CHRISTMAS TIME AND AUTISM

Hi everyone , this is the worst time of the year for my brother Cameron when he was young mum  told me all the dreadful things he done because he couldn’t cope and back then mum didn’t know how to help him . it would send him into sensory overload the christmas tree , decorations , us visiting families houses and people  coming to our house but because Cameron has ADHD and aspergers it makes him impulsive so he suddenly made bad choices ,  school at christmas time  Cameron still can’t do so he has a longer holiday . I hate school plays I don’t like ever wearing  dress up cloths  I have massive sensory issues with cloths I cant even wear soft fleece because it makes me fussy all over and my hair stands up it makes me shake all over .

  I love having a christmas tree so we have one but mum has no flashing lights on it thats not good for us and she doesnt have anything else . Relatives find it hard understanding us mum said when Cameron was young everything had to be green and if it wasnt he would just throw it on the floor he couldn’t help it but it upset some of the family then Cameron only wanted certain things and couldn’t understand why people would buy him something he didn’t want or need Cameron would just tell them or walk away upset . mum has taught me to look happy about something I get that I don’t want  . I have one auntie who always gets me the wrong things and I feel sad and annoyed but I do a happy face then mum takes it back or sorts it out for me ,  there are quite a few things I like but Cameron is one of those people who only likes one thing so it hard for mum to get presents but santa always seems to bring him something he wants . Santa must understand autism because Cameron’s never been cross with what he brings .

 We don’t have christmas dinner either because we need mum a lot during christmas day if people have popped by christmas morning I find it harder to act how people want me to act , Cameron doesnt care he sits in his playroom with the blinds down and wont come out , people visit him in his playroom but he doesnt like it , yesterday he went to the doctors with a bad ear and the doctor told Cameron he’s to stay home in the warm so when dad said shall we drop theses presents off boys Cameron reminded him what the doctor had said so I went with dad or dad would have been on his own .

we have christmas dinner on boxing day and boxing day dinner christmas day , the whole boxing day thing confuses me as well when I was young I thought people had to hit each other and didn’t like that day but mum said it use to be the day people would open their presents in boxes not on christmas day , mums best friend Clare Hearne use to open her presents on boxing day . I said  to mum if everyone opens their presents on christmas day why don’t they delete boxing day now , mum said I do have a very good point but everyone likes an extra day off of work . i am still not happy about it still being called boxing day but mum said there could still be families that follow this tradition she said she will phone Clare and see if they still open presents on boxing day .

Mum showed me a picture of a lady on Facebook that has a little boy with autism and he has just pulled all the stuffing out of her sofa , mum said the lady is very sad but the boy must feel very sad to have done such a thing , Cameron done lots of things like this he didn’t feel things in a normal way so he seeked the sensation like hitting himself and others it’s called a special name vestibular dysfunction i like words like that because i know what it means and other people don’t , cameron  becomes  over responsive  and he can do strange things that don’t make sense to everyday people . we understand him , mum said i am very good with Cameron because I understand more than any other little person she knows , in fact she said I know more than a lot of the mums  she knows that’s why i am lucky because i am an expert at theses things but a lot of adults wont listen to me , adults can be stupid , mum agrees with me but I must not tell them that . Cameron does tell them he hates people saying stupid things

 I love Santa but  I don’t like visiting the ones that are not real , kids with autism know because we see little details you don’t see , its one of our special skills we have with autism  its one of my super powers . we know their are  fake and Cameron use to tell them but now we wait for Santa to come Christmas Eve I want to stay awake and see him but I fall asleep every year .

It makes me sad sometimes when I think about the africa children at christmas so mum does shoe boxes with me and we fill them with little presents and that does make me feel better I always give some of my christmas money to africa when i am older i am going to work for the red cross ive been thinking about special solar panels Cameron’s friend tim his dad works on new special solar panels hes clever and works in america so mum said I could chat to him about my ideas for africa , Cameron doesnt think about all of this like me but mum said no two people with autism are the same.

 Perhaps some grannies , granddads and families might read this and understand why christmas is hard for people like us but it can be happy if people try to understand while helping the mums and dads . my mums christmas when she was little was very different to mine I wouldn’t like her christmas because she done lots of things like crackers , roast dinners , lots of family staying  , me and Cameron don’t like that , cameron also hates mistletoe  because he dosnt  like people thinking their can joke and kiss him , he is like alot like Sheldon cooper , sheldon doesn’t touch anyone . Dad said to Cameron if you have a girlfriend she might want to hold you hand  , Cameron ignores him .

thank you to everyone reading my blog and i hope you have a good and happy christmas from alex xx

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