Bully in the house
July 9, 2009 by Jill Cornfield
Filed under Health
There’s a bully living in our house, and its name is autism.
Photo courtesy of littledan77 (flickr.com)
Autism’s the reason the TV is so often on. Toys scattered all over the floor? Autism likes it that way. Freezer well-stocked (OK, stuffed) with packages of Hebrew National franks bought on sale? Autism loves those. Doesn’t like to try new foods. A lot of hardcover books get separated from their dust jackets. Why? Only autism can tell you the answer.
Every day (or almost every day) if I’m in the apartment alone, I do the following: pick up the toys. Sweep up the crumbs. (Autism loves pretzels.) Sort the toys back into whatever categories — giant letters, jungle animals, toy cars — they belong to. Think to myself, when the living room is tidy again, Why can’t it always look like this?
The bully isn’t always here, luckily. Sometimes he leaves and a different guy steps in, one who loves to read, work on a jigsaw puzzle with me and his brother, or even take a few turns in the kitchen helping make cookie dough.
But I’m starting to see we have to fight to maintain some order in the house — pare down the toys, and find a way to make the bully realize he lives here with three other people.
You were being nice to the bully. Making people say mean things in the grocery store, not allowing friends to come around, not able to attend social events, No movies allowed, no fireworks, spreading feces, cleaning up spit up, and many trips to Doctors with little support. Help us kick the bully out the door. Support the meeting of Mrs. Obama & Angela Warner from AutismSalutes
i have two bullys in my house to one im invisible the other uses my apt as his personal jungle gym yeah lets kick these bullys out our houses dirty looks everywhere snikers that its my fault running after one hoping the other will stay put no one is happy if she is not happy