So what is it like having a child with autism?

So, what is it like having a child with autism?

I get this question a lot and actually like it when people ask. Unless a person has significant contact with someone on the spectrum he/she doesn't really understand what an autism driven world is about. Saying that, it isn't always easy to convey what having a child with autism is like. After much consideration, this is what I've come up with -

For me, having a child with autism is like living with an alien from another planet. I call him the "reluctant astronaut (R.A.)" because he really didn't want to come to earth, had absolutely no interest in this space mission. As a result, he didn't pay much attention at the briefings prior to the mission so doesn't know anything about Planet Earth - nothing about language, customs, or Earthling niceties in general. In fact, he is so disinterested in Earth that even though he was sent here, he has absolutely no desire to assimilate into Earth society. Meaning he still doesn't give a rat's ass about Earth mores.

That's also how I "explain" things he does that are pretty much unfathomable to me. For example - for a certain time period he liked to sit in the toilet. No, not on the toilet but in the toilet. I reasoned that on the home planet the toilet is a jacuzzi. Although eventually we managed to break him of this habit, the jacuzzi explanation popped again during potty training when the R.A. demonstrated not only an aversion to the toilet but would have all out nuttys when placed on one. He was probably thinking, "Poop in the jacuzzi? What is wrong with you people? Miscreants!" That's what he would say if he could speak English or any Earthing dialect.

For a time I was also convinced that not only was he a reluctant astronaut but was actually an alien cat that somehow ended up in a human body. It does make sense -

Cat

Has to everything his way

Reluctant Astronaut

Ditto

Cat

Don't touch me!

Reluctant Astronaut

Ditto

Cat

Doesn't speak human language

Reluctant Astronaut

Ditto

Cat

Doesn't wear clothes

Reluctant Astronaut

Ditto (Well, would if he had his way)

Of course I don't really believe my son to be a Reluctant Astronaut.

But sometimes it sure makes sense!

Disclaimer: Although I sometimes describe things about life with my R.A. in a humorous way, please understand that I am not laughing at him. He is my son and I love him very very much. I come from a family that had its share of challenges and I learned from a young age that laughter is powerful. A situation cannot completely hurt you if you are able to find humor and laugh at some parts of it. So that's what I do. And I don't use humor solely with the R.A. My daughter was born with a heart condition that required immediate surgery. (No, I don't make good babies. They come out broken.) She was whisked away by ambulance to the hospital in Boston. It was all unexpected and traumatic. A nice young intern came to speak with my husband and me and was re-assuring us that nothing we had done caused the baby's condition. The stress and sorrow were overwhelming. When the nice young intern concluded I turned to my husband and said, "See, I told you it wasn't from all that smack I did during my pregnancy." The intern froze and then let out this huge belly laugh. Was I appropriate? Probably not. But I had to do something to relieve the stress. Astronaut life is stressful so find the laughter where you can.
And as G.K. Chesterton said, "Humor can get through the keyhole when seriousness is still hammering at the door."

Tuesday, July 17, 2012

What Are Those Things?

One of the most interesting earthlings the R.A. knows is his uncle.  They do this mind meld thing where his uncle bows his head and the R.A., from wherever he is, trots over to him and then they press their foreheads together.  His uncle currently lives on the West Coast and after six months returned home for a visit.  We were all a bit curious about how the R.A. would respond to him after such a long absence.  When his uncle entered the house the R.A. was in another room.  But the R.A. heard him, raced into the kitchen, and they mind melded. The R.A. was quite excited and yowled in delight.  I think it roughly translated into, "Thank the Kitchen God you are here!  I've been dying of boredom!  I can't wait to be entertained by you, you fascinating creature!"  As far as the mind melding thing goes,  I would say that there is an exchange of information going on but I don't know how large a deposit my brother has in his brain.  Surely it must be depleted by now.

The new thing after the mind meld is an examination of sorts.  After a bit of mind melding,  the R.A. then pokes his fingers over his uncle's hair deficient head.  Then the R.A. takes his fingers and runs them through his own crew cut.  He wears an expression that says, "Hmmm.  Very interesting." This is  repeated  several times.  Next the R.A. explores his uncle's very robust eyebrows.  Following a thorough exam the R.A. then touches his own rather paltry-by-comparison eyebrows.  At this point he visually appraises his uncle's eyebrows, his expression reading, "What is up with those?"  The R.A. appears very confused by the lack of hair on his uncle's head and the surplus of hair on his eyebrows.  It's like he's thinking, "Isn't that backwards?"

The examination of his uncle's eyebrows has re-ignited an interest in eyebrows in general and the R.A. has taken to studying pretty much any set he can get his chubby fingers on.  We have concluded that there are no such things as eyebrows on the home planet.  As the R.A. also has sporadic interest in arm hair we wonder if there is no such thing as body hair in general on the home planet.  So apparently they are a ferocious but clean shaven people.  I'm picturing Sphynx cats wearing helmets. 
The R.A. at rest after the invasion of earth - his father/man servant is the one taking the photo after which he resumes arranging his master's nuggets and fries.  (The Mommy Lady has been vaporized - at least she hopes to the Kitchen God she has been.)

Teeth also are of desultory curiosity for the R.A.  If the spirit moves him, he will attempt to study the teeth of whatever poor slob is within his arm's reach.  And no, it doesn't matter if the poor slob's mouth is full of food at the moment the R.A. gets a hankering for some teeth work.  Word of advice - at the first onset of the impromptu oral check up we recommend spitting the food out as opposed to choking on it.  Choking does not halt the dental inspection. In fact, the R.A. will regard the choking as an act of insubordination.

If a person is lucky, the R.A.'s sister is within arm's length as she possesses his favorite teeth.  The R.A.'s examination of her teeth is quite thorough.  It's almost as if he is tracking the progress of them- "Why yes, those bottom ones are coming in nicely.  Now let's see what is happening with that bicuspid."   I think her teeth are of particular interest as her oral situation is ever changing.  Teeth are coming and going at all hours of the day and night.  It's like some sort of dental serial - "Will Sissy's front tooth be in by Christmas?  Will the dentist cap her back left molar?  Tune in next time, for only the R.A. knows (and Sissy's dentist)!"

This keen interest in teeth also makes me wonder if perhaps, like Hermie the Elf, the R.A., groomed to be the fiercest of intergalactic warmongers, harbors a secret dental desire - "The R.A. wants to be a dentist!"

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