Autism: Finding the Connection

What Does a Banana, Jacket, Backpack, Home and School Have in Common?

My son Jeremiah, who has autism, must have gotten up on the wrong side of the bed this morning! Somehow the banana I gave him for snack at school got split open before it even landed itself in its proper place inside Jerry’s backpack! I found his banana lying on the floor, not in his backpack. I put it in a baggie for him and into his backpack. I quickly found out that bananas in baggies are unacceptable! Jerry was furious that I would think this was an appropriate response to his “broken” banana dilemma! Jerry insisted on a new one. “Broken food” has always been an issue with Jerry and today would be no different. I didn’t have a “fixed” banana to give him so we left for my mom’s with the “broken” banana in tow and a very angry Jerry.

The days schedule included garage saling until lunch, eating lunch, seeing Jerry off to school and more garage saling. We left for the sales right away, and Jerry forgot about his banana and was doing quite well. That is until it came time to for him to get ready to catch the bus. Jerry became very upset that he didn’t have his jacket with him. It really wasn’t very cold and he had been fine all morning with out it, but he became insistent that he was going to freeze without it. I can’t make a jacket appear out of thin air so I tried to reason with Jerry. On this particular day, there would be no reasoning with him. The bus pulled up and Jerry was still standing shoulders up, arms straight down at his sides, fists clenched, head down, and totally refusing to budge from the garage. I lead him down to the bus hoping the pressure of his peers watching his display would change his tune. That wasn’t going to happen today! I physically put him on the bus, but could not convince him to stay. The bus driver also tried his hand at talking Jerry into finding a seat. Three times Jerry stormed off the bus and I calmly placed him back on hoping with all hope that he would go with the flow! Finally, I decided Jerry really wasn’t going to amuse me. Besides, the bus driver needed to get going. In defeat, I told the bus driver I would drive him to school. I managed to get him in my mom’s car and off we went to school. Jerry growled and stated his opinions very loudly the entire drive to school. I got Jerry out of the car and walked into the school with Jerry following as far behind as he could. He walked little tiny baby steps but we managed to get to his classroom. Then, he put his brakes on full force! Nothing I said or did would convince him to step foot into that classroom. He continually told me he wanted his backpack which he had refused to bring with him. His substitute teacher made a few attempts at getting Jerry to join her which also failed. I finally walked back out to the car with Jerry following behind. In despair, I asked my mom, “what do I do now!?” We decided perhaps he would stay if she took him in. I stayed out in the car with my other children and waited, and waited, and waited. After about an hour, my mom and, guess who? Yep, Jerry! came back out to the car. My mom relayed Jerry’s antics to me. Apparently, Jerry kicked, screamed, hid under desks, and pounded his fists at anyone trying to help. Jerry had dug in his heals and was not going to stay at school. The whole time he was demanding to be taken back home. The assistant to the principal (the principal was not available), finally, told my mom to take Jerry home because they could not handle him. In the car he went, to join us for the rest of our garage saling plans. Guess what we heard from him the rest of the day! “Take me back to school! I want to go to school!”

So what does a banana, jacket, backpack, home and school have in common? Absolutely nothing! That is unless you have autism. I'm sure for Jerry they have some sort of connection. As for me, I will always remember the day they all caused Jerry to have a meltdown!