One of our biggest frustrations comes from figuring out when Jasmine’s behavior is due to her autism and related issues, and when it’s just because she’s 2, almost 3, and has a playful, colorful personality.
Oh the horror!
For example: As a general rule, Jas cannot get right to sleep at night. She often stays up for HOURS after we have put her to bed, and often to disastrous effect. She will spend those hours pulling all clothes, toys, books, diaper and toiletry products, and whatever else might be stored in her room out onto the floor. Once that is done, she moves on to rearranging her furniture, often tipping it over. There is also the stripping of the bed, emptying of the diaper pail and, recently, the removing of the pajamas and diaper.
OK, so in all of that, what is the autism and what is typical 2/3-year old behavior? Is any of it typical? Is any of it autism? Taken as a whole, I’m quick to call it autism. In fact, I find myself more often than not reaching for that explanation.
To be honest, I think there is a combination at play in the bedtime debacle. Jas’s inability to get to sleep is probably autism, as is her need to pull every blasted thing she owns out on the floor. On the other hand, stripping down butt naked, including diaper removal and hiding (did I mention she often hides her diaper from us? That’s always a fun search.), is very typical. I can’t think of a single person that doesn’t have a stripping story from their childhood, many even include streaking.
So my new goal – after I’ve cleaned up her newest mess and destruction – is to attempt to step out of the situation and look at it from a different perspective. To not be so quick to cry autism, and to remember that, whatever struggles we’re currently slogging through, she’s still just a kid. And kids make messes.
Yay…
Different, Not Less 