Anika’s Thoughts of the Week 5

Although I agreed to the plan to change Johnathan’s small tent for a bigger one that could put a resting area in with loads of his soft toys to lie on, I hadn’t realised just how much him having a safe space would mean to him.

You see, I had assumed the WHOLE HOUSE was his safe place - where Kevin or I were was his safe space, or being in our bedroom on my side of the bed.  I must admit, as he has been getting older I have become more anxious for him to go to his own bedroom to play/relax/calm down/reset himself but had no idea how to get him there.

Well, when we got the tent set up with everything, he has spent most of his time there.    It has made him feel that his bedroom is his and that the cuddly toys are now available for him to play with or use.  And he can snuggle down in the tent and relish the space he has got and the lights enclosed in it.

I honestly had no idea that this sense of a “safe place” in the bedroom of an autistic child would make such an impact on my son.  He had never mentioned his desire or need of such a thing so I just thought it wasn’t important to him.  How wrong I was!

It doesn’t matter if you don’t know something that would help your child or you don’t believe it is important to them so you never consider it because they haven’t mentioned it to you.  At the end of the day, Johnathan is now enjoying the gift that it is and playing/reading/whatever in there.

TREASURE

I am glad that this tent and toys have made this a wonderful space for my son in his bedroom and trust that we can continue on with providing the things he needs.  And yes, supplying what your child needs is not always obvious.