The Climber

One thing many people don't understand about autism is the way things affect a person with autism.

Sounds, sights, taste, touch, smells..... Almost everything, even the temperature of a room changes the way a person with autism will behave. Even the colors of the walls of a room have an effect an autistic person’s behavior. Just a few months ago I read about a presentation of The Lion King on Broadway that was changed to be autism friendly. I was really excited about this, though I know I won’t see anything like that near me for quite some time. The reason I was excited about this production, and why it is so important, is people other than parents are starting to take into account how exposure to sensory stimulus we think is normal, can really drive an autistic up the walls.... literally.

The big guy deals with sensory problems in his own way. Some of them are funny, like when a song is playing on the radio or the TV, he gets really mad if you sing along. He got so mad at me the other day when I was singing one of the songs from the fresh beat band commercial on TV. At first he screamed at me, and then he ran off to his room, and slammed the door. I know I'm going to get comments about how my singing is so bad it makes children run and cry, but I don't think that's it. I think it’s from sensory problems; maybe not that it hurts his ears or anything, but that it makes him confused to hear the same thing coming from two different locations. I think it confuses him, but much more than you or I have ever been confused before in our life. That's got to be hard on him.

One of the things he does that is very cute is when he gets excited about a TV show. First I must set the stage for you, he is naked (because his just is when he's at home), he is right next to the TV, and he starts doing this shaking thing, and his butt cheeks just juggle. As a parent, that's just the funniest thing in the world, and the more excited he gets, the more he jiggles. I think it has to do with the level of excitement, he really cannot contain himself.

Then one of the weird things he does, he climbs on the couch. Not only does he climb on the couch, he goes all over the furniture, and this isn't something I can stop. I know many parents of "normal" children would say "well, a swift kick in the butt will stop that" and I may for their children, but it's not the same for parents of autistic children, and I want my children to love me, not fear me like a dictator. So what the big guy does, he topples over the recliner, and I think a few of you have seen that on my facebook page. If not, to explain, he stands up in the seat, his back to the back of the recliner, and rocks it until it fall backwards, and he rides it all the way down. It’s a fun game for him, and then he will stand up on the foot rest, which is now up in the air, and proceed to climb all over everything but the coffee table.

He always starts at the chair, and makes his way around to the end table, over to the couch, onto the other end table, and ends at the love seat. If you happen to be standing by the love seat, you giving someone a piggyback ride, if you wanted to or not. I don't think this is the same kind of excitement he has with other TV shows, and he mostly does this with action oriented TV show. I think with action shows, he has this need to physically move around, not run, but other stuff. I think he has to let this energy out in some way, and I think this is why he HAS to climb. It’s like when you go to a club and hear a song you have not heard in years, and you just really want to get on out there and dance, you just got to move!!! Well, I think that's how it is for the big guy, he gets this energy inside, and his body is telling him the only way he can get it out without exploding is to climb, move, jump, and topple the recliner.

So from all of that, you must know, the furniture is in a sad state of repair, I think we may have to put it out to pasture, its paid its dues and then some.