MORE 

Autism to me and our family is a condition of more, not less. I’ve hear the expression that Autism is different, not less. But I would like to see a change in view. Autism is More. At our house, so many of our meltdowns are from Rex seeing/hearing/feeling/doing/needing MORE from his life than a neurotypical 8 year old. He sees everything when his eyes are open, that’s why he closes them. He hears every word that is said, every noise that is made around him. He hears them louder and clearer than we do. So he covers his ears. Retreats to a quiet hiding place and screams to drown out all that sound. He feels the slightest brush of the wind and the smallest of temperature change. That’s why he climbs under the softest blanket and pulls it up to his chin. His body does more; it moves more and talks more to process all those sensations coming from every direction. And yes, he needs more. He needs more patience, more time, more calm, more peace, more understanding than an average child his age. He has been in my life for 8 years now and I am just starting to understand how he works and it’s been a disadvantage and a disservice to us all that we just understanding that he is MORE.

I wrote this in April of last year, 2014, and still these words are true. I am still learning to understand his More and learning how to help our family navigate and live these words. 

-Rebecca Dyck