How does his mind work?

[TerryJ2]

difficult child was about to go into my bedroom, and I asked why. He said to use the bathroom. I said, "What's wrong with-yours?"
He said, "The toilet paper is all unraveled."
Yes, the almost-empty roll was unrolled on the floor. There was a brand new roll sitting next to it.
I tore the unraveled one into six sections, counting them aloud as I went, and placed them on the countertop so he could use them.
I said, "There you go," and walked out.
It took me the same amt of time to tear the sections and put everything in order (20 sec.) as it would have for him to walk all the way to my bathroom.
His mind works so differently ...

 

[Shari]

I hear ya.

Wee difficult child eats all the time (we'll fight this battle one day, I'm sure) and when he finishes whatever he's just ate, he will come find me for direction on what to do with the remnants (wrapper, core, peel, plate, fork, whatever is left from his latest eating). The answer for wrappers and cores is always "garbage", the answer for plates and forks is always "sink". Yet 4 years later, he still needs me to tell him this. He will even come to the garden or the barn to find me to receive this direction if I am not inside.

 

[Star*]

Ah he has you trained doesn't he?

He knows how to tear toilet paper.

He also knows if HE threatens to come in and use YOUR private potty - you'll "FIX" his.

I had these days with Dude - I figured and announced that he must not HAVE a mind. OH wait it wasn't taht he didn't have a mind - he had a NEVER MIND - never did anything with his own brain.

 

[TerryJ2]

Yes, it's a little bit of each, Star and Shari. If I could only get inside that gray mass and straighten out those neurons ...

 

[BusynMember]

Heh. Typical younger Aspie. It WILL get better as he gets older. My son has learned a lot about problem solving. It's hard to know what is inside their heads, but when we find out, it is often very interesting and musing

 

[Janna]

Yeah, D's problem solving stinks. Typically, if I show him, it might take a time or two, but he'll get it. He lacks the common sense knowledge.

But, go figure, he can do a Soduku puzzle on extra hard. I can't even get that!

 

[TerryJ2]

Oh, how funny! My son loves Sudoku puzzles. They make me crazy. I don't know how he has the patience.

 

[Janna]

Ha, yep!

He can't remember to pick up his towel after his shower, even after telling him 1,000,000,000,000,000 days in a row. BUT - he can remember something I said, that has no relevance to anything, 6 1/2 years ago, in passing, while I was on the toilet. Not only can he remember WHAT I said, but what I was wearing, who else was in the room....you get it.

Sometimes it's so funny I can only laugh and others, it's very, very, very annoying.

 

[DaisyFace]

I hear ya.

Wee difficult child eats all the time (we'll fight this battle one day, I'm sure) and when he finishes whatever he's just ate, he will come find me for direction on what to do with the remnants (wrapper, core, peel, plate, fork, whatever is left from his latest eating). The answer for wrappers and cores is always "garbage", the answer for plates and forks is always "sink". Yet 4 years later, he still needs me to tell him this. He will even come to the garden or the barn to find me to receive this direction if I am not inside.

Shari--This reminds me so much of my difficult child! Every single day, the first thing she does is look outdoors check the outdoor thermometer (which has a digital display)--THEN she will ask what temperature it is. Every day!!

She is also constantly asking what time it is. What time is it? What time is it? What time is it? It does not seem to matter that we have clocks all over the house. She owns like five watches...but always has some reason why she can't put one of them on. What time is it? What time is it?

Finally, husband has been answering her: "Time to put on one of your watches."

I wonder if some of this is just that they prefer to let their parents do the thinking for them? If Mom or Dad will figure it out--they they don't have to put any effort into solving their issue--whether it be toilet paper, garbage, dishes, time, or temperature.

--DaisyF

 

[Shari]

I dunno, Daisy, but my standard reply for at least the past 2 years, possibly longer, has been "I am not a table (as he attempts to hand it to me), where does this go?" and he will got put it in the appropriate place...its really not like I'm even solving anything for him.

 

[Nomad]

That bathroom thing reminds me of our difficult child, particularly when she was younger.

We are blessed with a house with several bathrooms. We also have a guest room with a bathroom.

We had company staying at the house. difficult child went out of her way to use THEIR bathroom when she had to use the facilities. She offered no explanation as to why she couldn't use another one nearby. Why? Who knows, really...

Also...sometimes when difficult child would use the paper towels...she would use 16 of them for a small spill. Why? Not sure really....except sometimes it seems she was anxious or upset and so she would unravel many towels probably to get rid of some extra energy...not thinking that this was wasteful, etc. (Of course, there were many other times she would spill things and not clean it up at all).

Mind working differently....yep...you better believe it.