AUTISM AND AN UPSIDE DOWN WORLD
I spend my afternoons and early evenings hanging out with an autistic teenage boy who for the sake of his privacy in this blog I will call “Dave”. Dave and I have lots of adventures together. He knows for a fact that if we go into a store he is NOT allowed to flap or run up and down or yell and repeat quotes from his favorite Disney movies.
Sometimes he messes up if he gets really excited, then we have to TALK. My actual job title is “home and community specialist”. Basically I am simply trying to train him to live his life as independently and safely as he possibly can. I do daily programming with him that includes community activities, cooking, laundry, cleaning, and shopping. All the stuff we do daily. Dave has many things he loves: movies, animals of any kind, video games, and the computer. At the end of each day, (if he has done well) he gets to print out pictures he has saved on his computer (usually animals) to put in his overflowing file of papers he carries around with him. This is EXTREMELY important to him. He wouldn’t trade this time for winning the lottery- believe me.
AREN'T WE ALL A LITTLE AUTISTIC?
Sometimes he messes up if he gets really excited, then we have to TALK. My actual job title is “home and community specialist”. Basically I am simply trying to train him to live his life as independently and safely as he possibly can. I do daily programming with him that includes community activities, cooking, laundry, cleaning, and shopping. All the stuff we do daily. Dave has many things he loves: movies, animals of any kind, video games, and the computer. At the end of each day, (if he has done well) he gets to print out pictures he has saved on his computer (usually animals) to put in his overflowing file of papers he carries around with him. This is EXTREMELY important to him. He wouldn’t trade this time for winning the lottery- believe me.
AREN'T WE ALL A LITTLE AUTISTIC?
It has come to my attention that he is not so different than any of us. We all have things we love, and we all collect stuff. We all have to do things daily that may not be our favorite things to do. Sometimes we look weird out in the community. When Dave and I disagree on what he should be doing, he gets irritated with me. If he is just a little irritated he will say: (not really to me but kind of just to the air) “yes sir right away sir”. If he gets a little more ticked he says: “sword……shield”. If he is extremely uptight about what I have asked him to do, he will yell “TITANIC” at the top of his lungs. Hmmm… Yup- I think I might sometimes want to SINK the person bossing me around all the time:)
LESSONS FROM THE LEAST OF THESE
Ok I know we are not all autistic and believe me I know Dave has lots of challenges. Autism is one of the fastest growing disabilities in the world. Latest statistics say 1 in 150 births result in some form of autism. Educate yourself on autism HERE:
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/autism/DS00348
But DAVE and I have lots of fun too. He thinks it is way funny when I sing silly songs to him. I am teaching him to say “WHAT IN THE CAT HAIR?” when we get amazed at anything. He likes to watch the scene in “Follow that Bird’ (the Big Bird movie) where Bert and Ernie are flying in that little airplane upside down. He watches it upside down on the couch AND he like the Portuguese subtitles. THAT in itself is awesome. SEE THAT HERE:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQPe8bg7uN0
I can't help but think the reason he likes this song so much might be because of the upside down world that is his life. But the best thing about Dave, is that he teaches me lessons about life daily. It would take me forever to enumerate them all, but the most important one is patience. Because Dave is autistic he also has OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder). This is fairly typical with autistic folks. He straightens the books that I lay on the table, the kitchen faucet has to always be a certain way, and all the doors in the house have to be closed. He repeats this process many times a day. Before we leave to go out into the community he has a ritual he follows that has to do with packing up his backpack with the stuff he thinks he needs. If I am in a hurry that does not matter to him. I can’t boss him into hurrying. If I try to, TITANIC comes up fairly soon in the conversation. I am a fairly impatient person, but because of Dave, I am learning. He has been as much my teacher s I have been his.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/autism/DS00348
But DAVE and I have lots of fun too. He thinks it is way funny when I sing silly songs to him. I am teaching him to say “WHAT IN THE CAT HAIR?” when we get amazed at anything. He likes to watch the scene in “Follow that Bird’ (the Big Bird movie) where Bert and Ernie are flying in that little airplane upside down. He watches it upside down on the couch AND he like the Portuguese subtitles. THAT in itself is awesome. SEE THAT HERE:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQPe8bg7uN0
I can't help but think the reason he likes this song so much might be because of the upside down world that is his life. But the best thing about Dave, is that he teaches me lessons about life daily. It would take me forever to enumerate them all, but the most important one is patience. Because Dave is autistic he also has OCD (obsessive compulsive disorder). This is fairly typical with autistic folks. He straightens the books that I lay on the table, the kitchen faucet has to always be a certain way, and all the doors in the house have to be closed. He repeats this process many times a day. Before we leave to go out into the community he has a ritual he follows that has to do with packing up his backpack with the stuff he thinks he needs. If I am in a hurry that does not matter to him. I can’t boss him into hurrying. If I try to, TITANIC comes up fairly soon in the conversation. I am a fairly impatient person, but because of Dave, I am learning. He has been as much my teacher s I have been his.
WHAT IN THE CAT HAIR?
When Dave and I get to Heaven someday, I am planning to talk and laugh with him about the time we spent together on this earth. I know according to Scripture we will both be made perfect and complete. In Paradise I believe we will be able to communicate with each other better.
Although sometimes it is hard to tell right now, I think for the most part he enjoys our time together. When I get to Heaven, I might say to my God, “Lord, about this autism thing- What in the Cat hair?" But then again because of the lessons I am learning, I might just say; Thanks.
Although sometimes it is hard to tell right now, I think for the most part he enjoys our time together. When I get to Heaven, I might say to my God, “Lord, about this autism thing- What in the Cat hair?" But then again because of the lessons I am learning, I might just say; Thanks.
Oh my goodness.
ReplyDeleteYou are an incredible Mrs. Sieges... someday I want to do what you do... someday? Actually today. I want to make a difference in the lives of the least of these. The people who need us today. Who need love. True love. Love that come from the Lord. We can give to charities, we can say we support causes, but unless we have love- we have done nothing.
Inspiring.
I hope to hear more about your job some other day, and more about Papua New Guinea. It is fascinating to hear about all of the adventures.
I'm certain you have an abundance of stories. :)
Someday I will live closer, and/or talk more.
Love Always,
Ky
thanks Ky- I know the Lord has incredible things in store for you - can't wait to see the adventures he sends you on! A missionary from the Philippines once told me "it's the adventure of a lifetime!" she was right!
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