Why my son, who has Autism, is a superhero..... for real

We all think our children are phenomenal. Of course they are. I am going to explain to you why my son is a superhero............. and many of classmates may be as well.
Spider-Man's five primary senses are above average perception, though not superhuman, as a result of his spider powers. This quote comes from Wikipedia, but it is exactly what I am referring to.


Vision- Robbie can literally pick out a needle in a haystack.  He sees the smallest details in the biggest pictures. Coming from parents who both have horrible vision- it is unbelievable.


Taste- Robbie could taste .025 ml of a medication in applesauce, ice cream or juice. His sense of taste is uncanny.


Touch- Robbie will comment that I have hurt him if I graze past. Yet many times he craves deep pressure.


Sound- Vacuum cleaners may make him put his hands to his ears, yet loud laughing or happy screams- he enjoys.


Sickness- when I am not feeling well, Robbie is usually by my side asking if I am ok.  Sometimes even before I realize that I do not feel ok.


All Superheroes have a weakness. For superman it's kryptonite. For Daredevil, who is blind, it is a lot of background noise. For the Flash it's actually running too fast. For the Human torch , it's not water, it's asbestos. Spiderman is not know to have any weaknesses, yet the common cold weakened his spider sense and gave the green goblin a distinct advantage.




What is Robbie's weakness or kryptonite? I think it may change of seasons. It is almost crazy as I track behavior and mood. We had thought it was change in routine and schedule that caused the behavioral issues. Now I think it may be weather.  Robbie has sensory processing issues and a heightened sensitivity to the environment around him. . For him, this has been the biggest challenge.  His occupational therapy  needs are constant. One morning session would not help enough. Two 30 minute sessions weekly in school would not help enough. Adjustments have been made and more sensory breaks are woven in throughout his day. He has also become more aware of when he needs them and will take them accordingly in his classroom.




At dinner last night with a group I refer to as "Superwomen"  of Autism moms, I hear stories of how one of Robbie's classmates has been learning multiple languages because he is fascinated with them. Yet his communication is still limited. It makes me wonder- how much knowledge has he been storing in his brain that is untapped? Another classmate uses a device to talk but is an incredibly fast runner. The only one who can catch him is the teacher- a true athlete- and runner. Other stories emerge of children hiding their faces under pillows or holding their ears and screaming in some sort of distress- all I can think is - what is their particular form of kryptonite. These children  could be so highly in tune with the environment that what they hear, feel, or smell is something we just can't. So many what if's or maybe,  that's why....  The discussion was unanimous that none of us think we will ever know what has caused our children to have autism. It is a puzzle. But as I ponder the why- there may be a day when someone literally saves your life....... and then flaps their hands, jumps up and down, says "EEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE" or some scripting phrase in another language and runs away, at an incredible speed to the safety of their own bedroom. SOMEDAY :)