I can't decide what to do.
The situation is this: My 13 year old son has Aspergers, ADHD and Tourettes and is bullied a lot at school. School seem to be unable to deal with it as it isn't a specific child or group of children doing the bullying - it seems to be most of the school having a pop at him as he walks past.... In fairness son is quite stoic about it generally - he knows I expect him to go to school and does so without too much protest.
However, on Friday he was fitted with a palate expander/brace, and he now has an awful lisp. Apparently this should settle in a few days - but hasn't yet. I KNOW he is going to kick up a big stink about it tomorrow when he is supposed to go to school. He has spent the weekend shut in his bedroom refusing to talk to anyone, or let anyone even look at him as he feels so self concious. I don't know what to do. Should I let him stay off school until the lisp subsides? But what if it doesn't? Or should I tell him school is where he needs to be and brook no disagreement?
My husband says I should "slap him and make him go" (but then he has no patience with or understanding of our son - but should at least know that aggression towards him will make him 100x worse - they way to go with ds is calm, quiet and unmoving....). I would feel terrible making him go, as he has been really distressed already about the brace, and really doesn't need something else for people to mock him about. I could CLAIM to be letting him stay home because he has a cold (he does, but I wouldn't normally let him stay off school for that)
On the other hand - I don't generally let him stay home from school for anything except major illness, and school is where he is supposed to be. Maybe making him jump back in the deep end will be the best way to help him get over it? And what if his lisp doesn't get better? I couldn't keep him off indefinitely....
WWYD?