Some days are autism days, some not so much. Today was. Cooper was invited to a birthday party at one of those indoor laser tag places. He didn’t understand where we were going but was super excited about heading to a party. When we walked in, I felt his tension begin. It was a busy place. Kids running around with loud voices, arcade games happening everywhere, general busy-ness. I even felt a bit anxious.
So he did what he does when there is confusion around… he fixated on something he knew and understood. A baseball cap with the word POLICE on it. (He really likes words with the letters “P” and “I” in them) This cap was the perfect “comfort item. Problem is, it was in one of those machines with the giant claw – the kind that for $1 you get a chance to try and make the claw grab a toy. He ran to it and wanted a dollar. I had about $5 in my purse and figured “what the heck” and gave it a try. On my first try I won a panda bear. Woo-hoo! But that’s not what he wanted. He wanted… no wait… I think I can say, he needed the cap. I won’t go into details – but let’s just say I couldn’t get the hat. I emptied the pockets of my “school parent” friends and even a few strangers. No one in the place had a loonie left by the time we gave up. Cooper had fixated on the hat and was not going to let it go. I even begged the kid behind the counter to open the machine and give me the hat – but he didn’t have the key. He tried calling the guy that owns the machine to see if he could come open it – but no luck.
It was just sucky. He cried and cried and cried. Eventually, when the party turned to normal party stuff – pizza, cake and presents he decided he could join in. It turned into a situation he could understand. And things got kind of normal towards the end of the party. (Except for this little part when he laid down on the floor of the party room. yes, that’s him in the corner.)
I just thank God for my pal Shawna. She left the party and went to toys r us and picked up a police helmet for my lil Coop-meister. After the party we gave it to him and he was so very excited. *sigh*
Peace out.
