ANXIETY

Robbie's language has been exceptional over the last few weeks. He has been speaking in fuller sentences and answering questions- some of the time. Robbie frequently (every day) scripts movie lines. I have asked him- for years- what movie he is reciting. I have never gotten an answer until this weekend. He was asked on a few different occasions and each time answered with the movie title or character. Why is this such a big deal? This may help us turn his stimming behaviors into learning opportunites. If we understand what movie he is engrossed with- we can redirect more appropriately. For example- if Robbie is reciting lines from The Incredibles ( a favorite) than we may offer to draw superheros or robots. We may find the appropriate action figures and try to engage in imaginative play. It brings us into his world and allows us to bring him back to ours. Why is this piece titled Anxiety? The one constant has been Robbie's increasing anxiety. When asked to complete a task- getting dressed, especially trying on a new shirt, putting something away, washing hands, - there is an immediate "no" response, screaming, running away and you can see the anxiety in his body language. Once he calms down and we explain a few more times what we are asking- he usually complies. The fight or flight response in Robbie seems dramaticly heightened. This is a common thread in Autism. The question is - what do you do? Currently we are trying to slow things down and explain more thoroughly. We use picture prompts if available and also do light yoga and stretching. These tools help. Should medication be next? We had tried a few anti anxiety meds a few years back with little to no success. But that was a few years ago. I am reading a book titled "What color is monday? How Autism changed one family for the better" by Carrie Cariello. The author is a mother of 5 children, 1 being an autistic boy. She writes about the anxiety her son deals with and how medication has helped. There are many similarites between her experiences and ours. I Have scheduled 2 neurologist appointments to discuss options. I am hoping they will be able to guide us in the right direction- although so far they have no answers. Hopefully a little more trial and error and parents intuition will lead us in the right direction to help Robbie maintain a more peaceful existance. Wouldn't we all like that? A line stolen from "What color is Monday" - Because with life, with yoga, and especially with Jack, all I need to do is believe, breathe, and stay in the room.-