Strike That...Reverse it. Thank you.

Duh?? But I thought...

Those with Autism process information more slowly. I should say, those with Autism NEED to process information more slowly. The times that we do not, are when we are upset or stressed...frazzled, maybe. During these times, information can come out of us like torrents of rain!

Anyway, less is not always more for someone with Autism. We enjoy savoring the thought process of mundane things and being pleased with ourselves because we "thought of that". We LOVE the victory of figuring out little things for ourselves...especially after we struggled through something. However, most people around us (bless their hearts) tend to think this "process" is nothing but us wasting time & making things hard on ourselves. (this must be corrected!) So, when we are in the middle of... washing dishes, for example; I generally hate washing dishes like everybody else, however, when I have energy to do it, there are little things I love about it. I love the running water. It's warm. It's soothing (the feel & the sound). It makes little patterns when it flows in the sink. I can stand there mesmerized by it, pretending it's a waterfall. It is contentedness at no charge...it's wonderful. But usually, this is very bothersome to others...

1. I'm wasting water
2. I'm wasting time
3. Someone else has to use the kitchen
4. I'm not paying enough attention to what I'm doing
5. There's a much easier way to do that!

Gee, and a minute ago I was perfectly content AND feeling so good because I thought I was doing something to help. People who have the gift of being very precise and efficient about things often don't mix well with those who are Autistic. This is because much of what the autistic does to help them enjoy a task, or even get through it at all...is seen to be a waste. This waste...must then be prevented, or changed somehow. So sometimes, even as adults, we have a lot of "don't's" in our lives:

1. Don't waste so much water
2. Don't waste the dish soap--it's expensive.
3. Don't fill the sink so full.
4. Don't drip water on the floor
5. Don't forget to wash the pans on the stove too.

These are all good things to remember...but now imagine the anxiety that builds when you're afraid you'll forget any of these? Then, your whole thought process becomes, am I doing this RIGHT? (What did I leave out? What did I forget? I'm gonna screw something up, I know it...and somebody is going to be mad at me). Sounds like a child afraid of a displeased parent, right? YES! Exactly. That's the WHOLE point. This is why we HAVE meltdowns to begin with, in my view. We become worn out...like a dishrag, wrung out till it won't drip anymore (pun intended).

(Ahem)...As I was saying; I ENJOY watching the water run in the sink. That's one sentence. Very simple. HOWEVER... (Okay...now, rinse and repeat.) (Pun intended). As in, repeat everything I explained prior to that one sentence. Now, as I understand it, everything that (I wrote) prior to that sentence must be remembered in order to make my life EASIER, is that right? This is because less is more...and I want to make things as simple as possible, right? Well, my goodness, I guess I'm not understanding. All I wanted was to watch the water running.

So many times we are, in our element...pleased, fascinated, mesmerized even, by the simplest things...and all of that is shattered or ruined...cut short by instructions, advice...or simply TMI. No matter how well intentioned. The dishes are just one example of countless others. Sound ridiculous? We know. That's another reason we have meltdowns. We spend countless hours thinking; "How stupid is that?"