The following is a discussion the Spouse and I had just yesterday,
"So how did the boy do in speech today?" He asks.
"He did great, he followed along with the picture schedule and did the picture and sound pictures all the way to O."
"What are the picture and sound pictures?"
"I'm not sure what they are really called, but they go from A to Z and they have two pictures of one thing one them and then the beginning sound of the picture. It would go Apple, Apple, Ah ah ah. Baby, baby, ba, ba, ba." I explain hoping he isn't totally lost now.
"Did he get tired of it or what happened?"
"He didn't know what the picture was."
"What was the picture?"
"Octopus. Guess we've never had a chance to cover that one."
"Everything else go alright?"
"Yea, he zoomed through most of his schedule so he got to go to the gym. He was checking out the assistant, I think he remembered she had open toed shoes last time, then at the gym he saw she had red toenails. He followed her everywhere."
"Oh great! What did she think about that?"
"Well I told her about it last time we went, but she tried to hide them by standing in a ball pit."
"What did he do? Dive to the bottom after them?"
"Well, he tried to yes."
"You know I think maybe we should try the brush. Has to be better than him going after strangers feet." He offers
"Seriously? Are you sure? You know, just because we start brushing doesn't necessarily mean he wont still want toes."
"Well lets try it anyway. We have to try something. The really bothers me when he does that. It's the one thing he does that really make me feel he has anything wrong with him."
I know and understand what he means. He isn't denying that Connor has autism and he isn't ashamed of it. The site of your little one throwing them self on strangers nasty (God only knows where they have been) feet and pressing them to his face makes your heart sink. It's not only the dirt that may be there, but that he does it with no fear, no shame, and no apologies. For him at those moments there is no one attached.
2 comments:
I'm just trying to imagine how that must feel for you and your husband - it must be tough, but you do understand your child's reasons - really difficult.
Octopus - it's a useful word for teachers but pretty rare in every day situations!
It must be very difficult, you know what your child does and why he does it, but do you then feel like you have to excuse him 'he's autistic.' My friends I spoke about in a previous comment have to decide this year, whether their 11 year old should go to main stream secondary or through the special needs unit at the same school. As his mother says he has to live in the real world and wants him to be main stream, but then when he got beat on the Dancemat at the local youth club and was chasing the offender with a pool cue she wonders.
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