Patrick's Path
PATRICK’S PATH
Patrick Muenzner runs Patty’s Repair Shop in northeast Minneapolis, which specializes in battery replacement. He rocks to Social Distortion’s, "Ball and Chain," and he conducts science experiments in his kitchen. Of course, all this activity is facilitated by his mother, Amanda Muenzner. She brings him "broken" toys, and he "fixes" them in his repair shop bedroom. She pushes play on the CD player and provides the cornmeal, coffee grounds and test tubes for his groundbreaking experiments. Patrick is four and a half years old, and he was just diagnosed with autism in November. "He’s a truly unique kid," Amanda said. "And the autism is part of that." But it wasn’t always so easy for Amanda to explain some of Patrick’s more bewildering behaviors. She first brought her concerns to his pediatrician when Patrick was 20 months old. He became aggressive at day care, biting and hitting, and his speech was delayed. She was told to wait and see.
The behaviors continued and Amanda started keeping a written record. At Patrick’s three-year appointment, she presented the typed page and a half document to his pediatrician. Again, she was told to wait and see. Perhaps he was a late bloomer.
"I allowed myself to be talked out of it," Amanda said. "Part of me wanted to be talked out of it." So it wasn’t until four months later in December of 2005 that Patrick was referred to Minneapolis’s Early Childhood Special Education services through a routine school readiness screening. Still, he was only flagged for issues with speech and vision. Like in their fall ECFE class, no one mentioned autism, explaining his personality as "intense," and adopting a wait and see attitude.
Meanwhile, Amanda knew there was something different. While other parents could hang back and talk, letting their children play, she was constantly on guard, making sure Patrick was behaving. His high energy level and immature playing style were exhausting. "I always felt it was more than the typical toddler boy thing," Amanda said. So when Patrick’s school speech therapist requested a comprehensive testing of Patrick, the Muenzners were on board. The district conducted the ADOS (Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule) in March of 2006, and they had a meeting with their school team in May. Immediately Patrick was placed in the Longfellow autism classroom with five other boys. After a difficult summer off, Patrick has settled into the classroom routine this fall.
He’s thrived there. Amanda has seen a huge difference in his frustration level, an easing in his resistance to change and a blossoming relationship with his little sister, Erin, who is 11 months old. Amanda has enjoyed watching that relationship develop, as the siblings laugh back and forth and roughhouse.
Now that Patrick can express himself better, he sometimes guides the whole family into unique adventures. The Muenzners often go bowling at Elsie’s, a local bowling alley. Patrick always wondered how the lanes worked, with the ball return and the pins dropping down. This Christmas Eve was a slow night, so when they asked the manager if Patrick could go behind the scenes, he agreed. Patrick was excited and Amanda remembered being fascinated too.
Amanda has learned to savor those moments; the little things that happen every day with Patrick. Parenting him has taught her to find joy in the small things. And she believes that fate brought them to Minneapolis eight years ago. Really, it was graduate school for her husband, Dave. But she’s glad they stayed in their northeast home after his degree was finished. It’s hard for her to imagine trying to raise Patrick in another state less dedicated to special education.
Amanda credits Patrick’s ECSE team, especially the Longfellow staff, with the changes she’s seen. All those improvements in Patrick’s coping skills mean less stress at home. But even when Patrick is having a tough day, having a diagnosis helps. "Now that we know what’s causing it, it makes it easier to tolerate," Amanda said. "There’s something bigger than you causing this."
With a great ECSE team and private speech therapy, occupational therapy, and social skills class every week, Amanda is hopeful for Patrick’s future. Things are different today than when she was in school, when no one knew about autism, when kids with special needs were unseen, or dismissed as problem students. Now she’s confident that Patrick and others like him will be supported in their education.
"These are great kids with great skills," Amanda said. "We just need to help them find their way."
And Patrick’s path might lead straight into a laboratory, given his love for test tube experiments and his fascination with the inner workings of things. Those traits are gaining popularity these days thanks to a new television show. "Patrick’s a big fan of Curious George," Amanda said. "He’s curious and that reminds me of Patrick: always getting into stuff."
Patrick’s relationship with his sister, Erin, has blossomed.
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