Coping with Autism

After I picked the kids up from their last day of school today, I took them to my old office to see everyone. I've hesitated to take them because of the boys issues with paying attention, etc. They were really good though. I was very proud of them. They were busy little beavers as usual. It's almost impossible to expect otherwise but they said hi to everyone and Peter did not display his characteristic shyness. He actually said "please" and "thank you" to people he likely did not remember. Normally, I have a hard time getting him to speak at all in front of "strangers" but he did speak and did well. Nathan was more hesitant although this didn't prevent him from swiping toy cars off of someone's desk and walking around with them the whole time. He was a little fearful but he too was fine.

Shopping with toddlers is a combination that can strike fear in any mother but combine that with autism and you've got the makings for a possible county-wide crisis. One wants to go one way and the other wants to go another way. And running and hiding from Mommy is funny (Who knew? I certainly didn't know that this was supposed to be funny.) The one thing I went in for turned into five as we picked out a toy for each and a pack of bandages to feed the latest obsession that one of them has for Band-Aids. I try not to take both boys by myself if I can help it. It's just way too stressful. One of them is okay but both is a fearful force. Take the normal toddler behavioral issues, cube them and this is what it is like to deal with autistic toddlers. We did manage to leave the store with a toy motorcycle (Nathan), a small electronic abc/shapes toy (Peter), bandages (Peter), diapers (both) and a box of tissue (the car). But Nathan had to be put in the cart to keep from running of...