The wanderer

Burrito was diagnosed 9 months ago as being on the Autism spectrum. With this diagnosis was a measure of relief, because we had spent the better part of 3 years trying to figure out what was going on with him, and to finally have a name and a roadmap to guide us was a comfort. A bit of confusion, because I had worked with autistic children years ago and he just didn't fit the bill in my mind. it has been much like having a 5000 piece jigsaw puzzle dumped in front of you, you are given a certain time frame to assemble it and half way through you realize someone exchanged some of the pieces from a different puzzle. Making it impossible to understand or make sense of it. Burrito has grown a lot this school year. Thank God he is on an IEP making it possible for him to attend a very good specialized preschool program. This year he has reached nearly all of his goals and has shown us how very smart he is in some areas. His screaming has decreased as his ability to use words to express himself has increased. He has to be reminded to use his words but often is able to. His public tantrums have also decreased. In the last 4 weeks we have only had 2 grand mal tantrums in public. Amazing really when you think they occurred every single time we took him anywhere. I have learned more of his triggers so it is easier to predict when the grand mal tantrums will come. Over stimulation is usually the main culprit. For example we went to see Dominique and his band play down town. There were lots of people, the music was loud and crazy, people were talking, screaming, dancing and laughing. After we left the show we had to stop at the store to purchase cold lunch items for the last few days of school. Chaos of the show and the trigger of the store we had the worst tantrum ever all through the store, into the parking lot, all the way home 40 minute drive. I was exhausted by he time we got home and poor Elijah was so embarrassed he cried. I wish there was some way to get people to understand. He did not need a spanking, he is nt a brat and no, sir, I was not kidnapping him. There is one hint I do not understand. One thing that has gotten increasingly worse. One thing hat quite honestly scares me to the very core of my being. He has always been a wanderer. He has always had a tendency to bolt. But now it is happening nearly every day, and sometimes more than once! One day he bolted out of the gate while I was holding spuds talking with a daycare dad. Then suddenly there he went. He shot like lightening up e hill before I knew it he was 2 blocks away, thankfully the daycare dad ran after him and was able to catch him. The next day, I was feeding spuds and I suddenly hear the front door open, I put spuds on the floor and ran out after him, to find I'm all the way down the hill on his way to the park. Have you ever had to chase a nasty little puppy who waits until you get right up close. To almost but not quite reach I'm and then he takes off again.....that is what it is like to chase burrito. The problem is if you don't chase him he won't stop. He lacks the ability to become afraid. Then one day he and I were in wal mart I got him out of his car seat was ready to put him up in the cart, I turned for one second to reach my purse turned back and he was GONE. It took me what seemed like forever to find him. I was scared and angry at the same time. On Thursday, scott burrito and I went to menaces to look at patio chairs, he had taken off a few different times I the store but with 2 of us we were a little more able to keep control. Until that is .... Scott was paying for our purchases and burrito and I went to pull e van up to the door to load our chairs. I pulled up to the door, turned around and told burrito, stay inx your seatbelt and watch daddy and mommy load the chairs in the van. I hopped down went around to the flat bed, loaded the cushions over the back seat...looked in the side door as I was getting the second load and he was GONE!!! I looked at scott he looked at me and we both saw him at the same time. Burrito had bolted into the store. Scott took off after him. I could hear burrito squealing from the door. Finally, after abut 10 minutes scott returned to the van with the burrito tucked under his arm, safe sound and exhausted. I must admit.....secretly as I heard scott grumbling under his breath....I was happy. Happy that for the first time it wasn't me chasing him through the store scared embarrassed and angry at the burrito....yes, I was happy that scott finally got a taste of reality. Isn't that awful?? How do we get this behavior under control? When he has no ability to understand the whole stranger danger thing? This is going to be a very long summer if we don't find a way to keep him safe.