This is the year he lost the shopping cart
He's eleven, you know, and even though he's always ridden in the shopping cart (with Mom trying to haphazardly stack groceries in the seat and around him), he can't do that anymore
Because there are rules, and he's all about the rules
Autism is nothing but rules
At four, we told him that you're not allowed to wear diapers anymore when you're five
It was a rule, you see, so he worked it out and potty trained in a day
At seven, the rules said Mom can't give you a bath anymore
He mixed up the shampoo and conditioner the first time, but he figured it out soon enough
When he turned ten, the rules said you can't go in the ladies' room with Mom anymore
He was nervous and didn't like that one much, but now he's a pro
At twelve, the rules will say you can't play on the kids' playground at the mall anymore
That one kind of hurts to think about, since he relates so well to the preschool set
This is the heartache of having a kid who looks two years older but plays six years younger
This is autism, and this is what works
Losing a little more each year, forcing him into a new, adult-shaped mold
One rule at a time
Ellie is the author of David And Me Under The Sea: Essays From A Decade With Autism.
No comments:
Post a Comment