25 cents...3 am thoughts.. and life.

3 am.. was not sleeping and my mind wandered back to when I went to Aldi's a few years ago.  I had never been, and walked up to a lady thinking I could help her out as she was taking her cart back into the store.

She just about beat me with her purse.

If you have been to Aldi's you know the drill.  You pay a quarter, you get a cart, you return a cart, you get a quarter.  I did not know the drill.  I was embarrassed and totally did not understand the woman's reaction until I went to GET a cart (and I didn't have a quarter with me!)

I feel as if Chuck goes through life not knowing the drill and he has difficultly focusing on the "important" stuff to learn the drill.  How do you learn that you need quarters for carts at Aldis??

A few weeks ago, we went for ice cream.  So thankful for the plethora of vegan ice cream options because milk-free means we can enjoy.  It was soft-serve/self-serve.  That was a trick in itself but then there was a toppings bar.  Chuck went to grab strawberries with his hand.  I said, "use the spoon."  He went to put the spoon in his mouth.  <<sigh>>   I might add at this point that Chuck has above average intelligence.  It has nothing to do with IQ.  He had not experienced or noticed HOW to do this.  (The ice cream was delicious.)

 I think all of life is that way for a spectrum kid.  They need to learn how to observe and it comes much slower than for the 'typical' kid.  They don't need to be taught how to do things.  They need to be taught how to learn and observe and follow.  You can't TEACH all of these things.  You can't teach:

-- use the spoon at the ice cream bar and no don't put it in your mouth.
-- when you take a cart back into the store there will be a curb you have to go over but they have ramps to make it easier
-- it isn't appropriate to go to the back room of the juice bar where they are making the juice
--when someone says, "do you want to go for a ride?" you have to answer.  You don't just get in the car.
-- you don't talk to anyone and everyone in your path.
-- you have to pay for items in a store.
-- kitties bite.
-- not everyone likes to be petted on the head. (Talking humans here... not cats.)


  This is why RDI works so well.  It teaches dynamic intelligence and grows a child so that they can learn from others.  First trusted guides and moving out from there.

In any event, it is difficult and challenging to go out into the world and LEARN and I would love to tell you we have it all figured out.  But we don't.  I don't LIKE to go out into the world all the time.  Some days I am brave and we do venture out.  Some days we stay home.