Bad days

The other day, as I was leaving the Pingree Center, I heard a little boy crying. He was more screaming then crying. I looked in the front office and saw a mommy friend of mine and her little boy. He was in the midst of a full blown meltdown. Over what? I will never know. I could see the mom's face and the tears coming down her cheeks while she held her out of control son. She was trying to comfort him as were a few other women that work there.

I walked in and took the little boy from my friend and told her to sit down. I held the little boy as tight as I could and whispered to him that things were ok and he was ok. I didn't help to calm him down, but it did give his mom a chance to catch her breath.

Through her tears she looked at me and asked, "When does it get easier?" For a brief second I wondered that same question. I smiled and told her to look at all the positives. Her son now would look your direction when you would say his name. Just a few months ago he didn't do that. Sure he is four and should be talking and doing many other things, but that isn't what I told her to focus on. Focus on those few seconds he makes eye contact with someone and build on that. Focus on the fact he went peepee in the toilet for the first time. Focus on the fact that his meltdown didn't last as long as the previous one did.

Autism moves in the slowest motion you can imagine. Just when you think you've made progress, you can find yourself starting all over again and again and again. I hope that young mother keeps putting one foot in front of the other.