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Sense of humour

JimJams
JimJams Community member Posts: 174 Connected
When my son was diagnosed with autism , a leaflet I was given said try and keep your sense of humour. I could not think of anything worse to advise at that time. A year on I can see that laughing things off and keeping calm and upbeat really helps my sons mood. Especially when it comes to the dissaproving looks and comments from people who dont understand. My son splashed someone who was giving him "the look" the other day at the swimming. You probably know the look I mean. I can tell wherever my son is in a room by following "the look" on people or childrens faces. When the woman protested at being splashed in the swimming, i just calmly said. You must be the only person in glasgow who comes to the swimming to stay dry. I know I should not laugh but I cant help thinking to myself , good on you son.
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Comments

  • fairywishes
    fairywishes Community member Posts: 25 Listener
    A sense of humour is important, but it's difficult isn't it at times. But at times I agree with you you realise that someones fustrations are quite funny.
  • Heather
    Heather Community member Posts: 168 Connected
    You've got to laugh, or you'd cry! Similar to when we attended a church service and the money collection was always taken up to the alter by a church warden and one chosen child. My son was very eager to help - that's always a worry! When he was asked to carry the small children's bag of pennies I did have to question:- Are you really sure about that? He stood with the warden as I looked on, two foot away, with a worried smile on my face. He awaited for the cue to walk down the aisle and proceeded to skip whilst swinging the bag of money over the entire congregation! As if that weren't funny enough, he then ran up to the alter and grabbed his sister for a cuddle and knocked the candles flying. Thankfully a VERY understanding vicar and many friends all with smiles and chuckles as we gathered up the money again.
  • JimJams
    JimJams Community member Posts: 174 Connected
    edited June 2014
    I love your story about the money, I thought you were going to say he was not going to hand it over. Someone told me a story about their autistic nephew who was at a funeral, and went up to the coffin had a look in and said yes he's dead. OMG what would you do there, he was just stating the facts.
  • Heather
    Heather Community member Posts: 168 Connected
    Classic!
    Love it!
    Almost as good as when my son stripped naked in the living room, done a wee and proceeded to jump in it whilst flapping. My daughter calmly walked past with her new school friend and said "don't worry about him, he's just glad to see you!" I nearly died laughing, what did her friend's parents think of our "strange" behaviour?
  • JimJams
    JimJams Community member Posts: 174 Connected
    It is true some of the kids have strange behaviour, and it really helps to try and laugh it off sometimes. What else can you do. My friend nearly wet herself last halloween when I brought my son over (who is overweight due to compulsive eating) dressed as a skeleton. She could not help herself and said , he is the healthiest skeleton I have ever seen. I will never forget the laugh we had.
  • Heather
    Heather Community member Posts: 168 Connected
    I regularly organise monthly coffee mornings for fellow "special needs" mums and find it really fascinating to see the different startegies that each uses as a coping mechanism. But having a wicked sense of humour leaves one mum and myself usually rolling around the floor as she describes her "normal" life. Finding her son running across neighbours roof tops, him sitting naked in the neighbours house watching TV. But yesterday she told us about his great escape during the snow. Dad blinked and son had gone! Quick thinking they thought of the local shops, they trudged off in 50cms of snow and arrived 20 minutes down the road to be meet by a bemused police officer who couldn't understand this child sitting on the shop floor munching all the chocolate bars and unable to even give his name! The shop keeper was completely dumbfounded by the child's complete ignorance of what he had done. Dad was very embarassed and explained the situation but didn't have a penny on him to pay for the damaged goods. The worst was leaving his name and details incase it ever happened again!!!!!!! What a great way to meet your local police!
  • JimJams
    JimJams Community member Posts: 174 Connected
    What a nightmare for them, I hope the police and shop manager were understanding, what a worry, dont know how they cope. Good for the wee man getting to the shops and having a wee treat to himself.
  • Heather
    Heather Community member Posts: 168 Connected
    OK my son's been at it again! My daughter and friend went swimming whilst I took my son into the leisure centres special needs sports session for a play. Once we had finished, we went to the cafe area to wait for my daughter to finish swimming. After 20 mins waiting I went through to hurry my daughter and mate up and little one was getting stressed. Daughter was doing the girlie chat and make up, no care in the world. So back to the cafe to wait. My son then met his class mate there. They decided to run. I chatted to the mum saying I was going to drag my daughter out half dressed in a minute if she didn't get a move on. Then all hell let loss. Alarms blazing and tanoy announcing a fight in the cafe area, all staff to assist. I looked at my mate, it was our boys "fighting" as in rolling around playing. As we went to them, staff came from all areas shouting and screaming. The boys freaked out and bolted, alarms were clearing the pool. Us mums ran after boys, threw them in cars. I ran into the changing rooms and told my daughter to grab and run!!!!!! We died of embarassment-some strange reason we've not been back there!?!?!?!
  • JimJams
    JimJams Community member Posts: 174 Connected
    Sounds like a typical day in my life also, you will be able to go back in a while , just let some time pass and your picture to be taken off the wall and you will be ok. Thats what I do.
  • Heather
    Heather Community member Posts: 168 Connected
    We've moved on to bigger and better things! M&S no less!!!!! Son walked into a pyramid of fine wines in the centre of an aisle. The noise of smashing glass must have been heard in the next county!!!! My son fled the scene with my friend in close pursuit leaving me red faced trying to catch the flying glass! Strangely enough the security guards were thanking me....I managed to save about 20 of the 50 bottles and they thought I was a hero!!! Hope they don't watch the CCTV too closely and see that the lad was actually holding my hand as we entered!
  • JimJams
    JimJams Community member Posts: 174 Connected
    Awe heather, you have a time of it , dont you, I am sure they would understand, well I hope they would, but you never know with some people, I think I would be sooking the wine off the floor, never mind catching the bottles.
  • Natasha Brown
    Natasha Brown Community member Posts: 108 Courageous
    i'd like to share recent encounter - my son 15 (ASD, LDs) often goes up to random people in street grabs them etc. some people freak out.

    latest in Hampstead, we come out of Starbucks and I turn round and he is mauling a teen with curly hair, grabbing his shoulder..

    "i am sorry" I say "he thinks he knows you"

    "he does," says teen.

    "does he?" i ask, confused... then thining you do look familiar..

    "yes, I am on the telly.."

    me : "oh. yes. right..."

    it was actor daniel roche aka Ben from Outnumbered.

    a true star and totally nonplussed.

  • JimJams
    JimJams Community member Posts: 174 Connected
    Just a wee reminder to everyone to stay strong and dont let the dissaproving looks or comments get to you, apologise for any mishaps our children make, but if not accepted, just walk away, keep your chin up and be proud of your child, dont let anyone stop you going out and about. It is very disheartening , but I get comments and looks all the time and I do sometimes let it get to me too, but not for long. Keep on laughing and having fun, lifes too short
  • DeeMarie
    DeeMarie Community member Posts: 2 Listener
    My son is fascinated by hands and will often grab people's hands and study them as well as holding them. When crossing roads I often find I have added company as he's holding onto someone as we cross. I think the biggest line we've had is 5 people all holding hands crossing the road.
  • JimJams
    JimJams Community member Posts: 174 Connected
    My son just generally likes to touch peoples jackets or point out something about them that he finds unusual. Awkward sometimes, especially when he starts to question the police.
  • sallyaa
    sallyaa Community member Posts: 5 Listener
    You've got to laugh...

    My son has learning disabilities, autistic traits, speech and language issues.. the list goes on. All caused by a Syndrome Without a Name. Part of this is severe dyslexia. He's getting a lot of support and I've noticed how much his reading is coming on. Age 10 he's finally reached the stage where when he sees letters he tries to put them into words.

    Imagine my surprise when, during the summer holiday, he came out of a public toilet and asked me if I wanted to know what "naughty people have written on the wall." I take it as a sign of progress that he knew he had to whisper the swear words he'd read, and while I didn't storm into the men's toilet to check I'm fairly sure he got them right! I saw the funny side, and calmly agreed that they were very naughty people. Never thought I'd see the f word as a sign of progress!
  • kerry78
    kerry78 Community member Posts: 1 Listener
    My middle son has severe learning disabilities, CP, ataxic epilepsy and severe speech and lang diff. His fav thing to do is play with my hair. We were on the bus the other day when he was playing with my hair he shouted out and signed COW mummy a COW! Every was gasping and I was clapping saying yes mummy a cow lollllll Only he could get away with it. He did my hair in 2 bunchers loll so he throught it looked like a COW!
  • FATHERSCONTACT
    FATHERSCONTACT Community member Posts: 8 Listener
    DeeMarie and Sallyaa.
    As you will see from some of my postings on various topics I am a recent convert to Netbuddy and I have to thank you both for your two recent postings - yes you need a sense of humour at times and what better if your son can contribute.
    I remember one of my 'Dads' telling me how his 5 year-old non-verbal son suddenly came right out of the blue one day with 'TESCOs - every little helps' can you imagine their shock but pleasure? Since then he has gone on from strength to strength to the stange of taking a part in the school play ALL IN FRENCH! There is always hope.
    JohnE
  • PugsPenny
    PugsPenny Community member Posts: 1 Listener
    My son has Aspergers. His 'pet' subject is dogs. We were walking by the beach one day about a year ago and he spotted a rare breed. He excitedly went up to the owners and (as he has been taught) asked first before petting their dog. These two strangers were amazed and impressed when he correctly identified the breed. He then proceeded to tell them exactly what percentage of that breed didn't make it past their eighth birthday on account of their faulty heart valve.
  • Heather
    Heather Community member Posts: 168 Connected
    Ahhhhhhh PugsPenny I like that!!!!! Made me laugh as that's the sort of thing my husband would do! When we were selling our previous house I had led the house tours for the first 3 couples, then said to my husband "You can do the next" He's somewhere on the ASD and hates speaking to strangers. But he knew the young couple when they arrived. She was 6 months pregnant and looking for their first family home together. My husband went on to describe the house as far too small to have children running around, which is why we were moving and the steps out the front were a real pain for a pushchair and the hill a killer. I creased up laughing and my husband hadn't a clue why they showed no interest in buying, the young lady's face was a picture and we later met and she said she thought my husband was warning them off rather than trying to sell the property. Needless to say, I done any future tours and the house sold within 3 weeks!

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