Today we went to Sesame Place. My older son loves the Elmo Rocks show so we went to the 1:00 show. The way the accessible seating is, we are on the side of the stage, so we can look directly across the stage to the other 2 benches of accessible seating. I could see a family of 4, and they had an older teen boy--by his mannerisms I could see that he probably has autism. Once the show started, its loud--and I could see that young man getting more and more upset. He was banging on his own head with his hand and stuff--his parents were trying to calm him. Anyway, about half way through, they got up and left the show. Because of where they were sitting, they unfortunately had to walk in front of everyone, and at this point, their son was making loud verbal outbursts. No one seemed mad, but I couldnt help but notice the head tilts and other looks of pity from people who could figure out what was probably happening. I think they should be cheered, not pitied. That boy was at least 15 or 16 years old--not their first rodeo, kwim? They knew there was a chance that would happen. But they didnt give up. They took him to a crowded, noisy amusement park. They tried. They hoped for the best. They are not discouraged by past experiences...they keep at it. I wanted to give them a pat on the back and say, Hey, good try, maybe next time! Because sometimes it is bad enough, that when next time opportunities present themselves, we want to stay home. Its hard for moms and dads like us. We have to try to enjoy amusement parks and other venues, all the while acting like a Secret Service agent--watching everything and everyone around you so that you can avert any situation at any time. We cant just mosey on a walk...were constantly scanning the environment preemptively so we can predict, prepare, plan and prevent. Its not always easy and sometimes were wrong. Lots of times were wrong--thats the funny thing about autism, just when you think youve got some of it conquered--bam! It hits you with a water balloon in the side of the head unexpectedly. It wears on you after a while. Dont feel sad for families like ours, because our situations dont always have the best outcomes and sometimes we have to leave early. Feel happiness and encouragement and hope for us, because we have the courage to try.
Posted on: Sat, 03 May 2014 22:25:52 +0000
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