Today is World Autism Awareness Day. Let's take a moment to see things a little differently.
Wonder
For my regular readers, I apologize for the shortage of posts lately. A lot is happening in life at the moment, most of it great, one thing bad (more on that in the near future), in addition to the usual craziness.
In the good column, C is making tremendous progress. He's beginning to speak in full, articulated sentences; he's expressing emotions (and deep affection) often; his sense of humor is boundless; he's still off oxygen; and he's more connected and present than ever.
On top of all that, I've noted a real sense of wonder about him lately; he seems genuinely curious about the world around him...not just obsessions and repetitions, but more.
I'm full of hope these days.
PS Here's an absolutely hilarious and genius post where B's dad asks the question, "Can you learn everything you need to know about my autistic son from a Slush Puppy drink?" Spoiler: the answer is yes.
Sharing Laughs
C has a sense of humor. A pretty good one, in fact. Most of his jokes involve some form of word play.
For example, the other day he said he wanted to go down the apple stairway, and up the banana stairway. It took me a moment to realize he was talking about the A and B stairwells in our building. He thought it was quite funny.
Another: when asked if he wanted some Play-Doh, he replied, "No, I want Work-Doh!" Giggles and more laughter.
If he makes us laugh, he is overjoyed and will say the joke over and over. And perhaps this is the most critical point: C's desire to tell us jokes is a way for him to connect on a deeper level, to share his thoughts, and to take pleasure in his ability to give us joy.
A therapist once told me that C's sense of humor was somewhat unusual, and might be considered cause for hope. Sounds good to me.
Follow-Up
I am happy to report that Lewis P. is okay!
Sleep, Please.
Like many children with autism, C has sleep issues.
Lately he's been waking up in the middle of the night, completely out of control and unable to settle himself. Getting him to sleep has also been more problematic than usual — and that's saying something!
After bath, I swing him in my arms to settle his vestibular system; it helps calm him, but since he's nearly 40 lbs, and he really likes to swing, it's no easy task. I give out at about 50 swings and need to take a break. (We're looking into a doorway swing.) We've also taken to letting his twin fall asleep in our bed, since C's nighttime freak-outs were frightening him.
If C wakes up in the middle of the night, S will often hold him across her knees and rock him back and forth, sometimes for 1-2 hours. Needless to say, we're pretty trashed most days.
Still, there are bright spots: hearing about our ongoing sleep issues, a good friend — who also happens to live across the street — sent me the following text:
"I will have my phone next to me throughout the night — if you and S would like a hand anytime, text and I will come to your pad."
I may not take him up on the offer — he has a family of his own! — but I'll sleep easier knowing we have friends like this.