Some nights I don't get much sleep.
Not because of all of the ridiculous and horrible things going on in the world, although if I could go to bed they might keep me awake.
Not because I have insomnia.
Because I have a child with Autism.
Truth be told, I have 2 children with Autism. They are my granddaughters and I am raising them.
However the eldest is 12 and she has a computer, and huge sensory issues.
What that means is as soon as she gets home from school the clothes come off and she chooses to stay in her room rather than hanging out with us in her clothing. Don't worry, she comes down in her house coat to eat and drink (begrudgingly).
The majority of her time on the computer is spent learning facts about the world, how things work and music. It used to be solitary Mine Craft, but after 3 years of straight minecraft she got bored. She has quite the amazing story, but that I will leave for another time.!
Any way, she's not the reason I'm up.
Our youngest is 6. She doesn't talk. We are trying to get her to use sign language, but it seems like she enjoys using the point and push method. In other words she will get your attention, push you to what she wants and point.
She has really cool gear, an apple I pad that has a program that uses Icons of stuff, that she can point and click and they will talk for her. BUT she doesn't like to use it.
I think it's because she has us trained and it's faster for her to push and point.
She's in senior kindergarten in a regular classroom, she's smart and she understands, when she's paying attention.
This week she and her class did something totally new for her....Splash Pad.
She didn't go last year, because something happened to her at her day care, that she couldn't tell us, but she got too scared to go there and developed a fear of outside and water. We were told nothing happened, we don't know and probably will never know what happened. But it ruined her ability to finish up the school year last year. So she missed out on splashpad.
Not this year, this year everything went swimmingly. We (her EA and I) brought her in my car to the splash pad about 15 minutes before the class got there, got her used to the area (change is hard) and after the first day, she was happy to be there.
This went on for the first 3 days of the week, then it stopped ( that went over like a cement bucket, did I mention that change is difficult?)
So the reason I am up? Well our darling has spent the last 4 hours sneaking bottles of water and pouring them out on the floor to make her very own splash pad! Before you ask, the bath with a little water..wasn't good enough...the bath with medium water ...wasn't good enough...with lots of water, still not good enough. Neither was the kitchen sink, a bowl or anything else that wasn't the floor.
Did I mention she wanted to go to the splashpad, at about 8 pm, that would be of course when they are not open. And when she should be starting to settle down and get sleepy. BUT, no... there is splashing to do, and certainly you can not give in to sleep when there is 2 days of splashing that should have been done, but weren't because everything CHANGED!
Sadly we haven't had the best weather either the last 2 days. Thunderstorms and rain have kept us inside. And the splashpad closed.
At least now she's laying on the couch watching Toopy and Beeno and drawing on her tablet. Perhaps there was enough splashing that took place this evening. Maybe now she will finally settle down enough to sleep.
Perhaps soon she will make the sign that means sleep and I can go to bed too!
I love my Autistic Granddaughters with all my heart, but sleepless nights, not so much.
