Stims and perseverations!

Ok anyone who knows a child with autism or an autism spectrum disorder can relate to this- a stim or a perseveration is basically the "thing" your child gets stuck on for a period of time. I am not talking about a brief period of time, and I am not talking about something that occupies your child for a little while....i am talking about that thing that is ALL ENCOMPASSING, that thing that OVERRIDES all else!

Right now both D and M have perseverations going on and both are about to DRIVE ME CRAZY. For M the question of the month is "is this a busy road?" I have tried to get him to define "busy road" I have tried to ask him to give me the answer. I have defined "busy road" for him....none of it does any good- it is a question he HAS to ask, and apparently a question I HAVE to answer at a minimum 100 times a day.

Now D's perseveration is moderately funny to me, but I think it is mostly because it is making M nuts- which is more funny because M is konwn for asking repetitive questions, so for him to get mad because someone else is doing it cracks me up!

But D's question of the day is "is it funny" asked about everything, and followed with a little high pitched chuckle. Unfortunatley, most of the time he asks the answer is NO! OF COURSE IT ISN'T FUNNY. Is a heart attack funny? Is hitting your funny bone funny? Of course it is not funny! But when he does that little chuckle and giggle, it becomes funny and so I laugh, thereby encouraging him to ask again!

We have survived 8 days of total togetherness! We have now cleaned the play room AND the family room and I cleaned up the dining room....however, if I have to hear "is this a busy road" or "is it funny" more than 10 more times each, I might really lose it!

Please, can I go back to work! Please can the boys go back to school- back to the structure and routine they love! Back to the world of other adults who can tend to their needs for a little while each day?

One more day...1 more day of togetherness and then we are back to routine for a month! And, I am sure as they get back on the bus on Monday morning, I will miss hanging out together for lazy mornings, and watching them play together and just being together the 4 of us....but I can say for certain, as M asks the bus driver if the road is busy....that will be something I DONT miss!