A Change in Routine is Difficult for Kids with Asperger's

It is the middle of the afternoon and the house is quiet. I am soaking in the silence because I know that it will not be long and the peaceful rooms will be filled with yelling, screaming, crying, laughter and ruckus. 3 o’clock is my least favorite time of day.

The noise starts every morning at 6am. Parrot is usually the first one up. He doesn’t understand that if other people are still sleeping then it is polite to be quiet so you don’t wake them. Aspie kids like him can not read other people’s emotions or understand how they are triggered. He thinks very logical. When the sun is out it is time to wake up. This time of year the sun fills his room at 6am.

Routines are also very important to Aspie kids, especially Parrot. He does the same thing every single day at the same time. If anything gets out of place his whole world falls apart. When he comes downstairs in the morning he expects me to make and serve his breakfast even if it is only cereal and milk. He sits in the same spot at the dining room table for all his meals. When he is done with breakfast he places his bowl and spoon on the left side of the sink. After breakfast he goes upstairs, gets dressed for the day, makes his bed and works on his puzzle until it is time to leave for school. This routine gets repeated every single morning.

This morning I threw Parrot a curve ball. My body doesn’t handle stress very well. This move was very difficult for me, both physically and emotionally. I wrote about how I am dealing with the emotional stress of the move last week in my post, Establishing a New Routine, however I failed to mention how it is effecting me physically. I lost 10 lbs since we moved less than a month ago. I stand 5’1″ and at my heaviest which was during my pregnancy with Monkey, I weighed 145 lbs. Losing weight is the first sign that there is something wrong with my health. Also, I am tired nearly every day or I have a headache or stomachache. I decided I needed to change my routine before I get even weaker.

Instead of waking up at 6 and fixing breakfast for Parrot I left him a note along with a clean bowl and spoon. I told him that I needed to sleep in until 7 and he has to get his own breakfast. Parrot did not handle this very well. He threw a fit and went back to bed. I should have sat him down last night and talked to him about this change in routine. Next time I need to make a change I will remember to warn him ahead of time.