Tag Archives: Sensory

autism verbal stim

Some Mornings Feel Like 17 Levels of…

Posted on by

The other morning, before I even had a chance to hit snooze at 4:35, I woke up to this:

Click to hear (speakers DOWN!)

It proceeded for four and a half hours, until I left for work.

Trying to get out of bed, my son was standing over me making these very loud, bizarre noises.

Getting the three malamutes leashed up and ready for their morning walk, my son was trying to ride them and screamed the noises in their faces.

While I was preparing his breakfast, he would sneak up behind me and scream the noises so I jumped and spilled his food.

During my entire workout he would jump on my back, grab my leg, stand on my back while I was doing pushups, and fight with the dogs… all while making non-stop noises.

Whilst in the shower he would constantly open the curtain and scream (it echoes! Oh boy… even louder!) the noises.

Applying my makeup.

Getting dressed.

Making coffee.

Packing lunches.

Preparing the dogs’ treats.

Yes, four and a half hours. Of course, I was in rushing deadline mode, not patient parent mode, so I made the situation worse.

As I was leaving for the office, he immediately sat down and began composing beautiful original music on his DSi XL. Huh? Then he had the temerity to say to me, “Mom, it seems like you have your feathers in a bunch today.”

AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHH!

So what was going on?

I wish I knew. I wish I had a distinct checklist or pattern that would solve for “x” (the noises).

It could have been something he ate or drank before I got up (clearly he was awake before my 4:30 alarm) that caused a reaction.

Maybe this was an extension of sensory-seeking behavior.

Maybe it was verbal stimming due to something was worrying him – a change in a pattern or schedule (he recently had some issues with visitation and his father).

Maybe he was bored.

Maybe he wanted attention.

Maybe he was just having an off day – we all have them. Children with Autism (and puberty!) may not intuitively know how to channel “bad day” energy.

What I do know is this: had I stopped for five minutes and employed one of the tools I normally pull out of my “patient parent toolbox”, I’m sure the morning would have gone differently. I’m not saying the behavior would have stopped completely, but here are some ways I could have redirected him:

  • Invited him to join me on any of the physical activities of the morning, like the dog walk or intervals (jumping jacks, jump rope, running in place, squats)
  • Taken a yoga break
  • Engaged him in a one-on-one activity that he loves (Hangman, Picto-chat, Uno)
  • Played a sensory game
  • Had a protein snack
  • Did an EFT tapping session
  • Designated a “screaming” area of the house where it’s okay to let it all out

These are all quick, simple ways to break the pattern of the morning. I, on the other hand, became stressed, got aggravated, and let the panic of being late overtake me. I got to work feeling like I wanted to carve out my intestines and strangle someone with them. Imagine how he felt, having all this energy in his body and not knowing how to get it out without getting in trouble!

Lesson learned. Sometimes we have to experience 17 levels downward before we can “level up”.

What about you? Have you seen a behavior recently that made you pull your hair out? What did you do about it? What could you have done differently? I’d love to hear your stories in the comments below or on the SOA Facebook page!

The 27-Minute Game: No More Fighting

Posted on by

Do you ever fight with your child about how long they play video games or use their computer? If your house is like mine, some days it takes an Act of Congress to get my son out of his room and away from his favorite digital world. Sure, I’ve bribed. I’ve threatened. I’ve fought. All efforts can be fruitless when you’re having “one of those days,” right?

I don’t have to spell out the consequences of a child being penned in a small room, sedentary for most of the day. For my child especially it affects his sensory system and hyperactivity level directly. Not to mention the irregular eating and sleeping schedule and lack of desire to wear more than boxer briefs as additional side effects.

Last weekend I was tired of the arguing, coercing, cajoling, and emotional outbursts (not mine!). I had a full day of freelance work ahead of me but I didn’t want my son to be a hermit all day, offering occasional appearances spinning through the living room like the Tasmanian Devil. I invented a fun way to allow us to interact more and give him regular, much-needed diversions from Minecraft.

Sort of making it up as I went along, I gave my son a digital timer set for 27 minutes and instructed him to close the computer and come out when it went off. He was not in trouble and it wasn’t a new “rule,” rather a game we were trying.

When he came out I also closed my computer, put my phone away, and we played tic-tac-toe and hangman on paper. We had so much fun we started drawing afterward!

Wrapping up that enjoyable break, I handed him the timer, again set for 27 minutes. The next time he came out I had the table set with a fun “food-sculpture” breakfast laid out (yes, I play with my food!) for us both. We enjoyed a really nice, uninterrupted meal together.

The next round of our 27-minute break consisted of an obstacle course I set up in the back yard. The next, brushing the dogs together. No matter what project or email I was in the middle of I would close my computer and prepare something for us to do with our break. The exciting part was that when he came out each time he never knew what activity to expect.

What do you think started happening? The breaks starting becoming longer than the 27 minutes on the computer. My son’s mood and energy were consistent. We laughed. We engaged. We got stuff done.

In my current reality it is not always practical to get in the car (the one where the air conditioning doesn’t work – UGH!) and go do fun stuff. Sometimes I have to make do with what’s going on at home. The 27-minute game is a great way to have fun and manage both my son’s and my OWN habit of burying our faces in the computer for too long.

How about you? Do you have a way to keep healthy intervals flowing in your home? Share your thoughts by commenting below or posting on the SOA Facebook page!

For the Mom Who…

Posted on by

…has to drive her infant around at 2 in the morning because being in a moving car is the only way he will go back to sleep.

…sometimes cooks three separate meals for dinner because her picky eater will only have pizza – but the crust has to be right, it can’t be too cheesy, the pepperoni better not be the spicy kind and there can’t be too much sauce. Oh and definitely not the sauce that is too sweet or has any green stuff in it.

…on some days actually falls asleep standing in the shower.

…most likely has read “Goodnight Moon” to her child at least 6, 947 times and still does the funny voices.

…gave up grown-up music in the car for about ten years in favor of Kidz Bop, Disney, and Pokemon CDs.

…can fix her child’s toys or computer, put together a shelving unit, replace worn appliance parts, mow the lawn, and still remove splinters with the precision of a surgeon.

…wants so badly to fix everything for her children but knows she must stand by and let them have the experience on their own.

…will be there to help pick up the pieces when they don’t quite get it right the first time, and encourage them to try again.

…always makes sure the house is never completely out of any grocery item, and the lunchboxes and coffee are always ready in the morning, without exception.

…simply doesn’t have time to be sick. Ever.

…has to endure the glares of people that think she simply doesn’t spank her special needs child enough when he’s having sensory meltdowns in public.

…eats the burnt toast so everyone else can enjoy their breakfast and nothing has to be wasted.

…sometimes cries when no one’s looking.

…knows that her children are here to teach her, too.

…gets up every single day and does what needs to be done no matter what kind of mood she’s in.

…accepts that right now it’s okay that her child with Autism is 10 and still needs help showering, using the bathroom, dressing, and brushing his teeth. She performs these tasks with grace.

…celebrates every success, large or small, and takes nothing for granted.

…knows that her children love her, but sometimes wishes they would show it a little more. However, she doesn’t require it to keep her heart open.

…goes to bat for her children, unconditionally, because their success is non-negotiable.

…always encourages her children to be their unique and authentic self.

…realized early on that there’s no turning back – this is a lifetime job and it isn’t for weenies.

…still knows how to dance with confidence, even if it’s in her living room. On the coffee table.

…learned long ago that the workload will never be “even” or “fair,” and that’s okay.

…considers the simplest pleasures a big deal, because life is precious and all we really have is the now.

…knows that her children chose her before coming to this crazy, adventurous place, and she is grateful.

…remembers that shining her light and being her true self is the greatest gift she can give to her children, for it inspires them to do the same.

…simply does her best, because there is no manual for this gig!

I salute you. All of you. Single moms, married moms, “unplanned” moms, adoptive moms, older moms, teenage moms, special needs moms…we have a bond – a circle – that is unbreakable. You are all amazing – don’t wait for others to honor you. Celebrate and honor yourself and the successes that YOU create.

Happy Mother’s Day!

What about you? Post some other “for the Mom who…” sentences below or share them on the Spirit of Autism Facebook page!

[Guest Post] I See What You Are Saying

Posted on by

“I see”, he said, “I see exactly what you mean.”

“No you don’t”, she answered, “you haven’t listened to anything I’ve been saying and you have no idea what I am talking about.”

And in just a few short sentences, you have the beginnings or perhaps, the continuation of a disagreement. Could be about something easy like where to go for dinner, or something of more import like getting married.

But whatever sort of subject it is, when the conversation starts going in this direction, you know it is not going to be long before there’s a real problem in communications.

So what’s the big deal with communications between people anyway? How come my friend, my BFF, my bro, my significant other doesn’t get me? Why doesn’t anyone understand me, I look at my lips in the mirror and I know I am talking but nobody is getting me.

We All Understand This

These are thoughts most of us have had at one time or other. Maybe not everyday, maybe our daily lives don’t revolve so much around communicating with other people so we might not run into this situation on a daily basis. But sooner or later, it’s going to come up. And it’s going to be a real issue in our lives.

But why? Why is this sort of issue so prevalent in our world? You would think that with so many different ways to communicate with each other, between every sort of mobile device imaginable, a hundred different social media websites and apps and snail mail and texting and phone calls, how come this issue of understanding is still happening?

We’re Exactly the Same – Except We’re Different

The answer is simple and complex at the same time. Like so many of the great truths of our world are. But here it is in a nutshell, each of us has our own private communication system that we have spent years developing and none of those systems is the same as any other.

We have each developed our own view of what the world is like to us. We have each attached a meaning to a particular piece of communication and each of us is positive that our way of seeing things, our way of understanding things, our way of organizing the world sensory input we get from the world around us is the right way.

And because each of us is operating from inside our own system of communication, using the set of symbols we have developed for ourselves, that is how we understand the world to be.

All Is Not Lost

Now this is how it is in the most primary sense. There is often a lot of overlap between our individualized communication systems and we can share understanding and ideas and dreams and color schemes and lots of other things with lots of other people. But truthfully, individualized communication systems are like fingerprints or snowflakes, no two of them are exactly alike.

Take the example from the first couple of sentences where he is saying ‘I see what you mean” and she is saying “You aren’t hearing what I am saying” and when you think about how each of them has their own individualized communication system which they use on a regular basis, you can understand right away where at least one of the issues is.

He is thinking about seeing and she is thinking about listening.

Kind of like one of them is watching the TV with the sound off and the other listening to the sound but not watching the screen. And then trying to describe to the other what their individual experience is.

An almost impossible task.

But if they were to simply go into the room where the TV is and watch and listen together, their experience would be a lot different. Maybe not perfect because we each focus our attention differently, but certainly a whole lot easier than the other way.

Each person has their own way of interpreting the world around them. Each of us has developed our own organizational scheme for what we pay attention to and how we show that we are paying attention. Whether, we are male, female, teenagerish, a baby boomer, autistic, American, German, or any other way of deciding who we are, we each have our own way of communicating with the world.

When we interact with other people and understand that we are right in what we are saying and understanding and that they are also right, our days become much easier and our hearts become filled with a lot more kindness and tolerance and love. Not just for other people, but for ourselves as well. And that would make our days totally fantastic.

Michael Shook is a personal development coach specializing in success and authenticity. He offers daily messages of light and love for everyone via ALifeOfLight.com. But for readers of the Spirit of Autism, he is also offering a free personal coaching session.  Click here to read more and sign up for your free session!

8 Ways for Your Child to Burn off Energy Indoors

Posted on by

Brrr! The weather’s starting to get chilly (I hear it’s actually snowing in places other than Georgia… color me jealous!). The kids are spending more time inside – where does that leave fitness and movement?

Let me tell you what happens in our house if we don’t find a way to burn off that energy: bedtime somehow gets prolonged. A whirling dervish races up and down the hallway whilst screaming in a pitch heard by dogs in the next state. My son repeatedly tries to ride the puppy. Lots of crashing into walls. Frustrated family members grow impatient.

All it takes is a few minutes a day and some creativity to radically change the misdirected energy into focused fun. Here are some ideas for indoor activity:

Invisi-ball. This is a great game for imagination and it saves fragile knickknacks to boot! I start by choosing an imaginary ball – any size – and tossing it to my son. As we catch or volley throughout the game, either of us can change the ball type at any time to keep it interesting. We throw invisible beach balls, softballs, and everything in between. It’s fun to let some hit me in the head and knock me down, miss some. and catch some impossible ones!

Animal relay. This is fun if you have a long stretch of room to travel. Each turn is performed as a different animal: crab walks, frog hops, bear crawls, etc. You can either race your child or tag team the animals and take turns.

Mirror. This is a playful exercise for coordination and motor skills. Remember to keep it simple – the idea is not to stump your child but help them achieve their goals, feel successful, and of course have fun! Stand facing your child and take turns doing different movements while your partner mirrors them. The longer you play, the faster you get! This game has lots of silly potential :)

Runaway bug. If it doesn’t creep out your child (or as I used to say when I lived in New York: “skeeve” him) pretend a giant bug just crawled up his leg. Each body part the bug travels to is the part that gets the wiggles and the only part the child can move. The game ends with free-play movement – shaking the bug off your whole body.

Yoga ball rolls. I bought a giant yoga ball with some exercise infomercial system years ago and it is probably one of the most used items in my house to this day. For me, it’s an intense addition to my bodyweight and interval training. For my daughter, it was a giant dinosaur egg when she was younger. For my son, it’s an awesome sensory experience. There is no wrong way to roll around with this versatile piece of equipment.

Obstacle Course. Indoor obstacle courses do not have to feature running around cones and climbing walls; there are many tame ways to enjoy a friendly competition inside. Stepping over items and crawling under chairs are just two ways a course can be manageable and still fun. If you have any party streamers leftover from a past celebration, be sure to tape it across a doorway for the final destination of the course. Who doesn’t like running through a finish line and tearing the ribbon?

Dyna-Band pulls. These can be used as a tug of war exercise with your child, or draped over a doorway to do some challenging yet fun pulls. My son likes the feeling of things wrapped around his neck, so I always have to be extra present and aware when we bring out the Dyna-Bands. This is not something he can play with unsupervised.

Yoga. Yoga is great for relaxation but also offers much in the way of movement. My son never wants to do yoga with me when I ask him. Yet, every single time, I’ve sat next next to him in his room and just started some poses. I show him pictures of someone doing a yoga pose and ask him how to do it, pretending I simply don’t understand. Before I know it, he not only shows me the pose and joyfully does it with me, he asks for more! Yoga is fun, as long as you adapt it to your child’s abilities.

What kinds of energy burners are popular in your house? I don’t even want to tell you that when I was a child my best friend and I used to take sleeping bags and race down her stairs in them. Shhhh… I don’t want my kids to hear. Because THAT’S got ‘Emergency Room’ written all over it ;)

How Chewelry Saved Me $14.99+ a Month

Posted on by

He came home from school each day with holes in his shirt. He destroyed countless pencils, board game coins, and “reusable” plastic straws. But the worst: the perpetual trips to GameStop to replace the myriad styluses (stylii?) that were nibbled to mere nubs. Oh, I tried ultimatums, tried using economic substitutes, and even tried begging and whining :)

The truth is, he can’t help it. Children with autism have difficulty in regulating their sensory experiences. They can have hypersensitivity or hyposensitivity to various sensations. Excessive chewing is an example of sensory hyposensitivity.

Through a social media connection, I found Chewelry by Kid Companions and was quite intrigued! Other chewing “redirect” attempts did not stick for us. In their own words, “Kid Companions is a chewable and wearable fidget that is safe, stylish and effective. It’s the perfect alternative to fidget toys and chewys.”

We ordered one for home and one for school, and I got amazing news the first day he tried it!

“Mom! I did all my morning work today! I could concentrate!”

Wow! Shirt without holes: check. Pencils intact: check. Stars achieved for completed morning work: check. Never before had a sensory item made such an impact upon its first use.

Unfortunately, Justin’s best friend also thought it was super cool. When I arrived at school the next day he was wearing it around HIS neck. Blech! Since Justin had two (yes, both previously used), he thought it was okay to share.

One social story and one cleaned and returned Chewelry piece later, we’re back in business. I no longer find pencils gnawed to the lead (attack of the killer beavers?) lying around his room, I don’t have to keep sewing shirts, and best of all, one pack of styluses has lasted over two months, saving me $29.98 so far! Yeah!

Product Review: Escapes, Music for Relaxing by Jeff Gold

Posted on by

I recently received a CD entitled “Escapes – Music for Relaxing” by Jeff Gold. It is described as “One hour of soothing instrumental music to uplift and revive you. As refreshing as a long walk along a perfect beach, ‘Escapes’ is the ideal tempo and rhythm for creative inspiration, massage, yoga, scenic drives or just winding down.”

This beautiful music – composed, performed and produced entirely by Jeff – is true to its word and then some. The chief reason I wanted it was to see how it might help my son relax, especially when he’s in the throes of a sensory meltdown. Ideally, when the flags pop up for an impending meltdown, it is the perfect time to see if I can head it off at the pass, so to speak!

Jeff’s compositions exceed my expectations in so many ways! His uncomplicated melodies and single instrument focus in each song (some piano, some guitar) not only help my son but actually inspire the entire family, including our six new puppies!

The number one benefit that I immediately witnessed was Justin’s focus while doing homework. Normally it takes over an hour to do about 20 minutes of actual work because of distractions, wandering, and plain old not wanting to do it. I put Escapes on softly and we zipped through all four subjects in less than 30 minutes without arguments or repeated prompting. If this were the ONLY outcome of having this CD I’d take it in a heartbeat! Everything else is icing ;)

Here are some other ways my family has enjoyed Jeff’s gifts:

  • Well, right now I’m listening to it so I can write this overdue blog post! “Smooth Sailing” is taking me on a journey, and I find that the words are starting to pour out faster with each swell of the music. I love it.
  • These days I am frequently overwhelmed with my growing To-Do list, multiple jobs, volunteer time with the Fire Department, and of course being a single mom to boot! This CD instantly takes me out of my head and into the present moment, where I need to be always. It literally takes my blood pressure down several notches along with my stress level. That’s a GOOD THING!
  • My teen daughter is able to complete more of her homeschool chapters when listening to Escapes. Of course she doesn’t realize this, but I am always watching!
  • Our new pups are now at the age (4 weeks) where they are crying for attention. A lot. All night. And all day. Did I mention I was exhausted? Anyway, their incessant whining causes Mama Dog to experience much distress, as she thinks something is wrong and tries to get them out of their contained area. The situation escalates pretty quickly. This morning I put the music next to the pen and the puppies went to sleep! Mama was able to go outside and enjoy the back deck for a while.
  • After school each day, my son and I do a rotation of Fitness 4 Autism (a fitness program I created based on Eric Chessen’s mentorship), yoga, and EFT sessions. This CD complements are sessions perfectly.
  • And let’s not forget bedtime! Parents, I KNOW you can relate to the many sleep issues that often accompany an Autism Spectrum Disorder. We love listening to Jeff’s music when doing our sensory routine before bed and during “tucking in” time to help wind down for the night.

Thank you, Jeff, for creating such inspiring and relaxing music. It continues to enhance our family’s activities daily and provides the perfect tool for Autism meltdowns, teen angst, parental overwhelm, and even puppy anxiety!

I highly recommend you go to JeffGoldMusic.com and get a copy!

Stay tuned for additional special reviews on Chewelry, a Kiboomu app for the iPhone, and two awesome eBooks from Zidlow Marx!

I do tricks already! Adopt me!

P.S. Wanna puppy?

What’s So Familiar About Cheese?

Posted on by

Image from dvdverdict.com

I’m going to take a short break this week from the scientific philosophies, the tips and tools, the family stories, and the therapy program discussions and simply share an amusing correlation I made about Autism and a beloved, lesser-known cartoon character. Please note that by no means am I undermining, making fun of, or minimizing anything about my child or any of the brilliant angels on the Autism Spectrum. This is just something I found entertaining and a wee bit insightful about perspective.

My children used to religiously watch Cartoon Network’s “Foster’s Home for Imaginary Friends.” This cute and creative show is about imaginary friends being left to fend for themselves after the children that created them outgrew them and the elderly woman that founded a home for them to be re-adopted one day.

Somewhat mid-season, a character was introduced named Cheese. Wikipedia describes him as “a simple, pale-yellow-colored friend who debuted in “Mac Daddy”. He appears to be somewhat madcap and dim-witted, often saying incoherent or non-sequitur phrases, and breaking into sudden bouts of screaming when frightened or when he doesn’t get his way. Cheese likes goldfish crackers, cereal, juice, chocolate milk (although he is lactose-intolerant), and so on..”

Here are some other things I noted about Cheese:

  • He is never actually mischievous, he just does things in the moment that please him
  • The other characters see him as annoying to be around
  • He is unable to understand anyone else’s viewpoint or perception
  • He tries to do things himself and gets frustrated when he can’t
  • He tries to fit in with the other friends but is very socially awkward
  • He is addicted to cereal and milk, though his body can’t tolerate them (gluten and casein!)
  • He is perceived as “slow” yet he is actually quite brilliant, especially in the episode where the Headmaster punched in a random code on the new alarm system and locked everyone out of the house. Cheese actually remembered the entire (ridiculously long) sequence by tone and could repeat it verbatim; however, he would only agree to help if they made a game out of it and EVERYONE played along.
  • He repeats phrases and gets “stuck” on one or two topics of choice
  • He is a “space invader”: he often crashes into Bloo while playing or follows him around within an inch or two of him
  • He has no regard for danger and needs to be watched carefully
  • He is prone to wandering, and even took a bus through town by himself because of an innocent, unexplained thought he was compelled to follow
  • He is very loud, but he can’t tell that it’s not a normal volume
  • Some typical sensory experiences that other kids would enjoy frighten or bother him

By now, I’m sure you’re starting to see where I’m going with this :)

Maybe some viewers initially see Cheese as “that annoying kid with behavior issues who lacks discipline from his creator” (sound familiar?). I see this character as the quintessential snapshot of a high-functioning Autistic child. In fact, he’s a lot like my son. A lot.

His recurring appearances sprinkled throughout the show illustrate a journey with the other characters that really hits home for me. It’s a journey that goes from avoidance and rejection to an eventual understanding of him.  Ultimately the characters move into compassion and acceptance of Cheese into their community… and even offer their friendship.

Whether that was the creator’s intention or not, that’s my takeaway! Bravo, Craig McCracken.

Here are a couple of short videos to enjoy if you’re not familiar with the character!

Tribute to Cheese

Cheese Alarm Code

Two Great New Supports for My Child

Posted on by

As I’ve mentioned in previous posts, past attempts at organized sports have been very challenging for us. Either my son could not sit still long enough to hear what was expected of him (does the term whirling dervish mean anything to you?) or he wasn’t capable of performing the movements consistently.

Recently, TYSA (Tucker Youth Soccer Association) introduced a great new program, TOPSoccer.

The Outreach Program for Soccer is a community-based soccer training program for young athletes with disabilities, organized by Tucker Youth Soccer Association volunteers.

The program is designed to bring the opportunity of learning and playing soccer to any boy or girl, despite any physical or mental challenges. Their goal is to share the love of soccer with young athletes with
disabilities. Through TYSA’s TOPSoccer program, these special young athletes feel that they are an integral part of Tucker Youth Soccer Association.

My son had a great time being a part of this program! He would not take off his uniform shirt and couldn’t stop talking about the feeling he had when he scored goals. I am really grateful for this opportunity, for him to feel like he is a part of a group and be encouraged without comparing himself to others. It was also a great measure for me to see all the coordination and movement work I’ve been doing with him at home pay off in a safe environment!
The TOPSoccer program is open to all kids with any type of physical or mental disability between the ages of 6-18. The Fall season is five weeks, and will finish off on Halloween with a game and festive Jamboree.

For more information on TOPSoccer, either for the current season or the Spring season, contact Nancy Marsden, at admin@tysa.com or call  404 219 3752.

————————————————————————————————————————–

We also found a REALLY COOL place to go hang out this week! Under the Umbrella recently opened its doors in Alpharetta. Their mission is to become the premier provider of a “drop off” play center specifically for autistic children in the metro Atlanta area. They encourage kids to explore a sensory-rich variety of activities designed to keep them engaged and calm.

What we loved about Under the Umbrella

  • The three-to-one ratio of adults to children
  • The special attention and encouragement my child received during playtime
  • The music room with large floor mat piano and silly noise cushions
  • The variety of sensory activities
  • The option to drop off my child in a safe environment that I know he enjoys
  • The staff!

I encourage you to stop by Under the Umbrella and tell all your friends!

Trippin’ Over Road Trip FAIL

Posted on by

So… what do you get when you cross a small Ford Focus, three children (one of which likes her music LOUD), a 125+ lb. Alaskan Malamute in heat, a child with Autism and Sensory Processing issues, and a last-minute four-hour road trip? Road trip FAIL.

At least I can laugh about it now. Let’s hope my son can, too!

You see, I knew better. I KNOW better. I post daily inspiring tips, quotes, and updates on Facebook and Twitter about how to prepare for doing virtually ANYTHING with your Autistic child. Yet, here I was – frenzied, overbooked, and trying to leave town at the last minute – totally unprepared.

The problem? I didn’t arm him with any necessary tools or supports against the boredom of a long trip, his sister’s loud music, being cramped and unable to stretch out when his body needed it, the lack of available favorite snacks and drinks on the road, the chaos of a hotel room, and the absence of a schedule while there.

The result? A child that screamed, threw toys around, harassed the dog, twisted himself up in his seat belt, and repeatedly kicked the back of the driver’s seat while I was trying to safely operate our vehicle. In the hotel he was hyper, loud, and severely discombobulated when it came to what he expected would happen while we were there.

What my daughter, her friend and I saw and were annoyed by, of course, can’t possibly compare to the discomfort, frustration, and confusion he experienced from being thrust into this situation unarmed. Oh, and when you ask your child if they want to bring their favorite supports and they say “no” – PACK THEM ANYWAY! They don’t know that they will need them!

So here’s a look back at what I could have done right (and will do next time!):

Weigh it out

I was so concerned with getting on the road on time that I did not prepare. How long would it really have taken for me to pack additional items and take the time to talk to him about what was happening? How much time would it have added to our trip to make a few more stops? I’m sure the dog would have appreciated it, too!

For a few extra minutes of planning and preparing, I could have avoided frustration for all of us during this trip. LESSON LEARNED!