WPEEPS_day6 001

Little Conner is our little autistic boy in the afternoon group. I’ve just been gradually getting to know him, and figuring out the best ways to work with him. The speech path has requested that I work with him.

So far, I’ve learned that I can make him laugh uncontrollably, and that I can most often make him completely “tune me out” when I talk to him. He just doesn’t know that I’ve survived 2 teenagers at home, so I’m used to that, and I NEVER give up.

Today, he was doing crafts at my table with a group, and when everyone was finished, and had moved on to other things, he was still sitting there very quiet and still, just kind of looking at a piece of string, seeing far more in that string than you or I. I held his one hand, and started rubbing his back with my other. He seemed to really relax and calm so, I continued. I moved around behind him, and just kept rubbing his back, and pretty soon, he was fast asleep. He looked pretty uncomfortable, so I scooped him up in my lap and held him there fast asleep until his Dad came to get him. His Dad couldn’t believe it, because he typically sleeps about 4 hours/night. It’s very common for autistic children to have very poor, and interrupted sleep. This child as a 1-2 year old would at times be awake for 48 hours straight! By that age, his mother had had another baby!

This little man is also going through a terrible time at home, although I’m sure he isn’t real certain of the facts, but just that his home as he knows it, is all topsy turvey. His little sister was ill, and ended up in the hospital, and within 24 hours, she had been diagnosed with cancer. She was transferred to the children’s hospital where Sarah works, they did surgery to implant a central line for future chemo therapy. That night she coded! They saved her, but I don’t think she’s doing well at all, although we haven’t heard a recent report.

No wonder the poor little man needed a sleep and a cuddle.