Stop making that sound!

As I said before, I never yell at Alex.

But I do find myself raising my voice slightly when he does something I really dislike. One thing I find myself saying is, Stop making that sound! Sweetie! PLEASE! STOP NOW! Usually the kind of sound he’s making is an echo of something he’s heard over and over from a video.

Radio Tower Behind the Ward Four Cop House (Washington, DC), courtesy takomabibelot (flickr.com)

There’s an episode of Arthur (that 4th- or 5th-grade anteater on PBS) where Arthur starts a pet business. (”I’m the kind of boy who should have a dog.” Then Arthur imagines his baby sister stuck in a tree, wailing, and his dog coming to the rescue. “Oh, Arthur, I don’t know what we would have done without you!” exclaims his mother.) Alex loves to rewind that part of the tape so he can hear baby Kate crying. Later on, bratty younger sister DW screams when she comes across some frogs in the bathtub. The whole thing adds up to quite a few moments that Alex likes to listen to endlessly… and then repeat those sounds. On the bus. Waiting for a train.

I’m used to not conversing with Alex while we go somewhere. I usually say a few things to him (”We’re going to the doctor, then we’ll meet your class.” “We’re waiting here for the bus – it’ll probably come soon. Stand here. No, STAND HERE AND WAIT.”) just to connect with him a little. I don’t mind that he doesn’t say anything back. But those sounds have begun to drive me crazy.

I took a couple of tapes away (no more Elmo singing!) because Alex kept rewinding to the same part of irritating sound that he would then imitate. Am I interrupting some crucial stage, or is this a form of stimming? If it’s stimming, I guess it’s good to stop him doing it and try to redirect it. But a part of me has to admit that I’m wondering what people around us are thinking, and I guess I’d like them not to be thinking it.