When the 'Basics' are Difficult for my Son with Autism

My son showed me exactly how he planned to install a CPU into his computer yesterday. If you don't know what that is, don't worry. You are in good company.

He walked me through it step by step, explaining in painstaking detail how to install it, and how the actual device functions. The way it communicates, what one set of cords does vs. the other, why the motherboard goes in this spot, and so many more things that I did not understand.

I sat there in awe, so proud of the man he is becoming. He is realizing his strengths, and using them to compensate for the difficult aspects of his life. It is exactly what he has been working towards for almost four years now.

I also couldn't help but feel a pang of confusion and disbelief. He can do all of this, but he may not be able to navigate dinner tonight.

It's something I don't think we talk about as much as we should. A child on the autism spectrum may master outrageously difficult things, such as building a computer without ever being taught how to do so. But it can be the basics that are difficult. Eating. Sleeping. Drinking water. Shopping. Taking medicines. Showering. Getting dressed. Playing. These areas of my son's life can be the most complicated.

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