gates. All
the other kids are in small groups. Laughing and talking with one
another. If he could make a few friends things might be a little
better. I wish he was in the same class as Rocky.

Jamie did speak
when I collected him this evening, but only to complain about the
history teacher. I didn’t catch what he said, and I daren’t ask him
to repeat it, in case I set him off again. He went straight to his
bedroom as usual. If he slams that door any harder, he will have it
off its hinges.

I spoke to
Andrew again after dinner. I can’t believe he doesn’t think there
is a problem. He said kids never like school, and that he had
always hated it. I didn’t like school either. Lesley doesn’t like
school. This thing with Jamie goes far beyond not liking school. I
have never seen him like this before. He gets up in the morning,
and he doesn’t speak. I collect him after school, and he doesn’t
speak. The only time he speaks is when he is asking for help with
his homework. He’s working on homework every evening until it is
time to go to bed. Most evenings I have to make him stop, and get
ready for bed. Otherwise he would probably be at it all night. He
doesn’t seem to have made any friends, and I’m worried in case he
is being bullied.

I don’t care
what Andrew thinks. I’m going to call the school tomorrow to make
an appointment to see the headmaster.

21st September
(Wednesday)

Jamie's
Diary

We had to make
notes in geography today. The teacher spent the whole lesson
talking about erosion. He didn’t give us a chance to ask any
questions. He just talked, and wrote on the blackboard. There is a
section on erosion in the text book. I didn’t know if he was giving
us additional information, or going over what was in the book. I
didn’t know what I was supposed to make notes on, so I tried to
write down everything he said. It was difficult because he was
going so fast. He drew diagrams on the blackboard, so I tried to
copy those as well. The other kids didn’t make anywhere near as
many notes. By the end of the lesson, my hand was really tired with
all the writing. I could hardly read what I had written. I didn’t
learn anything because I was too busy writing.

I hurt my leg
in P.E. We had to walk along a narrow bench. I found it difficult
to keep my balance. The furthest I managed to get without falling
was just over half way. The last time I fell off, I twisted my leg.
The teacher felt at my leg and said it was fine. I asked him if he
thought I needed an X-ray. He said he didn’t.

*****

Angela's
Diary

I’ve got an
appointment to see the headmaster tomorrow. I haven’t told anyone.
I daren’t tell Jamie in case it makes him even more stressed. And
Andrew doesn’t think there is a problem. I’ve made a few notes, so
I don’t forget to mention anything. I’m not sure what I am hoping
for. It would be a start if I could get some clarification on how
long Jamie should be spending on homework.

Jamie was just
as bad after school today. He did manage a few words, but it was
only to complain his hand was aching, and he had hurt his leg.

Andrew asked me
if I was still looking for a part time job. I sometimes think he
lives on another planet. He knows I am ferrying Jamie to and from
school now. How am I supposed to find a job to fit in with that?
Besides which, I would never be able to hold down a job while I am
worrying about Jamie all day long. If I could get him settled, then
maybe I could think about other things.

22nd September
(Thursday)

Jamie's
Diary

I received my
second piece of geography homework back. The teacher had written
‘Good’ on the bottom. Why was this piece of work only ‘Good’ when
my first homework was ‘Very Good’? If it was only ‘Good’ this time,
how come the teacher didn’t tell me what I needed to do to make it
‘Very Good? I had spent more time on the second piece of homework
than I did on the first. I asked the teacher why it was only
‘Good’. He said both pieces of homework had been excellent. He said
I should carry on like that for the rest of the year. He said I
didn’t need to write quite so much. I told mum what the teacher had
said about the marks. Mum said I shouldn’t worry because I was
obviously doing well in geography. That didn’t help because I still
don’t know how to write less. What can I leave out? Plus I still
don’t know how one piece of work can be ‘Very Good’ while another
piece is only ‘Good’. If he would give me a proper mark, everything
would be much clearer.

I wish I could
eat my sandwiches somewhere else at lunch time because the
cafeteria is always busy and noisy. I ate them in the school yard
one day, but I got told off again. The teacher said I had to eat
them in the cafeteria. I put my ear plugs in at lunch time which
cuts out a lot of the noise in the cafeteria. I always eat my
sandwiches as quickly as I can.

I had physics
and French homework tonight. They didn’t take too long because I
only had to answer a few simple questions.

*****

Angela's
Diary

What a total
waste of time. The headmaster was very pleasant, and listened
politely while I listed all of my concerns. I spoke for fifteen
minutes or more. When I had finished, he smiled, and said there was
nothing to worry about. According to him, Jamie is settling in
nicely. The headmaster had spoken to a few of Jamie’s teachers who
had reported that Jamie was doing well in class. Apparently he is
producing good work. I described the state Jamie is in every night,
but the headmaster brushed my concerns aside. He said it was normal
for children to feel the pressure of a new school for the first few
weeks. He said it would quickly pass. He said if there was a
problem someone at school would have noticed, and his work would
not be of such a high standard. I reminded him Lesley was in the
fourth year, and there hadn’t been any issues when she started at
Armthorpe. I wanted him to know I wouldn’t make an appointment to
see him without good reason. He said no two children are the same,
and Jamie might need a little longer to settle than Lesley. I told
him about the problems on the school bus. He agreed that was
unacceptable, and said he would look into it. I pressed him on the
issue of homework, and he did at least agree Jamie shouldn’t be
spending as long as he is on it. He said he thought two hours per
night should be an absolute maximum. Jamie has been spending almost
four hours on it some days. More if you count the time he spent on
it at the weekend. At least the clarification on the homework
situation helps.

Jamie was
annoyed because his geography homework had come back marked ‘Good’
whereas the previous one had been marked ‘Very Good’. Over dinner,
he kept going on and on about it. We all tried to tell him it
didn’t matter. He wanted to know why the latest homework wasn’t as
good as the first. Lesley would be pleased to get a ‘Good’ for any
of her homework. She lost her temper, and told Jamie to shut up
about it.

I decided it
would be best to talk to Jamie, about my meeting with the
headmaster, tomorrow evening. Jamie wasn’t in the right frame of
mind for that discussion tonight.

*****

Lesley's
Journal

Mr Jones said
my essay was the best piece of work I have ever done. I was
gobsmacked. It only took me forty five minutes to do yesterday. I
wrote it in the library. I should have been doing P.E., but didn't
fancy it, so I hid away in the library. English is a lot better
since Mr Jones started taking us. I couldn't stand Mr Archbald - he
had B.O. Mr Jones actually treats us like human beings. He's not
bad looking either. Courtney reckons his wife is nothing
special.