Missing a toy and autism

I have dealt with many children and missing toys and there has been some level of upset depending on how attached the child is to the toy that is lost,  In general, you can get them something else, or something similar and that’s ok.

Now with Johnathan, if he loses or breaks something in the past it has generally led to an absolute complete meltdown and we deal with the meltdown and try to get exactly the same as the one he had (not always possible) or try to get him something that satisfies him.

Johnathan is the type of child who gets deeply upset when something has gone wrong with any of his toys.  And he never used to open doors or drawers at all.

So I was surprised to hear him say that he had lost his favourite toy teddy called Twinkle.  My poor carer and I were looking EVERYWHERE on surfaces but of course we didn’t open any drawers or cupboards because he never did.

I was getting more and more worked up and rang Kevin who was at work to ask for help because I was really worried.   I was totally worn out by the thought of how he would be that night because this teddy ALWAYS  went to bed with him.

Kevin told me to ask Johnathan where Twinkle was and he pointed to the drawer under Kevin’s side of the bed!  We were SO relieved but surprised he would do something so out of character.   

So don’t think a child on the spectrum will ALWAYS behave the way they do because sometimes, just sometimes, they will surprise you with something different.