Someone once said. “When you meet one person with Autism, you have met one person with Autism.” This is very true. I feel like my wife and I (more my wife) have a lot of experience with people with Autism, but we still get surprised by our daughter most of the time. Here is a quick story of how she brightens our world.
Haven goes through stages with different tv shows or movies. When she is way into a movie or show she carries around a toy or something from that show or movie. For example she got into Paw Patrol a couple of months ago and took Chase, Marshall and the gang everywhere with her. It’s never a nuisance, it’s something she uses to self regulate at times.
One of her most reoccurring characters is Mickey Mouse. Our Haven is a Disney fanatic. She loves most things Disney, but especially Mickey Mouse Club House. She is mostly non verbal, but does script from time to time. Scripting is when someone on the Autism Spectrum communicates by quoting movies and tv. When Mickey Mouse is in the front of her mind I will hear her saying “Mouska, Miska, Mickey Mouse!” While carrying a Mickey Mouse toy. I know, it’s cute, right? I also use this to get her attention sometimes. I have found when I go into her world a little bit, she will come back out to mine.
Last week, My wife made a Costco run. Haven also loves Costco. My wife bought a couple bags of apples at Costco that were in a Mickey Mouse bag. I came home later that day and Haven was carrying the bag of apples around and setting down and saying. “Mouska, Miska, Mickey Mouse!” Me, thinking I know everything went and took the apples out of the bag and put them in the fridge. Haven didn’t acknowledge me, but went to the fridge and grabbed the apples and put them back in the bag and continued what she was doing. She even took the bag of apples to bed.
The next day, my wife calls me after picking up Haven. She tells me Haven still had the bag of apples with her. She took them to school and sat them on her desk. I asked my wife if they were a distraction and she said. “No, and she was told she shared apples with her her class.” The bag was a little lighter than when she went to school.
Welcome to the Mickey Mouse Clubhouse of Apples everybody. This little girl makes me laugh everyday. She lightens our life so much with every little thing she does.
Adventures of Autism Dad 