Autistic Traits

oh yea...there are the traits you read about on all 'diagnose Autism at home' websites, but then there are the others....

This week, on the dual diagnosis board i lurk at, the topic is dumping and throwing. I've discussed the dumping here before...all the toy bins...all the dresser drawers, and the fact that my silverware is in tall tupperware tubs out of reach of my little dumper...

but have i ever spoke of throwing things?? Until now, when Molly just had Down Syndrome, honestly? I was too embarrassed to discuss the 'less than desireable' types of things we deal with. Coming out about the Autism seems to have freed me a little of that embarrassment, so you need to know.

Kids with Autism, tend to vent in ways that make old woman yack in a grocery stores...one being..they throw things. It was intolerable when she was a baby...but now that she can put some weight behind that toss?? it simply HAS to stop!! A full tippy cup hurling across a classroom can do damage.

So, just as a clue-in if you are one of the "sooooooooo much better than me" moms at Walmart who witness a "meltdown" of one of our kiddos??? Try to understand that we are working on this behavior non-stop. NOT taking them into public for fear of the above? Not a solution. In fact, the more our kids are mainstreamed, the easier it is for them to learn to be appropriate.

This was my post back to another mom just facing the long term of her 3 year old's awesome arm:

I would like to say that Molly is over throwing things...but last night? She went for a popsicle...now it's bad enough mommy hasn't been to the store in a week and she is left with just purple ones...(AS IF!!!) BUT the one she pulls out??? it was born with no stick. I hear the cry of anguish explode from her, and honestly, you would have thought someone had just ran over the dog....

AUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUUGHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!


and then i see the offending member FLY across the kitchen and come to it's final demise on my coffee maker.


ugh


She did throw a tippy cup at summer school last year, and hit her boyfriend in the eye. Not good (although he did beg the aide not to tell anyone) so I am blantently aware of what HAS to happen. We work on this constantly, as it is SOOOOOOOO inappropriate...on one level.


On the other?? for the non verbal??? what else is there?? How else is she to let me know that THIS is a circumstance that is JUST NOT TOLERABLE!! I can so empathize with her...throwing things is as easy to stop for her, as is stopping my tears when im REALLY ANGRY. As much as I don't want them to fall, as inappropriate when i am trying to express myself like a sane human in a situation that I feel is WRONG WRONG WRONG!!

the angrier i get, the more they fill my eyes. After 50 years, is still uncontrollable.


I feel like i need to try to make her understand, that no, in the case of a broken popsicle, this IS not appropriate...but if the big scary man is wanting you to come to the closet with him???

You Go Girl!!!

What a line to walk.