Saved by the straw
A few years back I watched this documentary – “Loving Lampposts”. Although I’ve seen several Autism related content after that, for some reason, that one documentary has stuck with me. The simplicity with which it played out and it’s title, oh the title, so intriguing, so wow! And then it happened one day… I noticed Vedant at a department store, holding a pillar and swinging happily around it. I saw him do the same to a lamp post in the park and to the supporting metal rods of the swing set. Anywhere he saw a post or a pillar, he was at it. Now I know why that documentary was sitting in a corner of my memory, it was to remind the future me that it’s ok, not to worry over these little “quirks”. They are part of his personality. He too just happens to love lampposts 🙂
You know what else he loves? Straws !!! Yes. Those flexible straws that come in all the vibrant colors…they are a staple in my house. You would see them everywhere …the top chewed up and then rejected. The discovery of the straw as his new-found love was nothing short of serendipity.
Like most kids with Autism, Vedant too was used to carrying a chewy tube, though my husband and I were not really a big fan of it. At home we avoided it as much as possible and we certainly would not carry it outside. We felt it made Vedant conspicuous, with a chewy tube hanging around his neck or around his waist. Besides, the tube would eventually start wearing off from its end and Vedant would ingest the fraying silicone pieces. So we were weaning him off of it. He co-operated, or rather, improvised. That’s one Smart kid!
He started looking around for options and he found a solution in twigs. He had a hawk’s eye for them. He could spot a twig camouflaged in mulch or nested within a heap of dry grass, anywhere. He then worked like a connoisseur, sorting them for the right size and thickness and then further inspecting them for their flexibility. The ones that broke on bending at the approximate 1/4th mark were rejected and so were the ones that were too supple to stay bent. Finally , after all that stress test, he would find the perfect twig for himself. It was a long drawn process and I was amazed at the amount of patience and attention he suddenly garnered for this rather tedious task. It was fascinating to see him do something with such dedication! However, no matter how cute it was, it didn’t seem either safe or hygienic to us that he pick up twigs from under that tree that our dogs and some others too would choose to pee on. So this certainly had to stop. Being the compliant child that he is, he did…and then found another alternative…talk about being resourceful!!
The DIYer in me had decided to make a cute fence of my own for my flower beds. I bought a bunch of bamboo skewers, painted them with colorful outdoor acrylic paint, and poked them in the ground all around my flower bed in my backyard. I called them my “google fence” because of the similarity with the multicolored Google logo. So, Vedant decided he could pluck out the skewer and use it as his new “twig”. He could chew on it (seeking oral sensory input), bend it at the 1/4th marker and it would still not fall off so he could twirl it between his fingers (visual sensory input- -he liked to see the bent portion spin when he twirled the long stem of the skewer). Now why this was a no-no is pretty clear. Firstly, it chewed away all my hard work—literally :). Secondly, the pointed end of the skewer that was stuck in the dirt went directly into Vedant’s mouth, eww !!! And finally he swallowed some of the bamboo—safe but why , really, why? The splinters could hurt him too.
It was then that a light bulb finally lit up in my mommy mind. How about giving him a flexible straw!!! Genius, right?! It can bend, he can’t really rip it off and eat it up, it can twirl in between his palms and fingers like a twig or a skewer and it’s really inexpensive, around a 100 for about a dollar. The price was definitely an added bonus because for those who are familiar with “Special Needs” products know how exorbitantly priced everything special needs is…talk about taking advantage of hapless parents! It was a match made in heaven. Vedant and the straw. Though it came with some downsides, like walking into a restaurant and suddenly discovering Vedant in a tug-of- with another customer over the straw in their drink, lol!!! We had done the apology drill way too often for us now to remember to hold his hands from either side when entering a food joint until we are seated. Problem solved. I have a stash of straw safely stuffed in my handbag for those sudden urges, meltdowns and behaviors, and a bunch sent to his school too. They like the hygiene that this “disposable chewy” has over a reusable one and it keeps him from eating other stuff in spite of his Pica.
So, apart from loving lampposts, he now romances straws and this time, I don’t have a problem with that.
Loved your Google fence.
Colorful , beautiful & looks like a rainbow for me & Ved is already colorful beautiful, just wait Tulika , he will stand out like a Rainbow…
from your own words Tulika
Tulika, your story / experience took me down the memory lane of my brother who always look for soft thread to play with.
Disha, isn’t it funny how we find connection with each other
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My son started with sticks. We would go to the park when he was very young, he would find a stick and sit down and twist it while all the other kids played. For years now, it has been a drinking straw. He has to have it bent just right and he spins it in front of his face while he watches TV and that is when he is happiest. I hate Autism, my son scores very low in IQ, and what it has stolen from my life and future, but he does use that straw.
OMG!!! this is exactly what my son does- bend and then spin it near his face!!!!