I Want It MY Way!

Poor Iraq just got home from school where she did not have a very good day. Apparently she had to sit out of recess after shutting all the stall doors in the Girl's bathroom and locking them from the inside.

I think I may have mentioned before that Iraq likes everything to be lined up neatly and look orderly. I'm sure the Girl's bathroom looked much more orderly with all the doors neatly shut. When asked why she did it, she simply said she wants things her way.

This is not a first. For the past few weeks she has been saying this a lot. Each time it comes up, I explain that in order to have friends and get along in this world, we have to be willing to share - to participate in give and take. She hasn't been impressed with the concept.

At this stage, having things her way seems far more enticing than little things like, say... friends. Other people don't really seem to matter too much. Admittedly, this is just part of autism. Children in the autism spectrum can feel quite detached from social structure. Though girls in the spectrum will often mimic their peers far better than their male counterparts, it is still just mimicking. The actual desire to help and please others does not exist beyond an expression of what they have seen acted out by friends and peers.

Unfortunately, if Iraq is to make it on this planet, she is going to have to learn to mimic the natives as well as possible. She does not understand WHY this is important at this point, and I know this will be a harsh lesson to learn as time passes. I am NOT looking forward to Junior High! These years are hard even for the most "normal" of girls, let alone someone with social detachment.

*sigh*

Live and learn. All I can do is try to help her to the best of my abilities... whether she wants to listen to what I am telling her or not. If I just keep explaining it, maybe she can assimilate simply by acting out the behaviors I describe until she understands a little better... but then... you can lead a horse to water...