Attachments to objects
Date Posted:7 August 2017
Typical children attach to certain objects like Teddies, blankies and dummies. Not Teddy. The first thing Teddy demanded he take to bed was his wooden letters. That was doable.....
Typical children attach to certain objects like Teddies, blankies and dummies.
Not Teddy. The first thing Teddy demanded he take to bed was his wooden letters. That was doable.
He then became obsessed with eggs. He had to take an egg with him wherever we went. We learned very quickly however (after an incident in a pish posh café) to boil the egg before we left!! We also learnt to bring a few spare in case heaven forbid, the boiled one gets a crack in it. So every night while watching The Bachelor, I’d boil a dozen eggs so he was set for the next day.
We then managed to substitute the egg with a few play coins. “Yay”, we thought. “A non-perishable item! Winning”. The coins were not enough though. He then started to collect other unique items that he had to take e v e r y w h e r e. Even the shower.
This was getting difficult to manage. We had to do an item head count wherever we went. If even ONE item was missing, we’d have to call a full scale search to find it because Teddy’s world could not function without it. So we bit the bullet and bought a bucket that he could carry all of his goodies in wherever he went. This sounds absurd doesn’t it? These objects are so random yet they have so much significance to him.
Let’s imagine for a moment however, that Teddy’s bucket is your handbag. Filled with your phone, purse, keys and perhaps even and inhaler or epi pen. Think of that feeling of panic when you leave the house missing any one of those items. You mightn’t need your phone, or your inhaler but it’s the security of knowing it’s there right? I can only imagine this is how Teddy feels about his necessities and you know what? I’m cool with that.
Currently in Teddy’s bucket he has two batteries, a piece of string, a clock, green playdoh, a match and an ice cream lamp. Perhaps it’s not autism. Perhaps he’s Macguyver.
Autism. Try seeing things differently.
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