When Autism Slaps You in the Face for Doubting

February 26, 2017March 1, 2017 Kim Cristo

This is a wonderful blog from Autism Speaks blog page about discovering an autistic person’s talent:

Try Everything With Your Child and You Will Find a Beautiful Talent

It is funny, because I discovered my child’s talent without trying at all. The other morning she woke up at 3am. I heard her vocal stereotypy through the bedroom walls. She was jumping up and down on her bed, giggling and yelling. I pulled the pillow over my head to drown it out, hoping to get back to sleep. I heard the door to her room open, her little feet pound against the wood floor. She was going to get her iPad.

I got out of bed at 7am. I could not sleep with all the ruckus. I opened the door to her room and she was working on something – recording a video. “Bye-bye, Mommy!!!” It’s the only phrase she says to me. Or, “I want: crackers, grapes, iPad, hugs, whatever it may be.” That is pretty much the extent of my daughter’s communication. Her three year-old sister has surpassed her in every aspect of communication.

Imagine my shock as I was plugging in her iPad and noticed the iMovie app was open. I looked at the last video she recorded.

I have never had a conversation with my child. She has never initiated a conversion. She has to be prompted to utter any sound. However, she memorized an entire episode of Oobi, recorded a video without sound and dubbed her voice over the video taking on all the characters and dialog. She did this in a period of about 3 hours.

Seeing this video and witnessing her talent has been sobering for me. There are days when autism get in the way. We struggle to get out the door to go to an appointment. It takes hours to get my daughter into the bathtub. The smoke alarm will go off for no reason and cause a 45 minute tantrum. When she goes to bed at midnight wakes at 3 am to start her day. When we visit family or friends and she gets in their bed or tries to take all the toys home with her.

But then there are moments when I see her true capabilities and I am silenced. Put in my place. Sobered.

Never doubt someone with autism. Never underestimate. It will only prove you wrong. Autism has endless possibilities, there only needs to be an opportunity.