Line Up!

One of the things about Aspergers (especially in girls) is that the symptoms can be almost unrecognizable to most. Outwardly, these kids look totally normal. K (who will henceforth be known as Iraq) is an honor roll student at her school, and according to her school, this means there is nothing wrong with her.

Now don't get me wrong. I'm not suggesting there is anything "wrong" with her, either. I'm just saying that she's a bit... unique.

For instance, this morning I grabbed her new shoes - recently purchased to replace a pair with a hole in the side of one. As I went to try to help her put them on, she went into near-full meltdown mode, informing me that she couldn't possible wear her NEW shoes! She wanted to keep them safely in their box in her closet where they wouldn't get scuffed or dirty.

I spent the next 15 minutes gently explaining that the reason we BUY new shoes is so they may be worn. I was able to finally talk her into wearing them by saying that if she didn't wear them out, we wouldn't need to buy new shoes... ever!

She put them on begrudgingly, and lamented that she never wanted to throw away ANY of her shoes, EVER! (Oh great - I'm raising a future reality star for the show "Hoarders.") With visions in my mind of a house filled with thousands of old shoes, I told her that keeping all those shoes would eventually make our house smell like a giant foot. As she giggled at my joke, I could see the gears turning in her head. I am truly hoping this means I have changed the course of the future and prevented poor Iraq from becoming the little old lady who lives in a shoe - or at least a house that smells like one.

Then it was time to wait for the bus. Aspie kids are creatures of habit... and I don't mean that lightly! They rely on routine to the point that any variation of  their routine may cause the world to shift upon its axis! Iraq gets on the bus each day and plants herself in the front seat on the door-side of the bus. I almost had heart failure when the bus pulled up today and I saw two children already occupying Iraq's seat! I held my breath as I watched her climb up the steps of the bus. I could see her stop with a dumbfounded look on her face when she realized her seat was taken. I could see her attempt to negotiate with the seat's occupants (who clearly had no interest in moving). After a tension-filled moment, poor Iraq took one more step down the aisle and sat in the second seat. She was so clearly distraught that she wouldn't even wave good-bye to me.

Until only recently, little Iraq never participated in imaginary play. In fact, for the first 5 years of her life, she spent most of her spare time wrapped about my ankle. Now it would seem she is catching on to the concept of this type of play from the other children at school... to a point. She has successfully detached herself from my ankle, and will spend periods of time in her room "playing" with some of her toys. Her favorites are Hotwheels cars and small Disney princess dolls. Her method of "play" might baffle most non-ASD (autism spectrum disorder) children. She does not make up and act out stories that involve her toys, but spend hours arranging them - sometimes is straight lines, sometimes in patterns, sometimes by color... and don't even THINK about TOUCHING one of the toys once they have been arranged!

*sigh*

At very least she is on the honor roll at school, right? I mean... that makes her normal...