Changes!

There have been some big changes in our lives the past few months, and they've been keeping us very busy.

Now it is a common misconception that all folks with autism can't handle changes.  To some degree that is true.  Not all folks with autism need rigid schedules though.  Munchkin has problems with large life changes, completely new things/places, or high stress levels.  He has no issues with randomness within those parameters though. 

I think I've said this about him before, but just in case I haven't - he doesn't need a firm school schedule.  He knows that we will cover certain subjects throughout the day.  The time that we work on those subjects flexes though.  A lot of the time the flexing is focused around his need to take breaks and deal with overload.

Anyways, these changes are big life changes.  Yet Munchkin adapted to them with amazing ease.

I now have a job delivering newspapers.  There was a lot of planning and prepping in order for me to be able to do this job with Munchkin.  For a month or so, Munchkin spent the nights with his grandparents while I learned the route and got some things to keep him safe when he's with me.  One of those things is a battery powered monitor and camera so that I can see him and the van if I'm not right there.  We can even talk through it.  That was actually an amazing find and gift from my Dad.  I had been looking and couldn't find anything.  He found it and ordered it.

It was interesting when Munchkin first went with me during the day.  He was immensely curious but settled down once he figured out exactly where the bathrooms were.  He has his own camp chair to use and loves that he's allowed to use my totes as drums while he's there.  He spreads them out until it looks like he's surrounded by a drum set.  Then he stacks them in different amounts.  He also always has his movies.  All in all, he's happy with it.  He notices when other folks come in and makes eye contact with them.  He really notices when other kids come in.  He follows them with his eyes as far as he can.  He is definitely not locked into his own little world.  It only took two visits for him to firmly decide that it was a safe place and there was nothing for him to be scared about. 

Then came the first night that he rode along as I ran the route.  There were backup plans for the backup plans for the backup plans to make sure that I could handle anything that came up and keep him safe.  And I've had to use some of the backups occasionally.  But only a few times.  For the most part he's just jumped right in.  He has even tried to help me roll some of the papers on random occasions.  It makes me smile because he wants to be involved.  He's interested in working with, rather than alongside or just observing.  Those are some big changes for him.

For him, going out at night was an amazing exploration for the first few weeks.  He discovered stars and the moon.  He would lay across his bench seat, looking up and out the window at everything while I drove.  So we did some simple lessons on stars and the moon.  We also got to add some lessons about days of the week so that he could understand what days we would be going out on.  Since it had an active correlation to his life, he got a much better grasp of it this time.

He's got two special pillow and blankets that are just for the van.  Once he got used to the moon and stars and nighttime, he started sleeping through most of the route.  Although he occasionally wakes up to watch the world and then goes back to sleep.

Honestly, I was worried about whether it was affecting his sleep but he showed absolutely no signs of being sleepy during the day.  And he still wanted to stay up as late as he could possibly could.  The only thing he likes about a firm bedtime now is that Mommy goes to bed at the same time.  There were no behavior issues.  Nothing.  It was amazing and I kept waiting to see what would happen.

Then something did happen.  His "e,e,e,e" chants changed to chants of the common words that he uses.  Just all strung together and sung out.  Then new words started popping in and out.  Then he started having conversations with me.  Yeah, they are simple conversations using the words he has, and the occasional surprise word, but they are an active give and take of conversation.  Sometimes he stops and I can see him thinking, and his mouth moves like he's trying to say something.  He's fighting to say what he wants.  And that incredible sass is definitely getting verbalized!

I was honestly amazed and so incredibly proud of him.  I still am.

Then life threw a curve ball and my van started having engine trouble.  So in order to keep from doing more damage, I hired subs to run the route for a week while the shop tried to figure out what was wrong.  (It's big and expensive.  And if you want to help there is a gofundme and a tshirt drive to try to raise money for it.  Just drop me a message and I'll send you the links.  Prayers are just as appreciated.)

Suddenly the conversations disappeared.  When I prompted Munchkin to use words, I got few words and they were all the ones he's been using for a while.  And he wasn't trying anymore.  If he didn't have a word, he'd just use kisses or pushes.  That's when I realized that something was happening that I truly have no clue about.

On this past Sunday, we borrowed a vehicle and ran the route again.  I was almost laughing by the time I got to the drop.  When I got him up to go, he was ready to go.  When I took a few extra minutes, he came, plugged himself in to me, and pulled me to the front door to go.  Halfway down to the drop, I hear a "yippee" come out of the backseat!  I thought he was asleep!  (And when did he start using that word?!)  By the time we got to the drop he was sound asleep, curled under his blankets with a big grin on his face.  He didn't wake up even once throughout the whole route until we got home.  Then he was wide awake and taking on the world.  I got no extra sleep that morning.

On Monday he was talking again.  New words, conversations, everything.  I don't know the why, wherefore, whatever on this.  And I'm hoping to figure it out.  No I am going to figure it out.  Our best guess, at the moment, is that the motion of the vehicle and the road noise are helping him to sleep more soundly.  There's also the security of knowing that Mommy is right there.  Any time he opens his eyes, or listens, he can see or hear me.

There have also been other changes.  He's paying attention to his body odor.  He's paying more attention to whether his clothes are clean or not.  He's not spending hours in the shower, and he will initiate taking a shower all on his own.  Basically he's responding the the basic hygiene lessons/conversations that we've been having for years.  It's not perfect by any means.  But it's definitely a start.

Regardless, until we figure it out, and figure out how to duplicate the effects at home, I guess I'm running a newspaper route.  (Well, once the van is fixed.)  The money is okay, but the real payment is the amazing changes in my son.  For that, I'll do anything.  Even drive around for hours at night doing nothing just so he can rest.