I was very thankful today that we had a five hour drive home. It gave me plenty of time to reflect on what could have been handled better yesterday. All the boys slept like babies last night and Mom tossed and turned, crying, wishing she knew what she could have done better. So today, all emotions aside, my mother and I discussed things we need to do for next time. First of all, next time won't be anytime soon.
We came up with a couple of ideas that I want to share with you.
1. Music.... He loves music, on his own terms. So why not get him an mp3 player that has his choice of songs on it? He likes songs by Chris Tomlin, Audio Adrenaline, Trans Siberian orchestra. So we need to put together a playlist that has soothing songs we know he won't sing to.
2. Compression... I haven't had a chance to discuss this in detail, but autistic children tend to like deep compression. This comes in the form of deep hugs, massages and even clothing that is tight. We like Under Armour shirts. He calls them his rubber shirts. They give him a compression feeling with a little bit of style in them. I let him wear them whenever he wants, but failed to realize I need to take one on the trip. I have to wonder now that if he had on one of those shirts during the wedding if he would have been a little bit more calm.
I am still doing research on the compression feeling for autistic children, so expect to see more about this throughout the year. I don't quite understand the scientific explanation that they give, but I have seen the results. He loves to wear them. There is bulky vest that he can wear during therapy if he wants, but as of now he has chosen not to wear the vest during school. However, he LOVES LOVES LOVES the rubber shirts.
It looks like I have some shopping to do this week.
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