Abbie is 9 and functional. I forget how dysfunctional she used to be. I barely left the house for 9 months when she was a year old. Even now, she would rather die than go shopping. When her routine is changed all hell CAN break loose. It doesn't always... thanks for years of intense therapy and routine.
Autism always demands a sacrifice when the routine is altered. For Abbie her choices are: #1. Throw a fit. #2. Damage something #3. Do something irrational.
Thankfully #3 is seen the least often.
So what happened today? The phone rang. I didn't answer it. Maggie was in the shower... Abbie doesn't answer the phone. It is outside of her routine. John (age 5) is too young to take a message... So John handed Abbie the phone to answer... She talked on the phone, took a message appropriately...
But her routine was altered... and she has a phone in her hand. What would a normal kid do? Chuck the phone some place and continue watching TV... But autism desires a sacrifice... there was no point to screaming and throwing a fit, damaging the phone was too hard... lets dial 911. Then hang up. Then repeat... Eventually the 5 year old takes the phone away and hangs it up.
Until the police show up to the door. Then what? The police are at the door... do we answer the door? NO.. that is outside of routine. So Amie answers the door and John runs downstairs to the basement to get me. I knew nothing of this craziness.
I don't know what the future holds for my daughter.
