Good Day, Gone Bad

I am learning how quickly things can go from good to a complete and total nightmare. Since Samantha cannot process her emotions or verbally express, "Mommy, I'm mad!" or "I don't like the taste of this." it usually results in a blood chilling scream and sometimes the ever embarrassing out of control tantrum. It may be set off by her no longer wishing to ride in the cart, being told she cannot have any cheese for snack (because it increases her constipation), or even her going to put her toys away and the normal place for something already has a toy there. Usually these fits can be settled down in a matter of a minute or two, but sometimes they rage on for 15, even 30, minutes.

Samantha was scheduled for her EEG today and they requested she arrive drowsy. Hum....a two year old whose tired...that's going to be a bad combination any way you slice it. Anyway, I made the appointment for 3pm and hoped to keep Sam up past her nap time in order to comply with the request. No such luck. By 1/2 past 1 she was in the midst of a total meltdown. On one hand I will not tolerate her out of control fits, but that the same time I know it was my decision to skip nap that brought her to this point.

There's the fine line. I understand that Sam cannot control certain behaviors, however in order to function in society, she also cannot be allowed to just get away with them either. I don't even believe this is an ASD issue, but a general lesson in life every kid has to learn. I've had all sorts of unsolicited advice on this issue from those who believe, "Unacceptable behavior is just a phase and kids will just outgrow it on their own. (said as their 6 year old climbs over the dinner table in a restaurant to take the fruit out of an alcoholic drink and eat it)" to those who say, "That kid needs her a** beat!" To those people I want to say..."You think I haven't thought of that?!?!"

Regardless of how anyone else thinks these things should be handled, or the appreciation I have for others advice (as ridiculous as it sometimes is), I know that Sam is a unique kid with unique issues and only my way is going to be what's best for her. I'm confident enough as a parent to not let what someone else thinks of my child effect how I think of myself as a parent. I may not be the expert in anything else, but I know I am the expert on Sam and how she is taught.

So back to my original observation. Routines are proving much more important than I had thought. Some things we can waiver on a bit, and other things are just written in stone. Nap time? That one's in stone.