The repetitive behaviors get me. The methods of helping someone with repetitive behaviors are hard for my brain to comprehend. Plus, in the moment how do we focus on changing a behavior when it is a coping mechanism for the lack in his routine that Owen so desperately wants? I’m tired.
He knows he isn’t going to school on Monday and Tuesday but he also knows he is going to see his grandma tomorrow and he wants to confirm it. He however wants to mention it over and over and over again. My heart breaks that he can’t find peace in the moments when routine waivers even when it is for one day, one moment. The ripple effects are what we are riding on from one day to the next. It’s even harder for Owen when he is only now starting to look at schedules and calendars. For a child that doesn’t want to see them, he is his own personal database of calendars years backward and days forward. The amount of information he retains is beyond amazing. He will list all the places he wants to go and those places are endless.
I’m thankful he slept last night. I think I woke first but I didn’t get out of bed. I was trying to be quiet and hopefully fall back asleep. A little after five there he was standing beside me asking for his tablet and then immediately went into talking about his grandma. I’m not sure which one he was more concerned about. I told him last night that he would not take his tablet to church today because he wasn’t listening to me last night about his bedtime routine. I’m trying to teach him that his actions and behaviors come with consequences. I hope that this will help him understand more about respect and learning independence. The more that he can work alone on his own schedule the more I believe it will help him work through his routine.
The only place he wanted to go after church was to railroad tracks that were nowhere near our house. We go over railroad tracks on our way home but he doesn’t want to see those. I’m not sure what it is about the far-off tracks but he loves them. Maybe because they are by his school. We didn’t go today. I told him that if we went bowling tomorrow we could go. The afternoon was filled with lots of emotions.
He wanted to take a bath early and didn’t want to get out. “Don’t put water in your mouth,” I said. He responded with “in my nose.” Dinner, grandma, and the bathroom were what we cycled through for the rest of the night. He is very excited about going to see his grandma tomorrow. He also asked to go bowling and to the park on Tuesday. I hope all his dreams come true. I’m trying to learn, love, and grow just like him. Autism is as much about how I handle it as it is about Owen having it. I’m thankful for his smile. Let the shadows of yesterday go and live life forward. Smiles to all and donut daze!
He knows he isn’t going to school on Monday and Tuesday but he also knows he is going to see his grandma tomorrow and he wants to confirm it. He however wants to mention it over and over and over again. My heart breaks that he can’t find peace in the moments when routine waivers even when it is for one day, one moment. The ripple effects are what we are riding on from one day to the next. It’s even harder for Owen when he is only now starting to look at schedules and calendars. For a child that doesn’t want to see them, he is his own personal database of calendars years backward and days forward. The amount of information he retains is beyond amazing. He will list all the places he wants to go and those places are endless.
I’m thankful he slept last night. I think I woke first but I didn’t get out of bed. I was trying to be quiet and hopefully fall back asleep. A little after five there he was standing beside me asking for his tablet and then immediately went into talking about his grandma. I’m not sure which one he was more concerned about. I told him last night that he would not take his tablet to church today because he wasn’t listening to me last night about his bedtime routine. I’m trying to teach him that his actions and behaviors come with consequences. I hope that this will help him understand more about respect and learning independence. The more that he can work alone on his own schedule the more I believe it will help him work through his routine.
The only place he wanted to go after church was to railroad tracks that were nowhere near our house. We go over railroad tracks on our way home but he doesn’t want to see those. I’m not sure what it is about the far-off tracks but he loves them. Maybe because they are by his school. We didn’t go today. I told him that if we went bowling tomorrow we could go. The afternoon was filled with lots of emotions.
He wanted to take a bath early and didn’t want to get out. “Don’t put water in your mouth,” I said. He responded with “in my nose.” Dinner, grandma, and the bathroom were what we cycled through for the rest of the night. He is very excited about going to see his grandma tomorrow. He also asked to go bowling and to the park on Tuesday. I hope all his dreams come true. I’m trying to learn, love, and grow just like him. Autism is as much about how I handle it as it is about Owen having it. I’m thankful for his smile. Let the shadows of yesterday go and live life forward. Smiles to all and donut daze!
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